Abstract

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN CAMEROON

Theophile Mistral Mpaba Minkat*, Ericson Djeutassong Segning, Georges Cédric Mouncharou, Barnabas Malep, Alain Nlend, Nicole Guedje and Marcellin Ndoe Guiaro

ABSTRACT

High blood pressure is defined by an increase in blood pressure above normal. It is a global public health problem, with very high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. African populations, particularly those living in Cameroon, remain fragile in the face of its treatment and monitoring, which constitute, for them, an additional and enormous economic problem because of its indefinite duration. Thus, it is with the aim of promoting the floristic and natural heritage by our future pharmacists that we have taken on the task of investigating the medicinal plants used by our traditional practitioners to treat the said pathology. We conducted an ethnobotanical survey conducted from January to February 2012 in the city of Douala on the use of phenolic plants. In total, 30 phenolic plant species, including 14 herbaceous and 16 woody, were inventoried by the populations of the city of Douala. Among these species, 09 are local and 21 are exotic and include 18families and 26 genera. Among these plants, four were the subject of our study, because they were presented as having preventive and curative properties with regard to high blood pressure, including: Alium cepa; Apium graveolens; Persea americana and Solanum melongena. The investigations we carried out made it possible to understand that traditional practitioners, although not having effective means allowing them to diagnose high blood pressure, the latter also find ways to treat it through the use of medicinal plants.

Keywords: High blood pressure, Medicinal plant, Alium cepa; Apium graveolens; Persea americana and Solanum melongena.