Ethnopharmacological survey of plants used against malaria in Lubumbashi city (D.R. Congo)

Ethnopharmacological survey was conducted in Lubumbashi city located in south eastern part of The Democratic Republic of the Congo in order to identify the plant species used in traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria. Thirty one healers belonging to five “communes” of Lubumbashi city namely: Kamalondo, Katuba, Kampemba, Kenya  and Rwashi were interviewed about the plant species used in traditional medicine for the management of malaria in this  city.  The name of the plants, the plant parts, the modes of preparation and the modes of administration of recipes were recorded. Cited plants were collected and identified at herbarium of the Laboratory of Ecology and Plants Resource Management, Faculty of Sciences University of Lubumbashi. The plants ecological status was also determined. Nineteen species of plants belonging to sixteen botanical families were identified. The main habitat preference of species is cultivated (21%), trees constituted 42% of morphological type while 58% of biological type are Microphanerophytes. The decoction was the main mode of preparation (74%). Leaves constituted 57 % of plant organs used for drug preparation. Some plant species cited are known in the literature to possess antimalarial activity. Further studies should be undertaken to investigate effectiveness of other plants that have not yet been studied and to determine their chemical composition.