a
Leiden University, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 4, Postbus 9517, Leiden, Netherlands
b Wageningen University, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 4, Postbus 9517, Leiden,
b Wageningen University, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 4, Postbus 9517, Leiden,
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance In West Africa, women utilize wild plant species to maintain and enhance their health throughout the duration of pregnancy. These plants
are a culturally resilient and financially accessible form of
nourishment for pregnant women in the region, many of whom are
malnourished, yet studies that identify both the nutritional and medicinal properties of these plants are limited. Aim of the study The objective of this study was to analyze women's knowledge of plants
consumed in pregnancy in the southern regions of Ghana and Benin from a
food-medicine continuum perspective. Materials and methods We gathered
data in two fieldwork periods in West Africa (Ghana 2010 and Benin 2011)
through herbal market surveys and 56 questionnaires with women and then
conducted a literature review on known properties of the plants.
Results Ghanaian women reported consuming wild greens such as iron-rich
Nephrolepis biserrata and tree barks such as protein-rich Ricinodendron
heudelotii in a soup based on the African oil palm fruit (Elaeis
guineensis), a source of fatty acids. In Benin, participants frequently
reported ingesting plants
during pregnancy in the form of herbal teas. Commonly cited species
included Securidaca longipedunculata, Dichapetalum madagascariense, and
Schwenckia americana. Several of the plants
demonstrated antioxidant, anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory activity
in pharmacological studies, yet the majority has incomplete nutritional
and pharmacological profiles. In total, informants cited 105 species
that were consumed during pregnancy. Although Ghanaian and Beninese
women mentioned different species and different forms of consumption, in
both countries women cited "strengthening" as the most common
motivation to consume wild plants
during pregnancy. Strengthening is a concept that resonates within the
food-medicine continuum, bridging the local diet and herbal
pharmacopoeia of women's plant use during pregnancy. Conclusions Ethnobotanical studies of this nature highlight the multidimensional use of plants and can improve health and nutritional programs in the region. © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Author keywords
African indigenous vegetables (AIVs); Herbal decoctions; Medicinal foods; Medicinal teas; Prenatal health; Strengthening; West Africa
