Détails de la publication

Medicinal tree species in Benin (west africa) : litterature review and perspective researches

Détails de la publication

• Type:Article
• Domaine: Foresterie
• Année de publication: 2015
• Auteurs: YAOITCHA A. S., HOUEHANOU T. D., DAN B. S. C., ADOUNKPE J. G., ARBONNIER M., HOUINATO M. R. B.
• Cultures: Medicinal plant
• Couverture géographique: Afrique de l'Ouest
• Mots clés: Medicinal plant; Literature review; Medicinal properties; Conservation; Benin

Résumé de la publication

Several ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies have been carried out on medicinal plants in Benin and other countries sharing the same centers of endemism. A literature review could aid to assess the related data for perspective researches and decision-making for the conservation of those plants. The present work aims to determine the most important medicinal tree species of the study area and those which would be recommended for conservation due to the uses of their sensitive organs for medicinal purposes. Thirty eight (38) published articles were exploited from which about 263 medicinal tree species were recorded. Those medicinal tree species belong to 193 genera and 59 families used in Benin. They are used for 146 medicinal properties categorized into 17 groups, with the highest number of species used for treatment of digestive system diseases, cardiovascular system diseases, skin and cutaneous diseases, and malaria and similarly infectious diseases. Relative importance index has permitted to identify 27 important medicinal tree species among which some are recommended for conservation. This study suggests on the whole that the kind and prevalence of medicinal uses are taken into account in the course of conservation studies of medicinal plants.