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ETHNOBOTANICAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOST COMMONLY USED PLANTS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF GASTROINTESTINAL AILMENTS IN YOBE STATE, NIGERIA.
Abdallah, Muhammad Salihu; Mustafa, Muskhazli; Nallappan, Meenakshii A. P. & Go, Rusea
Abstract
Background: Rural and urban people in Nigeria made use of medicinal plants as their curative measures, based on
their ancient belief that propounded the authenticity of these plants in treating ailments.
Materials and methods: Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires across the study area (3senatorial
districts),The collected plant species were authenticated and given voucher numbers, and the demographic data was
subjected to Chi-square (x2) comparisons using SPSS version 22.
Results: The major family among the surveyed plants, were Fabaceae (dominant), followed by Anacardiaceae and
Combretaceae. Moreover, out of 97 respondents, 81 were male (83.5%) and 16 were female (16.5%). It was observed
that respondents that were 41-50 years were many into practice ( p = 0.13. The majority of the respondents as compared
using chi-square across the parameters, were illiterates (p = 0.06), and very few had a formal training or exposed to
workshops (p = 0.02), while the majority inherited and utilized herbal medicine practice as their main sources of
income (p = 0.04). The fidelity levels ranged as follows: For diarrhea (18.5% -100%), dysentery (11.11- 45%), pile
(11.11 – 50%) and, ulcer covered 9.1% - 100%. The ailments were in the range of 0.69 – 0.75 factors of informant
consensus. Plant species with RFC values of 0.34, 0.27 and 0.21 as well as those with 0.1, were regarded to have the
highest RFC values..
Conclusion: Information collected were mainly on cases of gastrointestinal ailments and first of its kind on the use of
medicinal plants in Yobe State, Nigeria.
Keywords
gastrointestinal; herbs; fidelity; consensus; medicinal plants; ailments
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