Medicinal Plants Used for Management of Asthma in FCT, Abuja and Its Environs

Abstract


 Aim: Asthma is a condition that affects the airways in human lungs. It causes its (lungs) inflammation and hyper-responsiveness. Conventional therapies used in its management are expensive and have been found to come with undesirable side effects. The use of herbal remedies in treating the disease is widespread especially in local communities with little or no access to primary health care. This indigenous knowledge on the cure of asthma is gradually being lost among the populace. This study is aimed at documenting local remedies used in the management of asthma.
 Methodology: Ethnobotanical survey was carried out in Federal Capital Territory (FCT)- Abuja and surrounding communities, among Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs), Herb’s sellers and elderly in the community using semi-structured questionnaire and interview methods. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ethnobotany index.
 Results: 80 respondents were interviewed, 58 of them laid claims to knowledge about medicinal plants used in asthma management. Majority of the respondents are Traditional Medicine Practitioners (48%). 59 plants species belonging to 38 plant families was documented with most belonging to the Moraceae plant family (10%). The recipes mentioned were mostly prepared as decoctions which are taken orally with a case of two being by smoking and inhalation. 
 Conclusion: This study has shown that the Federal Capital Territory and settlements within its environ are blessed with medicinal plants used in the management of asthma which serve as a cheap and alternative source of remedy for the local populace and as well, being a repository for scientific inquest that may lead to yet another drug discovery from plant origin used in the management of asthma.

Ethnobotany of plants used by indigenous communities in Birjand, a dry region with rich local traditional knowledge in eastern Iran

“…The decoction is considered an effective method for extracting the active ingredients of medicinal plants (Gao et al 2022), and it can also lessen or eliminate the negative effects of some recipes (Chaachouay et al 2019, Iwaka et al 2022. Moreover, it is cheap and also easy (Adigwe et al 2022) to prepare by mixing the plant with water, tea, milk, and so.…”

Practice and Perception of Traditional Medicine Practitioners towards Challenges Facing Traditional Medicine Practice in Nigeria: A Pilot Study

“…Most of the recipes administered by the TMPs are in liquid form which is typical of herbal concoctions and recipes [9][10][11]. As part of their practice, it was revealed that the majority (between 87% to 89%) of the TMPs kept patient and recipe records and also referred patients to hospitals when they think the illness is best handled by conventional medicine.…”