Ethnomedicine and ethnopharmacology of medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Uganda

Gang, Roggers; Matsabisa, Motlalepula; Okello, Denis; Kang, Youngmin

doi:10.1186/s13765-023-00797-z

Applied Biological Chemistry

Table 1 Plants used for traditionally treating diabetes mellitus in Uganda based on ethnobotanical surveys

From: Ethnomedicine and ethnopharmacology of medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Uganda

Plant family	Scientific name	Local name	Parts used	Mode of preparation	Habitat	Anti-diabetic activity investigation status	Other diseases treated	References
Fabaceae	Acacia constricta A. Gray	Muwelamanyo	Roots and flowers	Decoction	W	Not recorded	Sinus infections and convulsions in children	[24]
Asteraceae	Ageratum conyzoides L	Akaddo Kanamirembe	Leaves	•The leaves are crushed and filtered after the addition of water • The leaves are minced, shade-dried, powdered, and reconstituted with water	W	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Fabaceae	Albizia chinensis (Osbeck) Merr	Omugavu	Leaves	•Leaves crushed and filtered after the addition of water • The leaves are minced, shade-dried, powdered, and reconstituted with water	W, C	Not recorded	Not recorded	[23]
Fabaceae	Albizia coriaria Welw. ex Oliv	Omusisa	Stem bark	Dried and powdered; consumption of 1 teaspoonful in 1 glass of water	W, C	Not recorded	Cough, pleurisy, allergy, sore skin, chest congestion, worm infection, stomach ache, colic pain, and toothache	[18]
Asphodelaceae	Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f	Ekigaji	Leaves	•Leaves crushed, mixed with water, and filtered. Honey can be added as a sweetener • Leaves may be minced; the jelly is drained and dried under sunshine. The dried material can be reconstituted with water	C	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Annonaceae	Annona muricata L	Ekitafeli	Leaves and fruits	•Fruits consumed when ripe or minced and crushed to obtain the juice • The leaves are minced, shade-dried, powdered, and reconstituted with water • Fresh leaves crushed, mixed with water, and filtered to obtain a debris-free solution	C	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Moraceae	Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam	Ffene	Seeds	The seeds are dried, powdered, and reconstituted with water	C	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Meliaceae	Azadirachta indica A. Juss	Neem	Leaves, roots, root bark, and seeds	Decoction and infusion	C	Investigated	Malaria, cough, syphilis, skin disease, chickenpox, vomiting, fever, obesity, and nausea	[21]
Asteraceae	Bidens pilosa L	Kalala	Leaves, whole plant, and roots	Infusion	W	Investigated	Malaria, wounds, skin diseases, pain relief, fever, inflammation, and flu	[17, 21]
Fabaceae	Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth	Entondaigwa/Nkolimbo	Leaves	Decoction	C	Investigated	Ulcer, diarrhea, pain, cough, sores, dysentery, hepatitis, measles, malaria febrifuge, and irregular menstrual cycle	[17]
Burseraceae	Canarium schweinfurthii Engl	Muwafu	Barks	Decoction	W	Investigated	High blood pressure and cough	[24]
Apocynaceae	Carissa macrocarpa (Eckl.) A.DC	Amatungulu	Fruits	Fresh fruits consumed or crushed and filtered after the addition of water to obtain a juice	C	Not recorded	Not recorded	[23]
Rutaceae	Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck	Omucungwa	Roots	Decoction	C	Investigated	Cough and vomiting	[21]
Lamiaceae	Clerodendrum rotundifolium Oliv	Kisekeseke	Roots/leaves	Freshly picked leaves are squeezed, and the extract is consumed	W	Not recorded	Malaria	[16]
Asteraceae	Crassocephalum vitellinum S. Moore	Ekilalaakuba	Leaves	•The leaves are minced and filtered after the addition of water • The leaves are minced, shade-dried, powdered, and reconstituted with water	W	Not recorded	Not recorded	[23]
Fabaceae	Crotalaria ochroleuca G.Don	Alaju	Leaves	Raw leaves chewed or stewed daily	W	Not recorded	Anemia, malaria, abdominal pain, chest pain, visual impairment, cough, and hypertension	[20]
Cucurbitaceae	Cucurbita maxima Duchesne	Ensujjju	Fruits	Fruits minced and crushed. The juice is filtered after the addition of water	C	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Poaceae	Cymbopogon citratus Stapf	Akisube /Kisubi/Omuteete	Leaves	Decoction	C	Investigated	Fever, jaundice, throat and chest infections, hypertension, and obesity	[17]
Fabaceae	Erythrina abyssinica DC	Ejirikiti/Lochoro	Stem bark	Not specified	W	Investigated	Not recorded	[22]
Moraceae	Ficus saussureana DC	Omuwo	Stem bark	Not specified	W	Not recorded	Fallopian tube blockage, HIV/AIDS, male infertility, syphilis, typhoid fever, and ulcers	[22]
Clusiaceae	Garcinia buchananii Baker	Musali	Roots	Pounded and added to tea	W	Not recorded	Bone injury	[24]
Cleomaceae	Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq	Akeo	Leaves	Stewed daily	C	Investigated	Malaria, abdominal pain, eye pain, hernia, and hypertension	[20]
