Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 7(3), July 2008, pp. 505-510
Indigenous Knowledge and practices of women herb sellers of Southwestern Nigeria OR Omobuwajo*, GO Alade & A Sowemimo Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria E-mail:
[email protected],
[email protected] Received 30 August 2006; revised 7 February 2008 In Nigeria, the knowledge and practices of herb sellers, who are mostly women has not been documented. Preliminary survey of the herb selling profession was carried out. Sixty-five women herb sellers located in major towns and cities in Southwestern, Nigeria, Ile-ife (15), Ibadan (15), Abeokuta (15) and Lagos (20) were interviewed, 51 women responded. The results showed that herb sellers are a link to Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) and the populace as they sell medicinal plants, small animals and animal parts to them. They treat malaria, gonorrhoea, skin problems, candidiasis, impotence, infertility and rheumatism. They give antenatal and general care to women and children. Their indication of plants most commonly used may be an indication of plants under pressure and possibly over exploited, as their concern over unavailability of plants, which used to be abundant was expressed. The herb sellers indicated an inadequate knowledge of plant preservation. Keywords: Herb seller, Biodiversity, Traditional medicine, Ethnomedicine, Nigeria IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K36/00, A61P1/02, A61P1/10, A61P1/14, A61P9/00, A61P9/14, A61P11/00, A61P11/04, A61P15/00 A61P17/00, A61P19/00, A61P25/00, A61P29/00, A61P31/00
More than 200,000 of the 300,000 plant species so far identified on the planet earth are in the tropical areas of the world, including Africa. Traditional medicine tops the list of potential users of these plants as about 70% of the population of the developing world use traditional systems of healthcare1-3. Thus, a lot of consideration must be given to the sustainable utilisation of biodiversity3-6. There is a need to access and understand the ways in which biodiversity is being utilised and to note ways in which destruction of habitats, forestation, genetic erosion and over exploitation of certain plant species is effected by certain practices of peoples utilising natural resources. This is needed in order to arrest such practices via proper and specific intervention, which should be at every level of society, but first with those directly involved in the utilisation of natural resources7-9. Herb sellers in the Southwestern part of Nigeria are a part of the traditional healthcare system. Herb sellers most of whom are women render services to the populace in that they sell the raw materials, which Traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs) use and they also sell to the public10. Unlike the traditional medicine practitioners (TMP), not much has been documented _____________ * Corresponding author
about the profession of the herb sellers11. It is generally known that they are a link to the TMPs in that they supply many of the herbs and animal parts needed by them. It is also common knowledge and accepted that women and children visit them for treatment of various ailments, hence their name in the Yoruba’ language, Elewe omo literally meaning ‘One with leaves for children’. They also have a useful role to play in primary healthcare (PHC) initiatives12-15. The fact that the impact of their activities, so as to evaluate the scope of their practice, the sources of their herbs and the type of training they have obtained. This will eventually help to identify the best ways to enhance their positive contributions to healthcare. Methodology Two towns and two cities of four states in Nigeria were chosen. These were Ile-Ife in Osun state, Abeokuta in Ogun state, Ibadan in Oyo state, and Lagos in Lagos state. The Yoruba ethnic group dominates these areas. The study population for this survey was traditional herb sellers. This is a preliminary survey carried out in February 2005. Traditional herb sellers were identified and selected randomly for this pilot stage. 15 herb sellers were
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selected in each of the locations except for Lagos, where 20 were selected (due to a larger population), 65 women in all. The study was limited to open markets, shopping areas and hawkers. The preliminary survey was carried out through the use of structured and pre-tested interview schedule to elicit information on their demographic and socioeconomic data, role in the traditional healthcare system, knowledge of medicinal plants, clients, training received and problems of the profession. The questionnaire was designed in an open-ended format. Other instruments used were oral interview and observation. The questionnaire consisted of 25 questions and was of a self administrable type worded in simple language, however, the investigator had to fill in the questionnaire in an interview type