Ethnobotanical Study of Plants Used in the Treatment of Dysmenorrhoea in Traditional Medicine in Manjo, Littoral-Cameroon

Abstract

Aim: An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the city of Manjo with the aim of identifying the different uses of plants used in the treatment of Dysmenorrhea. Methodology and Results: An ethnobotanical study was carried out among one hundred and ninety-two women and seven traditional health practitioners in the city. Twenty-five plant species divided into twenty-three (23) genera and nineteen (19) families were listed. The most represented family is Asteraceae (12%). Eremomastax speciosa (17.05%) and Myrianthus arboreus (12.50%) are the most requested species. Phytochemical tests were carried out on these two species using the standard procedures described by Brunetton (1999) and revealed the presence of several chemical compounds in all the drugs. The most abundant were alkaloids, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthraquinones, coumarins and anthocyanins. Leaves were the most commonly used organs (52%). Decoction (44%) is the most common method of preparation for the majority of medicinal recipes. The oral route is the only one used for all recipes. Conclusion: These results can be considered as a source of information for scientific research in the field of phytochemistry and pharmacology.