Economic Importance of the Medicinal Plant Trade in Sierra Leone1

Jusu, Amadu; Sanchez, Aida Cuní

doi:10.1007/s12231-013-9245-4

Cited by 33 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…1 ) Leaves were by far the most common plant material used, followed by bark. While leaves and bark were often well represented in other studies, only 50 % of the combined total in our study were leaves and bark, similar to in Sierra Leone [ 25 ]. These most common health complaints treated with plants were hepatitis, kidney stones, asthenia, wounds, coughs and gastroenteritis (Fig.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 62%

Medicinal plants sold in the markets of Antananarivo, Madagascar

Randriamiharisoa

Kuhlman

Jeannoda

et al. 2015

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

116

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundThis study focuses on the large outdoor markets of the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo. As the largest metropolitan area in Madagascar with a population of nearly two million, the region has great capacity for consumption of medicinal plant remedies despite numerous pharmacies. Medicinal plant use spans all socioeconomic levels, and the diverse metropolitan population allows us to study a wide variety of people who consume these plants for medical purposes. The purpose of this study is to identify and generate a list of medicinal plants sold in the traditional markets with a focus on those collected in the forests around Antananarivo, get an idea of the quantities of medicinal plants sold in the markets around Antananarivo, and assess the economy of the medicinal plant markets.MethodsIn order to determine which medicinal plants are most consumed in Antananarivo, ethnobotanical enquiries were conducted in the five main markets of the capital city. Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted with medicinal plant traders, suppliers, harvesters and cultivators, with voucher specimens created from the plants discussed. Trade circuit information was established and the income generated by the trade of some of the species was assessed.ResultsThe inventory of the Antananarivo markets resulted in a list of 89 commercialized plant species. Ten of the 89 were mentioned by 60-100 % of vendors. Profitability for vendors is high and competitive with other salaried positions within Antananarivo. Transportation costs are also high and therefore lower profitability for other members in the supply chain.ConclusionsThe markets of Antananarivo have always played a vital cultural role in the lives of urban Malagasy, but our study shows they also play an economic role not only for urban residents but rural harvesters as well. Continued research and monitoring of the non-timber forest products trade in Antananarivo is needed to better understand the impact of trade on the wild plant populations.

show abstract

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 62%

Medicinal plants sold in the markets of Antananarivo, Madagascar

Randriamiharisoa

Kuhlman

Jeannoda

et al. 2015

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

116

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The use of herbal medicines during breastfeeding for reasons other than to augment breast milk production is supported by the fact that the two major herbal medicines used in our study were Cassia sieberiana and Luffa acutangula . Recent research has reported Cassia Sieberiana is mostly sold in Sierra Leone as a herbal remedy for the treatment of stomach ache and febrile illness [45]. Preclinical studies on Cassia sieberiana suggest its major mechanism of action is mediated via anti-ulcerogenic properties [46], which may explain its indication for stomach ache as reported in our study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Herbal medicine use during breastfeeding: a cross-sectional study among mothers visiting public health facilities in the Western area of Sierra Leone

James¹,

Kaikai²,

Bah³

et al. 2019

BMC Complement Altern Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundThe use of medications, including herbal medicines during breastfeeding is always a concern among women. Currently, there is no published evidence on whether Sierra Leonean women use herbal medicine during breastfeeding. This study investigates the prevalence, correlates and pattern of herbal medicine use during breastfeeding.MethodologyWe conducted a cross-sectional study among 378 current breastfeeding mothers visiting public healthcare facilities within the Western area of Sierra Leone. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used for data analysis.ResultsOver a third of mothers (n = 140, 37.0%) used herbal medicine during breastfeeding. However, very few herbal medicine users (2.1%, n = 3) used herbal medicine to augment breastfeeding. Dietary changes were the most common method used to increase breast milk supply (93.9%, n = 355) with cassava leaves sauce and tubers being the most common dietary addition. Mothers with children more than six months old were more likely to use herbal medicine than mothers with younger children (OR:1.8; CI:1.13–2.85,p = 0.013). Among herbal medicine users, only 11.4% (n = 16) disclosed their herbal medicine use to their conventional healthcare providers.ConclusionThe use of herbal medicine among breastfeeding mothers attending public health facilities in the Western area of Sierra Leone is common. Whilst this use is not usually specific to increasing breast milk supply, our study indicates that herbal medicines may be used to ‘cleanse’ initial breast milk.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-019-2479-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

show abstract

“…Tuttolomondo et al [ 37 ] reported that plants with low cultural importance index value indicate that the local populations had little trust in them concerning their use in the treatment of certain pathologies or indicate a fall in traditional plant knowledge regarding medicinal uses of these plants which is an evidence of an ongoing process of cultural erosion. Cultural and religious preferences also influence the use of medicinal plants [ 58 ]. Some of the documented medicinal plants were found to play important roles in religious ceremonies among the Hindu community.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional Therapies Used to Manage Diabetes and Related Complications in Mauritius: A Comparative Ethnoreligious Study

Mahomoodally

Mootoosamy

Wambugu

2016

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Religious communities from Mauritius still rely on traditional therapies (TT) for primary healthcare. Nonetheless, there is still a dearth of scientific information on TT used by the different religious groups to manage diabetes and related complications (DRC). This study aimed to gather ethnomedicinal knowledge on TT used by the different religious groups against DRC. Diabetic patients (n = 95) and traditional healers (n = 5) were interviewed. Fifty-two plant species belonging to 33 families and 26 polyherbal formulations were documented to manage DRC. The most reported DRC was hypertension (n = 36). Leaves (45.2%) and juice (36%) were the most cited mode of preparation of herbal recipes. Plants which scored high relative frequency of citation were Citrus aurantifolia (0.55) and Morinda citrifolia (0.54). The cultural importance index showed that Ocimum tenuiflorum, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Camellia sinensis, and Ophiopogon japonicas were the most culturally important plants among Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist community, respectively. Hindu and Muslim community showed the highest similarity of medicinal plants usage (Jaccard index = 95.8). Seven animal species distributed over 4 classes were recorded for the management of DRC. Plants and animals recorded as TT should be submitted to scientific studies to confirm safety and efficacy in clinical practice and to identify pharmacologically active metabolites.

show abstract

Economic Importance of the Medicinal Plant Trade in Sierra Leone1

Cited by 33 publications

References 17 publications

Medicinal plants sold in the markets of Antananarivo, Madagascar

Medicinal plants sold in the markets of Antananarivo, Madagascar

Herbal medicine use during breastfeeding: a cross-sectional study among mothers visiting public health facilities in the Western area of Sierra Leone

Traditional Therapies Used to Manage Diabetes and Related Complications in Mauritius: A Comparative Ethnoreligious Study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About