Ethnopharmacological survey of Annonaceae medicinal plants used to treat malaria in four areas of Cameroon

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Malaria endemic countries have vital resources that are medicinal plants on which their traditional medicines depend. In some Cameroonian settings, in addition to the commonly used potions from plants like Alstonia boonei, Zanthoxylum macrophylla and Mangifera indica, other herbal species are being increasingly used to treat malaria. So, specialized traditional healers have developed alternative reasonably priced therapies, relying on the signs and/or symptoms of malaria. Within this framework, Annonaceae plants were found to be increasingly utilized and therefore, highlighting the need to document this traditional knowledge for better malaria control. Materials and methods: Interview approach was used to document indigenous knowledge, usage customs and practices of Annonaceae species in the treatment of malaria in four Cameroonian areas (Yaoundé and its surroundings, Ngoyang, Kon-Yambetta and Mbalmayo). Results: A total of 19/30 users of plants accepted to share their experiences during a semi-structured survey. Twelve of the respondents were men and seven were women. Thirty recipes based on twenty-one plants were recorded. Conclusion: Annickia chlorantha was the only plant commonly found in the four study sites. Seven species of Annonaceae were found to be used to treat malaria, while 14 were used to treat symptoms that might be related to malaria. © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.