form, since most of the herb sellers were illiterate. The respondent’s consent was sought and obtained; also the objective of the survey was clearly explained. There was no intention in this survey to compare practices in different locations (Fig. 1). Results and discussion All the respondents were women; 18 questionnaires were returned in Lagos, 11 in Ile-Ife, 7 from Abeokuta and 15 from Ibadan making a total of 51 (78.5% response; Fig 2, Tables 1 & 2). The results were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools and SPSS 2 Microsoft soft ware. About 10% herb sellers are below the age of 30 yrs (Fig. 3); the predominant age was 50-60 yrs. Many of whom were born into families with lineage of herb sellers. Religion might have a part to play as a greater number had Islamic religious background (Fig. 4). More than half (55%) had no formal education at all (Fig. 5). Women were generally not encouraged to go to school. All indicated that influence by family and friends spurred their interest in the profession. Only one of the respondents indicated she was forced against her will. All the herb sellers were trained informally. More than half of them (80%) were trained by their nuclear families (Fig. 6), some by their extended family. This indicates that indigenous knowledge about plants and their medicinal values are still kept in families and passed down from generation to generation. Further training after their initial training is limited (Fig. 7). Others claimed that they gained more experience through their practices and observations, exchanges with their colleagues and even interaction with their customers. None of the herb sellers had ever attended a training workshop; a few (13) had however taken
part in a herb fair. The benefits these enjoyed from such programs were increased revenue, exposure and recognition by the public and interaction with other herb sellers and TMPs. Table 1 ⎯ Diseases/conditions treated by herb sellers Disease/condition/service Asthma Antenatal care Black tongue disease Candidiasis Colored eyes Contraception services Convulsion Cough Diarrhoea Fevers General body pain General child care Gonorrhea Hypertension Impotence Infertility problems Malaria Menstrual dysfunction Piles Rheumatism Sickle cell anemia Skin diseases Stomach upsets Syphilis Typhoid fever Ulcer
% of herb sellers 3.9 100 2 45 2 7.8 2 13.7 7.8 31.4 5.9 100 60.8 3.9 19.6 19.6 98 5.9 100 19.6 3.9 66.7 7.8 2 9.8 2
The herb seller not only sells herbs but obtain whole animals (tortoise, rats), animal parts (boas fat, snakes’ heads), and minerals (local chalk). They meet the needs of the TMPs for a regular supply of herbs and prepare packaged formulas or recipes of herbs ready for use. The herb sellers’ collection of plants is not limited to any particular season, although most plants are more abundant in the rainy season. Nonetheless collection goes on all the time and no cultivation is done on their part. No effort is made to replenish the forest. In fact they generally believe that the forest can never die. They visit different forest markets to buy materials and herb sellers in these areas go as far as Kwara state in Savannah region in search of some herbs. Herbal materials become scarce in the dry months from October to March and herb sellers have to travel long distances to purchase herbs, sometimes to the brink of and into the Savannah regions. There are serious bio-conservation implications for the species of plants they exploit. Some plants are so over exploited in the dry seasons
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Table 2 ⎯ Plants used for specific diseases Plant name Heliotropium indicum Linn. NA Anarcadium occidentalis Linn Kalanchoe crenata (Andr.) Haw Datura metel Linn. NA NA Crinum jagus (Thomps.) Dandy Spondias mombin Linn. NA Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swengle Euphorbia kamerunica Pax. Ocimum gratissimum Linn. Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A.Rich. Morinda lucida Benth. Harungana madagascariensis Lam. & Poir Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. Anthoclestis vogellii Planch NA Euphorbia kamerunica Pax. Carica papaya Linn. Anthocleista vogelli Planch Sansevieria senegambica Pergularia daemia (Forsk) Chiov. Vernonia amygdalina Del Rauwolfia vomitoria Afz. Dioscorea cayanensis Lam. Spondis mombin Linn NA Morinda lucida Benth Enanthia chlorata Oliv. Nauclea latifolia Sm. Cymbopogon citratus Stapf. NA Psidium guajava Linn Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth Azadiratcha indica A. Juss. Alstonia boonei De. Wild Alchornea cordifolia Schum.& Thonn. Cajanus cajan Mills NA Anthocleista vogelli Planch Nauclea latifolia Sm NA Sorghum bicolor (Linn.) Moench
