Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, OlabisiOnabanjo University Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria; Department of Botany, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Ashidi, J.S., Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, OlabisiOnabanjo University Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria; Olaosho, E.A., Department of Plant Science and Applied Zoology, OlabisiOnabanjo University Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria; Ayodele, A.E., Department of Botany, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
The rise and fall in fertility level remain a serious concern in economic planning nations. In spite of concerted efforts of governmental and non-governmental organization to control birth through campaign and provision of safe sex devices, yet not much success has been recorded. There is dearth of information on plants traditionally used for fertility regulation in literature. In this study an ethnobotanical survey of plants used in the management of fertility was conducted across Ago-Iwoye and Oru areas of Ijebu-North Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria. From the survey, 30 plant species which belong to 20 families were found to be used frequently by the indigenes of the areas. Most of the plants encountered (16.7%) belonged to the family Euphorbiaceae. Phytochemical evaluation of the leaves of Abelmoschus esculentus, the most prominent in the recipes indicated the presence of cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, phenolics, saponins and tannins in high concentrations while alkaloids, anthraquinones and cardenolides were absent. Moreover, the roots of A. esculentus showed high concentration of flavonoid compounds such as phenolics and saponins which were present in low concentrations while alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardenolides, cardiac glycosides and tannins were absent. © 2013 Academic Journals.
Abelmoschus esculentus extract; plant extract; unclassified drug; Amaranthaceae; article; Bignoniaceae; Caricaceae; Clusiaceae; Convolvulaceae; Cucurbitaceae; ethnobotany; Euphorbiaceae; fertility; legume; Malvaceae; Melastomataceae; Moraceae; nonhuman; okra; phytochemistry; plant leaf; plant root; plant seed; Poaceae; questionnaire; Rubiaceae; Rutaceae; Solanaceae; traditional healer