Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by traditional healers in managing Gonorrhoea and Syphilis in Urambo District, Tabora Region, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants used by traditional healers (THs) in managing gonorrhea and syphilis in Urambo District, Tabora Region, Tanzania, were documented. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather information on the use of medicinal plants. The findings revealed that 33 medicinal plants belonging to 18 families were used by the THs to manage gonorrhea and/or syphilis in Urambo District. Among the listed plants, Ximenia caffra, Friesodielsia obovata and Clerodendrum myricoides were frequently used by THs to manage gonorrhea while Ozoroa reticulata, Catunaregam spinosa, Annona senegalensis and Aloe vera were used to manage syphilis. Cassia abreviata, Strychnos spinosa, Strychnos potatorum and Entanda abyssinica were frequently used for the management of both ailments. Five species namely Oldfieldia dactylophylla, Flaucortia indica, Strophanthus eminii, Musa sapeintum and Phyllanthus engleri were recorded for the first time in the country’s ethnobotanical literature as a treatment of STIs. Many of the recorded plants also possessed antimicrobial properties.

KEYWORDS:

• Ethnomedicine
• gonorrhoea
• indigenous knowledge
• syphilis
• Tanzania
• traditional medicine use

Disclosure Statement

Authors declare that there is no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Dar es Salaam University College of Education through project number DUCE-20030.