Ethnopharmacological study of medicinal plants used for breast cancer treatment among traditional herbalists and patients in Central and Western Cameroon

The high diversity of ecology, climate, and floral of Cameroon constitutes a veritable reservoir of medicinal plants. The search for new, safe, effective, and inexpensive alternative therapies for the treatment of breast cancer is an urgent necessity in Africa. The aim of the study was to identify the medicinal plants recipes used by traditional herbalists to manage breast cancer diseases in four districts of the Central and Western region of Cameroon. We conducted cross sectional, qualitative and descriptive research through an ethnopharmacological survey from August 2024 to February 2025 amongst 92 participants, including 21 traditional herbalists from four districts in the Central and Western regions, and 71 patients with breast cancer disease. Traditional herbalists were selected using the snowball. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on plant-based treatment supplemented with a comprehensive literature review on the phytochemicals and therapeutic properties of these plants. We have identified 29 plants species belonging to 19 families with total of 23 recipes used by the herbalists. 74% of these recipes (17) were prepared with more than one plant. The whole plant ( n = 6 ;26.1%) and the bark ( n = 5 ;21.7%) were the most commonly plant parts used for the recipes while the maceration was the main preparation method ( n = 10;43.5%). Water was the solvent frequently used ( n = 18;78.3%) and all these remedies were administrated only per os ( n = 23;100%) with a dosage ranging from one and half to four glasses per day for a duration of treatment from one to twelve months. Only 10% of breast cancer patients reported being completely satisfied, unlike traditional herbalists who claim that 50% of breast cancer patients who received their treatment were cured. In most of the remedies, there was anticancer plants used as main ingredient and an adjuvant. Part of Syzygium guineense (Willd) DC, Var Guineen constitute the most frequent main ingredient ( n =3/RFC=0.13) of the recipes while the most represented adjuvant ( n =8/RFC=0.35 ) was Allium sativum L. The highest mean informant consensus factor for breast cancer treatment was obtained for Allium Sativum L. (0.36). The study reveals a wide diversity of recipes for the treatment of breast cancer in the Cameroonian pharmacopoeia.