Ethnomedicinal Knowledge of plants used in Alternative Medicine to treat Acnes in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Valentin, Bashige Chiribagula and Burck, Kalavanda Mvurabaar and Philippe, Okusa Ndjolo and Baptiste, Lumbu Simbi Jean (2025) Ethnomedicinal Knowledge of plants used in Alternative Medicine to treat Acnes in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo). GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 31 (2). pp. 137-160. ISSN 2581-3250

Traditional medicine is a primary healthcare option for many Congolese, particularly in Lubumbashi, yet remains under-documented and underutilized. This study aims to systematically document medicinal plant use in acne management among Lubumbashi residents. Data were gathered via direct interviews with households (n=368), herbalists (n=8), and traditional healers (n=14), totaling 390 informants (sex ratio M/F = 0.6; mean age = 43.6 ± 5 years; mean experience = 14 ± 7 years). Respondents identified 27 medicinal plant species, predominantly trees (48%), spanning 38 botanical families, with Fabaceae as the most represented (20%). Diabetes (8 species) emerged as the most frequently reported condition aside from acne. A total of 39 traditional anti-acne formulations were recorded, primarily using leaves (>44%) and prepared as poultices (>41%). For the first time, this study reports the ethnobotanical use of 20 plant species for acne treatment, including Afzelia quanzensis (CRF = 0.17), Byrsonima verbascifolia (CRF = 0.11), and Uapaca sansibarica (CRF = 0.11), which had the highest citation frequencies. Afzelia quanzensis (UVp = 0.18) and Uapaca nitida (UVp = 0.18) exhibited the highest usual values (UVp). The therapeutic applications documented here serve as a foundational database for future research. Further studies should validate traditional acne treatments through pharmacological analyses while promoting conservation of these valuable species in the Congolese flora.