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.