Documentation of Herbal Medicines Used for the Treatment and Management of Human Diseases by Some Communities in Southern Ghana

Abstract

Traditional medicine is an important component of the health care system of most developing countries. However, indigenous knowledge about herbal medicines of many Ghanaian cultures has not yet been investigated. The aim of the present study was to document herbal medicines used by traditional healers to treat and manage human diseases and ailments by some communities living in Ghana. The study was conducted in eight communities in southern Ghana. Data were collected from 45 healers using ethnobotanical questionnaire and voucher specimens were collected. A total of 52 species of plants belonging to 28 plant families were reportedly used for treatment and management of 42 diseases and ailments. Medicinal plants were commonly harvested from the wild and degraded lowland areas in the morning from loamy soil. Herbal medicines were prepared in the form of decoctions (67%) and infusions (33%). Oral administration of the herbals was most (77%) common route of administration whereas the least used routes were nasal (1%) and rectal (2%). The results of the study show that herbal medicines are used for treatment and management of both common and specialized human diseases and that factors of place and time are considered important during harvesting of plants for treatments.

Herbalists and their Mode of Health Care Service Delivery in Debre Markos Town, Northwest Ethiopia

“…In relation to this Boadu A. and Asose A. [18] . affirmed that communities in southern Ghana prepared harvested herbal materials in the form of decoctions and infusions.…”

“…Almost all of the herbalists unanimously agreed that plants are collected at dawn or in the early morning without taking a meal and passing urine. Contrary to this Boadu A. and Asase A [18] indicated that herbalists in southern Ghana are flexible and collect medicinal plants when they are needed, especially in the case of emergency. Besides, herbalists are engaged in harvesting medicinal plants in both dry and wet seasons of the year.…”

Utilization, cultivation practice and economic role of medicinal plants in Debre Markos Town, East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

“…The route of administration of herbal medicines could be related to bioactive agents in the extracts of the plants (Gurib, 2006). For example, herbal medicines whose bioactive agents are alkaloids are easily assimilated when administered orally while terpenoids especially essential oils are best administered through dermal and/nasal routes (Boadu and Asase , 2017).…”

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