Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used as Anti-Obesity Remedies in the Nomad and Hunter Communities of Burkina Faso

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a global epidemic that affects both developed and developing countries. According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2014, over 1.9 billion adults were overweight. Burkina Faso, like other countries, faces the problem of obesity, with a prevalence of 7.3%. The main cause is excessive intake of caloric foods combined with low physical activity, although genetic, endocrine and environmental influences (pollution) can sometimes be predisposing factors. This metabolic imbalance often leads to multiple pathologies (heart failure, Type II diabetes, cancers, etc.). Drugs have been developed for the treatment of these diseases; but in addition to having many side effects, locally these products are not economically accessible to the majority of the population. Burkina Faso, like the other countries bordering the Sahara, has often been confronted in the past with periods of famine during which populations have generally used anorectic plants to regulate their food needs. This traditional ethnobotanical knowledge has not been previously investigated. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Burkina Faso in the provinces of Seno (North) and Nayala (Northwest) to list the plants used by local people as an anorectic and/or fort weight loss. Methods: The survey, conducted in the two provinces concerned traditional healers, herbalists, hunters, nomads and resourceful people with knowledge of plants. It was conducted over a period of two months and data were collected following a structured interview with the respondents. The approach was based on dialogue in the language of choice of the respondent and the use of a questionnaire. The data have been structured and then statistically analyzed. Results: The fifty-five (55) respondents of the survey were aged between 40 and 80 years. Sixty-one (61) plant species, belonging to thirty-one (31) families were listed as appetite suppressants and/or for their anti-obesity properties. The main families of plants are Mimosaceae, Rubiaceae, Asclepiadaceae and Cesalpiniaceae. Fruits are the most used part of the plant organs. Consumption in the raw state or as a decoction are the two main forms of preparation. Conclusion: The great diversity of plants cited by informants demonstrates the existence of rich local knowledge to address obesity in Burkina Faso. Evaluation of the biochemical activity of the extracts of the most cited species could allow the development of a phytomedicine economically accessible to the majority of the population. This could allow for the preservation of biodiversity in this region which is weakened by climate change because some of the species cited are in fragile state or are threatened with extinction.

Medicinal Plants Used in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Southern Ghana: An Ethnobotanical Study

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Antioxidant, Enzyme-Inhibitory and Antitumor Activity of the Wild Dietary Plant Muscari comosum (L.) Mill.

“…9,10 One of the most important strategies in the treatment of obesity includes inhibitors of nutrient digestion in an attempt to reduce energy intake through pancreatic lipase and amylase inhibition. 11,12 The lipase hydrolyzes a molecule of triglyceride in position 1 and 3, releasing fatty acid and 2-monoglyceride. The inhibition of lipase prevents the release of fatty acids, and then promote the nonabsorption of fats.…”

A review of the phytochemical and pharmacological characteristics of Moringa oleifera

“…[116] Treatment of hypercholesterolemia rats with methanolic extract of MO leaf for 49 days showed a remarkable reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and body weight, moreover, liver biomarkers, organ weight, and blood glucose levels were also decreased. [117118] Mechanisms include downregulation of mRNA expression of leptin and resistin and upregulation of adiponectin gene expression in obese rats. [119]…”