An ethnopharmacological survey of plants used for wound healing in Dogonland, Mali, West Africa

Traditional medicine, being a significant element in the cultural patrimony, still remains the main recourse for a large majority of people in Dogonland, Mali, for treating various diseases and ailments. This paper reports an ethnopharmacological study in Dogonland with the aim to identify medicinal plants used in the treatment of wounds. Information obtained from traditional healers revealed 73 plant species being used as wound healing remedies, according to the definitions of wounds given by the healers themselves. The plants, belonging to 34 plant families, are used as first aids, in the washing of wounds, extraction of pus, as coagulants, as well as for infected wounds. The most frequently used preparations are decoctions and powdered plant material.