Plant part used Family Vernacular (Yoruba) name Whole herb Boraginaceae Agogo Igun Stem bark Ogbe Bark Anacardiaceae Epo cashew Leaf Crassulaceae Odundun Leaf Solanaceae Apa Ikan Leaf Akoko Whole herb Etipon ola Bulb Amaryllidaceae Isumeri Leaf Anarcadiaceae Iyeye Root Ibebe Fruit peel Epo osan wewe Root Euphorbiaceae Oro agogo Leaf Lamiaceae Efinrin Fruit Annonaceae Eru Bark Rubiaceae Oruwo Bark Hypericaceae Epo amuje Leaf Graminae Koko oba Leaf Loganiaceae Sapo Juice Bara Oro agogo Leaf Euphorbiaceae Ibepe Female fruit Caricaceae Sapo Leaf Loganiaceae Oja Ikoko Leaf Agavaceae Leaf Asclepiadaceae Ijoyun Leaf Asteracaceae Ewuro Root Apocynaceae Asofeyeje Root & stem Dioscoreaceae Igangan Root & leaf Anarcadiaceae Iyeye Bark, root Tude Bark Rubiaceae Oruwo Bark Annonaceae Awopa, Osapa Bark Rubiaceae Egbesi Leaf Graminae Koko Oba NA Lokika Igbo Leaf & bark Myrtaceae Guava Bark Mimosoideae Iru Leaf Meliaceae Dongoyaro Stem & bark Apocynaceae Ahun Bark, root Euphorbiaceae Esin Bark & leaf Leguminosae Otili NA Ponju orobo Leaf Loganiaceae Sapo Bark Rubiaceae Egbesi Leaf Ogbe Leaf Gramineae Poroporo
Disease/condition Black tongue infection
Body pain and rheumatism
Convulsion Cough
Depressed fontanel in children Diarrhoea Fever
Gonorrhoea
Headache Hypertension Impotence Infertility Malaria
Menstrual dysfunction
Contd:⎯
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INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 7, No. 3, JULY 2008 Table 2 ⎯ Plants used for specific diseases Contd:⎯
Plant name Mormodica charantia Linn. Sizygium aromaticum (Linn) Merr. & Perry Allium ascalonicum Linn. Xylopia aethiopica Linn. Allium cepa Linn. Enantia chlorata Oliv. Parsnars spp. Senna fistula Linn. Khaya spp. NA Colocynthus citrullus Ocimum gratisimum Linn. NA Vernonia amygdalina Del. NA Zanthozylum zanthoxyloides (Lam.) Waterm. NA Plumbago zeylanica Linn. Ficus exasperata Vahl. Carica papaya Linn. Afrmomum melegueta Roscoe Khaya spp. Vernonia amygdalina Del. Ageratum conyzoides Linn. NA Mangifera indica Linn. Zingiber officinale Roscoe Citrus aurantifolia Christm.) Swengle NA Cassia alata Linn. NA Anthocleista vogelli Planch NA Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth Anarcardium occidentals Linn. NA Ficus exaperata Vahl. Nauclea latifolia Sm.
Plant part used
Family
Leaf Flower bud Bulb Fruit Bulb Bark Leaf Bark Bark Bark Leaf Leaf Bark Leaf leaf Stem & bark Bark Leaf & root Leaf Root & leaf Leaf Bark Root & stem Leaf & stalk Bark Bark Rhizome Fruit Leaf Root Root Root Corm Bark Bark Bark Bark Bark
Cucurbitaceae Myrtaceae Liliaceae Annonaceae Liliaceae Annonaceae Caesalpinoideae Caesalpinaceae Meliaceae Cucurbitaceae Lamiaceae Asteraceae Rutaceae Plumbaginaceae Moraceae Caricaceae Zingiberaceae Meliaceae Asteraceae Asteraceae Anacardaceae Zingiberaceae Rutaceae Caesalpinaceae Loganiaceae Mimosoideae Anarcadiaceae Moraceae Rubiaceae
that they fail to regenerate even during rains. One of the major problems of the herb sellers as they indicated was the increasing unavailability and inaccessibility of plants. This was the experience of all the herb sellers and may mean that these plants are being over exploited already. This is corroborated by findings of other workers as they noted that wild populations of numerous species are overexploited around the globe and the demand created by traditional medicine is one of the causes of overexploitation and traditional medicine is not immune to the current environmental crisis in the world16,17. Apart from the sales of their wares, herb sellers also treat different categories of people who consult them (Fig. 8). All treat pregnant women and run some
Vernacular (Yoruba) name Disease/condition Ejinrin were Kanafuru Alubosa elewe Eru Aayu Booni,Osopa Abeere Aidan – tooro Oganwo Lawale Ikirikiri Efirin Igbaluwere Ewuro Orira Orin ata Erun, Eku Inabiri Eepin Ibepe Atare Oganwo Ewuro Imi esu Jabo Mangoro Ata ile funfun Orombo were Esin Asuwon Epakan Sapo Baka, Bara Iru Cashew Shere Eepin Egbesi
Piles
Sickle cell anemia Skin diseases
Stomach upsets Syphilis
Throat problems Typhoid fever
kind of antenatal service and general childcare. They do business in different combination of places (Fig. 9), homes, business premises (shops), stalls at the open market or street hawking. Generally, common, but usually non life threatening ailments are treated. Specific plants were mentioned for treating specific disease (Table 1). Some of the plants mentioned have been documented from ethnobotanical surveys for the same uses reported by the herb sellers and for different purposes18. Problems that arise include that of nomenclature, as one plant may be known by different names in different locations and sometimes several varieties or even different species have the same local name. The plants used to treat various diseases/ailments are listed (Table 2). The problems herb sellers face have been
