1. Introduction

OJAppS

Open Journal of Applied Sciences

2165-3917

Scientific Research Publishing

10.4236/ojapps.2022.1210116

OJAppS-120854

Articles

Biomedical&Life Sciences Chemistry&Materials Science Computer Science&Communications Engineering Physics&Mathematics

Knowledge and Traditional Uses of Some Aromatic and Cosmetic Plants Species in the Western Highlands of Cameroon

Manuella

Kelly Djeuga Youga

¹^*Patrick

Sonkoué Njiméli

¹Carine

Pamela Kenfack

¹Junior

Baudoin Wouokoue Taffo

²Walter

Ndam Tacham

³Théophile

Fonkou

Unit of Applied Botany, Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon

Department of Biological Science, University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maroua, Maroua, Cameroon

17102022

12101698171827, August 202228, October 2022 31, October 2022

2014

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The valorisation of plant genetic resources following the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) process of the Nagoya Protocol requires the mastery of traditional knowledge associated with their uses by local populations. The objectives of this study were to survey the aromatic or cosmetics plants species used by the populations and to collect information on the knowledge associated with their uses in the Western highlands of Cameroon. Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out in 12 localities, where 251 individuals, including 206 men and 45 women, whose ages ranged from 25 to 81 years were interviewed. Information on each of the plant species mentioned and their different uses were recorded. A total of 103 species in 81 genera and 46 families were cited for aromatic or cosmetic uses, of which the most represented were the Lamiaceae (18 species), Asteraceae, and Zingiberaceae (7 species each). The identified plants were grouped into four categories of use: medicinal (56.31%), cosmetic (10.68%), food (6.80%), and cultural (1.94%). Most of the species surveyed were herbaceous (66%) with leaves being the most used part. The diversity index values of the respondents showed 10 species that were very well known and used by the populations: Eryngium foetidum, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Ocimum gratissimum, Piper umbellatum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Aframomum melegueta, Citrus limon, Costus afer, Cyperus rotundus, and Mondia whitei. These species were mainly used for: cough, spiritual protection, sexual weakness, cysts, diabetes, prostate, rheumatism, filaria, insomnia, female sterility, jaundice, scabies, haemorrhoids, high blood pressure and asthma. The results obtained constitute a valuable source of information that can contribute to the establishment of value chains allowing the effective valorisation of species following the ABS process.

ABS Valorisation Aromatic Plants Ethnobotanical Survey Highlands

1. Introduction

Plants have always played a major role in the survival of humanity and have been traded between countries for years because of their ability to synthesize a large number of complex organic molecules with biological activities [1]. This is the case, of Prunus africana in Cameroon, whose fresh bark has been exported since the 1980s, nearly 1500 tonnes in 1980 and 2000 tonnes in 1990 [2] [3]. This trade has gradually given rise to rapid exploitation of the species, resulting directly in an alarming destruction and regression of supporting ecosystems [4] [5]. According to FAO (1995) and [6] the preservation of the biodiversity and the sustainable and rational use of natural resources is becoming imperative without which the sustainable development of future generations cannot be ensured.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), ratified in 1992 in Rio, is an international treaty, which recognises the sovereign right of states over their biological resources and reaffirms their responsibility for the conservation and sustainable use [7]. Because of some limits of this treaty, member states met in 2010 at the 10^th Conference of the parties in Nagoya and adopted a protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) from the utilisation of genetic resources. This protocol takes into account the intellectual property and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and local communities. Indeed, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) recognises that the culturally and socially diverse environmental knowledge of indigenous people and local communities contributes greatly to the assessment and formulation of policies on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and needs to be taken into account in the process of conservation and sustainable use of biological resources [8]. Therefore, the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of their utilization appears to be the ideal solution [9]. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the ABS process is a concrete example of valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services, but also a good way to promote conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Cameroon has one of the greatest biological diversities in the Congo Basin with aromatic and medicinal plants that are a source of essential oils. Despite this wealth, which could constitute an important source of revenue as confirmed by the high global demand recorded in recent years [10], the country is still struggling to set up value chains for these products according to the ABS principles. However, Cameroon’s commitments to ABS have been formalized in a legal framework adopted by its government in 2021. Since 2012, the pilot project for the development of the Echinops giganteus plant in the Bamboutos Mountain has enabled the Cameroonian government to take a pragmatic approach to achieve this result. As E. giganteus is certainly not the only species that can be exploited in the area, it was necessary to have an idea of the species that can potentially be exploited under the ABS process. Knowing that the virtues of plants and their uses are very old and are transmitted through generations over time, ethnobotanical surveys seem to be one of the reliable approaches for the discovery of new compounds likely to be valorised by the ABS process [11] [12]. The present study is a contribution to the valorisation of natural resources used in the Western highlands of Cameroon following the ABS principles. The general objective of the work is to make an inventory of the ancestral knowledge held by the populations of Western Highlands of Cameroon on aromatic and/or cosmetic plant resources. More specifically, plant resources used as aromatics and/or cosmetics were identified and their associated traditional knowledge was presented.