Rubiaceae	Hallea rubrostipulata (K. Schum.) J-F. Leroy	Muziku	Roots	Decoction	W	Not recorded	Pre-hepatic jaundice, malaria, backache, and salpingitis	[34]
Fabaceae	Indigofera arrecta Hochst. ex A. Rich	Akabamba maliba	Leaves	• The leaves are crushed and filtered after the addition of water • The leaves are minced, shade-dried, powdered, and reconstituted with water	W	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Acanthaceae	Justicia betonica L	Nalongo/Lukawa	Leaves	Powdered and boiled for 15 min	W	Not recorded	Yellow fever and malaria	[16, 24]
Bignoniaceae	Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth	Yago/Omusa	Not specified	Not specified	W	Investigated	Diarrhea, malaria, and cancer	[19]
Lamiaceae	Leonotis ocymifolia (Burm.f.) Iwarsson	Ekifumufumu	Leaves	•The leaves are crushed and filtered after the addition of water • The leaves are minced, shade-dried, powdered, and reconstituted with water	W	Not recorded	Not recorded	[23]
Apocynaceae	Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels	Omulondo	Roots	•The roots are crushed and filtered after the addition of water to obtain a clear solution • The roots may be chewed directly	W	Not recorded	Not recorded	[23]
Moringaceae	Moringa oleifera Lam	Muringa	Leaves	Decoction	C	Investigated	Constipation, headache, arthritis, genito-urinary diseases, hypertension, and typhoid fever	[17]
Oxalidaceae	Oxalis corniculata L	Kajjampuni	Leaves and flower	Chewing of leaves	W	Investigated	Wounds, athlete’s foot, skin cancer, and high blood pressure	[24]
Lauraceae	Persea americana Mill	Ovakedo	Seeds	The seeds are dried, powdered, and reconstituted with water	C	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Arecaceae	Phoenix reclinata Jacq	Empirivuma	Seeds	The seeds are dried, roasted, and powdered. The powder can be reconstituted with water. Alternatively, the seeds may be crushed after drying without roasting	W	Not recorded	Not recorded	[23]
Anacardiaceae	Pseudospondias microcarpa Engl	Nalongo/quinine	Leaves and whole plant	Decoction	W	Not recorded	Hypertension and malaria	[19]
Myrtaceae	Psidium guajava L	Mapera	Leaves and root bark	Decoction	C	Investigated	Malaria, cough, wounds, typhoid, measles, diarrhea, smallpox, and dysentery	[21]
Asteraceae	Schkuhria pinnata (Lam.) Kuntze ex Thell	Apunait	Leaves	Infusion	W	Investigated	Malaria and chest pain	[21]
Fabaceae	Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr	Muzimbandeya	Roots	Not specified	W, C	Investigated	High blood pressure	[24]
Solanaceae	Solanum aethiopicum L	Entula	Fruits	The fruits are minced and cooked. The soup and fruits are consumed	C	Not recorded	Not recorded	[23]
Solanaceae	Solanum indicum Roxb	Katunkuma	Fruits	•Fruits crushed, mixed with water, and filtered •Fruits dried, powdered, reconstituted with water, and filtered • Fruits cooked and consumed	C	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Solanaceae	Solanum melongena L	Bilinganya	Leaves and fruits	•The fruits are minced and cooked. The soup and the fruits are consumed • The leaves are crushed and filtered after the addition of water • The leaves are minced, shade-dried, powdered, and reconstituted with water	C	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Apiaceae	Steganotaenia araliacea Hochst	Omuwanula	Leaves	Decoction	W	Not recorded	Not recorded	[34]
Myrtaceae	Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels	Jambula	Fruits and seeds	•Fruits cooked and consumed without the seeds • The seeds are dried and crushed into a paste. The paste is reconstituted with water and filtered to obtain a solution	W	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Asteraceae	Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A.Gray	Kimyula	Leaves	Consumed after boiling	W	Investigated	Malaria	[16]
Rutaceae	Toddalia asiatica (L.) Lam	Kaule	Roots	Not specified	W, C	Investigated	Anemia, aphrodisiac, brain disorders, diarrhea, HIV/AIDS, hypertension, menstrual cramps, typhoid fever, snake bite, and ulcers	[22]
Asteraceae	Vernonia amygdalina Del	Omululuza	Leaves	•Fresh leaves mixed with water and squeezed to obtain the juice • Leaves shade-dried, powdered, and reconstituted	W	Investigated	Not recorded	[23]
Fabaceae	Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp	Bojo	Leaves	Mixed with acacia (Garcia) and crushed to extract the juice. The juice is consumed twice a month stewed (+ paste) once daily or raw leaves chopped and consumed daily	C	Investigated	Malaria, abdominal pain, chest pain, visual impairment, hernia, ulcers, and cancer	[20]
Canellaceae	Warburgia ugandensis Sprague	Abasi	Leaves and stem bark	Fresh leaf boiled or bark dried and consumed (1 teaspoonful)	W, C	Not recorded	Colic pain, worm infection, allergy, malaria, general body weakness, stomach ache, erectile dysfunction, cough, and snakebite	[18]

Habitat C cultivated, W wild; HIV human immunodeficiency virus; AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

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