Ethnobotanical Study of Antidiabetic Plants and Local Practices in the Treatment of Diabetes in Benin

Abstract As an important cultural element, people have used plants for centuries for various purposes. In Benin, the sale of medicinal plants in city markets is a reality that dates back years. To understand the practices in the field, an ethnobotanical survey on plants with antidiabetic properties in the communes of Gogounou, Parakou, Abomey-Calavi and Pobe was carried out during this study against the high prevalence of diabetes in the departments of these towns and the strong animation of the markets surveyed by herbalists. The objective is to determine the plants used in the treatment of diabetes and the related practices. To do this, 120 diabetic patients and 120 herbalists were sampled. The semi-structured interviews carried out with patients and herbalists made it possible to retain a total of 65 medicinal plants with antidiabetic properties grouped into twenty-seven botanical families with the dominance of Apocynaceae (FRC = 18.5%) and Combretaceae (FRC = 11.6 %). The frequency analyzes carried out showed Phyllantus amarus (FRC = 10.22%), Khaya senegalensis (FRC = 9.60%) as the species most cited by herbalists. On the other hand, those supposed to be effective by diabetics are: Phyllanthus amarus, Bridelia ferruginea, Moringa oleifera, Khaya senegalensis, Momordica charantia, and Sarcocephalus latifolius. The majority of the plants listed are microphanerophytes, mesophanerophytes and nanophanerohytes. The leaves are the most used parts. Likewise, a decoction of the leaves is the main method of preparation. However, after a hierarchical classification of the different local practices identified, there is a problem of effectiveness and efficiency of the local practices adapted in the traditional treatment of Diabetes. This is justified by the existence of several preparations, recipes and dosage for the same species. These results constitute a source of information for future research in the field of phytochemistry and pharmacology.