Abstract

This paper presents the result of a study on the herbal drugs that are used in two ethnoecological regions of Cameroon, namely littoral and south-west and Sudano-sahelian zones. The data were collected through direct interviews with herbalists, traditional healers and customers between 2006 and 2007 and the popular medicinal plants used to cure several diseases were inventorized. An inventory of 614 plants species belonging to 84 families was prepared along with their local and Latin names. The present study also gave details about the herbal cures of different disorders, based on the information provided by local herbalists or traditional healers. In all, 68% of the plants were used in the two regions to treat more than twenty important diseases.

Keys words: Herbal drugs, medicinal plants, ethnoecological zone, Cameroon.