Abstract
The study collected and analyzed information on the diversity of plants used for the treatment of malaria in communities living near the Bobiri Forest Reserve in Ghana, using a structured questionnaire to interview 150 individuals. Forty-two plant species belonging to 27 families were identified as being used locally in treating malaria. The plant leaves were the most commonly used plant part, and the majority (92.9%) of the medicinal preparations were decoctions obtained by boiling the plant parts. About 75% of the people collected plants for treatment of malaria from their immediate surroundings (within 100 m of their homes), whereas the others were collected in the wild. Respondents indicated as major threats to the medicinal species of plants: drought (49.3%) followed by farming (15.7%), over-harvesting (13%), and brush fires (11%). The results of the study suggest a need for conservation and sustainable harvesting strategies.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 85-106 |
Number of pages | 22 |
Journal | Journal of Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2011 |
Keywords
- antimalarial
- conservation
- medicinal plant
- traditional medicine