Abstract
In northern Benin, several agroforestry species are nectar-producing, with high medicinal and food values. These species are currently threatened by the destruction of their habitats caused by deforestation and agriculture, mainly cotton production. Considering their importance for humans and beekeeping, this investigation was carried out in one of the most important honey production areas in Benin. Individual interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to identify the medicinal and food plants associated with honey production. Data were collected on food and medicinal uses, beekeepers’ preferences in the choice of melliferous species and constraints faced for honey and medicinal species conservation in the areas studied. From these data, 46 species of medicinal and food species were identified as melliferous. Thus, nine new species were added to the list of melliferous species in Benin. Most of the species are also used as sources of human food or medicine in traditional set up. Species preferred by beekeepers were those that provide large amounts of sweet, fragrant hone. It appears that honey from 11 plant species with a high use value was clearly recognized by beekeepers who are involved in various human diseases’ treatment. The constraints hampering the management of these melliferous species are extensive farming, animal husbandry, anarchic logging. This study brings us the avenues for modernization of beekeeping and the possibility of producing therapeutic honey.
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Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by the Rufford Small Grant for the Conservation (United Kingdom) through a Grant provided to Anicet G. DASSOU in 2017. We are grateful to local communities who participated in this research. The authors thank Dr Bonaventure Aman Omondi, Bioversity International—Benin, for language editing.
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Appendices
Appendix 1
Family | Scientific name | Common name | Life form | Status | Using parts | Usages | UV = SUi/N |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moringaceae | Moringa oleifera Lam. | Drumstick tree, ben oil tree, horseradish tree | Shrub | Cultivated | Leaves, fruits, roots, bark | Fruits, remedy for malaria, belly ache, diarrhea, fever, kidney damage, painful menstruation, head ache, ulcer, hemorrhoids, dysentery, colds | 0.50 |
Sapotaceae | Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn. ssp. Paradoxa | Shea butter tree | Tree | Wild | Leaves, roots, bark | Remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, diarrhea, fever, painful rules, ulcer, wound, hemorrhoid, paralysis, cough, cold, dysentery | 0.50 |
Fabaceae | Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. | East Indian walnut, lebbeck, siris tree | Tree | Wild | Fruits, seeds, leaves and bark | Edible fruit, remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, diarrhea, fever, ulcer, wound, hemorrhoid and dysentery | 0.42 |
Poaceae | Oryza sp. L. | Rice tree | Herb | Cultivated | Fruits, seeds, leaves, roots, bark | Edible fruits, remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, diarrhea, fever, painful menstruation, ulcer, wound healing, colds, dysentery | 0.42 |
Bombacaceae | Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. | Kapok tree, silk-cotton tree | Tree | Wild | Fruits, leaves, bark | Remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, diarrhea, kidney damage, painful rulers, hemorrhoids, anemia, dysentery | 0.38 |
Apocynaceae | Calotropis procera (Aiton) W.T.Aiton | Apple of Sodom | Suffrutex | Wild | Leaves, seeds, fruits | Edible fruit, remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, diarrhea, fever, ulcer, hemorrhoid, icterus | 0.33 |