2. Materials and Methods2.1. Study Site

The Western highlands of Cameroon is located between latitudes 05˚20' and 7˚00'North and between longitudes 10˚03' and 12˚00'East. This region is characterised by a diversified relief with altitudes varying between 800 and 2740 m. The climate is of the Sudano-Guinean type with temperatures varying from 16˚C to 27˚C and relative humidity between 40% and 100%. The average rainfall is 1900 mm/year. The soils are mainly red ferralitic soils, though hydromorphic soils can also be observed. The vegetation is essentially made up of dense forests and swamps [13] [14]. The data collection areas are shown in Figure 1.

2.2. Ethnobotanical Surveys

Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted between July 2017 and May 2018 among traditional practitioners, herbalists and healers in 12 localities spread over five divisions as presented in Table 1. Semi-structured questionnaires were used with the assistance of traditional practitioners. Information was collected on the aromatic and cosmetic plants exploited, their vernacular names, the parts used, the activities of the local population in relation to the management and sustainable use and the importance of cited species in food, health, and socio-cultural life.

2.3. Collection and Identification of Species

Species were identified in situ with the help of botanists. Fertile samples of unidentified species were collected with secateurs, filmed with a camera, wrapped in newspaper, pressed, dried and further identified at the National Herbarium in Yaoundé.

Table 1 Collection sites

Administrative Divisions	Localities
Noun	Massangam, Malentouen, Kouoptamo
Haut-Nkam	Bapoutcheu-Ngaleu
Ndé	Tonga, Bassamba, Bitchoua
Lebialem	Wabané, Alou, Essoh-attah
Mbaboutos	Galim, Mbouda

2.4. Data Processing and Analysis

XLSTAT software was used for data analysis. The importance of each species was evaluated from the relative frequency of citation [15] calculated as follows:

R F V = N u N t × 100 (1)

where N_u represented the number of people who cited the species and N_t, the total number of surveys.

Similarly, the ethnobotanical importance of the identified aromatic plants was assessed by calculating the diversity index and the fairness index of the survey.

The diversity index (ID) indicates the number of respondents who use the species and how this knowledge is distributed among them [16]. It varies between 0 and 1 and is obtained using the following formula:

I D = U x U t × 100 (2)

where U_x is the number of uses cited by a respondent and U_t the total number of uses.

If ID is low (< 0.5), then few people know the species; but if ID is high (> 0.5), then the species is well known.

The fairness index (FEI) measures the degree of agreement between respondents regarding the different uses of the species [16]. It varies between 0 and 1 and is obtained using the following formula:

F E I = I D / I D max (3)

where ID_max is the value of the highest diversity index found.

3. Results3.1. Information about the Respondents

A total of 251 individuals having knowledge on aromatic and/or cosmetic plants were surveyed. Table 2 presents the socio-cultural characteristics of the people surveyed in each of the selected localities. Among them, 82.1% were males while 17.9% were female. The age of the respondents varied between 25 and 81 years. People over 50 years of age were the most represented with 56.2%. Of all the people surveyed, traditional practitioners were the most represented (38.6%), followed by herbalists (31.1%) and healers (25.1%). In all the localities surveyed, the Bamilékés ethnic group was the most represented with 55.3%, followed by the Bamoun with 29.5%.

3.2. Floristic Composition of the Plants Recorded

A total of 103 species of aromatic and/or cosmetic plants were identified during the survey. They were distributed in 81 genera and 46 families, the most represented of which were: Lamiaceae (18 species), Asteraceae (10 species), Euphorbiaceae and Zingiberaceae (7 species each), the Fabaceae (5 species), Apiaceae and Piperaceae (4 species). Bignoniaceae, Anacardiaceae, Campanulaceae, Periplocaceae, Olacaceae, Myristicaceae, Ruscaceae, Guttifereae, Passifloraceae and Acanthaceae were the less represented families with one species each.

3.3. Morphological Types

Grasses represented 66% of the species recorded, followed by trees (21%), with the shrubs and lianas representing only 10% and 3% respectively (Figure 2).

