Ethnobotanical Survey of Three Species of Desmodium genus (Desmodium ramosissimum, Desmodium gangeticum and Desmodium adscendens) Used in Traditional Medicine, Benin

Abstract

In Africa, conventional medicines are not within the reach of everybody. High costs of classic treatment lead 82% of the patients to traditional remedies. The study was aimed at identifying and documenting these plants used in the traditional medicine of Benin. Between December 2017 and March 2018, an ethnobotanical study was conducted in the markets of Cotonou, Abomey – Calavi, Porto-Novo and Pobè using a semi-structured questionnaire. A total of 100 respondents which included 91% of females and 9% of males were interviewed. These three species are involved in the treatment of 19 categories of diseases. The respondents are mostly females. It appears from this survey that the Desmodium ramosissimum is the most represented species in Benin (85%). The parts of the plant used are the stem with leaves (98%) and roots (2%). The recipes are prepared mainly by a decoction and administered orally. The price of samples sold varies from 200F cfa to 1000F cfa. The herb teas are cooked with one herb or a combination of several herbs. In terms of knowledge, information on plants was handed down from one generation to another orally through the word of mouth or without any published records. The ethnobotany survey revealed that no prohibitions or side effects are linked to the use of these plants. The three species of Desmodium occupy an important place in the therapeutic arsenal of Benin. These results constitute an essential tool for the experimental evaluation of the potentialities of these plants in order to make available for the Beninese population, new improved traditional medicines.