Typhoid fever and medicinal plants review: A case study in Nigeria

Lack of waste management and antibiotic overuse make typhoid a major disease in Nigeria. According to many studies, typhoid fever and other salmonella infections are common in Nigeria. Due to multidrug resistance and development of carrier status of Salmonella typhi (the causative organism of typhoid fever) herbal medicines is becoming increasingly popular and widely accepted by Nigerians. However, information on plant usage for specific illnesses and diseases is fragmented, and consolidation is needed to understand and share herbal disease management information. Aim: This review compiles medicinal plants used in treating typhoid fever in Nigeria. Method: Based on inclusion criteria, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for published publications. Results: A total of 166 plant species from 66 families were documented for treating typhoid fever across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Fabaceae is the most employed family, followed closely by Euphorbiaceae and Poaceae. Ten plants (Mangifera indica L., Carica papaya L., Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf, Psidium guajava L., Citrus aurantifolia Christm, Ananas comosus (L.) Merr, Ocimumgratissimum L., Vernonia amygdalina (Wild) Darke, Alstonia boonei De Wild. and Azadirachta indica A. Juss) are widely used across the country. All parts of plants are reported to be relevant in treating typhoid fever. Leaves are mostly used alone or in combination with other plant parts. Conclusion: A wide variety of plants are used to treat typhoid in Nigeria. It is expected that this documentation of medicinal plants used for the treatment of typhoid fever will further promote bioprospecting and pharmacological research.