Abstract

Confirmation of identity along with determination of the quality and purity of herbal drug is an important step towards ensuring its safety and efficacy This study therefore sought to document the botanical constituents and drug indications of traditional oral liquid herbal formulations TOLHFs manufactured in Ogbomoso Nigeria It also examined the conservation status of the medicinal plants so used alongside the cultivation efforts being made by the drug manufacturers in order to provide information on whether continual exploitation of the plants for TOLHFs is sustainable Through a questionnaire 14 traditional herbal medical practitioners THMPs provided information on the recipes of their products the sources of their raw material herbs and types of health conditions treated or managed with the drugs Sustainability potential of the drugs was quantified as relative percentage of the three choices of sources of raw material herbs available to the manufacturers in conjunction with the conservation status of the plant species as recorded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN Fiftyseven medicinal plant species in 34 angiosperm families were used to formulate 71 herbal recipes that are indicated for treating 14 different health conditions The sources of raw material herbs in relative terms were purchase from herbal markets suppliers 38 7 collection from the wild vegetation 35 5 and cultivation of some of the herbs for use 25 8 The herbal material used included fruits seeds leaves stem barks flowers roots and rhizomes most of which can be sustainably harvested Based on the IUCN records only six i e 10 5 of the 57 plant species have been evaluated and placedin the categories of Least Concern Ceibapantandra Colaacuminata Ficusexasperata Vulnerable Garciniakola Khayasenegalensis and Endangered Jatrophacurcas Production of TOLHFs in Ogbomoso was therefore adjudged to be sustainable with minimal potential injury on the natural flora Medicinal plant cultivation by THMPs and herb vendors should however be further encouraged or enforced