Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants utilized in the management of candidiasis in Northern Uganda

Abstract

Background The emergence of resistant Candida species to antifungal drugs has led to resurgence in herbal usage globally. However, little is known about anti-candida plants. This study explored ethnomedicinal plants as treatment option for candidiasis in Pader, Northern Uganda. Methods A cross-sectional survey of potential anti-candida plants was conducted using questionnaires, focus group discussions and field observations in March 2022. Sixty-three respondents were selected by snowball technique. The frequencies of respondents/responses were analyzed, associations of respondents’ socio-demographics with indigenous knowledge of herbal usage established by Chi-square (χ2) test using SPSS 27. Informant Consensus Factor was computed to establish level of agreement on herbal usage, and thematic analysis done for focus group discussions. Results Candidiasis is still common and troublesome in Pader. All herbalist had equal chances of receiving and treating candidiasis patients irrespective of herbalist’s gender, age, education level, occupation, marital status and religion (p > 0.05). About 39.7% of herbalists received candidiasis patients weekly (p < 0.01). All herbalists had knowledge on candidiasis. Death (56.8%) and discomfort (36.8%) were the major health risks of oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), respectively. A total of 32 potential anti-candida plant species in 18 families were identified. Families of Fabaceae (9 species) and Asteraceae (5 species) had most plant species. Trees (50.0%) and herbs (43.8%) were the dominant life forms. The commonest plants by frequency of mention were: Momordica foetida (26), Sansevieria dawei (20), Khaya anthotheca (15), Piliostigma thonningii (10), Clerodendrum umbellatum (7), Hallea rubrostipulata (5) and unidentified plant, ‘Agaba/daa layata’ in Acholi dialect (5). Plant parts mainly used were roots (56.3%) and stem barks (15.6%) harvested majorly by cutting (46.9%) and uprooting (12.5%). Most respondents (females, 95%) preferred herbal to western medication (p < 0.01) due to its perceived effectiveness. There was high consensus among herbalists on herbal remedies for OPC and VVC (FIC = 0.9). Conclusions Pader communities have diverse indigenous knowledge on candidiasis and prefer herbal medicines to orthodox treatment for candidiasis. However, the herbalists use unsustainable harvesting techniques like uprooting whole plants and cutting main roots. Hence, the need to document such indigenous knowledge before being lost for community usage and scientific validation.

Ethnobotanical survey and phytochemistry of medicinal plants used in the management of HIV/AIDS in Eastern Uganda

“…Other plant species that were most frequently mentioned include L. nepetifolia (Lamiaceae), C. macrostachyus (Euphorbiaceae) and R. tridentata (Vitaceae) ( Table 1 ). Most of the mentioned plant species were trees whereby, roots were the plant parts mostly harvested for preparation of herbal medicines and the majority of the plants were collected from the wild ( Table 1 ), which is consistent with the previous findings [ [40] , [41] , [42] ]. In this study, the calculated informant consensus factor (ICF) was 0.47 implying that the TMPs use different medicinal plants to manage HIV/AIDS.…”

Phytotherapy of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: A Narrative Review

“…The enzyme encoded by this gene, 14-alpha demethylase of lanosterol, will have a lower affinity for the drug; in turn, the CDR (an ABC transporter) and MDR genes (a major facilitator) are overexpressed, resulting in reduced accumulation of the drug in the fungal cell [68]. A study based in Africa have shown that herbalists use different methods and agree on high efficacy [69]. They have identified some 32 plant species with antifungal activity, of which 43.8% are herbs, including Momordica foetida, Sansevieria dawei, and Clerodendrum umbellatum [69].…”

“…A study based in Africa have shown that herbalists use different methods and agree on high efficacy [69]. They have identified some 32 plant species with antifungal activity, of which 43.8% are herbs, including Momordica foetida, Sansevieria dawei, and Clerodendrum umbellatum [69]. Many of the herbs used in Uganda have not been described by the specialized literature, but Momordica foetida has been shown to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic glycosides with potential medicinal properties [69].…”

“…They have identified some 32 plant species with antifungal activity, of which 43.8% are herbs, including Momordica foetida, Sansevieria dawei, and Clerodendrum umbellatum [69]. Many of the herbs used in Uganda have not been described by the specialized literature, but Momordica foetida has been shown to contain alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic glycosides with potential medicinal properties [69]. It is a plant widely used in tropical Africa, and has antidiabetic, antilipogenic, and laxative properties, but the mechanisms of action are not known so far.…”

“…It is a good antioxidant [70]. Sansevieria dawei has saponins, flavonoids, and terpenoids with antifungal properties, while Sansevieria Hyacinthoides has antifungal activity against Candida albicans [69]. Khaya anthotheca, a tree whose root extracts are used by herbalists, has shown potential activity against C. krusei [71].…”