Abstract

In this study, the reliability of informant consensus as a method of selecting medicinal plants for pharmacological screening was tested. Ten plants were selected based on the method and screened for antidiabetic properties using animal experimental model of the disease. The plants were selected from a list of medicinal plants obtained from a botanical survey of the region. A correlation between the two sets of data (Informant vs Experimental ranking orders) was examined. The results show that all the extracts of the selected plants (200 mg/kg) exhibited various degrees of blood glucose lowering activity. Vernonia amygdalina(67%), Calotropis procera (59%), Cassia gorotensis  (53%) and Magnifera indica(35%) extracts produced a significant (P < 0.0.5%) reduction in blood glucose levels in diabetic rats while Angeissus leiocarpus (30%), Cassia arereh (19%),Gossypium hirsutum (17%), Khaya senegalensis  (4%), Senna occidentalis (4%) and Moringa oleifera (4%) produced a non significant (P < 0.05%) effect. V. amygdalina was ranked highest both by the informant consensus and biological evaluation. There was a significant correlation (Rs = 0.8897) between the two sets of data. The study concluded that, informant consensus is a reliable method of selecting medicinal plant for pharmacological evaluation.

Key words: Informant consensus, diabetes mellitus, medicinal plants, screening.