Abstract
Traditional medicine remains a cornerstone of healthcare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where medicinal plants are widely used to treat a broad range of ailments. However, ethnobotanical knowledge associated with these plant resources remains insufficiently documented in Kikwit and its surrounding areas. This study aimed to inventory the medicinal plants used by local herbal practitioners, assess their ethnobotanical importance, and investigate the factors influencing the transmission and distribution of traditional knowledge. Semi-structured ethnobotanical surveys were conducted between January and December 2025 among 65 herbal practitioners from different ethnic groups selected using snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using ethnobotanical indices (RFC, UV, CI, VAUs, IDCU, and ICF), descriptive statistics, the Jaccard similarity coefficient, Fisher’s exact test, and multiple linear regression. A total of 190 medicinal plant species belonging to 69 families and 29 botanical orders were documented. Fabaceae and Euphorbiaceae were the most species-rich families, whereas Cymbopogon citratus, Carica papaya, and Rauvolfia vomitoria exhibited the highest ethnobotanical importance values. Genitourinary and reproductive disorders represented the most frequently treated therapeutic category (19.59% of all citations), followed by hemorrhoidal and anorectal disorders (14.84%) and digestive disorders (14.04%). Leaves (32%) and underground organs (30%) were the most frequently used plant parts, while decoction (32%) and maceration (29%) were the predominant preparation methods. Comparative analyses revealed significant differences among ethnic groups in both therapeutic categories (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.0002) and preparation methods (p = 0.0052). In contrast, Jaccard similarity indices indicated low floristic similarity among both ethnic groups and neighborhoods. Traditional knowledge was transmitted primarily through family inheritance (58.46%). Multiple linear regression showed that years of practice, educational level, and age were significantly associated with the level of ethnobotanical knowledge, whereas sex and ethnic affiliation were not significant predictors. These findings highlight the remarkable richness of Kikwit’s traditional pharmacopoeia and the strong cultural structuring of medicinal plant knowledge. They provide a valuable scientific basis for safeguarding this intangible cultural heritage, prioritizing medicinal plant species for phytochemical and pharmacological investigations, and promoting the sustainable use of medicinal plant resources.
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