Skip to content
Research Article Open access CC BY 3.0

Wild Plants Used as Nutraceuticals from Nebbi District, Uganda

Godwin Anywar, Hannington Oryem-Origa, Maud Kamatenesi Mugisha

European Journal of Medicinal Plants · pp. 641–660 · Published 13 Feb 2014

10.9734/EJMP/2014/7634

Abstract

Aims: To inventory the wild plant species used both as food and medicine and how they are used in Panyago Sub County, Nebbi district. Study Design:  Ethnobotanical study. Place and Duration of Study: The villages of Kaal, Padoch South, Nyakaduli and Pacer South, Panyango Sub County, Jonam County in Nebbi district, between May and July 2011. Methodology: Data were collected from the local people using questionnaires, Focus Group Discussions (FGD’s) and field observations. Both purposeful sampling and simple random sampling methods were used to obtain the required information. Triangulation was achieved by combining the different data collection techniques and tools. Results: Forty six plant species belonging to 28 different plant families were reported to have overlapping uses as both foods and medicines. They were reported to treat 32 conditions, the commonest being stomach or abdominal aches. Leaves were the most frequently used parts of the plants as food (45.1%), while roots were the most commonly used parts of the plants as medicine (33.8%). Some of the plant species were reported to have the same parts used both as medicine and eaten as food (26.1 %) while other plant species had different parts used either as food or medicine. Infusions were the most commonly used methods of preparation, while most medicines were administered orally. An additional nine plant species belonging to eight plant families were reported to be used as famine foods, with no apparent medicinal benefits. Conclusion: Several species of wild plants are used as nutriceuticals or as medicines by the people of Nebbi. Notably, many of the plants have overlapping uses as food and medicine. Many families still rely heavily on these plant species but are not consistently transferring the knowledge to the younger generations.  

Nutriceutical food medicine wild

References (31)

  1. 1 Informant Consensus: A New Approach for Identifying Potentially Effective Medicinal Plants [DOI]
  2. 2 The roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems [DOI]
  3. 3 Traditional herbal drugs of Bulamogi, Uganda: plants, use and administration [DOI]
  4. 4 Preliminary assessment of nutritional value of traditional leafy vegetables in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa [DOI]
  5. 5 Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Derashe and Kucha Districts, South Ethiopia [DOI]
  6. 6 Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal): a comparative study [DOI]
  7. 7 Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants of Kara and Kwego semi-pastoralist people in Lower Omo River Valley, Debub Omo Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia [DOI]
  8. 8 Traditional herbal remedies used in the management of sexual impotence and erectile dysfunction in western Uganda.
  9. 9 Medicinal perceptions of vegetables traditionally consumed by South-Asian migrants living in Bradford, Northern England [DOI]
  10. 10 Ethnobotanical Study of Edible Wild Plants in Some Selected Districts of Ethiopia [DOI]
  11. 11 Use and potential of wild plants in farm households
  12. 12 Medicinal plants of Otwal and Ngai Sub Counties in Oyam District, Northern Uganda [DOI]
  13. 13 Knowing, gathering and eating: Knowledge and attitudes about wild food in an Isan village in Northeastern Thailand [DOI]
  14. 14 Medicinal plants used in the treatment of fungal and bacterial infections in and around Queen Elizabeth Biosphere Reserve, western Uganda [DOI]
  15. 15 The traditional medicinal and food uses of four plants in Oaxaca, Mexico [DOI]
  16. 16 Antibacterial properties of some wild leafy vegetables of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa [DOI]
  17. 17 Plant domestication and its contributions to in situ conservation of genetic resources in Benin [DOI]
  18. 18 Status of non‐cultivated food plants in Bulamogi County, Uganda [DOI]
  19. 19 Nutritive and Anti-nutritive Qualities of Mostly Preferred Edible Woody Plants in Selected Drylands of Iringa District, Tanzania [DOI]
  20. 20 Challenges of water resource management and food production in a changing climate in Kenya [DOI]
  21. 21 Wild and Semi-Wild Food Plants of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom of Uganda:Growth Forms, Collection Niches, Parts Consumed, Consumption Patterns, Main Gatherers and Consumers [DOI]
  22. 22 Assessing biodiversity impacts of trade: a review of challenges in the agriculture sector [DOI]
  23. 23 The Prevalence of Wild Food Knowledge Among Nomadic Turkana of Northern Kenya [DOI]
  24. 24 Traditional knowledge of edible plants among the Temuan villagers in Kampung Jeram Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. [DOI]
  25. 25 Sustainability, Food Security, and Development Aid after the Food Crisis: Assessing Aid Strategies across Donor Contexts [DOI]
  26. 26 Preliminary ethnobotanical studies of the Rwenzori Mountain forest area in Bundibugyo District, Uganda [DOI]
  27. 27 Some medicinal plants in Mukono District
  28. 28 The vital wealth of plants : WWF and the conservation of plants
  29. 29 Ethnobotany: a methods manual [DOI]
  30. 30 Handbook of African medicinal plants [DOI]
  31. 31 The Cultural history of plants [DOI]

Cited by 45

Ethnobotanical study on traditional use of local fruit varieties in Gargano Promontory (Apulia, Italy)

Nello Biscotti, Daniele Bonsanto, Gaetano Laghetti · Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution · 2022

Botanical features and ethnopharmacological potential of Leonotis nepetifolia (L.) R. Br: a review

Roggers Gang, Youngmin Kang · Journal of Plant Biotechnology · 2022

Medicinal Plant Species Used in the Management of Hernia by Traditional Medicine Practitioners in Central Uganda

Moses Kibuuka, Godwin Anywar · Ethnobotany Research and Applications · 2015

Proximate nutrient composition of some wild edible medicinal plants from Uganda

P.O. Box 7062, Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology & Biotechnology , College of Natural S ciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, Godwin Anywar, H Oryem - Origa · African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development · 2017

Berries and skin health: evaluating their role in dermatological conditions

Patience Tugume, Edirisa Jamilu Ssenku, Walusansa Abdul · Berries and Nutrition · 2026

Medicinal Plants used during Antenatal Care by Pregnant Women in Eastern Uganda

Patricia A. Nalumansi, Maud Kamatenesi-Mugisha, Godwin Anywar · African Journal of Reproductive Health · 2017

Showing 29 of 45 known citations — external sources report more than can currently be individually listed.

Article metrics

Real usage data collected on this platform.

52

Page views

0

PDF downloads

4

Outbound clicks

45

Citations

Views over time

Views by country

Approximate, from request IP at view time — not citizenship or institution. Countries with fewer than 5 views are grouped as "Other".

Traffic sources

Referring site, by host.

Views and downloads exclude known bots/crawlers. Citations combines this platform's own DOI-resolved index with each external source's own reported total — see Cited by above for individually listed citing works. Last refreshed 0 seconds ago.