Subscribe to RSS
DOI: 10.1055/s-2000-296
Medicinal Plants of the Washambaa (Tanzania): Documentation and Ethnopharmacological Evaluation
Publication History
July 6, 1999
September 23, 1999
Publication Date:
31 December 2000 (online)
![](https://www.thieme-connect.de/media/plantbiology/200001/lookinside/thumbnails/10.1055-s-2000-296-1.jpg)
Abstract:
Medicinal plants are an important local resource for the Washambaa of the Western Usambara Mountains in Tanzania. In this study the Washambaa medicinal plants are inventoried. It is based on ethnobotanical fieldwork carried out over 15 months. This study presents for the first time an analysis of medicinal plants used in Africa with a ranking of these taxa by the frequency of their reported use. A total of 328 taxa were collected and yielded 2260 individual use reports. The most popular species are Myrica salicifolia and Toddalia asiatica. Subsequently, the use reports were arranged into 9 groups of medicinal uses based on the types of illness treated. The Factor of Informant Consensus (FIC) is used in order to evaluate the ethnobotanical importance of the plants. The largest number of plants and of use reports are in the group of gastrointestinal disorders. For the most commonly used taxa, an ethnopharmacological evaluation was performed. Studies to evaluate the Washambaa therapeutic claims as well as toxicological data are still lacking for many of the species. This study will form the basis for pharmacological and phytochemical research on selected Washambaa medicinal plants.
Abbreviations:
FIC: Factor of Informant Consensus nur: number of use-reports in each category nt: number of taxa in each category UR: use-reports
Key words:
Medicinal plants - ethnobotany - ethnopharmacology - traditional medicine - Tanzania - Usambara Mountains - Washambaa
References
- 01 Alemayehu, G.,, Hailau, A.,, and Abegaz, B. M.. (1996); Bianthraquinones from Senna didymobotrya. . Phytochemistry. 42 1423-1425
- 02 Amer, M. E.. (1991); The tetracyclic Erythrina alkaloids. Journal of Natural Products. 54 329-363
- 03 Baldé, A. M.,, Vanhaelen, M.,, and Ottinger, R.. (1987); A chromone from the root-bark of Harrisonia abyssinica. . Phytochemistry. 26 2415-2416
- 04 Balick, M. J.,, Elisabetsky, E.,, Laird, S. A., eds.. (1997) Medicinal Resources of the Tropical Forest. Biodiversity and its Importance to the Human Welfare. New York; Columbia Univ. Pr. (Biology and resource management series)
- 05 Barthlott, W.,, Biedinger, N.,, Braun, G.,, Feig, F.,, Kier, G.,, and Mutke, J.. (1999); Terminological and methodological aspects of the mapping and analysis of the global biodiversity. Acta Botanica Fennica. 162 103-110
- 06 Brett, J. A., and Heinrich, M.. (1998); Culture, perception and the environment: The role of chemosensory perception. Angewandte Botanik. 72 67-69
- 07 Calixto, J. B.,, Yunes, R. A.,, and Rae, G. A.. (1991); Effect of the crude extract from Leonotis nepaetifolia (Labiatae) on rat and guinea-pig smooth muscle and rat cardiac muscle. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.. 43 529-534
- 08 Carpani, G.,, Orsini, F.,, Sisti, M.,, and Verotta, L.. (1989); Saponins from Albizzia anthelmintica. . Phytochemistry. 28 863-866
- 09 Chakraborty, A.,, Chowdhury, B. K.,, and Bhattacharyya, P.. (1995); Clausenol and Clausenine - two carbazole alkaloids from Clausena anisata. . Phytochemistry. 40 295-298
- 10 Chhabra, S. C.,, Mahunnah, R. L. A.,, and Mshiu, E. N.. (1987); Plants used in traditional medicine in Eastern Tanzania I. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 21 253-277
- 11 Chhabra, S. C.,, Mahunnah, R. L. A.,, and Mshiu, E. N.. (1989); Plants used in traditional medicine in Eastern Tanzania II. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 25 339-359
