European Journal of Medicinal Plants

Aims: An Ethnopharmacological survey was conducted in the city of Bukavu, in order to identify plant species and recipes used in Congolese folk medicine for the treatment of malaria.

Study Design: Survey; plant collection; plant identification and classification: family, used part, treated disease, recipes preparation; floristic characterization.

Place and Duration of Study: “Université Officielle de Bukavu” (DR Congo), from February 2011toDecember 2012.

Methodology: Forty-nine healers belonging to different ethnic groups were interviewed about the plant species used in traditional medicine for the management of malaria in the city of Bukavu.  The name of the plants, the plant parts, the modes of preparation and the modes of administration of recipes were recorded. Cited plants were collected and identified at herbarium of the Laboratory of Ecology and Plants Resource Management, Faculty of Sciences, “Université Officielle de Bukavu”. The plants ecological status was also determined.

Results: Forty species of plants belonging to twenty seven botanical families were identified. The main habitat preference of species is cultivated (62%), trees constituted 33% of morphological type while 30% of biological type are microphanerophytes. The decoction was the main mode of preparation (47.5%) and almost all recipes (100%of cases) are administrated by oral route. Leaves constituted sixty percent of plant organs used for drug preparation.

Conclusion: Some plant species cited (62.5%) are known in the literature to possess antimalarial activity. Further studies should be undertaken to investigate effectiveness of other plants that have not yet been studied and to determine their chemical composition.