3.4. Usage Categories of Identified Species

Several categories of uses were identified, namely: medicinal (56.31%), food (6.80%), cosmetic (10.68%) and cultural (1.94%) (Figure 3). In all categories of

Table 2 Summary of respondents’ socio-cultural information

Parameters	Administrative division						Total	Percentage
Parameters	Lebielem	Nde	Noun	Bamboutos	Haut- Nkam		Total	Percentage
Gender
Male	43	46	71	4	42		206	82.1
Female	0	10	5	2	28		45	17.9
Age group
≤50	28	26	24	6	26		110	43.8
>50	15	30	52	0	44		141	56.2
Ethnicity
Bamiléké	6	36	2	6	64		114	45.4
Bamoun	0	8	73	0	0		81	32.3
Achon	10	2	0	0	0		12	4.7
Bagnwa	20	0	0	0	0		20	8.0
Haoussa	5	8	1	0	0		14	5.6
Other ethnicities	2	2	0	0	6		10	4.0
Profession
Traditional healers	12	37	32	0	16	97		38.6
Cultivator	0	9	1	0	0	10		3.9
Herbalist	18	3	9	6	42	78		31.1
Healer	13	7	31	0	12	63		25.1
Restorer	0	0	3	0	0	3		1.2

use, leaves (111citations) were the most used organ followed by barks (32 citations), fruits (27 citations) and roots (25 citations).

3.5. Relative Frequency of Citation, Diversity and Equitability of Use of the Plants Listed

The results of the various indices and the frequency of quotations for each species surveyed are presented in Table 3. The 10 most cited species were Eryngium foetidum (9.52), Chenopodium ambrosioides (5.56), Ocimum gratissimum (5.56), Piper umbellatum (4.37), Cinnamomum zeylanicum (3.97), Aframomum melegueta (2.78), Citrus limon (2.38), Costus afer,Cyperus rotundus and Mondia whitei (1.98 each). Among the least cited species are Satureja punctata,Pycnostachys meyeri,Pychnantus angolensis,Robus forticorpus,Plectranthus madagascarensis,Premna zenkeri,Physalis angulata,Peperomiavulcanica,with a citation frequency of less than 0.5.

Overall the diversity index values where below 0.5 and varried between 0.02 and 0.22, which means that the plants are not very well known by the respondents.

Low values for the species use equitability index were recorded. This reflects a low degree of homogeneity of knowledge among the respondents. However, the highest values were observed for the 10 species mentioned above, which indicates that knowledge of the uses of these species is evenly distributed among the surveyed populations.

3.6. Traditional Knowledge Associated to the Use of the Identified Plants

The traditional knowledge held by the populations of the different localities in relation to aromatic and cosmetic plants is presented in Table 4 below. This table shows that:

• The populations make use of the genetic resources of aromatic and cosmetic plants in several fields, but especially to treat illnesses such as coughs, sexual weakness, cysts, diabetes, prostate, rheumatism, filaria, insomnia, female sterility, jaundice, scabies, haemorrhoids, arterial hypertension, asthma, but also for mystical-magical illnesses;

Table 3 Frequency of citation, diversity, and equitability of uses of the identified aromatic species

