Ethnobotanical Studies of Reputed Aphrodisiac Plants Used in Traditional Medicine in Haut-Katanga in DR of Congo

Abstract

The goal of this study is to identify the plants used to treat sexual dysfunction in Haut-Katanga (DRC). Since most couples in sexual distress believe that resolving sexual dysfunction (SD) is the key to happiness, an ethnobotanical survey using a questionnaire guide was conducted among 36 traditional practitioners in four sites in Haut-Katanga province, including Lubumbashi, the provincial capital. The survey identified 52 species of aphrodisiac plants that are used to treat SD. Of these, 51 have been scientifically identified; they belong to 45 different genera and are contained in 28 families, with the Fabaceae having the highest representation (15.7%). These species are employed singly or in combination to prepare eighty recipes; the most common plant organ was the root bark (63%) in these recipes. Aqueous decoction (44%) and oral administration (75.3%) are the most commonly used routes of drug preparation and administration. Nearly 80 additional indications for the same plant species were discovered to be employed, such as sexually transmitted infections (7.17%), diabetes (3.69%), and hemorrhoids (4.07%). For every species, the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) was determined. The plants with higher values (ICF≥0.17) included Bersama abyssinica Fres, Garcinia huillensis Welw, Cassia petersiana Bolle, Chenopodium album L, Clerodendrum capitatum (Willd) Schumach, Dialiopsis africana Radlk., Albizia adianthifolia (Schum.) W. Wight, and Crossopteryx febrifuga Mull.Arg.