ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
This article is part of the Research TopicEthnopharmacology, Omics, and Epigenetic Modulation: Modern Approaches to Harnessing Medicinal Plants for Neurodegenerative Disease TherapyView all articles
An ethnopharmacological assessment of medicinal plants in Malanje municipality, Angola
Provisionally accepted
Agostinho António Barroso1André Alberto Martins1Agostinho Morais1Bernardo Nicodemo Chimbuco1Peterson Catenda1Yanelis Saucedo Hernández1Dany Siverio Mota1,2
Mateus Ferreira Gonçalves1Venancio Ribalta Ribalta1,2Mateus Sebastião1Amandio Gomes3Enoel Hernández Barreto11,2
Eduardo Ekundi - Valentim1*- 1Universidade Rainha Njinga a Mbande, Malanje, Angola
- 2Universidad Central Marta Abreu de las Villas, Santa Clara, Cuba
- 3Universidade Agostinho Neto, Luanda, Angola
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Background: Malanje Municipality in north-central Angola harbors exceptional botanical and cultural diversity yet remains poorly documented for traditional medicinal plant knowledge; this study provides the first systematic ethnopharmacological baseline to guide pharmacological prioritization, conservation, and policy-relevant integration of traditional medicine. Methods: Between 2018 and 2023 we conducted semi-structured interviews (n = 20 traditional healers), participatory observation, in-situ photographic documentation and GPS mapping. Voucher specimens were taxonomically verified against herbarium material and online resources. Quantitative indices included frequency measures and Rank Order Priority (ROP); therapeutic indications were grouped using ICD-11 categories. Results: Informants reported 272 ethnospecies; 78 taxa (39 families) were identified to species level. Fabaceae (9%), Asteraceae (6.4%) and Euphorbiaceae, Poaceae and Zingiberaceae (each 5.1%) were most represented. Leaves (53.8%) and roots (42.3%) were the principal parts used; decoction (60%) and maceration (31%) were the commonest preparations. ROP prioritized Terminalia brachystemma (81.8), Securidaca longepedunculata (54.4) and Mondia whitei (52.2) for follow-up study. Treated conditions clustered in gastrointestinal disorders (43.6%) and infectious/parasitic diseases (29.5%). Healers reported several contraindications and observable adverse effects. Conclusions: This work provides the first comprehensive ethnopharmacological register for Malanje Municipality, highlighting high-priority species for phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological evaluation and identifying conservation and sustainable-use concerns (notably root harvest). Limitations include a modest sample of informants and incomplete taxonomic resolution for many ethnospecies. Recommendations: expand sampling across the province, complete voucher identification, perform contamination and toxicity screening, and develop community-led cultivation and stewardship plans that align with Angola's National Policy for Traditional and Complementary Medicine.
Keywords: indigenous knowledge, traditional healers, biodiversity conservation, Rank order priority, Terminalia
Received: 09 Sep 2025; Accepted: 01 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Barroso, Martins, Morais, Chimbuco, Catenda, Hernández, Mota, Gonçalves, Ribalta, Sebastião, Gomes, Barreto1 and Ekundi - Valentim. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Eduardo Ekundi - Valentim
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