Polyherbal Combinations Used by Traditional Health Practitioners against Mental Illnesses in Bamako, Mali, West Africa

Moussavi, Nastaran; Mounkoro, Pierre Pakuy; Dembele, Seydou Mamadou; Ballo, Nfla Ngolo; Togola, Adiaratou; Diallo, Drissa; Sanogo, Rokia; Wangensteen, Helle; Paulsen, Berit Smestad

doi:10.3390/plants13030454

Open AccessArticle

Polyherbal Combinations Used by Traditional Health Practitioners against Mental Illnesses in Bamako, Mali, West Africa

by

Nastaran Moussavi

^1,*,

Pierre Pakuy Mounkoro

^2,†,

Seydou Mamadou Dembele

³,

Nfla Ngolo Ballo

³,

Adiaratou Togola

^3,4,

Drissa Diallo

^3,4,†,

Rokia Sanogo

^3,4,

Helle Wangensteen

¹

and

Berit Smestad Paulsen

¹

Section for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1068, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway

²

Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-Stomatology, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), Bamako BP1805, Mali

³

Department of Traditional Medicine, National Institute of Public Health, Bamako PB1746, Mali

⁴

Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (USTTB), Bamako BP1805, Mali

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

Deceased.

Plants 2024, 13(3), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030454

Submission received: 13 January 2024 / Revised: 30 January 2024 / Accepted: 31 January 2024 / Published: 4 February 2024

(This article belongs to the Topic Diversity and Conservation of Flora in Africa)

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Abstract

This study explores the traditional knowledge of plants used by traditional health practitioners (THPs) in the treatment of symptoms or syndromes related to mental illnesses in the district of Bamako in Mali, along with the identification of affiliated traditional treating methods. An exploratory and cross-sectional ethnopharmacological survey was conducted in the district of Bamako. The Malian Federation of Associations of Therapists and Herbalists (FEMATH) assisted in the identification and inclusion of the THPs. Data sampling included semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews. Quantitative data were evaluated by analysing reports of the use of different medicinal plants and the number of participants. Fifteen THPs belonging to the district of Bamako participated. In total, 43 medicinal plants belonging to 22 plant families were used by the THPs. The most cited plant species was Securidaca longepedunculata (violet tree), followed by Khaya senegalensis (African mahogany) and Boscia integrifolia (rough-leaved shepherds tree). A great number of herbal combinations, preparation methods, and administration routes were used, often with honey as an adjuvant. To our knowledge, this is the first ethnobotanical survey on the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of all types of mental disorders in Bamako.

Keywords: central nervous system; ethnobotany; ethnopharmacology; medicinal plants; Securidaca longepedunculata

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MDPI and ACS Style

Moussavi, N.; Mounkoro, P.P.; Dembele, S.M.; Ballo, N.N.; Togola, A.; Diallo, D.; Sanogo, R.; Wangensteen, H.; Paulsen, B.S. Polyherbal Combinations Used by Traditional Health Practitioners against Mental Illnesses in Bamako, Mali, West Africa. Plants 2024, 13, 454. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030454

AMA Style

Moussavi N, Mounkoro PP, Dembele SM, Ballo NN, Togola A, Diallo D, Sanogo R, Wangensteen H, Paulsen BS. Polyherbal Combinations Used by Traditional Health Practitioners against Mental Illnesses in Bamako, Mali, West Africa. Plants. 2024; 13(3):454. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030454

Chicago/Turabian Style

Moussavi, Nastaran, Pierre Pakuy Mounkoro, Seydou Mamadou Dembele, Nfla Ngolo Ballo, Adiaratou Togola, Drissa Diallo, Rokia Sanogo, Helle Wangensteen, and Berit Smestad Paulsen. 2024. "Polyherbal Combinations Used by Traditional Health Practitioners against Mental Illnesses in Bamako, Mali, West Africa" Plants 13, no. 3: 454. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030454

APA Style

Moussavi, N., Mounkoro, P. P., Dembele, S. M., Ballo, N. N., Togola, A., Diallo, D., Sanogo, R., Wangensteen, H., & Paulsen, B. S. (2024). Polyherbal Combinations Used by Traditional Health Practitioners against Mental Illnesses in Bamako, Mali, West Africa. Plants, 13(3), 454. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030454

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Polyherbal Combinations Used by Traditional Health Practitioners against Mental Illnesses in Bamako, Mali, West Africa

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