Mubo A. Sonibare
Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
E-mail: sonibaredeola@yahoo.com
Tel: +234 8033659617
Mike O. Soladoye
Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, Olabisi Onabanjo University
P.M.B. 2002, Ogun State, Nigeria
E-mail: mikesoladoye@yahoo.co.uk
Tolani O. Subuloye
Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, Olabisi Onabanjo University
P.M.B. 2002, Ogun State, Nigeria
Abstract
An ethnobotanical survey in Ijebu-igbo North Local Government Area of Ogun State and Lagos Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State was undertaken for medicinal plants used in the management of psychosis (mental illness). Forty-three plants belonging to twenty-seven Angiosperm families were mentioned by herbalists and herb sellers as being commonly used. Rauwolfia vomitoria, Piper guineense, Aframomum melegueta, and Elaeis guineensis are most prominent in the recipes, which indicate their importance in the management of the disease. Most of the plants identified in this work have been previously experimentally verified. The family Leguminosae (Papilionoideae) occurred most frequently in the list of plants identified while the frequent occurrence of the families such as Amaranthaceae, Annonaceae and Liliaceae also suggests their importance as repository of useful plants that may be explored for drugs in the treatment of psychosis The strengths of traditional medicine and the wide varieties of medicinal recipes utilized by traditional healer is dependent on the diversity of the flora. This work includes the plant recipes, plant parts used, modes of preparation and application of the remedies.
Keywords: Psychosis, Traditional medicine, ethnobotanical survey, Leguminosae, Nigeria