Anacardiaceae | Mangifera indica L. | Mango tree | Tree | Cultivated | Fruits, leaves, bark | Edible fruits, remedy for malaria, painful menstruation, ulcer, healing of wounds, hemorrhoids, anemia | 0.33 |
Myrtaceae | Psidium guajava L. | Guava tree | Shrub | Cultivated | Leaves, bark, fruits, roots | Edible fruit, remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, diarrhea, fever, kidney damage, painful menstruation, colds | 0.33 |
Annonaceae | Annona senegalensis Pers. | Wild custard apple | Shrub | Wild | Leaves, roots, bark | Remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, ulcer, fever, dysentery | 0.25 |
Rubiaceae | Sarcocephalus latifolius (Sm.) E.A. Bruce | English African peach, Guinea peach, Negro peach | Shrub | Wild | Leaves, roots, bark | Remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, diarrhea, fever, cold, fever | 0.25 |
Fabaceae | Senna obtusifolia (L.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby | Foetid Sassia (or “cassia”), Sickle Senna, coffeeweed | Herb | Wild | Leaves | Remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, diarrhea, fever, eteins | 0.21 |
Combretaceae | Anogeissus leiocarpa (DC.) Guill. & Perr. | African birch | Tree | Wild | Leaves, bark | Remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, diarrhea, cold | 0.17 |
Fabaceae | Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth. | Acacia-tree, Earleaf Acacia, black wattle, wattle | Tree | Plantation and naturalized situation | Leaves, bark | Remedy for fever, colds, cold | 0.13 |
Rutaceae | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. | Lemon | Shrub | Cultivated | Leaves, fruits | Edible fruit, remedy for malaria, abdominal pains | 0.13 |
Fabaceae | Daniellia oliveri (Rolfe)Hutch. & Dalziel | African copaiba balsam tree | Tree | Wild | Leaves, bark | Remedy for fever, kidney damage, malaria | 0.13 |
Myrtaceae | Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. | Red river gum, Murray red gum, River red eucalyptus | Tree | plantation and naturalized situation | Fruits, roots, bark | Edible fruit, remedy for painful menstruation, ulcer | 0.13 |
Moraceae | Ficus glumosa Delile | Hairy rock fig, mountain rock fig | Tree | Wild | Leaves | Remedy for malaria, fever, colds | 0.13 |
Euphorbiaceae | Jatropha curcas L. | Physic nut, Barbados nut, poison nut | Shrub | Cultivated | Leaves, bark, roots | Remedy for malaria, abdominal pains, dysentery | 0.13 |
Fabaceae | Acacia sieberiana DC. | Paperbark Acacia | Tree | Wild | Fruits, leaves, bark | Remedy for healing of wounds | 0.08 |
Bombacaceae | Adansonia digitata L. | Baobab, dead-rat tree | Tree | Wild | Leaves | Remedy for malaria | 0.08 |
Anacardiaceae | Anacardium occidentale L. | Cashew, Caju. | Tree | Plantation and naturalized situation | Fruits, leaves | Edible fruit, remedy for fever | 0.08 |
Caricaceae | Carica papaya L. | Papaya tree | Tree | Cultivated | Leaves, roots | Remedy for abdominal pains, head ache | 0.08 |
Fabaceae | Detarium microcarpum Guill. & Perr. | Sweet dattock | Tree | Wild | Leaves, bark | Remedy for abdominal pains, fever | 0.08 |
Rubiaceae | Gardenia ternifolia Schumach. & Thonn | Large-leaved common gardenia, large-leaved Transvaal gardenia | Shrub | Wild | Leaves, roots | Remedy for malaria, fever | 0.08 |
Meliaceae | Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A.Juss. | African mahogany, dry zone mahogany | Tree | Wild | Leaves, bark | Remedy for malaria, toothache | 0.08 |
Fabaceae | Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex Benth | African locust bean, locust bean | Tree | Wild | Fruits, seeds, leaves | Food, remedy for malaria | 0.08 |
Solanaceae | Physalis minima L. | Wild cape gooseberry and pygmy groundcherry | Herb | Wild | Fruits, leaves | Edible fruit, remedy for colds | 0.08 |
