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Knowledge, perception, and management of diabetes mellitus by traditional practitioners: A descriptive survey from Mifi division, Cameroon

  • At: PPR 2022 (2022)
  • Type: Poster
  • Poster code: PT-04
  • By: LENGA, Stéphanie (FIP)
  • Co-author(s): Stéphanie LENGA, Ambassador In 237, FIP, Cameroon
    Denis WOUESSIDJEWE, Full Professor of Galenical Pharmacy, Université de Grenoble, France
    YIMTA FOUTSE, Lecturer in Pharmacognosy , Université des Montagnes, Cameroon
    François NGUIMATSIA, Lecturer in Pharmacognosy , Université des Montagnes, Cameroon



  • Abstract:

    Objective: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey with a convenience sample was conducted amongst traditional practitioners in the Mifi division to evaluate the ethnopharmacognosic management of diabetes mellitus and to carry out a phytochemical screening of certain species.
    Methods: The study was carried out using a questionnaire amongst traditional practitioners with a recognized reputation in society, a sedentary lifestyle of more than five years, and an accessible home enrolled between 15 January to 31 October 2022. Results are reported as median and interquartile ranges for continuous data; frequencies and percentages for categorical data.
    Results: of 124 who provided informed consent, 100 were random selected. Diabetes mellitus is due to poor dietary habits (94%), heredity (83%), age (79%), and poor organ function (74%). Its diagnosis is based primarily on the signs and symptoms of the disease, such as polyuria/nycturia/enuresis (88%), weight gain (83%), general fatigue (75%), but also on complications (wounds that are difficult to heal, feet that ache/heat, cramps, visual disturbance), and by measuring glycemia (64%), the presence of ants in the patient's urine 15-30 minutes after urination on bare soil (15%), the intervention of supernatural forces (13%), pressure on the lower limb (11%) and the throwing of cowries (09%). The treatment consists of a few hygienic and dietary measures, combined with herbal recipes and possibly rituals (31%). Most of the recipes were obtained by decoction, kept for an average of one month, and administered per os. Two hundred and twenty recipes, of which 187 were single-plant and 33 were mixtures (2-6 plants), prepared from 80 species belonging to 39 families were listed. Chemical analysis of aqueous extracts of Vernonia amygdalina (Asteraceae) leaves, Persea americana (Lauraceae) leaves, Aloe vera (Xanthorrhoeaceae) leaves, Carica papaya (Caricaceae) fruits, Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae) leaves and whole plants, Picralima nitida (Apocynaceae) leaves, fruits, and seeds of Picralima nitida (Apocynaceae) showed the presence of alkaloids and reducing sugars mainly, but also flavonoids, polyphenols, terpenoids, coumarins, saponins, anthocyanins, tannins and quinones bound in the nine extracts.
    Conclusion: This study showed that in traditional medicine diabetes mellitus is a disease associated with frequent, painless, sweet urination. Between the 80 species obtained in the Mifi Division, 41 were also used for the treatment of diabetes in the districts of Mbouda in the Bamboutos division, and Bangangté in the Nde division. Leaves are richer in secondary metabolites, and the metabolites identified in these aqueous extracts are important indicators of hypoglycaemic activity, so the different species could constitute a database for the isolation of new natural active principles for use in pharmacology.

Last update 28 September 2023

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