Phytotherapy Anti-Diabetic: Ethnobotanical Surveys among in the District of Mbour (Senegal)

Background: Despite the promises of a wide range of conventional medications, the prevalence of mellitus diabetes is steadily rising. Therefore, scientific researches on the antidiabetic effects of plants are required.

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity of medicinal plants used to treat diabetes mellitus.

Methodology: Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out among 30 randomly selected traditional practitioners using semi-structured interviews in the Mbour district.

Results: A total of 14 plant species belonging to 10 families was established. The most commonly used plant parts were leaves (44.20%), followed by barks (31%), roots (20.90%) and seeds (3.90%). The most common preparation techniques are infusion (61.20%), decoction (31%) and maceration (7.80%). The plants most frequently named by traditional practitioners were the following: Neocarya macrophylla, Moringa oleifera, Terminalia avicennioides and Sclerocarya birrea. And the least named plants are : Garcinia kola, Anacardium occidentale, Vahlia dichotoma, Streptogyne gerontogaea, Combretum lecardii, Chrozophora senegalensis, Boscia senegalensis, Chrysobalanus icaco, Allium cepa and Jatropha curcas.

Conclusion: These results may be a database for the discovery of new molecules with antidiabetic potential and the development of improved traditional medicines (ITM).