The effectiveness of phytotherapy is proven and its health benefits have allowed traditional medicine to enter our habits (Bene et al., 2016). Nowadays, the use of traditional herbal medicine is experiencing renewed interest in Western countries, particularly to treat the imbalances caused by modern life (Adomouet al., 2012; Bene et al., 2016).
Indeed, some work (Olou et al., 2018) has shown that plants were used not only for their nutritional values but also for their properties in the treatment of certain pathologies such as cardiovascular diseases.
However, despite the efforts made in this area, cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. More than 80% of deaths from cardiovascular diseases occur in developed and developing countries (WHO, 2011).
High blood pressure is one of the cardiovascular diseases that currently affects more than a quarter of the world's population. Worldwide, the total number of people affected would increase from 171 million in2000 to 366 million in 2030 if nothing is done (Ueliet al., 2008).
The prevalence of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africais very high among adults aged 18 and over, varying between 16% and 40%. This prevalence is over 60% in people over 65 (Houehanou et al., 2018). In Gabon, Mipinda et al. (2013) report that high blood pressure affects 22.64% of the population.
In view of this health contact, the lack of specialists, the scarcity or non-existence of health centers and the high cost of pharmaceutical products, populations resort to traditional medicine using plants. The promotion of traditional medicine is thus of growing interest, because according to the WHO (2011), nearly80% of populations depend on traditional medicine.
The objective of this work is to give a scientific basis to Acalypha wilkesiana in the treatment of arterial hypertension through an ethnobotanical investigation.
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Ethnobotanical study of Acalypha wilkesiana (Euphorbiaceae), a plant used
Non-FictionCardiovascular diseases, in particular arterial hypertension, are one of the causes of mortality and morbidity in the world, the impact of the treatment is very important, for this the poor populations have difficulties and turn to traditional thera...
