Table 1.
Ethnomedicinal uses of B. micrantha in tropical Africa.
| Use | Plant Parts Used | Country Practiced | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abdominal pain | Bark, leaf and root decoction taken orally | DRC, Uganda | [15,16] |
| Abortifacient | Bark decoction taken orally | South Africa, Zimbabwe | [5,17,18,19] |
| Amenorrea | Root decoction taken orally | Tanzania | [20] |
| Amoebic dysentery | Bark decoction taken orally | Cameroon | [21] |
| Anaemia | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | DRC | [16,22] |
| Anaesthetic | Root decoction taken orally mixed with roots of Vangueria infausta Burch. (Rubiaceae) and Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn. (Fabaceae) | South Africa | [2] |
| Burns | Bark decoction applied on affected body part | South Africa | [2,23,24,25] |
| Cancer | Bark decoction taken orally | Kenya | [26] |
| Cervical, breast, skin colorectal cancer | Leaves, roots and stem bark taken orally | Kenya | [27] |
| Chest complaints | Bark decoction taken orally mixed with Pittosporum viridiflorum Sims (Pittosporaceae) | Cameroon | [28] |
| Conjunctivitis | Bark, leaf or root decoction applied to eyes | Cameroon, DRC | [16,29] |
| Constipation | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | DRC, Gambia, Ivory Coast | [16,30,31] |
| Cough | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | Cameroon, DRC, Zimbabwe | [16,18,21,22,32] |
| Cough | Bark decoction taken orally mixed with P. viridiflorum | Cameroon | [28] |
| Cough | Bark mixed with Capsicum frutescens L. (Solanaceae) | Nigeria | [33] |
| Dermatitis | Bark, leaf or root decoction applied to affected body part | Cameroon | [29] |
| Diabetes mellitus | Bark decoction taken orally | Cameroon, Guinea, Nigeria | [34,35,36,37] |
| Diarrhoea | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | Cameroon, DRC, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania | [2,9,16,22,25,32,36,38,39,40,41] |
| Dysentery | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | Burundi, Cameroon, DRC, Gambia | [16,36,42,43] |
| Dysentery | Bark taken orally mixed with Antrocaryon klaineanum Pierre (Anacardiaceae) and Treculia africana Decne. ex Trécul (Moraceae) | Nigeria | [33] |
| Dysmenorrhea | Root decoction taken orally | Tanzania | [20] |
| Emetic | Bark infusion taken orally | South Africa | [44] |
| Epigastric pain | Root decoction taken orally | Tanzania | [45] |
| Eye diseases | Bark decoction applied to the eyes | Cameroon | [32] |
| Fever | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | DRC, South Africa | [16,23] |
| Gastric ulcers | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | Cameroon, DRC, South Africa | [16,32,46] |
| Gastro-Intestinal ailments | Bark decoction taken orally | South Africa | [25] |
| Guinea worm | Leaf decoction taken orally | Ghana | [34] |
| Haemorrhoids | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | DRC, Guinea-Bissau | [16,22,47,48] |
| Headache | Bark, leaf or root decoction sometimes with oil or butter rubbed into scalp | DRC, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania | [9,16,23,45,49,50] |
| Hernia | Leaf or bark decoction taken orally | Tanzania | [51] |
| HIV/AIDs | Bark decoction taken orally | Kenya | [52] |
| Induce labour pains | Bark decoction taken orally | Nigeria | [53] |
| Infertility | Bark decoction taken orally | Cameroon | [36] |
| Infertility | Root decoction taken orally mixed with roots of P. africanum Sond. and Ochna spp. (Ochnaceae) | South Africa | [54] |
| Insomnia | Bark decoction taken orally | Cameroon | [55] |
| Malaria | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania | [20,23,56,57,58,59] |
| Migraine | Bark, leaves or root decoction taken orally | Nigeria | [49,50] |
| Muscle pain | Bark decoction rubbed on painful muscles | Cameroon | [55] |
| Numbness of feet | Bark decoction rubbed on feet | Cameroon | [55] |
| Painful joints | Bark decoction rubbed on painful joints | Kenya, South Africa | [25,60] |
| Pain killer | Roots taken orally mixed with roots of V. infausta and D. cinerea | South Africa | [54] |
| Paralysis | Bark decoction taken orally | South Africa | [25] |
| Physical weakness | Bark decoction taken orally | Cameroon | [55] |
| Pre-Hepatic jaundice | Bark decoction taken orally | Uganda | [61] |
| Purgative for poisoning | Leaf decoction taken orally | Ivory Coast | [31] |
| Rheumatism | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | Cameroon, Tanzania | [29,51] |
| Sexual weakness | Bark decoction taken orally | Cameroon | [55] |
| Skin eruption | Bark or leaf decoction applied to affected body part | Kenya, Tanzania | [51,62] |
| Spleen enlargement | Bark or leaf decoction taken orally | Tanzania | [51] |
| Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | Guinea-Bissau, Kenya | [47,60,63] |
| Scorpion bite | Bark decoction applied to affected body part | Ethiopia | [64] |
| Sore eyes | Bark, leaf sap or leaf decoction applied on eyes | South Africa, Tanzania | [2,23,39,45,46] |
| Stomach ache | Bark, leaf or root decoction taken orally | Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania | [38,39,40,41,47,48,51,60] |
| Syphilis | Bark decoction taken orally mixed with Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae) | Sierra Leone | [65] |
| Syphilis | Bark or leaf decoction taken orally | Uganda | [61] |
| Tape worms | Bark or leaf decoction taken orally | Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda | [2,9,15,25,32,38,41,60] |
| Toothache | Bark decoction applied to affected teeth | DRC, South Africa | [2,22,23,25] |
| Tumor | Stem bark decoction taken orally | Kenya | [26] |
| Venereal diseases | Bark or leaf decoction taken orally | Kenya, South Africa | [2,23,25,38] |
| Wounds | Bark, leaf or root decoction applied to affected body part | DRC, Sierra Leone, South Africa | [2,16,23,24,25,65] |
| Yellow fever | Root decoction taken orally | Tanzania | [20] |
| Ethnoveterinary medicine | Burkina Faso, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda | [14,60,66,67,68] |