Ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal tree species used in the treatment of diseases by forest-fringe communities of Southwestern Ghana

Michael Asigbaase; Daniel Adusu; Adisa Ayeley Musah; Linda Anaba; Collins Ayine Nsor; Simon Abugre; Mercy Derkyi

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23645

Ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal tree species used in the treatment of diseases by forest-fringe communities of Southwestern Ghana

Heliyon. 2023 Dec 14;10(1):e23645. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23645. eCollection 2024 Jan 15.

Authors

Michael Asigbaase¹, Daniel Adusu², Adisa Ayeley Musah³, Linda Anaba⁴, Collins Ayine Nsor⁵, Simon Abugre¹, Mercy Derkyi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Forest Sciences, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana.
² Department of Environmental Management, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana.
⁴ Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
⁵ Department of Forest Resources Technology, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Abstract

Demand for medicinal plant remedies is rising globally, while indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants is declining rapidly. The preservation of indigenous knowledge is critical in discovering and developing innovative drugs. The ongoing discussions on providing nature-based solutions to contemporary issues make it urgent to document indigenous knowledge about medicinal trees, especially in areas with limited or no studies such as our study area. Our study aimed to understand the use of medicinal trees among the communities fringing the Asukese and Amama Shelterbelt Forest Reserves. We administered structured questionnaires and interviewed 88 respondents who were selected using snowball and simple random techniques. The ethnobotanical survey data were processed and evaluated using parameters such as Indigenous Knowledge Index (IKI), Relative Citation Frequency (RCF), Species Use Value (SUV), Family Use Value (FUV), and Plant Part Value (PPV). We found that ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal trees was higher in respondents who were widowed or had larger number of dependants. We found that the local communities used diverse medicinal trees (70 species belonging to 33 families) to treat 83 ailments. Azadirachta indica had the highest RCF (8.9) and SUV (23.4). The other top four species according to the SUV were Alstonia boonei (SUV = 11.1), Khaya senegalensis (SUV = 10.7), Moringa oleifera (SUV = 10.3) and Cocos nucifera (SUV = 10.2). The most-well represented and valuable families were Fabaceae, Anacardiaceae, Meliaceae, Arecaceae, Rubiaceae and Malvaceae. Medicinal trees had alternative uses such as food, fodder, fuelwood, and construction material. Indigenous knowledge about medicinal trees was transmitted to younger generations predominantly by parents. The results show that the most known botanical families and species with the most useful parts were the most useful plant families and species. Thus, the selection of medicinal trees was driven by their traits. Furthermore, results indicate that species diversity is critical to the healthcare needs of local communities and that their conservation and sustainable use and the preservation of indigenous knowledge are crucial to ensuring good health and the general well-being of local communities of all ages.

Keywords: Ethnobotanical survey; Family use values; Indigenous knowledge; Medicinal plants; Plant part value; Species use values.