Documentation and Nutritional profile of some selected food plants of Otwal and Ngai sun counties Oyam District, Northern Uganda

Wild food plants play an important role in the diet of inhabitants of Oyam District. Some of these plants are drought-resistant and gathered throughout the season. These foods are an important source of nutrients. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data regarding the nutrient content of these indigenous plants. The purpose of this study was to document and assess the nutrient and mineral content of some of these plants. Ethnobotanical surveys were used to collect data through formal and informal interviews and focused group discussions. Voucher specimens were collected during field excursions and deposited at Makerere Herbarium. Nutrients and mineral analyses were carried out through known laid down procedures. Wild and cultivated fruits, seeds, underground organs and vegetables from Ngai and Otwal Sub counties were analysed for mineral elements that is; calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus concentrations. Also nutrients such proteins, beta carotene, vitamin C and dietary fibre were determined. A total of 20 plant samples were analysed comprising both wild and domesticated food plant species so as to give a basis in comparison in nutrient and nutrient element. On average, vegetables were found to be rich in nutrients and minerals compared to seeds, fruits and roots. The wild food plant species were rich sources of nutrient element for example the highest concentration of calcium was found in copper leaves 867.59 mg/100g compared to 47 mg in broccoli or 77 mg in okra. Plant species that showed high iron contents [>30%] were leaves of swamp hibiscus, African spider flower, fruit of Tamarind, Black night shade and Jews mallow. It was also noted that among the food plant species analysed, fruits were low in nutrients and mineral elements. Some of these food plants were also considered to have medicinal properties by the locals such as African spider flower, Rattle pod among others. However, it should be noted that there is a general decline in the consumption of wild plants, despite the apparent high nutritional values. The conservation of wild food plants is not taking place among the communities in the study area, thus the poor rural communities who are limited on balancing their diet could be faced with diseases associated with nutrient deficiencies.Keywords: Wild food plants; Nutrient; MineralAfrican Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Volume 13 No. 2 April 201

Proximate nutrient composition of some wild edible medicinal plants from Uganda

There are high levels of malnutrition especially among children in Africa. In Uganda,this is compounded by widespread food insecurity. There are various wild edible plantspecies in Uganda. However, little research has been carried out to document andvalidate the claims associated with their use. A study was, therefore, carried out toanalyse the nutritional contents of six commonly used wild edible medicinal plantspecies from Nebbi district in Northwestern Uganda. These plants were Erythrococcabongensis, Grewia trichocarpa, Leptadenia hastata, Nymphaea lotus, Oxygonumsinuatum and Talinum portulacifolium. The plants were selected mainly because oftheir use as both food and medicine. All the selected plant species have documentedmedicinal uses among the local communities in Nebbi district where they are used.However, many of them are often neglected and underutilized, despite their potentialtherapeutic and nutritional benefits. The vitamin C, β-carotene, macronutrient, calcium,iron, magnesium, phosphorous and sodium compositions of the selected edible parts ofthe plant species were analysed. With the exception of Grewia trichocarpa fruits andNymphaea lotus seeds, the leaves of Talinum portulacifolium had higher Fe (4.54±0.07mg/100g), P (0.31±0.01 mg/100g), Mg (0.3±0.3 mg/100g), β-carotene (0.275±0.00μg/100g) and crude ash (22.13±0.19%) contents than the rest of the plant species. Theleaves of Leptadenia hastata had higher levels of vitamin C (17.93±2.01 mg/100g) thanthe leaves of other plant species. All the plant species analysed were richer in iron thanthe common cabbage Brassica oleracea var capitata. There were significantdifferences in the nutritional contents of the plant species analysed (p<0.05). However,the nutrient values of the plant extracts were generally much lower, providing a smallpercentage of Recommended Dietary Allowance or Recommended Nutrient Intakes(RNI) values. The vitamin C, β-carotene and other nutrient contents of most of theplant species analysed were generally comparable or even higher than those of thecommon cabbage in some instances. Consumption and conservation of these plantspecies should be encouraged by local authorities because they not only supplement thelocal staples with the much needed nutrients, but they could also have medicinalproperties.Key words: Wild, edible, Medicinal plants, Nutrient, Food-security, food,underutilized, Ugand

Factors determining the use of botanical insect pest control methods by small-holder farmers in the Lake Victoria basin, Kenya

A farm survey was conducted in three representative administrative districts of the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB), Kenya to document farmers’ indigenous knowledge and the factors that influence the use of botanicals instead of synthetic insecticides in insect pest management. A total of 65 farm households were randomly sampled using stratified sampling procedure. The maximum likelihood log model was used to determine factors that influence use of botanical and synthetic insect pest control methods (PCM). Results revealed that female gender as household head (HH) and age significantly (P < .001) increased the likelihood of a household using botanical PCM in the field by 0.15 and 0.021, respectively. In storage, female gender and severity of pest infestation significantly (P < .001) increased the probability of a household using botanical insecticide by 0.814 and 0.738, respectively. On the contrary, education of HH (0.342) and ownership of title to land (0.512) significantly (P < .001) reduced the likelihood of using botanical PCM in the field, while traditional rank (0.910) and cash rank (0.744) of the crops reduced the likelihood of using botanical insecticides in the store. With respect to synthetic pesticides, gender (3.407), area cultivated (0.295) and expected yield (5.315) significantly (P < .001) reduced likelihood of their use in the field, while food rank (3.967) reduced the probability of use in storage. In storage, female gender, crop type, food and traditional rank of crops were also the most important factors determining the use of botanical control methods. In conclusion, the study established that female gender, literacy levels, wealth endowments in form of land and old age are key determinants of botanical insecticides use in small-holder farming systems in the LVB, Kenya. It is recommended that the Government of Kenya enacts policies that empower youth and female gender economically in subsistence farming with the aim of improving their educational levels and farming skills to modernize agriculture among the rural communities.Key words: Botanical, Synthetic pesticide, Insects, Pest control method, Determinants, Small-holder farmers

