Medicinal plants of Aguambu - Bamumbu in the Lebialem highlands, southwest province of Cameroon

Abstract

Ethnobotanical investigations were conducted in Aguambu ‐ Bamumbu Village in Wabane Subdivision (Lebialem Division), Southwest Province of Cameroon to identify the different medicinal plants used in the traditional pharmacopoeia for the treatment of diseases affecting the human body. Ethnobotanical information was collected through questionnaires and personal interviews during field trips. A total of 248 respondents were interviewed and 133 medicinal plants belonging to 59 families identified and documented. Among these plants, 55 were used to treat ailments of the digestive system, 49 for ailments of the urinary - genital system, 25 for ailments of the nervous system, 11 for ailments of the respiratory system and 3 for ailments of the cardiovascular system. The modes of herbal drugs preparation were concoctions, decoctions, macerations and infusions. The most frequently used plant parts were the leaves.