Vol. 12(18), pp. 2392-2405, 1 May, 2013 DOI: 10.5897/AJB12.2572 African Journal of Biotechnology ISSN 1684-5315 ©2013 Academic Journals http://www.academicjournals.org/AJB Full Length Research Paper Use, conservation and present availability status of ethnomedicinal plants of Matebele-Village in the Limpopo Province, South Africa S. S. Semenya1*, M. J. Potgieter1 and M. P. Tshisikhawe2 1Department of Biodiversity, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga 0727, South Africa. 2Department of Botany, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou 0950, South Africa. Accepted 12 April, 2013 Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out between January 2011 and April 2012 to compile an inventory of plants used medicinally by people of the Matebele village. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the species used by the villagers. The results show that 65 species (86.1% indigenous and 13.8% exotics) from 36 families, mostly the Asteraceae (13.8%) and Fabaceae (10.7%), are being used to treat 28 ailments or conditions. To the best of our knowledge, 24.4% of the species were recorded for the first time as medicinal. The most widely used species were Terminalia sericea (43.3%), followed by Acacia senegal, Eucomis pallidiflora (36.6% each), Drimia elata (26.6%), Warburgia salutaris (19.9%) and Artemisia afra (16.6%). Roots (39.1%), leaves (21.6%) and stem bark (10.8%) were the most frequently used parts. The heavy dependence on wild medicinal plants and utilization of threatened (E. pallidiflora, D. elata and W. salutaris) and protected (Sclerocarya birrea) species by inhabitants of Matebele village calls for urgent conservation intrusion. Key words: Ethnomedicinal plants, Limpopo Province, Matebele Village, conservation, present availability status, South Africa, use. INTRODUCTION Plants play a key role in the primary healthcare systems healthcare (Hostettmann and Marston, 2002). South in many developing countries, principally in Africa, where Africa is no exception, and studies by Dykman (1908), modern drugs are not affordable (De Souza et al., 2011). Kling (1923), Hutchings et al. (1996), Van Wyk et al. Globally, about 85% of the traditional medicines used for (1997), Amusan et al. (2007), Appidi et al. (2008) and De primary healthcare are derived from plants (Kumar and Wet et al. (2010, 2012) demonstrate this. Nair, 2004). It has been estimated that 80% of people in In the Limpopo Province of South Africa, a number of Africa rely on traditional medicine for their primarily ethnobotanical surveys (Arnold and Gulumian, 1984; *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +27 15 268 3126. Semenya et al. 2393 Figure 1. Map of the Limpopo Province indicating the location of Matebele Village. Mabogo, 1990; Brandt and Muller, 1995; Madzibane and ethnobotanical study which was conducted in this district. Potgieter, 1999; Mashabane et al., 2001; Samie et al., It is unfortunate that the above-mentioned studies did not 2005; Tshikalange et al., 2005; Mulaudzi et al., 2011) cover Matebele; one of few villages in the Limpopo highlighted that rural people in different districts depend Province where herbal medicine is the only means of heavily on traditional medicine to treat common ailments. medical treatment for poor villagers. Therefore, a need The broad use of traditional medicine is mainly was felt to gather in-depth information on the plant attributable to its accessibility and affordability species used by community members within this village, (Steenkamp, 2003). Other reasons include, amongst which may be under threat due to changes in lifestyle, others, a lack of access to modern medical facilities, increasing population and a high frequency of use of clinging to traditional approaches and unbearable queues certain species. It is also feared that ethnobotanical in modern health care centres such as hospitals (Hossan knowledge might become considerably limited or even et al., 2010). According to Yirga (2010), some rural disappear in the foreseeable future because traditional people prefer traditional medicine for cultural reasons or knowledge is still mostly taught orally without written traditions. records. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to The utilization of medicinal plant species by rural document indigenous knowledge on the use of people has significantly contributed to the development of ethnomedicinal plants by the villagers of Matebele and to different traditional medical systems (Jachak and Saklani, assess the conservation status of each species. 