Checklists of Medicinal Plants used for Treating Snakebites and Socio-Economic Characteristics of Envenomation Herbalist in North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

A survey was carried out in North-eastern Nigeria by sampling three states: Bauchi, Gombe and Borno. Questionnaire and interview were used to collect data from 63 snakebite envenomation herbalists through purposive and snow balling sampling methods. Seventy two medicinal plants were mentioned that are being used for treating snakebites. The five most used are Crinum asiaticum (Hausa name: Bakin gadali; English name: Spider lily), Annona senegalensis (Hausa name: Gwadon daji; English name: Sweetsop), Parkia biglobosa (Hausa name: Dorawa; English name: African locust beans), Aleurites moluccana (Hausa name: Kukuki; English name: Candle berry) and Cassia singueana (Hausa name: Rumfu English; name: Winter flowering senn). The envenomation herbalists’ socio-economic characteristics indicated that 84.13% are males; 90.48% are married; 36.51 % are within 20 to 40 years of age; 50.79% are within 41 to 60 years while others are above 60 years; 16.92% are solely herbalists while others are engaged in different occupations which include farming, animal rearing, civil service and business; 23.81% have experience of 16 – 20 years in treating snakebites envenomation and are dominants while 9.52% have 5 – 10 years with 17.46% having over 35 years of experience; 61.90% have their daily income above N3000. In terms of levels of education: 22.22% had informal education while others had formal education with dominantly 30.16% having basic education while1.59% had postgraduate qualification. From this survey, north-eastern zone of Nigeria has great plant and human resources for sustainably developing treatment of snakebites envenomation using medicinal plants and there is need for similar survey nationally.