World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2017
An ethno-medicinal survey of plants used in treating various diseases and ailments was carried ou... more An ethno-medicinal survey of plants used in treating various diseases and ailments was carried out in the study area of Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria to obtain information on their uses and potentials. The ethnomedicinal survey was administered through structured questionnaires among local inhabitants from areas with high plant density and diversity within the various Local Government Areas of the State. A total of 82 (Eighty two) plant species belonging to 43 (Forty Three) families were found to be useful in treatment of various ailments such as diabetes, measles, fever, asthma, jaundice, pneumonia, sexually transmitted diseases(STDs), aches, diarrhea, cough, arthritis, yellow fever, typhoid, erectile dysfunction and excessive bleeding. Different parts of the plant such as the roots, leaves and stems are used in preparing herbal remedies which could be from dry or freshly collected plants. The main methods of preparation are decoction or infusion, while in some cases the pl...
A study was carried out to evaluate the ethnobotanical uses of plant resources in Nassarawa State... more A study was carried out to evaluate the ethnobotanical uses of plant resources in Nassarawa State, Nigeria. A total of 80 plants belonging to 37 families were surveyed through oral interviews of local inhabitants from different locations in the State, who use various plant materials for their livelihood. Uses ranged from Ornamental, food, forage, timber and construction, pest control, and textile. Plants belonging to the families Poaceae and Caesalpinniaceae were mostly used for food (9.76% respectively), Poaceae(42.85%) for forage, Combretaceae, Poaceae and Moraceae (18.18% respectively) for timber, building constructions and fuel wood. Only members of the family Lamiaceae and Malvaceae were used for pest control and textile purposes respectively. Majority of plant use in the study area was for food (51.25%) followed by forage (17.15%). The genus Ficus had the highest number of ethnobotanical uses with four applications, followed by Terminalia and Ceibaboth having three applications each. The rich biodiversity of ethnobotanical significance in the study area needs to be adequately conserved in order to forestall over exploitation and extinction of economically important plant families which is the main source of economy to the inhabitants.
This research was carried out to assess the plant species diversity in Nasarawa State, Nigeria w... more This research was carried out to assess the plant species diversity in Nasarawa State, Nigeria with a view to obtain an accurate database and inventory of the naturally occurring plant species in the state for reference and research purposes. This preliminary report covers a total of nine local government areas in the state. The work involved intensive survey and visits to the sample sites for this exercise. The diversity status of each plant and the distribution across the state were also determined using standard method. A total of number of 244 plant species belonging to 57 plant families were identified out of which the families, Asteraceae, Poaceae, Combretaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae and Papilionaceae were the most highly distributed across the entire study area. There was great extent of diversity in the distribution of plants across all the areas sampled with the highest in Wamba LGA. The most predominant food crop across the state was Sorgum spp. followed by Sesame indica and then Zea mays. The total percentage occurrence of herbs, shrubs and trees in the study area are 31.19, 16.29 and 47.91%, respectively. This preliminary work has provided a baseline data and reference point for future taxonomical stratagem in Nasarawa State.
Heavy metal pollution is a major environmental problem, especially around highways with high traf... more Heavy metal pollution is a major environmental problem, especially around highways with high traffic density. This study investigates the levels of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu in roadside soils of Wukari section of the Wukari-Jalingo highway, Taraba state, Nigeria. Samples were randomly collected and analyzed using standard methods. The mean concentrations (µg/g) of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu from all sample sites ranged: 89.6-247.0, 0.15-5.3, 26.8-163.0 and 7.1-61.2 respectively. The extent of the heavy metals contamination was assessed, as analytical data were subjected to pollution calculation methods. The contamination factors (CF) reveal extreme contamination of the sites and an increasing trend in the heavy metals concentrations was observed in sites with more human activities. The pollution load index (PLI) showed that the sites are severely polluted as the PLI of the metals from each sample site exceeded the PLI of the background (control) sample (0.7). Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed clear correlations (p<0.001) amongst the metals suggesting a common source. It can be concluded that the study sites pollution is mostly due to automobile emissions. This study provides awareness for residents to avoid activities such as farming, trading etc very close to the highway due to exposures to these toxic metals.
World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2017
An ethno-medicinal survey of plants used in treating various diseases and ailments was carried ou... more An ethno-medicinal survey of plants used in treating various diseases and ailments was carried out in the study area of Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria to obtain information on their uses and potentials. The ethnomedicinal survey was administered through structured questionnaires among local inhabitants from areas with high plant density and diversity within the various Local Government Areas of the State. A total of 82 (Eighty two) plant species belonging to 43 (Forty Three) families were found to be useful in treatment of various ailments such as diabetes, measles, fever, asthma, jaundice, pneumonia, sexually transmitted diseases(STDs), aches, diarrhea, cough, arthritis, yellow fever, typhoid, erectile dysfunction and excessive bleeding. Different parts of the plant such as the roots, leaves and stems are used in preparing herbal remedies which could be from dry or freshly collected plants. The main methods of preparation are decoction or infusion, while in some cases the pl...