- 12 Chhabra, S. C.,, Mahunnah, R. L. A.,, and Mshiu, E. N.. (1990 a); Plants used in traditional medicine in Eastern Tanzania III. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 28 255-283
- 13 Chhabra, S. C.,, Mahunnah, R. L. A.,, and Mshiu, E. N.. (1990 b); Plants used in traditional medicine in Eastern Tanzania IV. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 29 295-323
- 14 Chhabra, S. C.,, Mahunnah, R. L. A.,, and Mshiu, E. N.. (1991); Plants used in traditional medicine in Eastern Tanzania V. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 33 143-157
- 15 Chhabra, S. C.,, Mahunnah, R. L. A.,, and Mshiu, E. N.. (1993); Plants used in traditional medicine in Eastern Tanzania VI. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 39 83-103
- 16 Cotton, C. M.. (1996) Ethnobotany. Principles and application. Chichester; John Wiley & Sons
- 17 De Vries, P. J., and Dien, T. K.. (1996); Clinical pharmacology and therapeutic potential of artemisinin and its derivatives in the treatment of malaria. Drugs. 52 818-836
- 18 Fabry, W.,, Okemo, P. O.,, and Ansorg, R.. (1998); Antibacterial activity of East African medicinal plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 60 79-84
- 19 Feierman, S.. (1974) The Shambaa kingdom. A history. Madison; The University of Wisconsin Press
- 20 Feierman, S.. (1992) Peasant intellectuals. Anthropology and histora in Tanzania. Madison; The University of Wisconsin Press
- 21 Fleuret, A.. (1979); The role of wild foliage plants in the diet. A case study from Lushoto, Tanzania. Ecology of Food and Nutrition. 8 87-93
- 22 Fleuret, A.. (1980); Nonfood uses of plants in Usambara. Economic Botany. 34 320-333
- 23 Frei, B.,, Sticher, O.,, and Heinrich, M.. (1998); Medical ethnobotany of the Zapotecs of the Isthmus-Sierra (Oaxaca, Mexico): Documentation and assessment of indigenous uses. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 62 (2) 149-165
- 24 Gakunyu, D. M. N.,, Mberu, E. K.,, Dossaji, S. F.,, Gray, A. I.,, Waigh, R. D.,, Waterman, P. G.,, and Watkins, W. M.. (1995); Potent antimalarial activity of the alkaloid nitidine, isolated from a Kenyan herbal remedy. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 39 2606-2609
- 25 Galal, M.,, Bashir, A. K.,, Salih, A. M.,, and Adam, S. E. I.. (1991); Activity of water extracts of Albizia anthelmintica and A. lebbek barks against experimental Hymenolepis diminuta infection in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 31 333-337
- 26 Gessler, M.,, Nkunya, M. H. H.,, Mwasumbi, L. B.,, Heinrich, M.,, and Tanner, M.. (1994); Screening Tanzanian medicinal plants for antimalarial activity. Acta Tropica. 56 65-77
- 27 Haerdi, F.. (1964) Die Eingeborenen-Heilpflanzen des Ulanga-Distriktes, Tanganyika. Basel; Acta Tropica Supplement 8
- 28 Hassanali, A.,, Bentley, M. D.,, Slawin, A. M. Z.,, Williams, D. J.,, Shephard, R. N.,, and Chapya, A. W.. (1987); Pedonin, a spiro tetranortriterpenoid insect antifeedant from Harrisonia abyssinica. . Phytochemistry. 26 573-575
- 29 Heinrich, M.,, Ankli, A.,, Frei, B.,, Weimann, C.,, and Sticher, O.. (1998); Medicinal Plants in Mexico: Healers' consensus and cultural importance. Social Science and Medicine. 47 1863-1875
- 30 Homer, K. A.,, Manji, F.,, and Beighton, D.. (1992); Inhibition of peptidase and glycosidase activities of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola by plant extracts. J. Clin. Peridontol.. 19 305-310
- 31 Ishii, H.,, Kobayashi, J. I.,, Ishikawa, M.,, Haginiwa, J.,, and Ishikawa, T.. (1991); Studies on the constituents of rutaceaous plants LXVI. the chemical constituents of Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam. (T. aculeata Pers.) 1. Chemical constituents of the root-bark. Yakugaku Zasshi. 111 365-375
