EVALUATION OF THE IRON CONTENT OF PLANTS PROPOSED AGAINST ANEMIA BY TRADITIONAL PRACTITIONERS OF BIANKOUMA, COTE D’IVOIRE Authors: Ta Bi Irie Honore , DOH KOFFI STEPHANE, OUATTARA ABOUBACAR AND EMMA AKE-ASSI
ABSTRACT
Anemia is a public health problem in Côte d'Ivoire and especially in Biankouma, a city in the west
of the country. To contribute to the search for a cure for the disease, this study was undertaken in
the city. It makes an inventory of the plants proposed by traditional practitioners and evaluates the
iron content in the organs of plants to seek the scientific bases of the traditional use of these plants.
The study made it possible to inventory 15 plants belonging to 17 botanical families with a
dominance of Fabaceae. The parts of the plants used as phytomedicines are: leaves, leafy stems
and leafy branches. These plant organs are prepared by two techniques: decoction and paste. The
decoction is administered as a drink and the paste is to be consumed. Concerning the mineralogical
analysis, it revealed that five plants are rich in iron as Piper guineense, an anti-anemic plant known
in the south of Côte d'Ivoire. These plants are: Corchorus olitorius, Khaya senegalensis, Piper
longum, Piper umbellatum and solanum torvum. The other 10 plants, although less rich in this
mineral than Piper guineense, cover a person's daily iron needs. All the plants proposed by thetraditional practitioners of Biankouma could therefore combat anemia because iron is an essential
element of the hemoglobin molecule.
Keywords: Anemia, iron, plant, Biankouma, Côte d’Ivoire Publication date: 01/01/2025 https://ijbpas.com/pdf/2025/January/MS_IJBPAS_2025_9726.pdfDownload PDFhttps://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2025/14.1.9726