Volume 94, September 2014, Pages 129–139
Highlights
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- Thirty two plant species were recorded to treat 19 different gynaecological and obstetric disorders.
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- Sixteen plant species were recorded for the first time to treat gynaecological and obstetric disorders.
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- Twelve new Zulu vernacular names were documented.
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- The focus was on lay people's knowledge.
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- Bridelia cathartica was the most frequently used plant species.
Abstract
According
to the World Health Organization, there are annually 350,000 maternal
deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, with obstetric haemorrhage the most common
cause of death. Although maternal mortality can be reduced by
health-care interventions such as the provision of family planning,
maternity care and access to safe abortion practice, it is not happening
in rural areas. Previous studies in a rural community in northern
Maputaland had indicated the importance of medicinal plants in their
primary health care-system. However, no survey has been done in this
region to document the medicinal plants used to treat various
gynaecological and obstetric problems. The aim of this study was to
conduct an ethnobotanical survey, focussing on lay people's knowledge on
plants used to treat gynaecological and obstetric complaints. A total
of 70 lay people (all female) were purposively interviewed using
structured questionnaires. The focus was on plants used for the
treatment of gynaecological and obstetric conditions and information was
collected regarding vernacular plant names, plant parts used,
preparation and application methods. Thirty two plant species from 21
families were recorded for the treatment of 19 different gynaecological
and obstetric disorders. When searching the most frequently used
scientific databases (ScienceDirect, Scopus and Pubmed), 16 plant
species (Acacia burkei, Acanthospermum glabratum, Commiphora neglecta, Crotalaria monteiroi var. galpinii, Cyperus
natalensis, Doispyros villosa, Erythrina humeana, Hermannia
boraginiflora, Hypoxis cf. longifolia, Opuntia stricta, Ozoroa engleri,
Ranunculus multifidus, Sapium integerrimum, Searsia nebulosa, Senecio
deltoideus, Senecio serratuloides) were found to be recorded for
the first time in literature to treat gynaecological and obstetric
disorders, and twelve new Zulu vernacular names were documented. The
three most treated gynaecological conditions were dysmenorrhoea by 21
plant species, infertility (14 species) and menorrhagia (10 species),
whereas blood purification (14 species), to ease labour (9 species) and
to induce abortion (2 species) were the most mentioned for obstetric
conditions. Bridelia cathartica was the most cited plant
species (18 times) for treating both gynaecological and obstetric
problems. The modes of plant preparations were mostly concoctions which
were taken orally. This wealth of new knowledge gained with the current
survey reinforces the importance of documenting lay people's indigenous
medicinal plant knowledge in rural communities. Results also strongly
suggest that the availability of plants is not the only criteria for
usage; cultural influence may play a pertinent role in the choice of
plant species. Literature indicates that there is very little research
done on assessing the safety and efficacy of botanical remedies taken
during pregnancy and lactation. Pregnant women should therefore be made
aware of the risks they take when consuming herbal remedies.
Keywords
- Medicinal plants;
- Gynaecology;
- Obstetrics;
- Lay people;
- Northern Maputaland;
- South Africa
- Corresponding
author at: Department of Botany, University of Zululand, Private Bag
X1001, KwaDlangezwa 3880, South Africa. Tel.:
+ 27 35 9026108.
Copyright © 2014 South African Association of Botanists. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
