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Ethnobotanical use and conservation assessment of medicinal plants sold in markets of Burkina Faso Lassané Ouédraogo, Josef Endl, Pierre Alexandre Eric Djifaby Sombié, Hanno Schaefer and Martin Kiendrebeogo Research Keywords: Ethnobotanical survey; Medicinal plants; Conservation status; Traditional knowledge; Diseases; Burkina Faso Abstract Correspondence Background: A comprehensive survey on the trade and use of medicinal plants in Burkina Faso was 1 2 carried out with the aim of identifying the most Lassané Ouédraogo *, Josef Endl , Pierre 1 relevant species and their conservation status. Alexandre Eric Djifaby Sombié , Hanno 3 4 Schaefer and Martin Kiendrebeogo Methods: Interviews of 30 medicinal plant traders in 1 six major cities was carried out and the data on Centre National de Recherche ScientiFique et medicinal plant species were recorded using a Technologique (CNRST), Institut de l’Environnement structured questionnaire. et de Recherches Agricoles, 03 BP 7047 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso, email: Results: A total of 104 medicinal plant species, [email protected] ; [email protected] 2 belonging to 39 families and 81 genera were Ulmenstr.12, 82362 Weilheim, Germany, email: reported to treat various health problems. Most of the [email protected] 3 medicinal plant species found in the markets were Plant Biodiversity Research, Technical University of used for gastrointestinal diseases (48%), e.g., Munich (TUM), Emil-Ramann Strasse 2, D-85354 Pteleopsis suberosa (Combretaceae) and Bauhinia Freising, Germany: email: [email protected] 4 rufescens (Fabaceae). The combination of fidelity Laboratoire de Biochimie & Chimie Appliquées, level and preference ranking identified Gardenia Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo, 03 BP 7021 sokotensis, Combretum micranthum and Maytensus Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso, email: senegalensis as particularly important species for [email protected] treatment of malaria. Four species found in local * markets are listed as vulnerable in the IUCN red list Corresponding Author: [email protected] of threatened species (Afzelia africana, Vitellaria paradoxa, Khaya senegalensis and Tapinanthus Ethnobotany Research & Applications globiferus). For many species that are traded in large 20:39 (2020) quantities suFFicient data for precise assessment of their conservation status do not yet exist. Some species such as Securidaca longipedunculata and Background Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides are already rare in Traditional medicine has played a key role in many nature and sold at high price on the stalls. developing countries and continues to do so (World Health Organization, WHO 2004). In this area, it is Conclusions: There is an urgent need to collect estimated that more than 80% of the people rely on distribution data for the medicinal plant species of plants for their primary healthcare requirements Burkina Faso and design conservation plans in order (Senthilkumar et al. 2013). to preserve their natural populations. Manuscript received: 29/06/2020 - Revised manuscript received: 25/10/2020 - Published: 28/10/2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.20.39.1-25 2 In West African countries, particularly in Burkina the conservation of cultural traditions and help to Faso, traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia preserve the diversity of wild plant resources. remain the main source of primary health care for an The knowledge on traditional medicinal uses of estimated 70% of the population (Zerbo et al. 2011). plants is disappearing at an alarming rate in Burkina The main reasons for this dependence on herbal Faso mainly because this inFormation is only orally medicine are its therapeutic efFicacy, accessibility transmitted to the younger generation. Many of these and low costs compared to modern medicine and custodians die before passing on the inFormation to that it is deeply intertwined with traditional beliefs the next generations. The importance of saving this (Benoît 2008). traditional knowledge is convincingly demonstrated by the fact that an estimated 25% of prescription But the increased use of herbal medicines has also drugs and 11% of drugs considered essential by negative consequences. It propels saFety concerns WHO are based on active compounds first isolated to both national health authorities and the general from wild plants (Maroyi et al. 2011). Thus, a public, mostly due to misidentiFication, substitution of thorough knowledge of traditionally used medicinal rare species with cheaper plant material from plants could help to fully exploit their potential for species which are more readily available and discovering new sources of drugs and promote the inFection of herbs with fungi (Kool et al. 2012). In sustainable use of