An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by traditional health practitioners to manage HIV and its related opportunistic infections in Mpoza, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The aim of the study was to identify and document plants traditionally used to manage HIV and treat its opportunistic infections (OIs) in Mpoza, a rural village located in the Mount Frere Alfred Nzo District, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with 18 traditional health practitioners from January 2012 to August 2012 to obtain information about medicinal plants used in the management of HIV and treatment of OIs.

RESULTS: Seventeen plant species belonging to 12 families were identified for the management of HIV and treatment of OIs in Mpoza. The identified plant species belonged mostly to the families Asparagaceae (12%), Araliaceae (12%), Apiaceae (12%), Xanthorrhoeaceae (12%) and Lamiaceae (12%). The remaining 40% of identified plant species was evenly split over seven families - Urticaceae, Hypoxidaceae, Leguminosae, Verbenaceae, Rosaceae, Compositae and Rutaceae. The most frequently used medicinal plants were Hypoxis hemerocallidea (85%), Asparagus densiflorus (68%) and Lessertia frutescens (68%). The leaves (43.5%) and roots (21.7%) were the most frequently used plant parts, usually prepared as infusions and decoctions for oral administration.

CONCLUSION: This study provides documentation of medicinal plants used in the management of HIV and treatment of commonly associated OIs, which might provide a potential lead that will significantly contribute in reducing the burden of HIV infections in South Africa. We envisage that this paper will provide some background for further studies in developing new, effective, safe and affordable plant-derived medicines.