Integration of medicinal plants into the traditional system of medicine for the treatment of cancer in Sokoto State, Nigeria
Ibrahim Malami,
Nasiru Muhammad Jagaba,
Ibrahim Babangida Abubakar,
Aliyu Muhammad,
Alhassan Muhammad Alhassan,
Peter Maitama Waziri,
Ibrahim Zakiyya Yakubu Yahaya,
Halilu Emmanuel Mshelia,
Sylvester Nefy Mathias
Affiliations
Ibrahim Malami
Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, PMB 2346, Sokoto, Nigeria; Centre for Advanced Medical Research and Training (CAMRET), Usmanu Danfodiyo University, PMB 2346, Sokoto, Nigeria; Corresponding author.
Nasiru Muhammad Jagaba
Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, PMB 2346, Sokoto, Nigeria
Ibrahim Babangida Abubakar
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, PMB 1144, Kebbi State, Nigeria
Aliyu Muhammad
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, 810271, Nigeria
Alhassan Muhammad Alhassan
Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, PMB 2346, Sokoto, Nigeria
Peter Maitama Waziri
Department of Biochemistry, Kaduna State University, Main Campus, PMB 2336, Kaduna, Nigeria
Ibrahim Zakiyya Yakubu Yahaya
Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, PMB 2346, Sokoto, Nigeria
Halilu Emmanuel Mshelia
Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, PMB 2346, Sokoto, Nigeria
Sylvester Nefy Mathias
Department of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, PMB 2346, Sokoto, Nigeria
This study was designed to explore and record various medicinal plants integrated into the traditional system of medicine for the treatment of cancer. The traditional system of medicine is a routine practiced among the indigenous ethnic groups of Sokoto state. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed and used for data collection around the selected Local Government Areas. A substantial number of plant species were identified, recorded, and collected for preservation. Data collected for each specie was analysed to assess its frequent use among the medicinal plants. A total of 67 species belonging to 31 families have been identified and recorded. Out of the 473 frequency of citation (FC), Acacia nilotica was the most frequently cited specie (32 FC, 64% FC, 0.6 RFC), followed by Guiera senegalensis (27 FC, 54% FC, 0.5 RFC), Erythrina sigmoidea (17 FC, 34% FC, 0.3 RFC), and subsequently Combretum camporum (15 FC, 30% FC, 0.3 RFC). The most common parts of the plants used include the barks (55.2%), the roots (53.2%), and the leaves (41.8%). Additionally, decoction (74.6%), powdered form (49.3%), and maceration (46.3%) are the most frequently used mode of preparation. The historical knowledge of a traditional system of medicine practiced by the native traditional healers of Sokoto for the treatment of cancer has been documented. The present study further provides a baseline for future pharmacological investigations into the beneficial effects of such medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer.