A study was carried out to evaluate the ethnobotanical uses of plant resources in Nassarawa State... more A study was carried out to evaluate the ethnobotanical uses of plant resources in Nassarawa State, Nigeria. A total of 80 plants belonging to 37 families were surveyed through oral interviews of local inhabitants from different locations in the State, who use various plant materials for their livelihood. Uses ranged from Ornamental, food, forage, timber and construction, pest control, and textile. Plants belonging to the families Poaceae and Caesalpinniaceae were mostly used for food (9.76% respectively), Poaceae(42.85%) for forage, Combretaceae, Poaceae and Moraceae (18.18% respectively) for timber, building constructions and fuel wood. Only members of the family Lamiaceae and Malvaceae were used for pest control and textile purposes respectively. Majority of plant use in the study area was for food (51.25%) followed by forage (17.15%). The genus Ficus had the highest number of ethnobotanical uses with four applications, followed by Terminalia and Ceibaboth having three applications each. The rich biodiversity of ethnobotanical significance in the study area needs to be adequately conserved in order to forestall over exploitation and extinction of economically important plant families which is the main source of economy to the inhabitants.
This research was carried out to assess the plant species diversity in Nasarawa State, Nigeria w... more This research was carried out to assess the plant species diversity in Nasarawa State, Nigeria with a view to obtain an accurate database and inventory of the naturally occurring plant species in the state for reference and research purposes. This preliminary report covers a total of nine local government areas in the state. The work involved intensive survey and visits to the sample sites for this exercise. The diversity status of each plant and the distribution across the state were also determined using standard method. A total of number of 244 plant species belonging to 57 plant families were identified out of which the families, Asteraceae, Poaceae, Combretaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae and Papilionaceae were the most highly distributed across the entire study area. There was great extent of diversity in the distribution of plants across all the areas sampled with the highest in Wamba LGA. The most predominant food crop across the state was Sorgum spp. followed by Sesame indica and then Zea mays. The total percentage occurrence of herbs, shrubs and trees in the study area are 31.19, 16.29 and 47.91%, respectively. This preliminary work has provided a baseline data and reference point for future taxonomical stratagem in Nasarawa State.
Heavy metal pollution is a major environmental problem, especially around highways with high traf... more Heavy metal pollution is a major environmental problem, especially around highways with high traffic density. This study investigates the levels of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu in roadside soils of Wukari section of the Wukari-Jalingo highway, Taraba state, Nigeria. Samples were randomly collected and analyzed using standard methods. The mean concentrations (µg/g) of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu from all sample sites ranged: 89.6-247.0, 0.15-5.3, 26.8-163.0 and 7.1-61.2 respectively. The extent of the heavy metals contamination was assessed, as analytical data were subjected to pollution calculation methods. The contamination factors (CF) reveal extreme contamination of the sites and an increasing trend in the heavy metals concentrations was observed in sites with more human activities. The pollution load index (PLI) showed that the sites are severely polluted as the PLI of the metals from each sample site exceeded the PLI of the background (control) sample (0.7). Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed clear correlations (p<0.001) amongst the metals suggesting a common source. It can be concluded that the study sites pollution is mostly due to automobile emissions. This study provides awareness for residents to avoid activities such as farming, trading etc very close to the highway due to exposures to these toxic metals.
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Ornamental, food, forage, timber and construction, pest control, and textile. Plants belonging to the families Poaceae and Caesalpinniaceae were mostly used for food (9.76% respectively), Poaceae(42.85%) for forage, Combretaceae, Poaceae and Moraceae (18.18% respectively) for timber, building constructions and fuel wood. Only members of the family Lamiaceae and Malvaceae were used for pest control and textile purposes respectively. Majority of plant use in the study area was for food (51.25%) followed by forage (17.15%). The genus Ficus had the highest number of ethnobotanical uses with four applications, followed by Terminalia and Ceibaboth having three applications each. The rich biodiversity of ethnobotanical significance in the study area needs to be adequately conserved in order to forestall over exploitation and extinction of economically important plant families which is the main source of economy to the inhabitants.
Key words: Herbarium, conservation, Nasarawa, plant diversity.
Ornamental, food, forage, timber and construction, pest control, and textile. Plants belonging to the families Poaceae and Caesalpinniaceae were mostly used for food (9.76% respectively), Poaceae(42.85%) for forage, Combretaceae, Poaceae and Moraceae (18.18% respectively) for timber, building constructions and fuel wood. Only members of the family Lamiaceae and Malvaceae were used for pest control and textile purposes respectively. Majority of plant use in the study area was for food (51.25%) followed by forage (17.15%). The genus Ficus had the highest number of ethnobotanical uses with four applications, followed by Terminalia and Ceibaboth having three applications each. The rich biodiversity of ethnobotanical significance in the study area needs to be adequately conserved in order to forestall over exploitation and extinction of economically important plant families which is the main source of economy to the inhabitants.
Key words: Herbarium, conservation, Nasarawa, plant diversity.