Endogenous knowledge of traditional healers on plants used against hepatitis in Mbandaka/DR Congo
1 URD 73 Interdisciplinary Research Center of the National Pedagogical University / DR Congo.
2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, DR Congo.
3 Department of Biology, Higher Pedagogical Institute of MBANDAKA, Equateur DR Congo.
4 Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa/DR Congo.
5 Department of Biology Official University of Bukavu Sud-Kivu, DR Congo.
6 Water and Forest Department, Spatial Teledetection and Telecommunication High School National Pedagogical University, Kinshasa, DR Congo.
7 Department of Environment,Faculty of Sciences, Cinquantenaire University of Lwiro South Kivu, DR Congo.
Research Article
Open Access Research Journal of Life Sciences, 2022, 04(01), 001–010.
Article DOI: 10.53022/oarjls.2022.4.1.0049
Publication history:
Received on 18 May 2022; revised on 27 June 2022; accepted on 29 June 2022
Abstract:
The ethnobotanical study was carried out on medicinal plants used in the traditional treatment of hepatitis in Mbandaka in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its general objective was to establish a relationship between the level of education of traditional healers and their expertise in alternative medicine to treat viral hepatitis.
On a floristic list of 36 plant species used in the composition of different anti-hepatitis recipes, the Fabaceae family is predominant with 5 species. Considering Citation Frequency (CF), species such as Ageratum conyzoides L., Senna alata (L.) Roxb., Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf, and Millettia laurentii De Wild. are the best known by traditional healers.
The high rate of illiteracy among traditional healers (42.9%) seems to challenge the reliability of endogenous knowledge. However, since the species inventoried have proven their effectiveness in other countries, the established expertise of the traditional healers of Mbandaka in the treatment of hepatitis is confirmed.
Endogenous knowledge, therefore, does not take into account the level of education.
Keywords:
Endogenous knowledge; Complementary medicine; Viral hepatitis; Traditional healer; Level of education; Mbandaka
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