Survey on medicinal plant species traditionally used by Bambenga people: Pygmies of Dongo sector in Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

According to the WHO, more than 80 % of the population in Africa resort to traditional medicine for their health care. In the present study, a survey was carried out among Bambenga Pygmies of the forest of Lobala-Poko, Sector of Dongo (Kungu Territory, Province of Sud-Ubangi) in Democratic Republic of Congo with the aim of inventorying medicinal plants used by these autochthonous peoples for various illnesses. The results established a floristic list of 35 species belonging to 17 families of which Leguminosae (17 %), Malvaceae and Meliaceae (with 14 % each) are the major used species. The results of this study also indicated that the 30 identified plants are trees (86 %), 03 plants are herbs (9 %) and finally 02 plants are lianas (6 %). The bark is the most used part (43 %), followed by the leaf (20 %), root (16 %), fruit (14 %) and sap (8 %). Among the 36 treated diseases, back pain is the most quoted, followed by dysentery and low stomach.

Keywords

• Ethno-botanical survey
• medicinal plant species
• Bambenga Pygmies
• Democratic Republic of the Congo