2007), as well as assisted in the exploration of different species to find a scientific basis of their traditional uses. Therefore, natural product drug discovery from plants MATERIALS AND METHODS remains a significant hope in the improvement of the poor livelihoods of rural communities. Study area and study population However, a review of the literature revealed that many rural areas in the Waterberg district of the Limpopo The study was conducted in the Matebele Village (also known as Viennen), Waterberg District, Limpopo Province of South Africa Province are either under explored or unexplored with (Figure 1). People’s livelihood in this village depends mostly on regards to their vegetational use in treating common subsistence farming and plant resources. The community has poor ailments. Apart from Semenya (2012), Semenya and access to water resources, communications, and have an obsolete Potgieter (2012) and Semenya et al. (2012), there is no energy system. There are no secondary health services. 2394 Afr. J. Biotechnol. The closest health centre is located in the towns of Mokopane (17 these species, 86.1% are indigenous and 13.8% exotics; km) and Polokwane (45 km). The great majority of people in this they are used to treat 28 human ailments or difficulties. poor village belong to the Bapedi ethnic group (51.6%) and This indicates that Matebele Village has a very high Matebele (36.6%), followed by Va-Tsonga (11.6%). Because of these diverse cultures, which are associated with various belief diversity of medicinal plant species. Furthermore, the systems, there is a high expectation of significant traditional large number of species employed to treat a single knowledge and use of medicinal plant species by the people within aliment or difficulty clearly reflects the diversity of the village. treatment protocols used by the villagers. In the treatment of more prominent aliments or difficulties, a number of Ethnobotanical information alternative species can be employed, which in itself will ensure that treatment options will always be available. A dual-purpose reconnaissance survey was first carried out to: (i) The Asteraceae had the highest number of medicinal obtain permission to conduct this study within the area of Matebele village species, namely nine species or 13.8% of the total jurisdiction, and (ii) to meet with the community members to request number of species used, followed by the Fabaceae (7 them to participate in the study. Information on the use of ethnomedicinal plants by community members to treat different species, 10.7%). Their high frequency of use came as no human ailments was collected from January 2011 to April 2012. A surprise as they are consistently documented as most total of 10 people, equal in gender representation, from each ethnic used in different ethnomedicinal inventories of the group were randomly selected. Semi-structured interviews, Limpopo (Semenya, 2012; Semenya et al., 2012) and observation and guided field surveys were employed to obtain other provinces of South Africa (De Beer and Van Wyk, ethnobotanical data. The objective of the study was explained in 2011; Erasto et al., 2005). This could possibly be Setebele, Sepedi, and Xitsonga, the local dialects. Interviews were designed to gather data on the plants used to treat human ailments, attributed to their wide distribution and abundance, and sources of plant material, methods of herbal preparation, part(s) rich bioactive contents. used, dosage and lastly administration of medicine. Plant habit Collection of plant materials Medicinal plant materials were collected by the researchers from Three growth forms: herbs, shrubs and trees were both home gardens and natural communal areas during organized medicinally used by the different ethnic groups of tours, while accompanied by a participant. The species were initially Matebele village. However, trees and herbs (43%, for identified by their local names. Based on ethnobotanical information each) were mostly preferred. Shrubs constituted only provided by the participants, specimens were collected, numbered, pressed and dried for taxonomic identification at the University of 13.8% of used growth forms. This finding concurs with Limpopo’s Larry Leach Herbarium. Collection numbers of plants are the general pattern observed in most medicinal plant presented in Table 1. inventories (Kamatenesi-Mugisha and Oryem-Origa, 2005; Uprety et al., 2010; Ribeiro et al., 2010; Semenya, Conservation status of species 2012). The distinct preference for trees and herbs in the current study might be attributed to the proximity of the In determining the conservation status of indigenous Matebele Mountain, which is dominated by woody and ethnomedicinal plants used by Matebele villagers, the information herbaceous species. collected was compared with the National Red Data List of South Africa’s Plants (SANBI, 2013). Each species was assessed according to version 3.1 of the