Medicinal Plant Use for Biodiversity Conservation: From Tradition to Modern

Application

Muganza, M.1,2, Mato2,3, B., Bikandu2, B., Lassa2, T., Lukoki3, F.,& B. Fruth1

1Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, D2Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa, DRC

3University of Kinshasa, Dept. of Biology, Kinshasa, DRC

Methods:study area / data collection

Results:1) Nkundo medicinal plants/ ethnobotany

plant useskin plants / exampleschoice / availability / conservation / application

2) Interior vs. KinshasaKinshasa medicinal plantssustainabilitychoice / availability / conservation / application

Discussion:From tradition to modern applicationPotential vs. constraints

Lompole - Lui Kotale - Salonga National Park

Taxonomy

> 6600 specimens

> 104 families

> 411 genera

> 880 species

549 vernacularly known taxa

Interviews with men & women (N=54)

7 villages

1204 Questionnaires

69% of known plants used

Ethnobotany

PhytochemicalDocumentation

> 300 drug-samples in Kinshasa

> 60 TLCs

> 99 HPLC-MS screenings

NKUNDO plant use by gender (N=381 species)

39.4%both

29.1% 31.5%

women only men only

3 8 919

2632 32

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

COS HYG OTH MAG BF CON NUT MED

%

NKUNDO plant use(N=381 species) COS Cosmetics

HYG HygieneOTH OtherMAG MagicBF FirewoodCON ConstructionNUT NutritionMED Medicinal

8 919

2632 32

60

30

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

COS HYG OTH MAG BF CON NUT MED

%

NKUNDO plant use(N=381 species)

3 80

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

COS HYG OTH MAG BF CON NUT MED

%

NKUNDO plant use(N=381 species)

3 8 90

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

COS HYG OTH MAG BF CON NUT MED

%

NKUNDO plant use(N=381 species)

3 8 919

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

COS HYG OTH MAG BF CON NUT MED

%

NKUNDO plant use(N=381 species)

3 8 919

26

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

COS HYG OTH MAG BF CON NUT MED

%

NKUNDO plant use(N=381 species)

© J.Barske

3 8 919

2632

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

COS HYG OTH MAG BF CON NUT MED

%

NKUNDO plant use(N=381 species)

3 8 919

2632 32

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

COS HYG OTH MAG BF CON NUT MED

%

NKUNDO plant use(N=381 species)

3 8 919

2632 32

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

COS HYG OTH MAG BF CON NUT MED

%

NKUNDO plant use(N=381 species)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

genitalskin

infectiousdigestive

magicosteal-

cardio-vascularearsSTD

diversnervous

eyesrespiratory

poison/antidoturinary

% medicinal plants

NKUNDO medicinal plants: areas of application (N=227 species)

aphrodisiaca, sexual hygiene

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

genitalskin

infectiousdigestive

magicosteal-

cardio-vascularearsSTD

diversnervous

eyesrespiratory

poison/antidoturinary

% medicinal plants

NKUNDO medicinal plants: areas of application (N=227 species)

© JM Clajot

TraumataParasitesInfectionsMycosisBurns . . .

© MSF

Skin problems treated by 70 plant species(N=100 applications)

traum

ata

absc

esse

s

scab

ies

onyc

hia

burn

s

myc

osis

aller

gies

ulce

rs

ecze

ma

acne

para

sites

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

%

Mammea africana (Clusiaceae)

Mammea africana (Clusiaceae)

StembarkDecoction / MacerationPowder

TraumataEczemaScabiesMycosisBurns

Mammea africana: TLC,HPLC-MS & UV chromatograms

Tetrapleura tetraptera (Mimosaceae)

Tetrapleura tetraptera (Mimosaceae)

FruitPound & mixed with palm oilDecoction

MycosisAllergies

Tetrapleura tetraptera: HPLC-MS & UV chromatograms

UV

M+H+

M-H-

Morinda morindoides (Rubiaceae)

Morinda morindoides (Rubiaceae)

LeavesDecoctionBath

ScabiesTraumata

Morinda morindoides : HPLC-MS & UV chromatograms

UV

M+H+

M-H-

Bacteriology / Toxicology

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0.00 50.00 100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00stem density / ha

# of s

pecie

sAvailability of skin plants (N= 41 species )

Trees◄ ►Shrubs, Lianas

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

MDflowers

fruitleaves

exudatebark

roots

% skin plant species

Plant parts used for treatment of skin problems (N= 70 plant species )

