Kamau Loice N, Mbaabu Mathiu P, Mbaria James M, Karuri Gathumbi P, Kiama Stephen G
Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, P.O Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Nairobi, P.O Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Aug 2;189:218-29. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.05.021. Epub 2016 May 11.
Non communicable diseases are currently a major health challenge facing humanity. Nyeri County has one of the highest diabetes prevalence in Kenya (12.6%), compared to the country's prevalence of 5.6%. The purpose of the study was to document; diabetes knowledge, medicinal plants and demand for the services of traditional medicine practitioners, in the management and treatment of diabetes.
A cross-sectional study was carried out in the six constituencies in Nyeri, using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. Thirty practicing traditional medicine practitioners were purposively selected for the study. Field observation and identification was carried out on all plants that were cited during the interview. Plant samples were collected and voucher specimen deposited in the University of Nairobi Herbarium in the - School of Biological Sciences.
The study revealed 30 plant species in 28 genera and 23 families that are used by the traditional medicine practitioners to treat and manage diabetes. Demand for traditional medicine practitioners' services in the treatment of diabetes is low and often occurs when conventional drugs fail.
Interaction with the TMPs unveiled significant diversity of potential anti diabetic medicinal plants and in-depth ethnobotanical knowledge that they possessed. Preference for traditional herbal medicine was low despite wide ethnobotanical knowledge in the face of high prevalence of diabetes in the locality. The findings form the basis of pharmacological studies for standardization of the documented ethnomedicine used in the treatment and management of diabetes in the study area.
非传染性疾病是当前人类面临的一项重大健康挑战。与肯尼亚全国5.6%的患病率相比,内罗毕县的糖尿病患病率在肯尼亚最高(12.6%)。本研究的目的是记录在糖尿病管理和治疗方面的糖尿病知识、药用植物以及对传统医学从业者服务的需求。
在内罗毕的六个选区开展了一项横断面研究,采用预先测试的半结构化问卷。本研究特意挑选了30名执业传统医学从业者。对访谈过程中提到的所有植物进行了实地观察和鉴定。采集了植物样本,并将凭证标本存放在内罗毕大学(生物科学学院)植物标本馆。
该研究揭示了传统医学从业者用于治疗和管理糖尿病的28个属、23个科中的30种植物。传统医学从业者治疗糖尿病服务的需求较低,且通常在常规药物失效时才会出现。
与传统医学从业者的交流揭示了潜在抗糖尿病药用植物的显著多样性以及他们所拥有的深入民族植物学知识。尽管当地糖尿病患病率很高,但面对广泛的民族植物学知识,对传统草药的偏好却很低。这些发现构成了对研究区域内用于糖尿病治疗和管理的已记录民族医学进行标准化药理学研究的基础。