Assessment of Medicinal Values ofRauvolfia vomitoria (Afzel) in Ibadan Municipality

Abstract

Naturally inherited herbs are almost lost and only very few are left in the herbal trade. The study therefore assessed the medicinal values of Rauvolfia vomitoria and its availability in Ibadan municipality with the use of structured questionnaires and target informant interview. A multistage sampling procedure was used to collect data on medicinal values of Rauvolfia vomitoria. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and cross tabulation. The findings revealed that Rauvolfia vomitoria has a lot of medical potential in curing and preventing ailments like malaria, typhoid, and jaundice among others. It also has aesthetic effects on human beings and their environment. The plant is abundant at both seasons of the year as testified by 95% of the respondents. It is therefore recommended that sustainable management and domestication of Rauvolfia vomitoria must be ensured for posterity. In the same vein, preservation techniques of the harvested parts must be intensified to avoid quick spoilage.

In Vitro Assessment of Anthelmintic Activities ofRauwolfia vomitoria(Apocynaceae) Stem Bark and Roots against Parasitic Stages ofSchistosoma mansoniand Cytotoxic Study

“…The extract of R. vomitoria has been used as traditional medicine for over 2000 years in Africa for the treatment of hypertension and mental disorders and recent studies have confirmed its effectiveness as antipsychotic, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory agent and for improving blood chemistry. In Ghana, root specimens of R. vomitoria are used as emetic and purgative and to treat parasitic skin diseases [ 22 ] and jaundice and gastrointestinal disorders [ 23 ]. It was reported that the bark of R. vomitoria can be used against such parasites as lice and scabies.…”

Determination of bioactive constituents of Rauwolfia vomitoria Afzel (Asofeyeje) roots using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR)

“…They further reported that a watery solution of the bark of R. vomitoria can be used against such parasites as lice and scabies. R. vomitoria is employed in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (Fapojuwomi and Asinwa, 2013). Sharma (2004) added that the root of R. vomitoria is good for the treatment of snake bites, insect stings, nervous disorders, mania, epilepsy, intractable skin disorders such as psoriasis, excessive sweating, itching, hypertension, sedative, uterine contraction in child birth and gynecological ointment for the treatment of menopausal disorders.…”

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“…Most alkaloids have found their way in medicinal application as antimalarial, antimicrobial , antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic activities . Most samples containing alkaloid are used in Nigeria for the treatment of malaria and fever (14,12). Alkaloids are the most efficient therapeutically significant plant substance.…”