Prevalence, management and ethnobotanical investigation of hypertension in two Guinean urban districts.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hypertension is an important public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries, and in many African countries including Guinea medicinal plants are still widely used for its treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension in two Guinean urban districts (Pounthioun and Dowsare), to describe its management and to collect information on traditional herbal remedies. A total of 316 participants entered the study, 28.2% (89/316) men and 71.8% (227/316) women. Of these, 181 were from Dowsare (50 men and 131 women) and 135 from Pounthioun (39 men and 96 women). The mean age of subjects was 40.8 ±â€¯14.0 years (range18 - 88years), while the majority of subjects (63.3% or 200/316) were 45-74 years old. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of hypertension was 44.9% (142/316): 46.4% (84/181) from Dowsare and 43.0% (58/135) from Pounthioun. Ethnobotanical investigations among hypertensive patients led to the collection of 15 plant species, among which Hymenocardia acida leaves and Uapaca togoensis stem bark were the most cited. Phytochemical investigation of these two plant species led to the isolation and identification of isovitexin and isoorientin from H. acida, and betulinic acid and lupeol from U. togoensis. CONCLUSION: The presence of these constituents in Hymenocardia acida leaves and Uapaca togoensis stem bark may at least in part support their traditional use against hypertension in Guinea.

Ethnomedical and ethnobotanical investigations on the response capacities of Guinean traditional health practioners in the management of outbreaks of infectious diseases: The case of the Ebola virus epidemic.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The recent outbreak of Ebola virus infections has mostly remained confined to the West African countries Guinea-Conakry, Sierra-Leone and Liberia. Due to intense national and international mobilizations, a significant reduction in Ebola virus transmission has been recorded. While international efforts focus on new vaccines, medicines and diagnostics, no coherent national or international approach exists to integrate the potential of the traditional health practitioners (THPs) in the management of infectious diseases epidemics. Nevertheless, the first contact of most of the Ebola infected patients is with the THPs since the symptoms are similar to those of common traditionally treated diseases or symptoms such as malaria, hemorrhagic syndrome, typhoid or other gastrointestinal diseases, fever and vomiting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an ethnomedical survey conducted in the 4 main Guinean regions contacts were established with a total of 113 THPs. The socio-demographic characteristics, the professional status and the traditional perception of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) were recorded. RESULTS: The traditional treatment of the main symptoms was based on 47 vegetal recipes which were focused on the treatment of diarrhea (22 recipes), fever (22 recipes), vomiting (2 recipes), external antiseptic (2 recipes), hemorrhagic syndrome (2 recipes), convulsion and dysentery (one recipe each). An ethnobotanical survey led to the collection of 54 plant species from which 44 identified belonging to 26 families. The most represented families were Euphorbiaceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Rubiaceae. Literature data on the twelve most cited plant species tends to corroborate their traditional use and to highlight their pharmacological potential. CONCLUSIONS: It is worth to document all available knowledge on the traditional management of EVD-like symptoms in order to evaluate systematically the anti-Ebola potential of Guinean plant species.

Ethnobotanical survey on medicinal plants used by Guinean traditional healers in the treatment of malaria.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The objective of the present study was to collect and document information on herbal remedies traditionally used for the treatment of malaria in Guinea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey was carried out from May 2008 to September 2010 and targeted traditional medical practitioners and herbalists. The questionnaire and oral interviews were based on the standardized model which was prepared by the "Centre de Recherche et de Valorisation des Plantes Médicinales (CRVPM) - Dubréka". RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of 258 people (141 males and 117 females) from which 150 traditional healers and 108 herbalists were interviewed. The age of informants ranged from 28 to 82 years old. 57% (149/258) of the interviewees were more than 50 years old. The respondents had good knowledge of the symptoms of malaria, and a fairly good understanding of the causes. One hundred thirteen plant species were recorded, out of which 109 were identified. They belonged to 84 genera and 46 families. The most frequently cited plants were Vismia guineensis, Parkia biglobosa, Nauclea latifolia, Harungana madagascariensis, Terminalia macroptera, Crossopteryx febrifuga, Terminalia albida, Annona senegalensis, and Nauclea pobeguinii. The leaves were most frequently used (80/113 species), followed by stem bark (38/113 species) and roots (4/113 species). The remedies were mostly prepared by decoction (111 species), followed by maceration (seven species). Only one species was prepared by infusion. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that traditional healers in Guinea have a consistent knowledge of antimalarial plants. Further research should be carried out to compare the anti-malarial activity of the different species, and to check if their use against malaria can be scientifically validated.

Herbal medicine and treatment of diabetes in Africa: an example from Guinea.

AIM: Use of medicinal plants is widespread in Africa, particularly in Guinea where oral transmission of practices is part of the social ritual. The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of diabetic patients who use herbal medicine and identify the types of plants in use. Reasons for using herbal medicine and the formulations employed were also noted. METHODS: A questionnaire on use of herbal medicine was proposed to all diabetic patients hospitalized or consulting the Endocrinology Unit of the Conakry University Hospital between April 1 and June 30, 2003. RESULTS: A total of 397 patients responded; 33% declared they used herbal medicine. They proposed many motivations, sometimes in association: belief in its efficacy (74%), easy access to medicinal plants (70%), lower cost (48%), and search for complete cure of diabetes (37%). Hearing about a positive experience had convinced 78% of the users to use herbal medicine. The majority of the users were satisfied (85%). One or more clinical manifestations occurring concomitantly with use of herbs was observed in 23 patients (18%), particularly gastrointestinal disorders (n = 10) and skin problems (n = 8). Two cases of hypoglycaemia were noted. CONCLUSION: Herbal medicine plays an important role in anti-diabetes treatment in Guinea. This type of treatment should be based on scientific evidence but very few studies have been conducted. Conditions of use should be better defined and patients should be informed of potential adverse effects.