Families	Common/vernacular names	Species	Number of citations	RFC	ID	IE
Apiaceae	Leetar, Gamolombo, glass breaker	Eryngium foetidum	24	9.52	0.22	1.00
Chenopodiaceae	Lam-fafam. casse oil	Chenopodium ambrosioides	14	5.56	0.16	0.73
Lamiaceae	Befeunembeu. Samveu. Cotémadjo. Massep	Ocimum gratissimum	14	5.56	0.16	0.73
Piperaceae	Mbeupout	Piper umbellatum	11	4.37	0.14	0.62
Lauraceae	Kobe-dedam. Cinnamon. Laurel	Cinnamomum zeylanicum	10	3.97	0.13	0.58
Zingiberaceae	Soockoua. Sooc	Aframomum melegueta	7	2.78	0.10	0.45
Rutaceae	Lemon	Citrus limon	6	2.38	0.09	0.40
Annonaceae	Chuchu	Annona sp.	5	1.98	0.08	0.35
Costaceae	Goutcheu. Twin Cane	Costus afer	5	1.98	0.08	0.35
Cyperaceae	Kadjidji	Cyperus rotundus	5	1.98	0.08	0.35
Apocynaceae	Koukoudja	Mondia whitei	5	1.98	0.08	0.35
Fabaceae	Seunassah. Nfou-bibi	Cassia alata	4	1.59	0.07	0.30
Apiaceae	Wild parsley	Caucalis melanantha	4	1.59	0.07	0.30
Asteraceae	Pankouen. Baniamtcheu	Eremomastax speciosa	4	1.59	0.07	0.30
Verbenaceae	Bankounfue. Mensouen Tea	Lippia rugosa	4	1.59	0.07	0.30
Fabaceae	4 sides	Tetrapleura tetraptera	4	1.59	0.07	0.30
Sapindaceae	Zeufeu	Allophylus bullatus	3	1.19	0.05	0.24
Poaceae	Keugania. horse grass. lemongrass	Cymbopogon citratus	3	1.19	0.05	0.24
Moraceae	Ngandou	Dorstenia sp	3	1.19	0.05	0.24
Hypericaceae		Hypericum lanciolata	3	1.19	0.05	0.24
Moringaceae	Moringa	Moringa oleifera	3	1.19	0.05	0.24
Piperaceae	Bibot	Piper capense	3	1.19	0.05	0.24
Rosaceae	Prunus. Pidium	Prunus africana	3	1.19	0.05	0.24
Fabaceae	Bikang	Scorodophloeus zenkeri	3	1.19	0.05	0.24
Zingiberaceae	djidja	Zingiber officinale	3	1.19	0.05	0.24
Euphorbiaceae	Meche	Alchornia laxiflora	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Apiaceae	Angelique	Angelica archangelica	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Lamiaceae	Lady’s mantle	Archemelia vulgaris	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Rutaceae	Tchenmegneu Assa babagon	Clausena anisata	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Asteraceae		Crassocephalum biafrae	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Euphorbiaceae	Dialé	Croton oligandrun	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Rubiaceae	Hantchou	Zanthoxylum heitzii	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Asteraceae	Tabac-Biché	Laggera pterodonta	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Verbenaceae		Lantana camara	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Lamiaceae	Basil	Ocimum basilicum	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Lamiaceae	Nkeusiè Red	Ocimum sp1	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Zingiberaceae	Ginseng	Panax ginseng	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Pentadiplandraceae	Afap	Pentadiplandra brazeana	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Pinaceae	Fir	Picea abies	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Apiaceae		Pimpinella	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Guttifereae	Comdo	Psorospermum mannii	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Apocynaceae		Rovolfia vomitoria	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Myrtaceae	Cloves	Syzygium aromaticum	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Combretaceae		Terminalia gluceses	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Asteraceae	Jealousy flower	Tithonia diversifolia	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Annonaceae	Long pepper	Xylopia aethiopica	2	0.79	0.04	0.17
Bombacaceae	Baoba	Adansonia digitata	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Zingiberaceae		Aframomum chlamydentum	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Zingiberaceae	Jujube	Aframomum dalzielii	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Zingiberaceae	Choac	Aframomum danielli	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Zingiberaceae	Mbè	Aframomum sp.	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Asteraceae	King of the Grass	Ageratum conyzoides	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Euphorbiaceae		Alchornia cordifolia	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Liliaceae	Garlic	Allium sativum	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Xanthorrhoeaceae	Aloe vera	Aloe vera	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Gentianaceae	Dzikiliking	Anthocleista sp	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Asteraceae		Artemesia annua	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Canabaceae	Cannabis	Cannabis sativa	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Solanaceae	Agata peper	Capsicum sp	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Fabaceae	Nkeu	Cassia sp	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae	Maleulè	Clerodendrum sp.	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Euphorbiaceae	Nkon	Croton macrostachyus	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Burseraceae	Safoutier	Dacryodes edulis	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Asteraceae		Emilia coccinea	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Asteraceae		Ethulia conizoides	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Euphorbiaceae	Peumoo	Euphorbia hirta	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Rubiaceae		Zanthoxylum lemarier	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Rubiaceae		Zanthoxylum tesmanii	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Clusiaceae	Kola	Garcinia lucida	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Asteraceae		Helichrysum bifranum	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Asteraceae		Helichrysum foetidum	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Asteraceae		Helichrysum sp	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Malvaceae	Hibiscus	Hybiscus rosa-sinensis	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Bignoniaceae	Kigélia	Kigelia africana	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Campanulaceae		Lobelia columnaris	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Euphorbiaceae		Macaranga oxidentalis	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Anacardiaceae	Wild mango	Mangifera indica	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Fabaceae		Mimosa pudica	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Euphorbiaceae	Rammarama	Neoboutonia glabrescens Prain	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae	Maram	Occimum sp	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae	Nkeusiè White	Ocimum sp2	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Olacaceae	Nchu	Olax subscorpoidea	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Pacifloraceae	Passion fruit. babadi	Passiflora edulis	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Piperaceae		Peperomia vulcanica	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Solanaceae		Physalis angulata	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Pinaceae	Pine	Pinus silvestris	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Piperaceae	Black pepper	Piper guineensis	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae		Plectranthus epilepticus	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae	Aqua	Plectranthus laterifolia	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae		Plectranthus madagascarensis	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae		Plectranthus sp1	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae		Premna zenkeri	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Myristicaceae		Pychnantus angolensis	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae		Pycnostachys meyeri	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Rosaceae	Keukam	Robus forticorpus	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Agavaceae		Sansevieria quercifolia	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae		Satureja punctata	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae		Satureja robusta	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae		Satureja sodosinensis	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Lamiaceae		Satureja sp	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Verbenaceae		Stachytarpheta jamaicensis	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Clusiaceae	Mahogany	Symphonia sp	1	0.40	0.02	0.10
Rutaceae		Zanthoxylum xantholoxyloides	1	0.40	0.02	0.10

