Ethnobotany of Medicinal Plants with Antidiabetic Potentials in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Kaduna is known for its diverse wealth of traditional medicines and major markets of traditional medicines. However, the survey was conducted in these areas in other to have an inventory of the plants used traditionally for the treatment of Diabetes. A non-random sampling method was used in the selection of participants and open-ended questionnaires were administered to the age group of 20 and above for the collection of data. A total of 56 informants were interviewed. This study revealed 38 species of medicinal plants. Fabaceae and Rhamnaceae family have the highest abundance. The fidelity level of most agreed plant species are Anisopus mannii (74.48%), Cammiphora kerstingii (70.58%) and Annona senegalensis (69.58). Bark accounted for 37.5% of the most utilized parts, while decoction and oral were the most utilized methods of preparation and utilization at 35.7% and 76.8% respectively. The study showed vast knowledge of the respondents and also enormous varieties of medicinal plants in the study area. Thus, conservation of these wild plants with diabetes therapeutic value to avoid extinction is necessary. However, this study recommends further biological investigations to confirm the compound responsible for antidiabetic activity.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus
• ethnobotany
• medicinal plants
• nigeria