Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used for jaundice treatment in the Central East of Burkina Faso

Aims: Burkina Faso exhibits high endemicity for hepatitis B virus (HBV), with limited access to vaccines and anti-HBV pharmacotherapy. Consequently, local populations rely on traditional healers and medicinal plants for liver related disorders management. This work aimed to systematically documented and analysed medicinal plant use in twelve villages of Kourittenga Province in the central-eastern of Burkina Faso for hepatic diseases treatment. Method and materials: The data were collected using an open and semi-structured methodological approach, involving in‑depth interviews in local language with twenty-one (21) selected traditional healers renowned for their expertise in treating hepatic disorders. Inclusion criteria were: ≥5 years of healing practice in the community ‑ Recognition by village authorities and peers for hepatic disease management ‑ Willingness to provide informed consent; informal or apprentice practitioners were excluded. Results: A total of 43 plant species distributed across 37 families were identified as being used locally for the management of jaundice. Respondents consistently pointed to the progressive fading of scleral and cutaneous icterus ‑ resolution of associated gastrointestinal discomfort, particularly nausea and anorexia ‑ a marked reduction in generalized malaise and fatigue, often reported within the first 48 hours of treatment, as reliable proxies for liver function recovery in the absence of biochemical testing. Conclusion: Traditional African healers use various medicinal plants to treat liver-related disorders. Some of these effects have been scientifically validated. High prevalence of hepatitis in Burkina Faso requires effective prophylactic and curative means, and new therapeutic research and development based on medicinal plants.