Ethnobotanical study of nutri-medicinal plants used in the management of HIV/AIDS opportunistic ailments in western Uganda:

A Case Study of Isingiro districtAsiimwe Savinaa, Kamatenesi, M. Mugishaa Namutebi Agnesb and Anna- Karin Borg- Karlisonc

a School of Biological Sciences, Makerere University. bSchool of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering. cThe Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, Stockholm, Sweden, corresponding author: Email:savina@chemistry.mak.ac.ug

Introduction• Uganda has a rich biodiversity of plants that contain novel

anti-HIV agents (Rubaale et al, 2007)• HIV & nutrition are intimately linked because nutritional

deficit makes people with HIV more susceptible to disease & infections of all sorts (FAO, 2003)

• The high Cost and Scarcity of modern drugs (ARVs), poverty and distance to health centres has accelerated the use of herbal medicine in Uganda

• HIV/AIDS-related illnesses are one of the leading causes of death globally (WHO, 2008).

Objective The objective of the study was to identify and document nutritional and medicinal plants of therapeutic value in the management of HIV/AIDS opportunistic ailments and to examine the mode of preparation and prescription of dosages of herbal plants.

Results : Herbal medicine usage

Results: Herbal medicine usage

Materials and Methods• The Study was conducted in Isingiro district, western

Uganda between September 2010 – February 2011. • Thirty people were interviewed.• Data were collected using:

AcknowledgementThe authors extend their gratitude to SIDA/SAREC for the financial support towards this study, and the key informants from Isingiro district.

Number of plants used as medicine to treat different HIV related conditions

Conclusion• There is high dependence on a wide diversity of plant species for medicine and nutrition.• Herbs and leaves contribute a large percentage of growth forms and plant parts used in

herbal remedy preparations

References• FAO/WHO. 2003. Feeding hope. Nutrition plays key role in HIV/AIDS care. FAO. Geneva, Rome.• Rubaale, T., Langlois-Klassen, D., Kipp, W, and Jhangri, G. S. 2007. Use of traditional herbal

medicine by AIDS patients in Kabarole district, western Uganda. Journal of Tropical medicine Hyg 77(4); 757-763.

• WHO, 2008..World health statistics 2008. Geneva, World Health Organization.

-Total number of species recorded was 93 belonging to 43 Families and 82 Genera

Herbal medicine preparation (by % of plant species used): boiling-39%, cold water extraction -22%, steaming-15% and chewing-10%. Others ,10%Administration methods (by % of plant species)- Oral : 77 % : drinking, chewing, eating as vegetable - Topical: 23 % : bathing, inhalation, baths, massages, body smears, applying on incisions- 69% of the plants are used for medicine while 31% are used for nutrition-related conditions such as appetite and immunity boosting, anaemia and food.

Social factors like age, gender, education, occupation were also recorded

Diarrhoea

Cough

Skin ra

sh

Herpes

zoste

r

Malaria

Fever

Tuberc

ulosis

Oral ca

ndidiasis

0

10

20

30 27 24 23

10 83 3 2

Conditions treated

Num

bers

of p

lant

s us

ed

Percentage of plant growth forms used

Herbs42%

Trees11%

Shrubs23%

Climbers23%

leaves bark root seeds sap0

20406080 76

8 9 3 2

Plant parts used

% P

lant

par

ts

Percentage of Plant parts used in herbal medicine preparation

Capparis tomentosa used to boost appetite

Some of the commonly used plants

Plectranthus amboinicus used for cough, diarrhoea and skin infections

• Conservation status – 40 % of the plants are cultivated around homes, while 60% of plants are collected from the wild

Anaemia Energy Appetite Immunity food

0

5

10

15 13 12

710

3

Nutrition related conditions

Num

bers

of p

lant

s

Number of plants used for nutrition related conditions among HIV patients

Household interviews Field walks