56%

44%

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0.00 100.00 200.00 300.00 400.00 500.00

rootsbark

leavesfruit

flowersMD

stem density / ha

Availability of skin plants by plant part used(N= 41 species )

unharvested fresh cut after 2 years

Sustainability

Cryptic Diversity

0 20 40 60 80 100

leaves

bark

fruit

% species (N=60)

Alk

aloi

d co

nten

t in

absent present variable

Galenics

Availability & Price

Provenance

Traditional knowledge

17 markets

Kinshasa‘s Markets

Bikandu Kapesa Lassa Kanda

MasinaMateteLiberté

BumbuLibération

Ngiri Ngiri

N‘DjiliNgandu

Maba Ndjili Q6Ndjili Q7

Kimbanseke

Maluku

NgaliemaDjelo binza

Kitambo

GombeCentral

KasavubuGambelaMarimba Limete

MateteZone 6

LembaMbanza Lemba

NgabaMakala

Bagata

Banda-lungwu

Kinsenso

N‘seleSelembao

N‘sele

Maluku

Mont Ngafula

17 Markets of Kinshasa

Interviews with vendors (N=117)

73% women / 27% men

Average age 40 years (SD: 12.94; range:15-80)

44% trad. healers / 56% vendors only

4 DRC-Provinces & Angola

Kinshasa‘s Markets

178 plant (ethno) species

132 species

Overlap with SNP: 35% (on species level)

Kinshasa‘s Markets

% fu

nctio

n of p

lant

sellin

g peo

ple /

origi

n (N

=117

)

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

Kinshas

aBas-

Congo

Angola

Bandundu

Equateu

rKata

nga

HealerVendor

% fu

nctio

n of p

lant

sellin

g peo

ple /

origi

n (N

=117

)

% pl

ants

/ orig

in (N

=132

)

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

Kinshas

aBas-

Congo

Angola

Bandundu

Equateu

rKata

nga

HealerVendor

0.000.100.200.300.400.500.600.70

Kinshas

aBas-

Congo

Angola

Bandundu

Equateu

rKata

nga

plants

0

20

40

60

80

100

Kinshas

aBas-

Congo

Bandund

uEqua

teur

% sp

ecies

savannahfallowforest (sec)forest (prim)cultivated

Habitat types

Habitat types according to provenance

KINSHASA medicinal plants: areas of application (N=98 species)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

digestivegenital

osteal-articulatecardio-vascular

infectiousdivers

skinrespiratory

magicnervous

STDurinary

earseyes

poison/antidote

% medicinal plants

0102030405060

genit

alsk

ininfec

tious

diges

tive

magic

ostea

l-artic

ulate

cardi

o-vasc

ular

ears

STDdiv

ersne

rvous

eyes

respir

atory

poiso

n/anti

dote

urina

ry

% m

edic

inal

pla

nts

Interior (N=227)Kinshasa (N=98)

Areas of application: Interior vs. Kinshasa

KINSHASA medicinal plants: areas of application (N=98 species)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

digestivegenital

osteal-articulatecardio-vascular

infectiousdivers

skinrespiratory

magicnervous

STDurinary

earseyes

poison/antidote

% medicinal plants

Lianas26%

Trees43%

Herbs14%

Shrubs17%

Skin plant species

Shrubs37%

Lianas5%

Trees26%Herbs

32%

Interior (Nkundo-plants N=70) Urban area (Kinshasa plants N=19)

Summary

• 227 medicinal plant species (60%)• 70 species used for skin problems• Extracts: mostly lipophil, with

antioxidants• Species availability: 39% < 1 Ind/ha;

44% 1-10 Ind/ha• Plant parts used: 56% use roots or

bark; 44% leaves/fruit

• 132 medicinal plant species • 19 species used for skin problems • Extracts: to be done

• Species availability:

• Plant parts used:

Interior (Nkundo) Urban area (Kinshasa)

Quality: Great potentialQuantity: most species rarePotential for sustainability: careful evaluation needed

From tradition to modern application

Potential for CBD:• conserve biodiversity• sustainable use• local benefits

Scale: local, national, global?Vision: controlled harvesting & cultivation

AcknowledgementsUNIKIN JP Habari

C Lubini L Lukebakio F Lukoki D Musibono K Taba

BMBF DLR MPI EVAN

G Hohmann

INRB

M Tamfum S Karhemere

Germ

any (

D)

SCHWABE K Schötz

Dem

ocra

tic R

epub

lic o

f Con

go

(DRC

)

ICCN

Direction Générale N Bondjengo G Kitengie

Belg

ium

(B

)

ULB J Lejoly