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An Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Knowledge and Uses of Medicinal Wild Plants among the Marakwet Community in Kenya
Joint Authors
Wanjohi, Bernard
Kipkore, Wilson
Sudoi, Vincent
Njenga, Elizabeth W.
Source
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Issue
Vol. 2020, Issue 2020 (31 Dec. 2020), pp.1-8, 8 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2020-03-30
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
8
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Traditional plant knowledge and uses of medicinal wild plants were investigated among the Marakwet community in Kenya.
Data were collected through interviews with seven traditional healers and 157 questionnaires for local community members.
Traditional names of the plants by traditional healers and local community members were prepared as a checklist.
Loss of traditional medicinal names of plants was ascertained with up to 60% overlapping in their nomenclature.
The traditional medicinal plants treated 41 diseases within the region, of which local community members understood common ones for treating stomachache (94.8%), diarrhea (70.7%), chest problems (65.5%), and typhoid (63.8%).
It was also clear that there was low knowledge index of medicinal plants by the local community members (23.6%) based on knowledge of traditional healers.
Clearly, medicinal plants for treatment of malaria, diabetes, tetanus, and pneumonia were recognized by over 40% of the local community members, while plants treating arteriosclerosis, meningitis, arthritis, trachoma, smallpox, rheumatic fever, and gout were known by less than 10% of the respondents.
Among plants, the use of roots for treatment was known by over 67% of the local community members compared to fruits, bark, bulb, and flowers (<10%).
This low traditional medicinal knowledge in a community relies on the traditional medicinal plants, calling for an urgent need to document the information and perpetuate this knowledge from one generation to another.
This can be achieved by collecting the information and developing a database of medicinal plants for future research and potential development of new drugs.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Wanjohi, Bernard& Sudoi, Vincent& Njenga, Elizabeth W.& Kipkore, Wilson. 2020. An Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Knowledge and Uses of Medicinal Wild Plants among the Marakwet Community in Kenya. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine،Vol. 2020, no. 2020, pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1155623
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Wanjohi, Bernard…[et al.]. An Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Knowledge and Uses of Medicinal Wild Plants among the Marakwet Community in Kenya. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine No. 2020 (2020), pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1155623
American Medical Association (AMA)
Wanjohi, Bernard& Sudoi, Vincent& Njenga, Elizabeth W.& Kipkore, Wilson. An Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Knowledge and Uses of Medicinal Wild Plants among the Marakwet Community in Kenya. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2020. Vol. 2020, no. 2020, pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1155623
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-1155623