Table 4 List of species identified with their use patterns

Families	Scientific names	Treated diseases	Organs used	Reparation method	Administration
Agavaceae	Sensevieria quercifolia	Dermatoses	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
Anacardiaceae	Mangifera indica Linn.	Prostate	Barks	Decoction	Oral
Annonaceae	Annona sp.	Madness	Barks	Decoction	Bath and oral
		Snake bites	Barks	Take some powder from this bark and mix it with red oil	Cataplasm and oral
		Dartre	Leaves	Crush the leaves into a paste	Cataplasm
	Xylopia aethiopica	Female infertility	Fruit	Decoction	Oral
	Xylopia aethiopica	Seasoning of meals	Fruit	Crush before introducing it into the meal during cooking
Apiaceae	Angelica archangelica	Toothache	Roots	Mash to a paste	Cataplasm (on the affected tooth)
	Angelica archangelica	Bloating	Roots	Decoction	Oral
	Caucalis melanantha	Hepatitis B	Whole plant	Decoction	Oral
	Cf Pimpinella	Kidney disease	Whole plant	Decoction	Oral
	Cf Pimpinella	Solidification of muscles	Whole plants	Decoction	Oral
	Eryngium foetidum	Chasing away evil spirits	Leaves	Incineration (combining the leaves with the oil palm inflorescence and burning over a wood fire)	Fumigation
		Fractures	Leaves	Trituration	Massage
		Night fire	Leaves	Trituration	Cataplasm
		Mystical illnesses or bad dreams	Whole plant	Trituration	Bath
		Cysts	Leaves	Crush	Oral
		Rheumatism	Leaves		Scarification
		Counterpoison	Whole plant	Decoction	Oral
		Female infertility	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
		Jaundice	Aerial part	Decoction	Bath and oral
Apocynaceae	Mondia whitei	Sexual weakness	Roots	Decoction	Oral
	Mondia whitei	Traditional meal seasoning	Roots	Dry and grind before introducing into the meal
	Rauwolfia vomitoria.	Wired	Root or bark	Infusion	Bath and oral
	Rauwolfia vomitoria.	Stomach ache	Root and bark	Decoction	Oral
Apocynaceae	Artemesia annua	Malaria	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
Apocynaceae	Crassocephalum biafrae	Stimulates breast flow	Leaves	Decoction or infusion	Oral
	Emilia coccinea	Fungal skin infection	Leaves	Trituration	Cataplasm
	Eremomastax speciosa.	Itching of the body	Leaves	Trituration	Bath
	Eremomastax speciosa.	Red butts	Leaves	Crush with a few leaves of massep	Oral and poultice
	Ethulia conyzoides	Female infertility	Stems and leaves	Trituration	Oral
	Helichrysum foetidum	Painful periods	Leaves	Trituration	Oral
	Laggera pterodonta	Treating wounds	Leaves	Trituration	Cataplasm
	Laggera pterodonta		Inflorescences	Crush	Anal and oral
	Tithonia diversifolia	Wireworm. scabies	Leaves	Trituration	Bath and oral
Bignoniaceae	Kigelia africana	Eczema	Fruit	Dry then crush and mix with black palm kernel oil	Cataplasm
Bombacaceae	Adansonia digitata	Prostate	Barks	Decoction	Oral
Burseraceae	Dacryodes edulis	Anti-venom	Barks	Dry and crush	Cataplasm (at the bite)
Campanulaceae	Lobelia columnaris	Zona	Leaves	Trituration	Cataplasm
Canabaceae	Cannabis sativa	Muscle pain	Leaves and seeds	Decoction	Oral
Chenopodiaceae	Chenopodium ambrosioides	To ward off evil spirits or dreams	Whole plant	Decoction or trituration	Bath and oral
		Intestinal worms	Leaves	Trituration	Oral
		Cysts	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
		Stain on the skin	Leaves	Crush	Cataplasm
Clusiaceae	Garcinia lucida	Cough	Fruit		Oral
Clusiaceae	Symphonia sp	Chronic stomach ache	Leaves and bark	Decoction	Anal
Combretaceae	Terminalia glaucescens	Stomach and kidney pain	Barks	Decoction	Oral
Costaceae	Costus afer	Prostate	Stems and leaves	Decoction	Oral
		Facilitates childbirth	Leaves	Trituration	Oral
		Cough in children	Rods	Maceration	Oral
Cyperaceae	Cyperus rotundus	Rheumatism. threadworm	Roots	Decoction	Oral
Cyperaceae	Cyperus rotundus	Protection against evil spirits	Roots	Dry. crush and mix into cleansing milk	Massage
