Quitexe Municipality

anaemia

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• Anaemia is the most frequently addressed condition treated with food plants in the Quitexe municipality (11.97% of citations), followed by cough and fatigue (7.04% each), diarrhoea (7.04%), diabetes and constipation (5.63% each), fever (4.23%), haemorrhoids (3.52%), yellow fever and bronchitis (2.82% each), and malaria, nausea during early pregnancy, flu, erectile dysfunction, and dysentery (2.11% each).
• In the study of 57 medicinal food plants in Quitexe, the Medicinal Capability Index (MCI) values for treating specific ailments were: anaemia (0.239), cough (0.183), diarrhoea (0.155), fatigue (0.141), constipation (0.113), diabetes (0.113), and fever (0.085).
• The prevalence of anaemia treatment in Quitexe aligns with broader ethnobotanical trends in sub-Saharan Africa, where anaemia, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal disorders, and metabolic conditions are commonly managed through traditional medicine.
• Anemia was the most frequently cited health condition treated with edible plants in the study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, accounting for 11.97% of reported ailments.
• The high number of plant species used to treat anaemia in Quitexe may be associated with widespread nutritional deficiencies, particularly iron-deficiency anaemia among women and children, as noted by the World Health Organization.
• In the municipality of Quitexe, anaemia is the most frequently treated condition, managed with 17 different plant species.

edible plants

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• Eligibility criteria for survey participants in Quitexe included being aged 18 or over, being a permanent resident of the municipality, and possessing knowledge of the nutritional and therapeutic potential of locally consumed plants.
• Anemia was the most frequently cited health condition treated with edible plants in the study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, accounting for 11.97% of reported ailments.
• An ethnobotanical survey conducted between September 2023 and April 2024 in the municipality of Quitexe, Angola, identified 57 edible plant species across 30 botanical families used by 287 local inhabitants for nutritional and medicinal purposes.
• Decoction was the predominant method of preparing edible plants for medicinal use in Quitexe, Angola, representing 24.32% of preparation methods.
• The findings of the Quitexe Municipality study substantiate the hypothesis that edible plants serve dual prophylactic and therapeutic roles in local healthcare systems.

traditional medicine

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• Leaves were the most commonly used plant parts in the traditional medicine practices of Quitexe, Angola, accounting for 43.62% of usage.
• The prevalence of anaemia treatment in Quitexe aligns with broader ethnobotanical trends in sub-Saharan Africa, where anaemia, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal disorders, and metabolic conditions are commonly managed through traditional medicine.
• The study titled 'Ethnobotanical study of food plants used in traditional medicine in the municipality of Quitexe, Angola' received ethical clearance from the Ethics Committee of the National Scientific Council, Ministry of Higher Education, University, Scientific Research and Innovation of the Democratic Republic of Congo under reference number 005/PMT/CSN/RDC/023.
• The article 'Ethnobotanical study of food plants used in traditional medicine in the municipality of Quitexe, Angola' is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
• The article 'Ethnobotanical study of food plants used in traditional medicine in the municipality of Quitexe, Angola' is authored by M. Mawunu, N. Mampasi, M. de Carvalho, and others, and was published in the journal 'Discover Social Science and Health' in 2025.

ethnobotanical research

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, male informants were more linked to root use, invasive administration (rectal), and specialized practices such as “tie to limb” or “tie to leg or arm” and “steam bath”.
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, 7.3% of informants acquired knowledge of food plants and their medicinal uses from elder members of the wider community, while 3.2% learned from friends or acquaintances.
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, female informants were primarily associated with the use of aerial plant parts (leaves, inflorescences), boiled preparations (decoction and infusion), and oral or dermal administration routes.
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, 89.5% of informants reported that their knowledge of food plants and their medicinal uses was transmitted through family members (parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts).
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, knowledge transmission pathways for medicinal plants differed by gender: informal observation and oral learning were associated with female informants, while community elder–based transmission was aligned with male informants.

diabetes

Diabetes is identified as a condition treated by medicinal food plants in the Quitexe Municipality, appearing in frequency citations [1], having a specific Medicinal Capability Index value [2], and being treated by 8 distinct plant species within the region [3]. — 3 supporting facts

medicinal plants

Medicinal plants are directly linked to the Quitexe Municipality as the subject of a study identifying the diseases they treat [1] and the specific methods of preparation and oral administration used by the local population {fact:1, fact:3}. — 3 supporting facts

leaves

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• The predominance of leaves in medicinal recipes among the Quitexe people is attributed to their accessibility, availability, ease of harvesting, and rapid regenerative capacity, as well as traditional healers' consideration for sustainable harvesting practices.
• In medicinal formulations used by the Quitexe people, leaves are the most commonly utilized plant organ (43.62%), followed by stem bark (13.83%), fruits (12.77%), seeds (6.38%), and roots (4.26%).
• The Quitexe communities in Angola commonly prepare leaves from Corymbia citriodora, Eriosema glabratum, Annona senegalensis, Cymbopogon citratus, Annona stenophylla, Lippia multiflora, Persea americana, Stomatanthes africanus, and Vitex madiensis as substitutes for tea.

fatigue

Fatigue is identified as a condition treated by medicinal food plants in the Quitexe Municipality, appearing in frequency citations [1], having a specific Medicinal Capability Index value [2], and being addressed by 10 distinct plant species within the region [3]. — 3 supporting facts

fruits

Fruits are identified as a specific plant organ utilized in medicinal formulations within the Quitexe Municipality, as documented in [1]. — 1 supporting fact

