Ethnomycology: Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of the Indigenous Gbagyi People of Nigeria, Int.J.Curr.Biotechnol., 2015, 3(3):1-7
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Asemota Uwem Kelly, Salisu Abubakar, Okereke Omoaruemike Ebele, Etim Veronica Archibong and Onyenekwe Paul Chidozie, Ethnomycology: Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of the Indigenous Gbagyi People of Nigeria, Int.J.Curr.Biotechnol., 2015, 3(3):1-7. International Journal of Current Biotechnology ISSN: 2321 - 8371 Journal Homepage : http://ijcb.mainspringer.com Ethnomycology: Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms of the Indigenous Gbagyi People of Nigeria Asemota Uwem Kelly*, Salisu Abubakar, Okereke Omoaruemike Ebele, Etim Veronica Archibong and Onyenekwe Paul Chidozie Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Advanced Laboratory, Sheda science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), P.M.B 186, Garki. Abuja. FCT. Nigeria. ARTICLE INF O ABSTRACT Structured questionnaires were prepared in Gbagyi language and administered to about 100 respondents randomly selected from twelve Gbagyi settlements in the Federal Capital Terri- Article History: tory, with the aid of interpreters who are indigenes. This study reveals that the Gbagyi people Received 09 March 2015 of Nigeria are mostly mycophagists. 93% of the respondents have used at least seven species Received in revised form 12 March 2015 of mushrooms as food. 92% consume edible mushrooms for taste and consider some species Accepted 25 March 2015 a great delicacy, 90% use mushrooms as a substitute for meat or fish, 20% for soup thicken- Available online 30 March 2015 ing, 40% still prefer to use mushrooms as medicine or as a component of medicinal prepara- tions believing they are cheaper and with less side effects than orthodox medicine. 2% con- sume mushrooms for cultural reasons. The findings of this investigation indicate that about 28 species of mushrooms are known and used by the Gbagyi people for food, medicine, commer- cial and cultural reasons. However, the younger the respondent the less the knowledge and Key words: use of mushrooms. Ganoderma lucidum, Ganoderma applanatum, Trametes versicolor, Fomes Edible and Medicinal mushrooms, fomentarius, Laetiporus sulphurus and various species of Polypores are among the mush- Ethnomycology, Gbagyi people, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. rooms used as medicine or components of herbal preparations in the treatment of various ailments including pile, eye problem, ulcers, cancer, tumors, fever, stomach ache, pregnancy related ailments, management of HIV/AIDS and also as immune system boosters. Introduction is rich in expressions and terminologies that reflect their As an ethnic nationality, the Gbagyi people originated ethnomycological usage of mushrooms (Roger and from Kaduna state in the Northern part of Nigeria. They Musa, 1989). The Gbagyi or Gbari people have known are one of the most widespread and numerous peoples and used mushrooms for food, medicine, commercial and with settlements in Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi States cultural purposes from time immemorial. Among the and the Federal Capital Territory (Roger and Musa, 1989). Gbagyi, mushroom collection is mainly for household However, the Gbagyi people in this study are those in consumption, only a relatively small quantity is taken to the Federal Capital Territory. They are the original settlers market for sale and this is usually done by the women. of Gwagwalada in Abuja, they are the most populated They are also sold as medicine or as components of and indigenous ethnic groups in the Federal Capital medicinal preparations in dried solid or powder form. For Territory and their major occupation is farming (Chigudu, example in Gwagwalada and Kwali markets, dried 2008; Mefor, 2008). The Gbagyi people believe that the mushrooms believed to be polypores are sold as medicine head is sacred so they put their load including their for the treatment of malaria and stomach problems. Fresh harvest after a mushroom-hunt on their shoulders instead edible mushrooms are sold in the Kwali and Gwagwalada of the head. The majority are illiterate and peasant and markets during the rainy season at very cheap rates. can hardly afford meat and fish, therefore there is a great Gbagyi people consider mushrooms a great delicacy, dependence on mushrooms as a replacement for meat sometimes more than one specie of mushroom is used at and fish. The rainy season runs from April to October the same time in making soup, stew or pepper soup, this and is about 1,500mm (59.1in). The vegetation falls within is in agreement with the observation of (Jonathan, 2002) Guinean forest savannah mosaic zone of the West African that in Nigerian villages exposed to natural vegetation, a subregion. However patches of rainforest occur in some variety of mushrooms are used in the preparation of a parts of the territory (wikipedia). These features make dish. In the preparation of some mushroom – herbal the region favourable for the growth of mushrooms. The medicines more than one specie of mushrooms could Gbagyi word for mushroom is ‘munu’, Gbagyi language also