Euphorbiaceae	Alchornia cordifolia	Stomach ache	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Alchornia laxiflora	Darter	Leaves	Crush	Cataplasm
	Croton macrostachyus	Female infertility	Barks	Decoction	Oral
	Croton oligandrus	Aphrodisiac	Barks	Dry and crush	Oral
	Croton oligandrus	Muscle pain	Barks	Dry and crush	Massage and oral
	Euphorbia hirta	Moth	Leaves	Crush	Cataplasm
	Macaranga occidentalis	Clogged trumpets	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Neoboutonia glabrescens	Pimples and itchy skin	Leaves	Decoction	Bath and oral
Fabaceae	Senna alata	Darter	Leaves	Crush	Cataplasm
		Jaundice	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
		Yellow fever	Leaves	Trituration	Oral and steam bath
	Senna sp	Risk of miscarriage	Fruit	Burning and crushing	Massage and oral
	Mimosa pudica	Filaria. liver perforation	Seeds	Decoction of crushed seeds	Oral
	Scorodophloeus zenkeri	Night Poison	Barks	Decoction	Oral
	Scorodophloeus zenkeri	Seasoning of meals	Barks	Crush or grate before introducing into the meal during cooking	Oral
	Tetrapleura tetraptera	Infertility	Fruit	Decoction	Oral and anal
	Tetrapleura tetraptera	Seasoning of meals	Fruit	Dry and crush before introducing into the meal during cooking
Rutaceae	Zanthoxylum heitzii	Powerlessness	Bark	Powder decoction	Oral
Gentianaceae	Anthocleista sp	Female infertility	Barks	Decoction	Oral and anal
Hypericaceae	Psorospermum mannii	Hernia. stomach ache	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Hypericum lanceolatum	Antiviral	Leaves	Maceration	Oral
		Heartburn	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
		Antifungal	Leaves	Trituration	Cataplasm
Lamiaceae	Clerodendron sp.	Hernia	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Ocimum basilicum	Vaginal infections	Leaves	Trituration	Anal
	Ocimum basilicum	Sore throat	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
	Ocimum gratissimum	Red butts	Leaves	Trituration (in combination with Pafechu leaves)	Oral
		Dermatitis or skin irritation	Leaves	Trituration	Cataplasm
		Chickenpox. fever in children	Leaves	Trituration	Bath and oral
Lamiaceae	Ocimum gratissimum	Darter. ringworm	Leaves	Crush	Cataplasm
		Keeping evil spirits away	Flower and leaves	Trituration	Bath and oral
		Counter poison	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
		Seasoning of meals	Leaves	Throwing leaves into soups
	Ocimum sp 1	Fever	Leaves	Decoction	Oral and steam bath
	Ocimum sp 2	Joint pain	Leaves	Decoction	Massage
	Plectranthus lateriflora	Chest pain	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Plectranthus sp 1	Respiratory problems	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Plectranthus epilepticus	Convulsion	Leaves	Trituration	Oral
	Premna zenkeri	Bad body odour	Leaves	Decoction	Bath
	Pycnostachys meyeri	Stomach ache	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
	Satureja punctata	Stomach ache	Leaves and flowers	Decoction	Oral
	Satureja sodosinensis	Malaria	Stem and leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Satureja sp	Digestive problems	Aerial parts	Infusion	Oral
	Satureja robusta	Meat preparation	Leaves	Throwing something into the pot
Lauraceae	Cinnamomum zeylanicum	Against poison	Bark		Oral
		Protection of children	Barks	Crush	Cataplasm
		Diabetes	Bark and leaves	Decoction	Oral
		Traditional food seasoning	Barks and leaves	Grate the bark before introducing it into the meal	Oral
		Insomnia	Barks	Decoction	Oral
Liliaceae	Allium sativum	Hypertension	Pods	Maceration	Oral
Malvaceae	Hybiscus rosa-sinensis	Facilitating childbirth	Leaves	Trituration	Oral
Moraceae	Dorstenia sp	Palpitation	Roots	Crush	Oral
		Rate	Roots	Crush	Oral
		Seasoning of meals	Roots	Decoction	Oral
Moringaceae	Moringa oleifera	Diabetes	Barks	Decoction	Oral
