• This is the first ethnopharmacological study to exclusively report on medicinal plants used in managing SCD in Tanzania and East Africa. • The study documented 102 medicinal plants, with roots (40%) and leaves (33%) being the most frequently used plant parts. • Most plants (69%) were wild-collected, with the Fabaceae family being the most frequently reported. • Decoction was the most common preparation method (55%), and 90% of medicines were taken orally. • This study supports the traditional use of plants and offers a foundation for discovering new bioactive phytochemicals. Previous ethnopharmacological and bioactivity studies reported the use of medicinal plants in the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) elsewhere. The use of medicinal plants against infectious and non-infectious diseases was reported, but little is known about medicinal plants used to manage SCD in Tanzania. This study aims to document medicinal plants used by traditional health practitioners (THPs) in managing SCD in the Mwanza and Mara regions in Tanzania. In-person, in-depth interviews were conducted with THPs using semi-structured, open-ended questions, and medicinal plants traditionally used to manage SCD were documented. The interview was followed by a field visit to collect plant specimens. In this study, 37 THPs were interviewed. A total of 102 medicinal plant species from 39 families were documented. Plants from the family Fabaceae were the most frequently reported, comprising 24 species (24%). Roots (40%) and leaves (33%) were the most frequently used plant parts, and decoction was the most common preparation method (55%). The vast majority of herbal treatments were recommended for oral administration (90%). A literature review revealed that some medicinal plants have similar ethnomedical uses elsewhere and exhibit anti-sickling activity, while other medicinal plants have been reported to have antiplasmodial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, antipyretic, and antimicrobial activities that are beneficial in SCD patients. This is the first ethnopharmacological survey on medicinal plants used in Tanzania for the management of SCD. The results provide preliminary support for the traditional use of plants and starting point in the search for new bioactive phytochemicals for the management of SCD.
Sambayi et al. (Sun,) studied this question.