Oral acute toxicity study of selected botanical pesticide plants used by subsistence farmers around the Lake Victoria Basin

A survey carried out around the Lake Victoria region showed evidence that people around this region use plant extracts, parts and powders to protect stored food commodities from insect pests. The widely used plants were identified and selected for biosafety assessments namely: Ocimum gratissimum, Tithonia diversifolia, Eucalyptus saligna, Eucalyptus globulus and Cupressus lusitanica. Wistar mice were acclimatized and divided into groups of six. Each mice group was administered with one extract at different concentrations. The extracts were administered orally and the animals were observed for 24 h. A control group was kept which received only the carrier substance orally. The LD50 values were determined by the use of the graphical method and regression analysis. Oral acute toxicity studies established the LD50 values for essential oils of O. gratissimum, E. saligna and C. lusitanica as 4.570, 2.290, and 3.311 mg/kg, respectively. For ethanol extracts, LD50 values were 12.882, 12.302, 14.996 and 11.481 mg/kg for O. gratissimum, E. globulus, C. lusitanica and T. diversifolia, respectively. For the aqueous extracts, the LD50 of T. diversifolia was found to be 12.302 mg/kg. For E. globulus and C. lusitanica, their aqueous LD50s were beyond 15.000 mg/kg. The oral acute toxicity tests showed weak toxicities for all the plant extracts investigated in the study. The low toxicity levels exhibited by these extracts may be the reason why these plant products have been used by local communities for long without adverse effects. Chronic studies should be carried out to assess whether these extracts have serious effects on experimental animals exposed to them at small doses for a long period of time.Key words: Oral acute toxicity, biopesticide, plant extracts, Lake Victoria Basin

Indigenous knowledge of field insect pests and their management around lake Victoria basin in Uganda

Food security and poverty alleviation has remained the primary agenda in the Eastern Africa regional food policies, and Uganda is no exception. Field pests that attack crops are among the greatest threat to increased food production. The subsistence farmers in the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) rarely use synthetic pesticides in the field due to the high cost and availability issues. Therefore, some rely on the use of botanical pesticides and other natural methods of pest control. However, this indigenous knowledge (IK) on botanicals has remained largely unexploited with limited regional research and resources committed and these are the premises upon which this ethnobotanical fieldpests management survey was launched and conducted. Most of the respondents were women (59%). The study findings revealed that the major field pests reported by farmers in declining order of importance, included banana weevil, bean fly, cereal stem borers, pod feeders, grain moth, rodents, moths, termites, birds, aphids and cutworms. The anti-pest plants documented included, Capsicum frutescens, Tagetes spp, Nicotiana tabacum, Cypressus spp., Tephrosia vogelii, Azadirachta indica, Musa spp, Moringa oleifera, Tithonia diversifolia, Lantana camara, Phytollacca dodecandra, Vernonia amygdalina, Aloe spp., Eucalyptus spp., Cannabis sativa, Cofea species and Carica papaya. The study has demonstrated that usage of botanical pesticides in field pest management is normal around Lake Victoria basin for the subsistence farmers since all the 117 respondents had ever tried or used botanical pesticides. We recommend more specialized studies in the usage of the plant-based pesticides to ensure safety and effectiveness that will enhance food security and environment protection. In addition, appropriate recommendations generated on the issues investigated will be advanced as leads for further research, extension and regional industrial endeavors in the LVB.Key words: Indigenous knowledge, field pests, pesticide plants, Uganda, Lake Victoria Basin

Traditional medicinal plant knowledge and use by local healers in Sekoru District, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

The knowledge and use of medicinal plant species by traditional healers was investigated in Sekoru District, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia from December 2005 to November 2006. Traditional healers of the study area were selected randomly and interviewed with the help of translators to gather information on the knowledge and use of medicinal plants used as a remedy for human ailments in the study area. In the current study, it was reported that 27 plant species belonging to 27 genera and 18 families were commonly used to treat various human ailments. Most of these species (85.71%) were wild and harvested mainly for their leaves (64.52%). The most cited ethnomedicinal plant species was Alysicarpus quartinianus A. Rich., whose roots and leaves were reported by traditional healers to be crushed in fresh and applied as a lotion on the lesions of patients of Abiato (Shererit). No significant correlation was observed between the age of traditional healers and the number of species reported and the indigenous knowledge transfer was found to be similar. More than one medicinal plant species were used more frequently than the use of a single species for remedy preparations. Plant parts used for remedy preparations showed significant difference with medicinal plant species abundance in the study area