Ethnobotanical survey and proposed recipes of potential wound-healing plants in parts of south west Nigeria

Abstract

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants remains a veritable source of information leading to discovery of new lead compounds of pharmaceutical importance thus, the need for continual search for medicinal plants via ethnobotanical surveys in Nigeria. Structured questionnaires were administered amongst traditional healers. A few other anecdotal claims about efficacy of herbs from people who at one time or the other have used the plants for wound healing were also sampled. The result of an ethnobotanical survey of plants used in the treatment of wound in Ijebu North Local Government area of Ogun State and Ibadan North Local Government area of Oyo state of Nigeria are reported. A total of 71 species of plants covering 43 families were identified; representing 51 recipes. Carica papaya Linn, Elaeis guineensis Jacq, Chromolaena odorata Meull. Arg, Gladiolus psittacinus Hook.f., Vetivera kotschyana (Benth.) Stapf, Securidaca longipedunculata Fresen and Euphorbia laterifolia Linn were prominent among the recipes. Among all the families identified in the recipes, Euphorbiaceae was most mentioned (7.0%) followed by Compositeae, Fabacceae, Malvaceae and Meliaceae families (4.0%), Amaryllidaceae, Annonaceae, Arecaceae, Asphodeloideae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Leguminosae, Musaceae, Poaceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Solanaceae, Sterculiaceae, Zingiberaceae followed closely (3.0%) while Acanthaceae, Amaranthaceae, Anacardiaceae and others had 1.0%. Out of the recipes, 51.9% are either leaves only or in combination with other parts, while 21.5% are stem bark, 7.6% are seeds and 3.8% are roots, bulbs and fruits respectively. These plants could be investigated for potential leads for wound healing in animal subjects.