DEVELOPMENT OF ETHNOMEDICINES FOR MANAGEMENT OF MALARIA IN MSAMBWENI

DISTRICT, KENYA

DR Joseph M Nguta,, PhD Student, RISE-AFNNET FELLOWUNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

MALARIA Malaria is the most difficult problem afflicting people in the

tropics In Africa, more than 100 million people are infected annually,

with a mortality of 1-1.5m a year Currently the drug of choice is artemesinin and its derivatives High rate of resistance development to drugs and chemicals

by the parasite and the vector respectively makes the necessity for research in new antimalarial drugs a continuous one

Introduction A source of these principles is the rich tropical flora. Medicinal plants traditionally used to treat malaria by the

Msambweni community of South Coast, Kenya are reported in this study.

27 species in 24 genera distributed in 20 families are documented.

13 species reported for the first time for the treatment of malaria are discussed.

MethodsMsambweni district study site

Objectives of the study• To establish an inventory of plants and formulations used to manage

Malaria in Msambweni community

• To determine the efficacy and toxicity of the priority plants and formulation to the community.

• To isolate and characterize the bioactive compounds in the efficacious plants extracts

• Develop appropriate formulations based on identified bioactive compounds and indigenous knowledge

• To explore feasibility for commercialization

The study

• How do they identify STI?• Which plants do the Samburu use to manage STI?• Which is the most preferred plant?• Which part of plant do they use?• How is it formulated• Which is the route of administration?• Are the plants readily available?• Are the plants used safe?

General overview

Azadirachta indica form part of the vegetation

General overview

Stem bark from Azadirachta indica is used for decoctions

Author conducting an interview in Mwaroni village, Diani

General overview

Palm trees form part of the vegetation

General overview

Author conducting an interview

Background

Why investigate/document antimalarial phytotherapy remedies

Provides a platform: For search for new antimalarials from natural products using

ethnobotanical approach Upto 80% of rural pop. In Africa depend on HMs. For evaluation of the efficacy and safety of the plants as

antimalarial remedies Majority of antimalarial drugs have been derived from

medicinal plants (Quinine, Artemisinin)

Background (Cont.) Provides a cost effective approach for the dev. Of new drugs Knowledge is transferred orally-hence danger of losing this

precious cultural heritage Rapid loss of natural habitats, traditional community life, cultural

diversity and knowledge of medicinal plants calls for estb. of a large no. of ethnobotanical inventories

Ethnobotanical information provides data for further pharmacological, toxicological and phytochemical studies

Serves as an indication of species that may need further ecological assessment on their regeneration status

Provides an avenue for the validation of all claims of therapeutic efficacy and safety: This may yield significant benefit

Background (Cont.) therapeutic efficacy and safety: This may yield significant

benefit for primary healthcare, and also help create herbal medicine market-with possibilities of adding value to medicinal plants

Helps in the preservation of traditional knowledge, since its disappearance will make exploitation of plants difficult if not impossible

Indigenous comm. Thr. A period of long exp. With HMs are likely to have retained those that are effective and tolerably safe while discarding preparations with low efficacy or acute toxicity.

For identification and propagation of antimalarial herbs

Background (Cont.) Like A. annua which is the only way to take adequate

antimalarial medication to the villages and even to urban areas. Challenges Drug discovery from nature is a time and resource consuming

activity. Getting information on medicinal plants and obtaining plant

materials for research is at times met with opposition by the owners of IK, as it is regarded to be a top secret.

Collection and taxonomic study of the biological material takes months of intensive efferts

Background (Cont.) Some vulnerable and threatened plants are continuously being

depleted to extinction, losing some of them forever from the face of the globe.

Opportunities EA region is taxonomically considered to be a single floral block

, with high diversity of plant species, consisting of 21, 650 species, with 5000 from Kenya, 6000 from Uganda and 10,650 from Tanzania.

This floral diversity and the use of many plant species in traditional medicine has inspired enormous research efforts to prospects for lead natural products for drug dev. Involving both local and foreign research groups.

Background (Cont.) Chalcones, Flavanones and other flavonoids with varied

antiplasmodial activity has been isolated from Kenyan flora.

Methods (Cont.)Collection of ethnomedical information Fieldwork carried out between May and August, 2009. Local people facilitated access to herbalists (15 men and 5

women; Mean age: 60 yrs) Semistructured questionnaires and interviews-used for

information on antimalarial plants A taxonomist conversant with the area flora was part of the

collection team Antimalarial plants as identified by the herbalists were

collected and identified by a taxonomist and voucher specimens deposited at the LARMAT Herbarium, University of Nairobi.

