Medicinal Plants Used for the Management of Ulcer in Kano State, Nigeria

Umar Suleiman Abubakar

Abstract

The present study was aimed at collecting, identifying and documenting medicinal plants used for the management of ulcer in Kano State, Nigeria. Open-ended informal interviews and general conversation were administered to thirty eight (38) traditional medical practitioners and herb sellers. The data collected included the local names of plants, parts used, method of preparations and mode of administration. A total number of seventeen (17) plant species belonging to twelve (12) families were collected, identified and documented. Acacia nilotica, Adansonia digitata, Moringa oleifera and Musa sapientum were the most frequently mentioned plants, while Fabaceae and Amaryllidaceae were the most frequently mentioned families. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to document the traditional knowledge and practices on the use of medicinal plants for the management of ulcer in Kano State, Nigeria, there is need to investigate the antiulcer activity of plant species that have not been evaluated, and the bioactive compounds responsible for the antiulcer activity need to be isolated, characterized and identified.