be used. Mushrooms are usually preserved by air- drying, sun-drying and smoking for use during the dry *Corresponding author. season when mushrooms become scarce. Email address: [email protected] 1 Int.J.Curr.Biotechnol. Volume 3; Issue 3; Mar, 2015 The ethnomycology of mushrooms by other tribes have Sampling Frame been reported by various authors in Nigeria. The target population was the Gbagyi also spelled as Ethnomycology of edible and medicinal mushrooms is Gbari or Gwarri people residing in various settlements in reported among the Igbos (Akpaja et al., 2003), Yorubas the six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory. (Oso, 1975; Alabi 1994), Igalas (Ayodele et al., 2011) Binis About a hundred respondents were used for the study. (Akpaja et al.,2005), and Hausas (Okhuoya et al., 2010). A catalogue and identification of some wild edible Results and Discussion macrofungi occuring in Nigeria has also been carried out Information for this study was obtained from the use of (Nwordu et al., 2013). In other countries of the world structured questionnaires, interviews and personal ethnomycology of edible and medicinal mushrooms is communication with the indigenes, traditional medicine well documented. They include among others : Zambia practitioners and hawkers. This investigation shows that (Pegler and Pierce, 1980), Ghana (Obodai and Apetorghor, there are about twenty eight (28) mushrooms known 2010), Benin (Dekessel et al., 2002), Guatemala (De Leon, and used by Gbagyi people for food, medicine and 2002) and India (Purukayastha and Chandra, 1985). There culture. is a paucity of documented information on the indigenous use of mushrooms for food, medicine and other purposes The edible and medicinal mushrooms of the Gbagyi by the Gbagyi people of Nigeria. This work is therefore people of Nigeria are similar to those known and used an attempt to highlight and document the indigenous by Igala, Bini and Yoruba speaking people respectively knowledge and usage of mushrooms among this people. (Ayodele et al., 2011; Akpaja et al., 2005; Adhikar, 1999). It is also to encourage the cultivation and Personal communication with the indigenes indicates that commercialization of mushrooms to improve food security due to the high cost of meat and fish, more people are and go a long way in improving the general wellbeing of turning to mushrooms as an alternative source of the peasant and illiterate among them; especially the proteins. It was also observed that many of the indigenes women. This work also seeks to encourage further still resort to traditional medicine especially in cases investigation into the rich array of mushrooms in Gbagyi relating to fertility, antenatal and post natal care. They farmlands as a potential cheap source of antibacterial, attribute this to the fact that their traditional herbal antifungal and antiviral drugs. medicine is more natural, safer, more accessible and more economical, considering the cost of transportation to the Materials and Methods nearest hospital and also the cost of orthodox drugs Mushrooms were randomly collected from different (Dania, 2010). Gbagyi farmlands over three rainy seasons (April - October, 2010 ; April - October, 2011 and April - October, Gbagyi people name mushrooms based on their uses, 2012). Photographs of the mushrooms growing in their the substrate on which they grow, their growth pattern, natural habitat were taken before they were carefully and in most cases their physical features. However, many uprooted holding the stipe gently but firmly close to the of the indigenes have forgotten the names and uses of rhizomoph thus carrying some soil along with it to avoid the mushrooms especially in the younger age group. damaging the tissues and obstructing identification. The Figure 1 depicts the location of the Federal Capital mushroom samples were shown to the indigenes for Territory on the map of Nigeria, showing that it is an area identification by their local names. They were with a good climate and rich vegetation favourable for immediately taken to the Department of Biotechnology the growth of mushrooms. Plates 1-6 shows pictures of and Genetic Engineering, Sheda Science and Technology edible mushrooms known and utilized by Gbagyi people Complex for identification, storage and further studies. while Plate 1-21 shows pictures of medicinal mushrooms The mushrooms were identified using standard known and utilized by them. Some of the mushrooms are conventional methods, coloured picture books and potential sources of nutraceuticals as they can be used internet. Representative samples of some of mushrooms as food and medicine. The most frequently occuring were dried in the oven at 40°C and taken to the Mushroom mushroom among Gbagyi people is "Sumbo munu", Science Unit, Plant Pathology and Biotechnology Department, University of Benin, Benin for confirmation. Figure - 1: Map of Nigeria showing the location of Abuja in the centre of Nigeria. Coordinates: 9°42 03 N 7°292 Study Area 03 E (http://www.fct.gov.ng). Abuja lies between latitudes 8°25‘ N and 9°20‘ and Longitude 6°39‘. It is bordered on the North by Kaduna State, East by Nassarawa State, to the South west by Kogi State and to the West by Niger State.