these natural resources in Burkina addition, it could negatively impact natural plant Faso. resources when exploitation is perFormed in an unsustainable way (WHO 2004). ThereFore, we conducted this study on medicinal plant trade in the main local markets in six major Meticulous documentation, sustainable use and cities (Ouagadougou, Fada, Dédougou, Léo, conservation efForts are therefore essential. Ouahigouya, and Bobo-Dioulasso) of Burkina Faso. Traditional medicine practitioners are ofFicially The study aims to deliver a comprehensive list of the recognized by the authorities of Burkina Faso in medicinal plants together with their suggested order to regulate their activities in collecting and applications. To assess the conservation status of selling medicinal plants (“Assemblée Nationale”, AN each species, the provenance and estimated 1994). These regulations are recorded in two quantities of plant material ofFered by the sellers was national codes of Burkina Faso. In the Public Health documented and compared to International Union for Code recipes and use of medicinal plants are Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list status. described (AN 1994). In the Forest Code traditional Finally, we provide suggestions how to avoid use rights are recognized for the benefit of local overexploitation of selected species in order to residents, allowing picking of fruits and harvesting of preserve them for the benefit of future generations. medicinal plants (AN 1997). Most of the medicinal plants are sold in urban markets (Cunningham 2014) Materials and Methods and market surveys have become an efFicient way of Study sites acquiring data on local consumption and The study focused on 18 markets of six cities in conservation status of medicinal plant species (Idu et diFFerent climatic and vegetation zones of Burkina al. 2010). Faso. Selected cities for the survey were Ouagadougou, Ouahigouya, Fada N’Gourma, It seems necessary to inForm on the composition of Dédougou, Bobo Dioulasso, and Léo (Figure 1). The medicinal plants traded in Burkina Faso, the target cities were chosen randomly in the four agro- quantities sold, the provenance of the plant material ecological zones defined by Fontès and Guinko and the indigenous uses for disease treatment. (2012). The three biggest markets of each city were Documentation of traditional uses of medicinal plants selected as study sites. Ouagadougou and sold in the markets is important for several reasons. Ouahigouya are located in the Sahelian zone The identification of local names, scientiFic names dominated by shrub savanna with annual rainFall less and indigenous uses of plants not only preserves than 600 mm. Dédougou and Fada N’Gourma indigenous knowledge but also contributes to future belong to the northern Sudanese zone of the country research in order to improve the saFety and efFicacy where woody and shrubby savannas dominate and of medicinal plants in the treatment of various rainFall ranges from 600-900 mm. Bobo-Dioulasso ailments (Tugume et al. 2016). This will facilitate the and Léo are located in the southern Sudanese zone integration of herbal medicine into the main health with open forests and islands of dense dry forest with care system. In addition, this knowledge will support rainFall up to 900 mm (MAHRH 2007). 3 Figure 1. Ethnobotanical surveys sites Data collection identification encompassing trees, shrubs and lianas This survey targeted herbal traders selling medical from West African dry zones (Arbonnier 2000). In plants in the markets. Herbal traders in the surveyed addition, voucher specimens of all plant species markets belonged mainly to the following ethnic were identified at the herbarium “Herbier National du groups: Mossi, Dioula, Gourmantché, Gourounsi, Burkina Faso" (HNBU). and FulFudé (FAO 1996). Interviews were conducted in the local language using guided semi-structured Estimation of plant quantities offered and prices questionnaires according to the procedure described The quantities of plant samples sold in the markets by Martin (1995) with slight modiFication (see in were determined using common estimates based on appendix 1 an example questionnaire). The survey the hand-circumFerence of bundles (Figure 2) (Martin was conducted from December 2015 to January 1995) and prices were recorded according to this 2016. For each market the representative of the unit. sellers of medicinal plants was consulted, who suggested the traders with the most experience in Species use value the field of medicinal plant trade or application. The use value of a certain plant species for treating Markets were visited once and 1- 2 medicinal plant a given category of disease was assessed by asking vendors or traditional healers, who agreed to nine key inFormants. These were selected on the participate in the survey were

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