Angola

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• The Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) of ethnobotanical practices in Quitexe, Angola, explained a total of 4.9% of the variance, with Dimension 1 explaining 2.6% and Dimension 2 explaining 2.3%.
• The study conducted in the municipality of Quitexe, Uíge province, Angola, represents the first systematic documentation of ethnomedicinal and ethnonutritional knowledge in that specific region.
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, male informants were more linked to root use, invasive administration (rectal), and specialized practices such as “tie to limb” or “tie to leg or arm” and “steam bath”.
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, 7.3% of informants acquired knowledge of food plants and their medicinal uses from elder members of the wider community, while 3.2% learned from friends or acquaintances.
• Leaves were the most commonly used plant parts in the traditional medicine practices of Quitexe, Angola, accounting for 43.62% of usage.
• Male participants in the Quitexe municipality study had a mean age of 49.5 years (SD = 17.5), while female participants had a mean age of 42.1 years (SD = 16.2).
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, the plant families Anacardiaceae, Asteraceae, and Malvaceae each contain four genera; Annonaceae, Arecaceae, Solanaceae, Lamiaceae, and Poaceae each contain three genera; and Burseraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Myrtaceae, and Zingiberaceae each contain two genera, with all other families represented by a single genus.
• A Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) of seven categorical variables describing ethnobotanical practices in Quitexe, Angola, revealed distinct gender-associated patterns in plant utilization.
• The municipality of Quitexe, located in the southern part of the Uíge province in northern Angola, covers an area of 3872 square kilometers.
• The primary route of administration for medicinal plants in Quitexe, Angola, was oral, accounting for 77.78% of cases.
• The study titled 'Ethnobotanical study of food plants used in traditional medicine in the municipality of Quitexe, Angola' received ethical clearance from the Ethics Committee of the National Scientific Council, Ministry of Higher Education, University, Scientific Research and Innovation of the Democratic Republic of Congo under reference number 005/PMT/CSN/RDC/023.
• In the ethnobotanical survey of Quitexe, Angola, the Fabaceae family was the most represented botanical family, accounting for 7 of the 57 identified plant species.
• The Fabaceae family is the most predominant plant family in the Quitexe, Angola study area in terms of both species and genera, likely due to the local environmental conditions being ecologically suitable for their growth.
• Multiple Correspondence Analysis was applied to seven categorical variables related to ethnobotanical practices in Quitexe, Angola: plant parts used, preparation methods, administration routes, sources of traditional knowledge, modes of knowledge transmission, species nativity status, and life form.
• The research team collected edible plants used by the local populations of Quitexe, Angola, utilizing pruning shears, a digital camera, GPS for phytogeographical localization, and cardboard sheets and newspapers for creating herbaria.
• The researchers obtained informed consent orally from each informant in their native language prior to the commencement of data collection for the study on food plants in Quitexe, Angola.
• The frequent citation of multipurpose species like Cocos nucifera and Canarium schweinfurthii in the Quitexe, Angola study aligns with their economic and nutritional versatility, as documented in tropical ethnobotanical literature cited as [33].
• The high Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) values for plants like Mangifera indica, Aframomum melegueta, and Vitex species indicate their significant cultural salience and broad therapeutic or nutritional applications within the studied communities in Quitexe, Angola.
• The Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) values for specific plants in the Quitexe, Angola study are: Mangifera indica (0.043), Aframomum melegueta (0.039), Vitex madiensis (0.039), Vitex doniana (0.035), Monodora myristica (0.035), Corymbia citriodora (0.032), and Mentha × piperita (0.0303).
• Anemia was the most frequently cited health condition treated with edible plants in the study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, accounting for 11.97% of reported ailments.
• The article 'Ethnobotanical study of food plants used in traditional medicine in the municipality of Quitexe, Angola' is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, female informants were primarily associated with the use of aerial plant parts (leaves, inflorescences), boiled preparations (decoction and infusion), and oral or dermal administration routes.
• The Quitexe inhabitants of Angola maintain a lifestyle closely intertwined with the consumption of plants, particularly those with medicinal properties.
• The article 'Ethnobotanical study of food plants used in traditional medicine in the municipality of Quitexe, Angola' is authored by M. Mawunu, N. Mampasi, M. de Carvalho, and others, and was published in the journal 'Discover Social Science and Health' in 2025.
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, 89.5% of informants reported that their knowledge of food plants and their medicinal uses was transmitted through family members (parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts).
• The ethnobotanical study in Quitexe, Angola documented 57 plant species, classifying 60.4% as native and 39.6% as exotic.
• In the Quitexe municipality of Angola, male participants in the ethnobotanical study were significantly older than female participants (F(1, 213) = 8.60; p = 0.0037).
• An ethnobotanical survey conducted between September 2023 and April 2024 in the municipality of Quitexe, Angola, identified 57 edible plant species across 30 botanical families used by 287 local inhabitants for nutritional and medicinal purposes.
• Decoction was the predominant method of preparing edible plants for medicinal use in Quitexe, Angola, representing 24.32% of preparation methods.
• The study in Quitexe, Angola, aimed to: (1) characterize the socio-demographic profile of the informants; (2) identify and describe local plant biodiversity with dual-use (nutritional and medicinal) attributes; and (3) document the plant parts used, modes of preparation and administration, and the human ailments treated with these phytotherapeutic remedies.
• In the ethnobotanical study conducted in Quitexe, Angola, knowledge transmission pathways for medicinal plants differed by gender: informal observation and oral learning were associated with female informants, while community elder–based transmission was aligned with male informants.