Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Poultry Diseases in Zimbabwe: A Systematic Review

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Abstract Poultry farming represents an important sector for the livelihood of rural communities in Zimbabwe. Farmers raise poultry in order to meet demands on household food and as additional sources of income. However, the production of birds is hampered by a variety of diseases. The impact of diseases is severe for poor communities who have limited access to modern veterinary services and, therefore, rely on indigenous medicines for the treatment of livestock ailments. Here we review the medicinal plants that are used for the treatment of poultry diseases in Zimbabwe. A systematic web search and review was conducted on research literature relating to medicinal plants that are used for the treatment of poultry diseases in Zimbabwe. Data were collected from a total of 15 Zimbabwean studies meeting specific inclusion criteria. Data from published studies lacking information on study area, scientific names of plants and without information about plants that are used to treat poultry diseases were excluded. Relevant ethnoveterinary information was analysed and summarized in tables, bar graphs and pie charts. Fifty-three plants were used among the non-commercial poultry producers in Zimbabwe. Most of the plants used for treating poultry belonged to the Fabaceae family followed by Solanaceae. Cited in 14 studies, Aloe species were the most widely used plant. Leaves were the most widely used part of the plant for treatment. The most widely used method of preparing plant material for treatment was crushing. Geographical and cross-cultural linkage contributes to knowledge sharing. There is need to conduct more field surveys to document more plants used in different parts of the country. It would be useful to investigate the therapeutic effectiveness of the various plant materials under clearly defined experimental conditions. The ultimate aim would be to isolate and identify potentially useful compounds.

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