Survey of medicinal plants used for treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and boils in Moro local government area of Kwara State

Abstract

 Inflammation is one of the common symptoms associated with many diseases affecting people worldwide. Plants remain important sources of first-aids and herbal treatments for disease management, particularly among rural population. This study aimed to document medicinal plants used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatism, arthritis and boils, in Moro Local Government Area, Kwara State. A survey was conducted among residents of six villages: Oloru, Elemere, Gbugudu, Asomu, Malete and Oloko Tuntun to identify the medicinal used for these conditions. Semi structured questionnaire was used to collect information from respondents. Data were obtained from sixty-six (66) respondents. Thirty-eight (38) recipes were documented for rheumatism, twenty-four (24) for arthritis and four (4) for boils, involving a total of fifty-nine (59) plants species belonging to forty (40) families. The Fabaceae, Anacardiaceae and Apocynaceae families were the most represented, while the most frequently utilized plant parts were leaves, followed by roots and stem barks. This survey serves as a compendium of medicinal plants used in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and boils in the six villages of Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State.