Experience of Tanzanian traditional healers in the management of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
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Date
2002
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Pharmaceutical Biology
Abstract
Traditional healers from four wards of the Kilosa district,
Morogoro region (Tanzania) were interviewed to assess their
knowledge and competence in the management of non-
insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Among 65
reputed healers who were interviewed, 21 (32.3%) recog-
nised and were treating one or more symptoms related to
NIDDM, but none could unambiguously relate the symptoms
they were treating with NIDDM. Based on what the tradi-
tional healers revealed, 54 plants representing 54 species, 48
genera and 33 families were collected. Two of the Kilosa
plants, Cassia auriculata and Ricinus communis are reported
to have a hypoglycaemic activity, while Securinega virosa
has been shown to improve oral glucose tolerance in rabbits.
Albizzia anthelmintica has hypocholesterolemic activity and
some of the plants also have antibacterial and antifungal
activity which may benefit NIDDM patients. Some of the
ethnomedical reports of the Kilosa healers, related to man-
agement of diabetes, have been reported from other areas.
However, one of the reported plants, Albizzia versicolor, is
toxic. We conclude that the traditional healers of Kilosa dis-
trict can not unambiguously diagnose diabetes mellitus as a
disease entity, but some of them recognise symptoms char-
acteristic of the disease and they are well-known with plants
that may be useful in alleviating its symptoms. Two of the
plants they mentioned, Cassia auriculata and Ricinus com-
munis, have a proven hypoglycaemic effect. Careful sieving
of the knowledge in the custody of the Kilosa district healers
is needed to sort out possibly toxic plants and to determine
the other properties of these plants that may be useful in the
management of diabetes mellitus.
Description
Keywords
Diagnosis, Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, Traditional healers
Citation
Moshi, M.J. and Mbwambo, Z.H., 2002. Experience of Tanzanian traditional healers in the management of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Pharmaceutical Biology, 40(7), pp.552-560.