Therapeutic Plants Used for Maintaining/Enhancing Health Conditionsin Owode-Yewa South Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria: An Ethno-Pharmacological Survey
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70454/IJMRE.2025.50404Keywords:
Therapeutic Plants, Owode-Yewa, Ethno-Pharmacological SurveyAbstract
Herbal therapy involves the use of plant-based products for therapeutic purposes and remains a popular and effective treatment option for various illnesses. This study aimed to conduct an ethnobotanical survey of therapeutic plants used for maintaining/enhancing health conditions in Owode-Yewa South Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria. A total of 50 questionnaires were distributed to gather information about the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of diseases. The collected data were analyzed using Excel 2016 and SPSS 20.Results revealed that sixty (60) therapeutic plants were identified for treating or maintainingthirty (30) different illnesses, with trees (49%) and shrubs (31%) being the most common types. The leaves (42%) and bark (19%) were the most frequently utilized parts of the plants, while decoction (49%) was the predominant method of preparation, with water (67%) serving as the primary solvent. Large number of the plants are mono-therapeutic while few are known as poly-therapeutic while majority of treated of maintained illnesses are Infectious (47%). This study contributes valuable insights into the medicinal plants used in the local area and highlights the urgent need for conservation efforts and the integration of these practices into formal healthcare systems.
References
[1] Adebayo, O. A., & Ayeni, O. (2022). Medicinal plant trade and livelihoods in rural Nigeria: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 18(1), 54. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-022-00554-2
[2] Ajao, A. A., Olorunnipa, T. A., & Ogunlaja, O. (2023). Phytochemical composition and medicinal uses of Nigerian ethnoflora. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 20(3), 1–14.
[3] Akinmoladun, F. O., Akinrinlola, B. L., & Komolafe, T. O. (2020). Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in the treatment of malaria in Southwestern Nigeria. African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 17(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.21010/ajtcam.v17i1.1
[4] Fasola, T. R., & Egunyomi, A. (2021). Traditional medicine and its role in health care delivery in rural Nigeria. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 279, 114372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2021.114372
[5] Ibrahim, A., Musa, M., & Usman, A. (2017). Utilization of medicinal plant leaves in ethnomedicine: Sustainability implications. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 16, 1–12.
[6] Iwu, M. M. (2014). Handbook of African Medicinal Plants (2nd ed.). CRC Press.
[7] Moyo, M., Aremu, A. O., & Van Staden, J. (2019). Medicinal plants: An invaluable resource for healthy livelihoods in Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 122, 61–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2018.11.010
[8] Odeyemi, S., Masika, P. J., & Afolayan, A. J. (2020). Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used for the management of infectious diseases in rural Nigeria. Plants, 9(9), 1105. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091105
[9] Okoli, C. O., Ezike, A. C., & Ogueke, C. C. (2021). Traditional medicine in Nigeria: Past, present and future. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 273, 113991. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2020.113991
[10] Okoye, C. O., Ibezim, E. C., & Esimone, C. O. (2022). Documentation and validation of medicinal plants used for the treatment of common ailments in southeastern Nigeria: An ethnobotanical survey. Journal of Herbal Medicine, 31, 100517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hermed.2022.100517
[11] Olorunnipa, T. A., Ajao, A. A., & Yusuf, O. M. (2021). Role of women in ethnomedicinal knowledge preservation in West Africa. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 15(7), 328–337.
[12] Osifeso, O.O., Umoren, O.D., Bamidele, A.A., Obika, C.G. and Adeogun, O.A. (2025). Protective Effect of Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken (Miracle Leaf) Extract on Butylglycol-Induced Hepatotoxicity. World News of Natural Sciences. 59:239-249.
[13] Uddin, M. Z., Hassan, M. A., & Alam, M. F. (2020). Loss of traditional knowledge on medicinal plants due to modernization: A case from Bangladesh. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 16, 20.
[14] Umoren, O. D. (2021). Wild Sage (Lantana camara) Flower and Leave: Bactericidal Efficacy on Bacterial Growth. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Explorer (IJMRE).1(4): 33–36.
[15] Umoren, O. D., Amusa, O.D. and Oladetoun, G.M. (2022). Ethno-pharmacological survey of therapeutic plants used in the treatment of paediatric diseases in two local governments in Ogun State, Nigeria. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Explorer (IJMRE).2(10): 1-11.
[16] World Health Organization. (2019). WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine 2019. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/312342
[17] Yekeen, T. A., Ibrahim, M., & Adekunle, M. (2018). Ethnomedicinal plants and cultural beliefs in Nigeria: A regional survey. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 222, 258–265.
[18] Yewa south, Ogun State, Retrieved 2009-10-20 (Accessed Oct. 2023).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Umoren Otoh Dayo (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the term's of the Creative Common Attribution 4.0 International License permitting all use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
