Healing From Households: Urban Trees in the Management of Diarrhea and Dysentery in Ijesa Region, Nigeria

Abstract

The perceptions of Ijesa people on Musa parasidiaca, Musa sapentum, Polyalthia longifolia and Psidium guajava identified for the management of diarrhea and dysentery were examined. Four respondents, that had maintained continuous domicile for minimum of 10years in Ijesa region, were purposively selected from each of 25 randomly selected communities and interviewed with the aid of semi-structured questionnaire matrix. The medicinal formula on these species, dosage utilization and perceived efficacies were determined. Respondents cut across varying socio-economic classes and were knowledgeable on the identified species. The use of the trees for medicine was perceived as free, readily available and extremely easy to prepare. The trees were cultivated primarily for purposes other than medicine. P. guajava and P. longifolia were valued for diarrhea while M. paradisiaca, M. sapientum and P. longifolia were valued for dysentery. Harvesting and use of stems in M. paradisiaca and stem barks in P. longifolia were annihilative and predatory while harvesting of leaves in P. guajava, flowers in P. longifolia and fruits in M. sapientum were not. The tree-derived medicine were described as very effective because they contained diverse phytochemicals however, pregnant women were disallowed from the use of extracts of P. longifolia as they are capable of inducing abortion. Secondary information revealed that diarrhea and dysentery have similar causal organisms, especially Shigella. Phytochemicals present in the identified tree species are capable of managing these causal organisms. Strategies that could further enhance medicinal values from urban forestry were prescribed.