Unveiling the potential and specificity of the Mahoran ethnopharmacopoeia: A field survey

Our survey confirms the importance of traditional medical pratices in Mayotte island. The following plants: Aerva lanata, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Coleus madagascariensis Paullinia pinnata, and Woodfordia fruticosa stand out from the others in terms of their use and number of citations, and it would be interesting to study their pharmacological and toxicological properties. Traditional medicine in Mayotte also possesses specificities, notably with the use of particular ingredients such as salt, coral stone, or even white clay. Furthermore, throughout the study, we noticed that chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension were extensively treated. This could be linked to the fact that the prevalence of these diseases is quite high on the island.