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categorized into four; lack of financial base to enable them purchase herbs in large enough quantities; inadequate knowledge in the preservation and transportation of plant materials; increasing unavailability and inaccessibility of plant materials and non-recognition and misconception of their role by government and the public. Non-recognition is probably partly due to the fact that not much investigation has been done into the herb selling profession to highlight their role in primary healthcare and their impact on the health of the people. Conclusion Increasing unavailability of the plant species, which they sell and use is indicative of pressure on the plants and their activities have implications for bioconservation. Herb sellers need to be made aware of principles of bio-conservation and encouraged to cultivate. All the herb sellers interviewed indicated an interest in learning and the areas they highlighted were plant collection, preservation and the processing of raw materials, dosage, formulation, packaging, labeling and marketing of their products. Preservation was indicated as a serious problem especially in the rainy season. It is emphasised that the enhancement of the herb selling profession would help improving the general health of the populace. Therefore in-depth research should be carried out to assess the impact of the herb sellers on the health of women and children, who are their main clients and organize training to address issues of undesirable practices that might be revealed; assess the impact of their activities on the forest and implications for biodiversity conservation and proffers solutions as the list of plants sold and used are potentially if not already over exploited and fashion out the best and most effective way to inculcate principles of sustainable economic use of the forest for herb sellers and the idea ‘use a tree, plant one’. References 1 Bhat RB, Etejere EO & Oladipo VT, Ethnobotanical studies from Central Nigeria, Econ Bot, 44 (3) (1990) 382-390. 2 Sofowora A, Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine in Africa, (Spectrum Books Limited, Ibadan, Nigeria), 1993, 249-258. 3 Bodeker G, Traditional Health Knowledge and Public Policy, Nat Resour, 30 (2) (1994) 5. 4 Ochiere SS, Okomu wild life sanctuary, Okomu Forest Reserve, Edo State, Nigerian Field, 57 (1992) 91-106.
5 Morakinyo AB, Community Forestry in the Support Zone of Cross River national Park, Nigerian Field, 59 (1994) 95-104. 6 Satayavivad J, Promoting herbal drugs: Thailand in Sharing Innovative Experiences (United Nations Development Programme, New York), 9 (2004) 45. 7 Tomlison R, Promoting the World Wide Use of Medicinal Plants, in Medicinal Plants their Role in Health and Biodiversity, edited by Tomlison R & Akerele O (University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA), 1998, 9-12. 8 Kisangan D & Kokwaro JO, Use of Medicinal Plants: Kenya in Sharing Innovative Experiences (United Nations Development Programme, New York), 9 (2004) 60. 9 Quédraogo A, In situ Conservation and Sustainable use of Forest Species, In in situ Conservation and Sustainable use of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Developing Countries, by Engels JMM (IPDRI, Rome, Italy and DSE Feldafeng, Germany), 1995, 101-103. 10 Eyzaguirre PB, Traditional Health Knowledge and Public Policy, Nat Resour, 30 (2) (1994) 104. 11 Adesina SK, Gbile ZO, Odukoya OA, Akinwusi DD, Illoh HC & Jayeola AA, Indigenous African Food crops and Useful Plants of West Africa with Special Emphasis on Medicinal Plants and Issues Associated with their Management, In: Africa’s Natural Resources Conservation and Management Surveys, Proc UNU/INRA Regional Workshop, by Baidu-Forson JJ, (United Nations University/Institute Accra, Ghana), 1998, 37. 12 Cunningham AB, Recommendations for Multiple-use zones and Development Alternatives around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, People, Park Plant use, 4 (1996) 20. 13 Wakeman WE & Nguyen M, Taking Global Action for Women to Attain Sustainable and Equitable Development, In: Environmentally Sustainable Development Studies and Monograph Series No 19, Advancing Sustainable Development, The World Bank and Agenda 21, 1997, 52. 14 Baidu-Forson JJ, Report of Working Groups Sessions I, II, & IV, In: Africa’s Natural Resources Conservation and Management Surveys, Proc UNU/INRA Regional Workshop, edited by Baidu-Forson JJ, (United Nations University/Institute Accra, Ghana), 1998, 115-124. 15 Zurayk R & Haider M, Biodiversity Conservation Priorities: Lebanon, in Sharing Innovative Experiences, (United Nations Development Program, New York), 9, 2004, 13. 16 Rômulo RN Alves & Ierecê ML Rosa, Why study the use of animal products in traditional medicines? J Ethnobiol Ethnomed, 1 (2005) 1-5. 17 Rômulo RN Alves & Ierecê ML Rosa, Biodiversity, traditional medicine and public health: where do they meet? J Ethnobiol Ethnomed, 3 (2007) 14 [http://www. ethnobiomed.com/content/3/1/14] 18 Adjanohoun E, Addae-Mansah I, Odei MA, Odunlami H, Gbile ZO & Sofowora A, 19 Traditional Medicine and Pharmacopoeia, Contribution to ethnobotanical and floristic studies in western Nigeria, Lagos: (The Scientific, Technical and Research Commission of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU/STRC)), 1991.
