Availability of medicinal forest plant species used as adjuvant in Covid-19 treatment in the periphery of the Deng-Deng forest, Cameroon.

Abstract

Since the advent of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2019, medicinal forest plant species (MFPS) have played a primordial role as an adjuvant in the treatment/prevention of this pandemic. Today, the availability of MFPS could be adversely impacted in the future due to high demand. It was within this backdrop that this study assessed the current status of the main MFPS used by local people against COVID-19 symptoms in Deng-Deng forest community in Cameroon. The methodological approach involved the administration of questionnaires to 405 respondents including naturopaths, healers and heads of households; and botanical inventories of the main MFPS in transects of 2000mx20m (40ha). For 40% of the respondents, the demand for MFPS has increased since the advent of COVID-19; with 16% of the respondents affirming that the availability of MFPS has reduced. For 60%, the availability of MFPS would decrease in the near future. Total density of the 12 main MFPS was 30.14±2.86 stems/ha in 8 land forest cover types found. Understanding these medicinal adjuvant plant species variation is a crucial step in achieving their sustainable management.