Documentation of the side effects of plants used in the treatment of diseases in Fort Portal, Western Uganda

Abstract

Ethno pharmacological relevance: The study was done to establish side effects of medicinal plants used in the treatment of various diseases by the people Fort portal in western Uganda. It was also aimed at establishing the plant parts used and the mode of preparation of remedies. These plants create a basis for phytochemical evaluation which can lead to the discovery of biologically active compounds that can be used as starting materials in the development of new drugs targeting selected diseases such as malaria. Materials and methods: The required information was obtained using open interviews, and semistructured questionnaires. Results: Different medicinal plants (67 species) distributed over 45 families were observed to be used by the local communities around Fort portal town. The plants as reported in this paper are used to treat 27 physical illnesses/diseases. The most used parts of the plants are the leaves. Water is the main medium used for the preparation of the remedies which are mostly administered orally. Conclusion: The people in the study area have a rich heritage of traditional plants that are used in the health care system to treat diseases. These medicinal plants have contributed significantly to several disease therapies. The most common diseases treated are malaria and cough, which are mostly treated by Vernonia amygdalina , Bidens pilosa, Psidium guajava and Manifera indica respectively