Methods (Cont.)

Information gathered included plant species, parts used, plant habit, method of preparation, dosage and vernacular names.

ResultsPlants commonly used for the treatment of malaria Meliaceae Azadirachta indica (L) Burm. (JN 412; 422) Rutaceae Zanthoxylum chalybeum (Eng) Engl. (JN 433) Liliaceae Aloe deserti Berger. (JN 424) Simaroubaceae Harrisonia abyssinica Oliv. (JN 438) Euphorbiaceae Ricinus communis L.(JN 431)Verbenaceae Lantana camara L.( JN 429)

ResultsPlants commonly used for the treatment of malaria Compositae Launea cornuta (Oliv and Hiern) C. Jeffrey (JN 410) Solanaceae Solanum incanum L. (JN 46; 417) Labiatae Ocimum bacilicum L. (JN 428) Bombacaceae Adansonia digitata Linn. (JN 414; 415) Papilionaceae Securidaca longepedunculata Fres. (JN 423) Rutaceae Teclea simplicifolia (Eng) Verdoon (JN 413)

ResultsPlants commonly used for the treatment of malaria Flacourtiaceae Flacourtia indica (Burm.f) Merr. (JN 436) Liliaceae Aloe vera (L) Webb.(JN 421) Cucurbitaceae Gerranthus lobatus (Cogn.) Jeffrey (JN 405;406; 407) Labiatae Plectranthus barbatus Andr. (JN 418; 419; 420) Moraceae Ficus bussei Warp ex Mildbr and Burret.(JN 403; 404) Tiliaceae Grewia hexaminta Burret. ( JN 401; 402)

ResultsPlants commonly used for the treatment of malaria Rubiaceae Canthium glaucum Hiern. (JN 426) Caesalpiniaceae Cassia occidentalis L. (JN 425) Amaranthaceae Amaranthus hybridus L. (JN 430) Combretaceae Combretum padoides Engl and Diels. (JN 434) Compositae Senecio syringitolius O. Hoffman. (JN 432) Rutaceae Fagaropsis angolensis (Engl) Del. (JN 437)

ResultsPlants commonly used for the treatment of malaria Labiatae Ocimum suave Willd (JN 408; 409) Liliaceae Aloe macrosiphon Bak. (JN 435) Apocynaceae Laudolphia buchananii (Hall.f) Stapf. (JN 427)

Results Habit of the species used in treatment of malaria

Results Part of the species used in treatment of malaria.

Results Frequency of the species in the families from Msambweni district

Discussion Study objective was to document plants used traditionally

against malaria by the Msambweni community. 27 species in 24 genera and 20 families were documented 13 species are documented for the first time for the

treatment of malaria Some species documented have been widely used as

antimalarials in other continents e.g Ricinus communis, Lantana camara

Roots were the second most commonly used plant part-and this calls for conservation and good harvesting practices

Antimalarial activity have been reported in some species documented e.g. Zanthoxylum chalybeum, Ricinus communis

Discussion Harrisonia abyssinica, Azadirachta indica. Phytoconstituents have also been isolated from plant species

documented in the study e.g. Quinoline alkaloids isolated from Zanthoxylum chalybeum, gedunin and nimbinin isolated from Azadirachta indica

Literature reviewed indicated that few toxicological studies have been done on the plant species documented in this study

This calls for validation of all the safety claims by undertaking detailed toxicological studies.

Conclusion Many plant species reported have been investigated for their

active principles and pharmacological activities, the latter being in agreement with the ethnomedical uses reported in this study.

Few toxicological studies have been conducted 13 plant species are documented for the first time for the

treatment of malaria Further documentation of TK on the use of HMs is

recommended Acceptability of antimalarial plants as effective remedies is

quite high among the Msambweni community. Msambweni community owns the TK presented in this study.

Any benefit from this work must be shared with them.

Acknowledgements The Carnegie Corporation of New York for financially

supporting this work through Regional Initiative in Science and Technology (Carnegie-AIS-RISE) Natural Product Network

The community of Msambweni district, for sharing their knowledge and time with the author

The Natural Product Research Team for their positive criticism and constant encouragement

KAYA DIANI FOREST

KAYA DIANI FOREST

Voucher specimen

Author pressing voucher specimens

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