Abstract
Traditional medicine is typically the most accessible primary healthcare for a large proportion of the people in Nigeria. However, its potential remains under-explored, especially with regards to their documentation. This research investigated and documented the use of medicinal plants in the management of various health conditions/diseases among local populations in Lagos State. This study was conducted in five (5) locations of Lagos State i.e., Alimosho, Badagry, Eti-Osa, and Epe (including Ijebu and Imota). Ethnobotanical information from 100 participants was obtained using semi-structured questionnaires. Frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), fidelity level (FL), and informant consensus factor (ICF) were used to assess the importance of plants utilised for various health conditions/diseases. We identified 183 plants from 61 plant families with the highest number (24) of plants belonging to Fabaceae. Based on the high FC, the top-five popular plants used for managing health conditions/diseases in the study areas were Mangifera indica (95%), Waltheria indica (93%), Zingiber officinale (87%), Alchornea cordifolia (83%) and Ipomoea involucrata (81%). Furthermore, Rauvolfia vomitoria, Urena lobata and Waltheria indica were recognised as the most adaptable plants, as they were used to treat five different health conditions/diseases. The most commonly used life-forms were herbs (34%) and woody species (shrubs; 30%, and trees; 22%). The most regularly used plant parts were leaves. The calculated RFC values for all medicinal plant species ranged from 0.01 to 0.95, while FL values ranged from 7.14 to 100%. We found 14 health conditions/diseases, with ICF values ranging from 0.88 to 0.95. Insomnia, insanity, convulsion, nervousness, and muscle relaxants had the lowest (ICF = 0.88) agreement, while malaria/fevers, stomach, and respiratory-related diseases had the most (ICF = 0.95) agreement. The documented therapeutic uses of the plants provide basic data for further research aimed at pharmacological and conservation studies of the most important flora existing in the study areas.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
The survey identified 183 plants from 61 families, with Fabaceae contributing 24.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee0
- Outcome
- plants from 61 plant familiese0
- Value
- 183 plantse0
Not reportedSetting
Verbatim
e0“We identified 183 plants from 61 plant families with the highest number (24) of plants belonging to Fabaceae.”
Claim · model-written summary
Mangifera indica was cited by 95% of informants.
- Taxon
- Mangifera indica
_from_India.jpg?width=60)
Mangifera indicae0 - Outcome
- Mangifera indicae0
- Value
- 95%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_from_India.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Mangifera indica (95%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Waltheria indica was cited by 93% of informants.
- Taxon
- Waltheria indica
Waltheria indicae0 - Outcome
- Waltheria indicae0
- Value
- 93%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Waltheria indica (93%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Zingiber officinale was cited by 87% of informants.
- Taxon
- Zingiber officinale
Zingiber officinalee0 - Outcome
- Zingiber officinalee0
- Value
- 87%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Zingiber officinale (87%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Alchornea cordifolia was cited by 83% of informants.
- Taxon
- Alchornea cordifolia
Alchornea cordifoliae0 - Outcome
- Alchornea cordifoliae0
- Value
- 83%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Alchornea cordifolia (83%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Ipomoea involucrata was cited by 81% of informants.
- Taxon
- Ipomoea involucrata
Ipomoea involucratae0 - Outcome
- Ipomoea involucratae0
- Value
- 81%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Ipomoea involucrata (81%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Rauvolfia vomitoria, Urena lobata and Waltheria indica were each used for five conditions.
- Taxon
- Rauvolfia vomitoria, Urena lobata and Waltheria indica
Urena lobata.jpg?width=60)
Rauvolfia vomitoriaWaltheria indicae0 - Outcome
- five different health conditions/diseasese0
- Value
- fivee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Rauvolfia vomitoria, Urena lobata and Waltheria indica were recognised as the most adaptable plants, as they were used to treat five different health conditions/diseases”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbs represented 34% of used life forms.
Verbatim
e0“herbs (34%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Shrubs represented 30% of used life forms.
Verbatim
e0“shrubs; 30%”
Claim · model-written summary
Trees represented 22% of used life forms.
Verbatim
e0“trees; 22%”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaves were the most regularly used plant part.
Verbatim
e0“The most regularly used plant parts were leaves.”
Claim · model-written summary
Relative citation frequencies ranged from 0.01 to 0.95.
Verbatim
e0“RFC values for all medicinal plant species ranged from 0.01 to 0.95”
Claim · model-written summary
Fidelity levels ranged from 7.14 to 100%.
- Taxon
- plantsViridiplantaee1
- Outcome
- FL valuese0
- Value
- 7.14 to 100%e0
Verbatim
e0“FL values ranged from 7.14 to 100%”
t0“Local Flora”
e1“We identified 183 plants from 61 plant families with the highest number (24) of plants belonging to Fabaceae.”