Volume 151, Issue 3, 12 February 2014, Pages 1040–1055
Medicinal plants used in treatment and management of cancer in Kakamega County, Kenya
Absract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
Traditional
medicine plays a critical role in treatment of chronic debilitating and
life threatening conditions and diseases. Cancer is one such condition
whose therapeutic intervention is commonly through inexpensive
traditional herbal remedies. Increasingly industrialised societies are
developing drugs and chemotherapeutics from these traditional herbal
plants. Plant biogeography determines the abundance and availability of
medicinal plants which in turn determine their use by local communities.
The present study was carried out in Kakamega County of Kenya to
identify and document medicinal plants used for treatment and management
of cancer states by communities living adjacent to Kakamega Tropical
rainforest of Kakamega County, Kenya.
Materials and methods
An
ethnobotanical survey was done using semi-structured questionnaires
administered to 32 randomly selected herbalists from Kakamega County.
Results and discussion
Sixty
five (65) plants of 59 genera and 32 families were identified as
candidates in therapeutic intervention against cancer states. Most
commonly cited plant species were Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv. ssp. nilotica (Seem), Microglossa pyrifolia (Lam.) Kuntze, Harungana madagascariensis Lam. ex poir, Prunus africana (Hook. f.) kalkman, Cyphostemma serpens (A. Rich), Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don and Aloe volkensii Engl. The following were documented for the first time; Aeschynomene abyssinica (A. Rich.) Vatke, Synsepalum cerasiferum (welw.) T. D penn., Albizia coriaria Welw. ex Oliv., Aloe volkensii Engl. Bridelia micrantha (Hochst.) Baill, Croton macrostachyus Delile, Cyphostemma serpens (A. Rich), Dicliptera laxata C.B. Clarke, Ekebergia capensis Sparrm., Gardenia volkensii K. schum. ssp. volkensii, Glycine wightii (wight & Arn.), Ocimum gratissimum Suave, Olea hotcsh spp. hochstetteri, Pavetta abyssinica Fresen., Phyllanthus fischeri Pax, Psydrax schimperiana (A. Rich), Rhus vulgaris Meikle, Senna didymobotyra (Fresen.) Irwin and Barneby, Solanecio nandensis (S. Moore) C. Jeffrey, Solanum mauritianum Scop, Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv. ssp. nilotica (Seem), Spermacoce princea (K. Schum.) Verdc., Tabernaemontana stapfiana Britten, Tragia brevipes Pax and Zanthoxylum gilletii
(De Wild.) P.G.Waterman. The most frequently used plant parts were
fresh or dried leaves and stem barks. Administration to patients was
almost exclusively oral, with the exceptions being topical application
especially for breast cancer and skin sarcomas.
Conclusions
This
study identified diverse medicinal plants used in therapeutic and
management intervention against cancer by communities living adjacent to
Kakamega Tropical Rainforest. The primary mode of administration was
oral.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Ethnobotanical survey;
- Medicinal plants;
- Cancer;
- Kakamega County;
- Kenya
- Corresponding author. Permanent address: P.O Box 3709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Tel.:
+254 723 75 9997.
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