Poaceae | Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench | Sorghum, sorgo | Herb | Cultivated | Fruits, seeds, leaves | Food, remedy for malaria | 0.08 |
Verbenaceae | Tectona grandis L.f. | Teak | Tree | Plantation and naturalized situation | Leaves, bark | Remedy for malaria, anemia | 0.08 |
Poaceae | Zea mays L. | Maize | Herb | Cultivated | Fruits, seeds, leaves | Food, remedy for malaria | 0.08 |
Malvaceae | Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench | Okra, okro, lady’s fingers | Herb | Cultivated | Leaves and fruits | Food | 0.04 |
Fabaceae | Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile | Babul, babool, prickly acacia, black piquant | Shrub | Wild | Leaves, roots, bark | Remedy for fever | 0.04 |
Meliaceae | Azadirachta indica A.Juss. | Neem, nimtree | Tree | Plantation and naturalized situation | Leaves | Abdominal pains | 0.04 |
Rutaceae | Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, 1765 | Sweet orange | Tree | Cultivated | Fruits | Food | 0.04 |
Euphorbiaceae | Flueggea virosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) Voigt | White berry-bush | Shrub | Wild | Leaves | Remedy for abdominal pains | 0.04 |
Verbenaceae | Gmelina arborea Roxb. | Gmelina | Tree | Plantation and naturalized situation | Fruits, seeds | Remedy for healing of wounds | 0.04 |
Malvaceae | Gossypium sp. L. | Cotton tree | Herb | Cultivated | Leaves, roots | Remedy for malaria | 0.04 |
Lamiaceae | Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit. | American mint, bush mint, chan, horehound, pignut | Herb | Wild | Leaves | Remedy for malaria | 0.04 |
Solanaceae | Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. | Tomato | Herb | Cultivated | Leaves, bark | Remedy for abdominal pains | 0.04 |
Flacourtiaceae | Oncoba spinosa Forssk. | Snuffbox tree | Shrub | Wild | Fruits, seeds | Food | 0.04 |
Poaceae | Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br. | Pearl millet | Herb | Cultivated | Leaves, bark | Remedy for malaria | 0.04 |
Fabaceae | Senna occidentalis (L.) Link | Antbush, coffee Senna, Negro coffee | Herb | Wild | Leaves, roots | Remedy for healing of wounds | 0.04 |
Fabaceae | Senna siamea (Lam.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby | Kassod tree, cassod tree and cassia tree | Tree | Wild | Fruits | Food | 0.04 |
Solanaceae | Solanum macrocarpon L. | African eggplant | Herb | Cultivated | Leaves | Food | 0.04 |
Combretaceae | Terminalia glaucescens Planch. ex Benth. | – | Tree | Wild | Bark | Energetic | 0.04 |
Fabaceae | Vigna unguiculata L. | Black-eyed pea, cowpea | Herb | Cultivated | Leaves, fruits, seeds | Food | 0.04 |
Appendix 2: Categorization, frequency distribution and number of plants involving in each reuse
Use category | Use | Specific use | Frequency | Number of plants reported |
---|---|---|---|---|
Medicinal | Gastrointestinal | Abdominal disorders | 17 | 26 |
Ulcer | 6 | 8 | ||
Hemorrhoids | 4 | 3 | ||
Dysentery | 5 | 7 | ||
Wounds | 4 | 3 | ||
Diarrhea | 7 | 11 | ||
Infectious | Malaria | 11 | 26 | |
Fever | 11 | 16 | ||
Icterus | 1 | 1 | ||
Respiratory system | Cold | 6 | 9 | |
Cough | 1 | 1 | ||
Urinary system | Kidney damage | 2 | 4 | |
Reproductive system | Painful menstruation | 3 | 5 | |
Muscular | Energetic | 1 | 1 | |
Circular system | Anemia | 2 | 3 | |
Nervous system | Paralysis | 1 | 1 | |
Buccal | toothache | 1 | 1 | |
Food | Food | Vegetable leaves | 3 | 4 |
Vegetable fruits | 1 | 2 | ||
Fruits | 12 | 13 | ||
Cereal | 1 | 5 |
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Dassou, A.G., Ogouchoro, D., Vodouhe, F.G. et al. Ethnoapicultural investigation to improve conservation status of threatened melliferous agroforestry species with high medicinal and food values in Benin. Agroforest Syst 94, 539–553 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-019-00423-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-019-00423-2