Phytochemical and ethnobotanical properties of plant species grown in home gardens among communities in Jema’a local government area of Kaduna state, Nigeria

Abstract

Home gardens in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria, serve as important reservoirs of plant biodiversity and traditional knowledge, providing communities with essential resources for food, medicine, and cultural practices. This study aimed to identify and document the diversity, frequency of use, and cultural significance of medicinal plants found in home gardens in Jema’a LGA, Kaduna State and assess the phytochemical properties of the most used medicinal species.  Thirty respondents each from Gwong, Godogodo and Jema’a Central zones were purposively selected for the study. Frequency of Citation (FC), Cultural Importance Index of Informant (CII) and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) of plant species were determined. Six plants most frequently used for medicinal purposes were screened for phytochemicals. Thirty-four plant families were found in home garden while plant 41 species belonging to 28 families were identified as medicinal plants with Rutaceae as the most utilized family. Moringa oleifera had the highest CII of 0.700 with 18 known diseases which were being used to treat itand was used by 63 respondents. Mangifera indica (0.633), Azadirachta indica (0.611), Persea americana (0.489), Carica papaya (0.456), Eucalyptus calmadulensis (0.367) with 57, 55, 44, 41 and 33 ailments they respectively treat. ICFranged between 1.00 and 0.23. Stomach pain was the most mentioned/treated (67) with 18 individual plants used for the treatment. Steroids, Terpenoids, Flavonoids, Tannins, Alkaloids and Phenolics were positive (++) in the six most medicinal plants. Most respondents (64%) acquired knowledge of medical plants from their tradition/cultural sources; believed plants cure diseases (93.2%); highly aware of home garden practices for medicinal purposes (41.6%). Also, most respondents (50%) claimed the State Government policy on providing seedlings helped in the establishment of home garden. Suggestions for promoting medicinal plant use included encouraging the planting of medicinal species (37.1%) and increasing public awareness of their importance (32.6%). The study concludes that home gardens in Jema’a LGA, Kaduna State, serve as important reservoirs of medicinal plant diversity and traditional knowledge, highlighting the need to promote their cultivation and public awareness to support local healthcare and cultural heritage.