Culture and Traditional Medicine Practice Among the Idoma People of Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

The Idoma people are indigenous to the middle belt region in North Central Nigeria and they possess a rich history and tradition of using medicinal plants in the management of various ailments. Oral transmission is the primary method by which history is passed from one generation to another. The present study involved an ethnomedical survey done with the aid of questionnaires and it covered Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State which is the headquarters of the Idoma speaking areas of the State. The information obtained showed that over a hundred species of plants from several families were identified and these were being used to manage a wide range of ailments from dysentery and gonorrhea to asthma and pneumonia. The scientific names and the part of the plant used together with their mode of preparation and dosage regimen were also reported. The importance of this kind of documentation was also discussed as it will help to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the tribe and could also serve as a basis for further research on the documented plants and aid in global bio-conservation efforts.

Enhanced Anticancer Activity of Hymenocardia acida Stem Bark Extract Loaded into PLGA Nanoparticles

“…It is characterized by contorted and stunted growth, and it is widely known and used in African trado-medicine. It is called “heart-fruit” in English, “enanche” in Idoma, “ikalaga” in Igbo, “ii-kwarto” in Tiv, “emela” in Etulo, “Uchuo” in Igede, “jan yaro” in Hausa, “yawa satoje” in Fulani, and “Orunpa” in Yoruba [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Ethnomedicinal information suggests that the plant is used traditionally to treat hemorrhoids, chest pain, eye infection, migraine, skin diseases, and several infections, and as a poultice to treat abscesses and tumors [ 16 , 17 , 19 ].…”

Subacute and Subchronic Oral Toxicity Assessments of the Aqueous Extract of Euphorbia heterophylla Linn Leaves in Female Sprague Dawley Rats

“…Plants have played an essential role in health care systems worldwide. In most developing countries, plants are involved in the traditional medicine practices of indigenous people and form an integral part of their cultural systems (1). This is particularly the case for most countries in Africa, Asia, and South America.…”