Syphilis ailment: Prevalence and herbal remedies in Ebolowa subdivision (South region, Cameroon)

The objectives of the study present an ethnobotanical survey to appreciate the epidemiological data of syphilis and to gather information on the treatment of that disease based on plant use data from traditional healers and patients in Ebolowa town, Essinguili and Nkoevone villages. Diagnostic data was obtained from the registers of the Ebolowa Health District and the responses of 178 informants. Thirteen traditional healers and 48 former and new syphilitic patients interviewed gave information on the different ways of contamination, the plants and recipes used in the treatment of syphilis as done in the Ebolowa subdivision. Fifty plants species belonging to 50 genera and thirty-four different families were collected. The plants’ families represented in the collection included, Annonaceae, Asteraceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Cecropiaceae, Euphoribiaceae, Mimosaceae and others. Most of the herbs were prescribed along with other recipes, mono-prescription was frequent: 51.2% of 41 recipes. The plant parts used were mostly leaves and stem bark; 35.4% and 46.3% of ingredients respectively. The main methods of preparation are decoction; 53.6% of recipes and the modes of administration are oral and as an enema: 36.6% and 24.4% of phytomedicines, respectively. Traditional medicine in the study area corresponds well with cultural perceptions of sexuality conditions. Sexual hospitality is part of the local habits and the socio-economic aspects encouraged the sexual debauchery. The quantitative analysis of the reports on plant used and patient data represent an approach to appreciate the contribution of traditional health care for the treatment of syphilis.