Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacological Survey of Herbal Products of Pharmaceutical Importance for Chronic Wound Management in Bankim District of Adamaoua Region of Cameroon

Introduction: In Cameroon, the identification of plants traditionally used to treat diseases remains a necessity. Inflammation from injury leading in some cases to chronic wounds like diabetic ulcer (for diabetic patients) is increasingly becoming a public health concern in Cameroon. As a low-income country, the population attempts to with alternative treatments through the use of herbal products. Cameroon has a rich biodiversity of herbal flora for exploitation of potential bioactive metabolites of pharmaceutical importance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify plants and recipes used by some traditional healers in Bankim, Adamaoua Region of Cameroon for the management of chronic wounds.

Methodology: After obtaining various administrative and institutional authorizations, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted among the local traditional practitioners between the months of December 2020 to February 2021. The plant samples collected were identified and confirmed by experts of the National Herbarium of Cameroon at Yaoundé.

Results: Thanks to the collaboration of 09 traditional healers, 30 plant species were identified and used in the preparation of 24 recipes. The families: Rubiaceae, followed by Caesalpiniaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae and Moraceae were the most represented. The species Musa paradisiaca, Ficus exasperata, Dacryodes edulis and Petersianthus macrocarpus were the most cited and were selected as plants of therapeutic interestVarious plant parts were used in the preparation of recipes. The bark (50%), followed by leaves (30%) were the most commonly used. Spraying (63%) and decoction (34%) were the two main ways of preparing the recipes. These preparations were mostly prescribed externally; poultice (40%), washing (27%), sprinkling (20%) and instillation (3%) were the most commonly used application techniques.

Conclusion: These results constitute an indispensable database for the valorization of traditional medicines. Musa paradisiaca, Ficus exasperata, Dacryodes edulis and Citrullus lanatus were selected as plants of interest whose extracts should be the subject of phytochemical and pharmacological studies in order to justify their traditional use.