Ethnomedicinal Review of plants utilized by the Abagusii People of Western Kenya

Abstract

ethnic groups of Kenya use plants for medicinal purposes, and over 90 % of Kenyans have used medicinal plants once in their lifetime because they are accessible, affordable, and associated with fewer side effects. The Abagusii people of Western Kenya have rich traditions and cultures, whereby traditional medicine practice is a major and essential cultural component of human and livestock health promotion; however, the ethnomedicinal documentation is scanty, hence the present study. Methods: The relevant ethnomedicinal information was extracted from relevant books, journals, MSc. and Ph.D. Theses and dissertations were published before March 2021. Online electronic databases, such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Science direct, and flora databases of different countries, were accessed between April 2020 to March 2021 to mine the required information. Specific search terms used were "medicinal plants for Abagusii people", "traditional medicines for Abagusii", and "Indigenous medicine, Abagusii, Kenya". After identifying potential literature sources, an inventory of medicinal plants used by the Abagusii community was created using Excel Spreadsheet (Microsoft 365) and analyzed qualitatively. Informant Consensus Factor values (ICF) were computed as a measure of homogeneity of use of medicinal plants against various disease categories and extent of knowledge sharing. Results: Two hundred and fifteen (215) plant species, mostly belonging to Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Solanaceae families, are used by the Abagusii people in traditional medicine, with 870 use reports were documented. Further, our findings revealed that most plants were used to treat intestinal/gastric diseases, skin infections, disorders, musculoskeletal disorders, and syndromes. The plant part and form that the Abagusii people commonly use were the leaves and herbs, respectively. The Abagusii people mostly prepare plant medicines as decoctions, often for drinking orally to treat diseases. It was noted that there was substantial sharing of ethnomedicinal information on various diseases among the people of Kisii and Nyamira Counties, except for anthrax, cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and evil eyes conditions, which lacked homogeneity. Conclusions: Our study reveals the integral role of medicinal plants in promoting health among the Abagusii community of Kenya in managing various diseases. Our study lays a framework for empirical studies towards validating medical plants of the Abagusii people in the management of various ailments and potential development of alternative, efficacious, affordable, accessible, and safe therapeutic remedies.