Ethnopharmacological Relevance and Level of Consensus among Informants Regarding Loranthaceae Used in the Traditional Treatment of Hypertension in Daloa (Côte d’Ivoire)

Abstract

Aims: Hypertension remains a major public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, where traditional remedies are widely utilised. In Côte d’Ivoire, plants of the family Loranthaceae are commonly used for hypertension-related conditions, although quantitative ethnopharmacological data for the Daloa region remain incomplete. This study aims to identify the Loranthaceae species traded and used in Daloa, evaluate the sociodemographic profile of knowledge holders, and assess informant consensus to select priority taxa for future pharmacological validation. Methodology: Between August and October 2023, a cross-sectional ethnopharmacological survey was conducted in three key markets in Daloa. Using snowball sampling, 60 informants were initially interviewed, from whom a specialised sample of 40 expert practitioners (90% herbalists and 10% traditional healers) was selected. Data were quantitatively analysed using the Medicinal Use Value (med.UVs) and the Medicinal Informant Agreement Ratio (med.IARs). Results: The selected informants were predominantly women (77.50%), and ancestral knowledge transmission was reported by 92.50%. They identified two species: Tapinanthus bangwensis and Phragmanthera capitata. Quantitative indices indicated very high consensus, with complete agreement for T. bangwensis (med.UVs = 1; med.IARs = 1) and slightly lower values for P. capitata (med.UVs = 0.95; med.IARs = 0.97), for which practitioners specified harvesting from the kola tree (Cola nitida). Leaves were the primary plant part used (100%), predominantly prepared as an infusion (95%) and administered orally. Conclusion: This study demonstrates high informant consensus and the ethnopharmacological relevance of Loranthaceae species in Daloa. The high consensus indices support prioritising these plants for subsequent phytochemical screening and in vivo biological investigations of their extracts in murine models.