Ethnobotanical survey of plants used in the treatment of Candida albicans vaginitis in traditional medicine in Togo

Abstract

Plants are a great source of active ingredients and can be an alternative to solve problems related to conventional medicines. The aim of  this study was to identify the plants used in traditional medicine to treat Candida albicans vaginitis in Togo. From August 10 to 20, 2020, a  survey was carried out among 102 traditional medicine practitioners in the Maritime region of Togo. Data collection was then carried out  through interviews using a specially designed semi-structured questionnaire. Traditional practitioners were asked about plants used to  treat candidiasis and their uses. The survey data identified 35 plant species belonging to 23 families. The most cited family was the  Lamiaceae, with 15 citations. The most frequently cited species were Ocimum canum, Mangifera indica and Khaya senegalensis, with  frequencies of 9.90%, 8.91% and 6.93% respectively. A total of six (6) symptoms were cited. These included genital pruritus, creamy  yellowish leucorrhoea, dyspareunia, pelvic pain, cycle disturbances and infertility. Genital pruritus, creamy yellow leucorrhoea and  dyspareunia were the most recurrent symptoms, cited by 100%, 94.10% and 89.22% of respondents respectively. The main method of preparation was decoction. Togo has a high floristic biodiversity of plants to combat Candida albicans vaginitis. These results constitute a  good database for biological screening in the search for plant-based molecules against Candida albicans vaginitis.