Ethno-pharmacological survey and floristical study of some medicinal plants traditionally used to treat infectious and parasitic pathologies in the Democratic Republic of Congo

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Ethno-pharmacological survey and floristical study of some medicinal plants traditionally used to treat infectious and parasitic pathologies in the Democratic Republic of Congo

K.N. Ngbolua^a, P.T. Mpiana^b*, V. Mudogo^b, N.K. Ngombe^c, D.S.T. Tshibangu^b, E. Ekutsu^a, O.N. Kabena^a, B.Z. Gbolo^a, C.L. Muanyishay^a

^a Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, BP 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo

^b Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, BP 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo

^c Faculté des Sciences Pharmaceutiques, Université de Kinshasa, RD Congo

Research Highlights

The present study documents the use of plants in Congolese traditional medicine and their ecological status. Scientists in the ethno-pharmacology field may find information which could stimulate them to undertake further studies.

Limitations

Increasing evidence accumulated over decade in the field of pharmaceutical biology is based on selection of plants for biological screening through ethno-botanical surveys or random selection. Selecting plants based on library search of data compiled from previous literature followed by ethno-botanical surveys combined with ecological study of selected plants is consistent as revealed by the present study. This approach is useful in identifying medically interesting plant, their localization and in developing countries a valuable strategy for their protection in profit of the future generation.

Recommendations

From the results obtained in this study, it is recommended to promote in vitro cell culture of the most cited plants (Rubiaceae family) for biodiversity conservation. It is also recommended to undertake advanced phytochemical and pharmacological studies on plants used both by the great apes (bonobo) and human as medicinal food with the possibility of formulating them as important nutraceuticals to contribute in solving health problems. Such plants could potentially safe because of the phylogenetic relationship between bonobo and human. 

Funding and Policy

The authors are indebted to the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) for the grants offered to Dr. Ngbolua K.N. (Ph.D) within the capacity building framework of the African researchers and Academics held in January and July 2012 in Bamako University (MRTC/Mali) and Legon University (Ghana) respectively. This study was supported by the International Foundation for Science (Sweden) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (IFS research grant N0 F/4921-2 attributed to Dr. NGBOLUA K.N.).

Justification of Research

A large monitoring of medicinal plants in many Congolese tribes will help us to select most important ones and their phytochemistry, pharmacology and processing at the end of the research could help to use them as important food drug to contribute in solving health problems in Congo DR.

Conclusion

Results from this study have shown that herbal remedies used against parasitic diseases in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo are widely administered as aqueous decoctions. Phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of these preparations are in progress and might lead to interesting anti-tropical diseases remedies. According to published data, Rubiaceae species exhibited various interesting pharmacological values. Therefore, the new challenge is to promote the ex-situ conservation of some of these medicinal plants endemic to DR Congo through in vitro cell culture.

Author’s Contribution and Competing Interests

K.N., N.K, E., O.N., B.Z. and C.L. carried out ethno-botanical survey and floristic analysis K.N., P.T., V. and D.S.T carried out interpretation and discussion of results related to their part of the work. K.N., B.Z., P.T. and D.S.T. designed and planned the study; drafting and revision of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

The authors declare they have no competing interest.