- 32 Johns, T.,, Kokwaro, J. O.,, and Kimanani, E. K.. (1990); Herbal remedies of Luo of Siaya District, Kenya: Establishing quantitative criteria for consensus. Economic Botany. 44 369-381
- 33 Kavimani, S.,, Vetrichelvan, T.,, Ilango, R.,, and Jaykar, B.. (1996); Antiinflammatory activity of the volatile oil of Toddalia asiatica. . Indian J. Pharm. Science. 58 67-70
- 34 Kioy, D.,, Gray, A. I.,, and Waterman, P. G.. (1990); A comparative study of the stem-bark drimane sesquiterpenes and leaf volatile oils of Warburgia ugandensis and W. stuhlmannii. . Phytochemistry. 29 3535-3538
- 35 Kirtikar, K. R., and Basu, B. D.. (1935) Indian Medicinal Plants. 2nd Ed., rev., enl., and mostly rewritten by Blatter, E., Caius, J. F, and Mhaskar, K. S. Dehra Dun.; Singh Publ
- 36 Kokwaro, J. O.. (1976) Medicinal plants of East Africa. Kampala; East African Literature Bureau
- 37 Kubo, I.. (1988); Polygodial, an antifungal potentiator. Journal of Natural Products. 51 22-29
- 38 Lakshmi, V.,, Raj, K.,, Kapil, R. S.,, and Patanik, G. K.. (1986); Spasmolytic activity of furanocumarins from Clausena anisata. . Indian Drugs. 24 285-287
- 39 Mazzanti, G.,, Falconieri, E. G.,, Mgune, Y.,, and Piccinelli, D.. (1983); Occurence of histamine and related imidazole compounds in extracts from root and trunk bark of Albizzia adianthifolia, Albizzia anthelmintica and Albizzia julibrissin. . Fitoterapia. 54 275-279
- 40 Moerman, D. E.. (1996); An analysis of the food plants and drug plants of native North America. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 52 1-22
- 41 Moerman, D. E.. (1998) Native American Ethnobotany. Portland (Or.); Timber Pr
- 42 Moody, J. O.,, Adeleye, S. A.,, Gundidza, M. G.,, and Wyllie, G.. (1994); Analysis of the essential oil of Artemisia afra. . Pharmazie. 49 935-936
- 43 Moriyasu, M.,, Ichimaru, M.,, Nishiyama, Y.,, Kato, A.,, Mathenge, S. G.,, Juma, F. D.,, and Nganga, J. N.. (1998); Minor flavanones from Erythrina abyssinica. . Journal of Natural Products. 61 185-188
- 44 Ngajui, B. T.,, Ayafor, J. F.,, and Sondengam, B. L.. (1989); Limonoids from Clausena anisata. . Journal of Natural Products. 52 832-836
- 45 Ngajui, B. T.,, Mouncheru, S. M.,, Ayafor, J. F.,, Sondengam, B. L.,, and Tillequin, F.. (1991); Geranyl coumarins from Clausena anisata. . Phytochemistry. 30 2809-2811
- 46 Rodgers, W. A., and Homewood, K. M.. (1982); Species richness and endemism in the Usambara mountains forests, Tanzania. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 18 197-242
-
47 Schlage, C.. (1969)
Observations at a local market. Investigations in health and nutrition in East Africa. Kraut, H. and Cremer, H.-D., eds. München; Weltforum Verlag 84 - 48 Silbernagel, E.,, Spreitzer, H.,, and Buchbauer, G.. (1990); Nichtflüchtige Inhaltstoffe von Artemisia afra. . Monatshefte für Chemie. 121 433-436
- 49 Watt, J. M., and Breyer-Brandwijk, M. G.. (1962) The medicinal plants and poisonous plants of Southern and Eastern Africa. 2nd ed. Edinburgh; E. and S. Livingstone
- 50 Weimann, C., and Heinrich, M.. (1997); Indigenous medicinal plants in Mexico: The example of the Nahua (Sierra de Zonglicia). Botanica Acta. 110 62-72
- 51 WHO, . (1991) Traditional Medicine and Modern Health Care. Progress Report by the Director. A44/10. Genf; WHO, Forty-Fourth World Health Assembly
- 52 Jakupovic, J.,, Klemeyer, H.,, Bohlmann, F.,, and Graven, E. H.. (1988); Glaucolides and guaianolides from Artemisia afra. . Phytochemistry. 27 1129-1133
M. Heinrich
Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy The School of Pharmacy University of London
29/39 Brunswick Square
London, WC1N 1AX
UK
Section Editor: G. Gottsberger
Email: heinrich@cua.ulsop.ac.uk