		Galle	Leaves	Crush	Cataplasm
		Sexual weakness	Roots	Decoction	Oral
Myristicaceae	Pycnanthus angolensis	Hepatitis B	Barks	Decoction	Oral
Myrtaceae	Syzygium aromaticum	Aphrodisiac	Seeds	Decoction	Oral
Olacaceae	Olax subscorpoidea	Epilepsy	Barks	Decoction	Oral
Passifloraceae	Passiflora edulis.	Insomnia	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
Pentadiplandraceae	Pentadiplandra brazzeana	Convulsion	Leaves	Trituration	Oral
Periplocaceae	Mondia whitei	Sexual weakness	Roots	Decoction	Oral
Periplocaceae	Mondia whitei	Seasoning of meals	Roots	Dry and crush before introducing into the meal	Oral
Pinaceae	Picea abies	Fever	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
Pinaceae	Pinus silvestris	Respiratory problem	Needles	Infusion	Oral
Piperaceae	Piper capense	Sales Evil	Leaves and fruits	Decoction	Oral
		Mystical illnesses	Leaves	Decoction	Bath and oral
		Vaginal itching	Leaves	Decoction	Vaginal bath
	Piper guineensis	Seasoning of meals	Seeds	Crush before introducing into the meal during cooking	Oral
	Piper umbellatum	Jaundice	Leaves and roots	Decoction	Oral
		Hemorrhoids	Leaves and seeds	Decoction	Oral
		Shielding	Leaves	Trituration	Massage after scarification
		Asthma	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
		High blood pressure	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
		Seasoning of meals	Leaves	Crush
		Vaginal itching	Leaves	Decoction	Vaginal bath
		Female infertility	Leaves	Prepare with pistachio paste	Oral
		Respiratory problems	Leaves	Infusion	Oral and inhalation
Poaceae	Cymbopogon citratus	Fever	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
Rosaceae	Alchemilla vulgaris	Disorder of the female reproductive system	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Alchemilla vulgaris	Painful or heavy periods	Aerial part	Infusion	Oral
	Prunus africana	Prostate	Barks	Decoction	Oral
	Robus forticorpus	Scabies. wired	Fruit	Dry and crush	Cataplasm
Rubiaceae	Fagara lemarier	Seasoning of meals	Seeds	Crush before introducing into the meal during cooking	Oral
Rubiaceae	Fagara tesmanii	Sexual weakness	Barks	Decoction	Oral
Rutaceae	Citrus limon	Stomach ache	Fruit	Squeeze and collect the juice	Oral
	Citrus limon	Acnes	Fruit		Cataplasm
	Clausena anisata	Infertility	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Zanthoxylum xantholoxyloides	Seasoning of meals	Seeds	Crush before introducing it into the meal during cooking	Oral
Sapindaceae	Allophylus bullatus	Pushing away bad people or spirits	Barks	Dry then crush
Sapindaceae	Allophylus bullatus	Cough	Fruit		Oral (eating the fruit)
Solanaceae	Capsicum sp	Wounds. antibiotic	Fruit	Crush	Cataplasm
Solanaceae	Physalis angulata	Constipation	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
Verbenaceae	Lantana camara	Malaria. fever	Leaves	Decoction	Fumigation and oral
	Lantana camara	Colic	Leaves	Trituration	Oral
	Lippia rugosa	Muscle fatigue	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
	Lippia rugosa	Fever	Leaves	Decoction	Oral
	Stachytarpheta jamaicensis	Infertility	Leaves	Infusion	Oral
Xanthorrhoeaceae	Aloe vera	Zone	Leaves	Extracting frost	Cataplasm
Zingiberaceae	Aframomum dalzielii	Protection	Fruit		Oral (eating the seeds)
	Aframomum danielli	Pimples and itchy skin	Roots	Decoction	Bath
	Aframomum melegueta	Teething in infants	Fruit	Crush some seeds	Massage (infant gums)
		Cough	Fruit		Oral (eating the seeds)
		Protection. mystical diseases	Whole plant	Decoction	Bath
		Sexual weakness	Fruit	Decoction	Oral
	Panax ginseng	Prostate	Roots	Decoction	Oral
	Zinziber officinale	Increase libido	Roots	Decoction	Oral
		Colds	Roots	Grate and extract the juice and mix with honey	Oral
		Hypertension	Roots	Combine with garlic, crush and leave to ferment for 7 days	Oral

