Ethno-botanical survey and Ecological study of Plants resources used in Folk medicine to treat symptoms of Tuberculosis in Kinshasa City, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Medicinal plants represent the key product for the Congolese population. In order to preserve the ethno-medical cultural heritage of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the present study was undertaken with the aim of identifying and characterizing ecological status of plant species used to treat symptoms of tuberculosis in Kinshasa city. The ethno-botanical study was conducted in Kinshasa city in January-March 2013 through questionnaire and personal interviews and their responses were documented. Twenty-six plant species found in 20 families and 25 genera which belong to the Magnoliophyta taxonomic group were identified out of which phanerophytes predominate. The family of Apocynaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Myrtaceae and Rubiaceae are represented each one by two species and the remainders with only one species each one. 88.46% of herbal remedies used to treat symptoms of TB in Kinshasa city are prepared by aqueous decoction. All recipes are administered to patients by oral route. 26.92% of used medicinal plants are Guinea-Congolese species. Leaves are the most used part (69.23%). The large distribution of inventoried medicinal flora in Africa means that the protection of their ecosystems should be a common effort at national, sub-regional and regional levels. Advanced phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological investigations of some inventoried plants are in progress and might lead to the development and standardization of interesting anti-TB remedies
