An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants commonly traded in Kajiado, Narok and Nairobi counties, Kenya

Abstract

Over eighty percent of the world population depend on traditional medicine for their basic health care needs. A study was carried out in three counties in Kenya (Kajiado, Narok and Nairobi) to document the common plant species traded as medicinal or herbal remedies. Structured interviews and questionnaire were administered to herbalists with prior informed consent, who were willing to disclose information on the source, plant type and parts of the herbal medicine they were selling and ailments treated. The folk or common names were recorded and later translated to scientific names using para-taxonomists and previous published data. Majority of the herbalists interviewed were between the ages of 40-59 years and comprised of mostly women (54%). The investigations revealed that eighty-six (86) plant species were traded as medicinal plants out of which 51% were commonly traded across the three counties. The study further revealed that the most traded plant parts were stem, bark and roots which could pose a threat to conservation of the species due to complete or partial destruction of the trees during harvesting. Aloe species, Prunus africana and Osyris lanceolata were highly traded an indication of their preference by local inhabitants to treat particular ailments. The generated list of medicinal plants species will form baseline data that could be used to generate a comprehensive list of all plant species traded as herbal medicine in Kenya. The commonly traded plants can also be included in pharmacological studies which may lead to development of new and potential drugs.

Potential application of DNA barcoding technology for identification of medicinal plant species traded in Nairobi County, Kenya

“…Since the total number of traders involved with herbal products is not documented, herbalists were identified during market days and randomly selected to participate in the study (Mwaura et al, 2020). Samples were collected from 30 herbalists who consented and were engaged in sale of herbal plant products in the selected open-air markets in Nairobi County.…”

Sociocultural bound illnesses or syndromes: Voices from the traditional medicine markets

“…Just like many other Kenyan TM markets, Kajiado, Narok and Nairobi medicine markets have revealed that TM markets are dominated by older practitioners, female traders, and most of the traders demonstrated low literacy levels. Area plant use specificity is influenced by varying ethnic compositions, cultural beliefs and norms (Delbanco et al, 2017;Mwaura et al, 2020). However, heightened trade in TM particularly in urban medicine markets may pose a serious biodiversity threat in the respective plant sources, mainly those sourced from the wild (Muriuki et al, 2012).…”

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF CRUDE EXTRACTS OF Solanum incanum AGAINST Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

“…According to World Health Organization (2001) medicinal plants are sources of a variety of drugs. Between 65% and 80 % of the people in developing countries rely primarily on medicinal plants for their basic health care (Mwaura et al, 2020;Wood-Sheldon et al, 1997). Phytomedicines continue to occupy an important position in the treatment of diseases worldwide (Tyagi and Prasad, 2015).…”

“…Phytomedicines continue to occupy an important position in the treatment of diseases worldwide (Tyagi and Prasad, 2015). Plants offer the local population with immediate and accessible therapeutic products (Mwaura et al, 2020;Bruck et al, 2004). Medicinal plants contain chemicals such as saponins, tannins, essential oils, flavonoids, alkaloids and other chemical compounds Morrison, 2009).…”

“…Herbal medicine in Kenya has received very little attention in modern research and development and less effort has been paid to upgrade the traditional health practices. By the year 2011, Kenya had forty thousand traditional healers which included herbalists, bone setters, faith healers and birth attendants prescribing medicinal plants (Mwaura et al, 2020). Solanum species are important sources of a large number of phytochemical compounds with substantial curative applications against human pathogenic diseases (Abbas et al, 2014; Bari et al, 2010).…”