• Decoction is the most widely used method of preparing phytomedicines;

• The oral route is the most commonly used method of administering phytomedicines. However, for dermatoses or diseases related to the epidermis (threadworms, scabies, shingles, etc.), poultices and baths are the most popular methods.

4. Discussion

The results (Table 2) showed that the majority of respondents were male (82.1%) and range in age from 25 to 81 years. The high representation of men may be due to the fact that the surveys were more oriented towards traditional medicine professionals. Moreover, it would seem that there are very few women in this sector of activity because women who frequently use plants with medicinal potentials are very badly regarded [17]. In previous works, some authors justified the low representation of women in the traditional health sector by the fact that there is an ancestral belief that women’s role in society is limited to taking care of the home and family [17] [18]. Ngoule and collaborators found similar results (60.41% men) in their surveys of essential oil medicinal plants in Douala markets [19]. According to the same authors, activities related to plant health generate significant income allowing men to support their families, which is why they are more represented than women in this sector of activity.

The age group over 50 years was the most represented (Table 2). Indeed, older people are more likely to provide the most reliable information, as they hold much of the endogenous knowledge, which is part of oral traditions [20], [21]. In addition, knowledge about the virtues of plants is generally transmitted from father to son over generations [22]. But nowadays young people are increasingly disinterested in traditional knowledge, which could result in the disappearance of knowledge on plant use [23]. Several authors agree, showing that knowledge of the virtues and uses of plants is acquired with age through years of experience and passed on from one generation to another [24].

The Bamiléké represent 55.3% of the population surveyed (Table 2). The high representation of Bamilekes can be justified by the location of the study area, since the Western Highlands are populated in great majority by the Bamilekes. Moreover, this ethnic group strives to maintain and safeguard their culture and traditions with the help of traditional leaders whose authority is established and respected by all [19].

Among the species listed, the Lamiaceae was the most represented botanical family. This could be explained by the fact that the Lamiaceae includes most of the aromatic and condiment plants and species therefore are highly prized by the cosmetic industries. Indeed, Alliaceae, Apiaceae and Lamiaceae are the three main botanical families of aromatic plants [25]. By comparison, the study by Mpondo and collaborators carried out in the upper Nyong division shows rather a strong representation of Euphorbiaceae [23]. This is probably due to the fact that the agro-ecological zone of the studies differs and therefore the farmer's conception of plant use will also vary. In addition, the present work concerns aromatic and cosmetic plants while that of Mpondo and collaborators was based only on medicinal plants and in a single division.

The majority of the respondents appeared to use grasses for different purposes (Figure 2). The high use of grasses could be an indicator of their abundance in the study area. In addition, the herbaceous stratum is represented by small species that grow and regenerate rapidly and are therefore permanently available [26]. Mpondo Mpondo having obtained similar results had found during their raids on the study sites that the areas close to the dwellings were covered with grass, thus justifying the high use of it in traditional medicine by the different ethnic communities of Douala [27].

Leaves were the most commonly used organs (Figure 3). The frequent use of leaves can be justified not only by the fact that the organ is easy to harvest but also by the abundance of chemical compounds they contain. Indeed, they are the site of synthesis of several metabolites responsible for the biological properties of plants [28] [29] [30]. The plants listed were mainly used for therapeutic purposes (Figure 4), which could be in line with the popular belief that all plants are healing, provided that one knows how to use them. Moreover, the use of plants for medicinal purposes is a common and ancestral practice in Africa. Today, more than 80% of the African population do not have access to modern health care and medicines and therefore rely on traditional medicine for treatment [23].

The results show that traditional knowledge related to aromatic and cosmetic plants is mainly health-related (Table 4). And in particular for questions related to the mystical order. In fact, we counted 07 plants used for these purposes, namely Eryngium foetidum, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Ocimum gratissimum, Pipercapense, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Aframomum melegueta and Cyperus rotundus. But of these, one in particular, Eryngium foetidum, is known by local people in almost all the study locations for its mystical-magical powers. Such knowledge is held only by the indigenous communities that hold the ancestral knowledge and cannot be exploited without their agreement and without

compensation because, as stipulated in Article 8 of the CBD, States must ensure that the traditional knowledge of the people is respected, preserved and promoted by all users of its resources.

5. Conclusion

This study highlighted the ethnic knowledge in the Western Highlands of Cameroon on the aromatics and/or cosmetic plants used by the population. A total of 103 species from 81 genera and 46 families were recorded in the area, having four (04) principal categories of uses, medicinal, food, cosmetic and cultural. These populations use several organs of these species, notably: leaves, barks, roots and fruits. Ten species: Eryngium foetidum,Chenopodium ambrosioides,Ocimum gratissimum,Piper umbellatum,Cinnamomum zeylanicum,Aframomum melegueta,Citrus limon,Costus afer,Cyperus rotundus and Mondia whitei are very well known and used by the populations. The knowledge held by the local populations is of great interest to the scientific community, to governments and even to industrialists who could see in these aromatic and cosmetic plants and their derivatives a means of further enrichment. Thus, at the end of this work, we can say that there are many plants in the West Cameroon Highlands that can be valorised according to the principle of access and benefit sharing.

Acknowledgements

The present study was carried under the SEP2D AAP1-55 project funded by the French Cooperation and the V.MANE FILS Enterprise.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Cite this paper

Djeuga Youga, M.K., Sonkoué Njiméli, P., Kenfack, C.P., Wouokoue Taffo, J.B., Ndam Tacham, W. and Fonkou, T. (2022) Knowledge and Traditional Uses of Some Aromatic and Cosmetic Plants Species in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 12, 1698-1718. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojapps.2022.1210116

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