Medicinal plants used in management of cancer and other related diseases in Woleu-Ntem province, Gabon

Introduction: Despite advances in medical technology, the fight against cancer remains difficult in developing countries. Thus, traditional medicine remains the first choice or sometimes still, the only opportunity for treatment. The purpose of this work was to popularize the medicinal plants used by Gabonese herbal therapists in the treatment of cancers by an ethnopharmacological survey. Methods: In four localities of the Woleu-Ntem province, traditional healers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods and various quantitative indices. The anticancer potential and toxicity of medicinal plants were confirmed by the bibliographic review. Results: Traditional healers of Woleu-Ntem use 51 species of medicinal plants in cancers management and related diseases. These species are grouped into 49 genera and 29 families, the best-represented being Euphorbiaceae, Annonaceae, Apocynaceae, Myristicaceae and Rubiaceae. Barks are mainly used, followed by leaves. Decoction and maceration were the main methods of preparation. The oral absorption was the main route of administration. Colorectal, breast, cervical and liver cancer were the most cancers treated. The results of the literature search show that most of the plants in the survey have anticancer properties and are non-toxic at dosage and oral use by traditional healers. Conclusions: The present work is the first study reporting information on the different Gabonese medicinal plants used against cancer. About 16 plant species have been mentioned for the first time as anticancer agents. These species could constitute a scientific database for the research of new bioactive molecules against cancers and other diseases.