ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN THE TREATMENT OF COUGH IN AKOKO REGION, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Ethnobotanical knowledge is a cornerstone of traditional healthcare systems, particularly in rural regions where medicinal plants are widely used to treat common ailments. This study explores the diversity, usage, and perceived efficacy of ethnobotanical plants employed for cough treatment in Akoko Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria. Herb sellers, Students, farmers, traders, civil servants and artisan were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire. A sample size of 200 respondents was randomly selected. The questionnaire considered the local plant’s names, common names, families, plant parts used, mode of preparation and administration. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis and inferential statistics. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was conducted to evaluate the influence of plant species and geographic location on treatment outcomes, yielding non-significant results for both species (F = 1.230, p = 0.210) and location (F = 0.179, p = 0.911). These findings suggest that the effectiveness of cough treatments is consistent across different plant species and locations within the study area. The results revealed that, a total of 36 plant species from 14 families were documented for their therapeutic use against cough. The most commonly used plant families were Fabaceae (4) .The highest relative frequency of citation (RFC) was recorded for Terminalia avicennioides (10.5%), Kigelia africana (7%), and Garcinia kola (7%). The study highlights the rich repository of ethnobotanical knowledge in Akoko, emphasizing the need for pharmacological studies to validate the efficacy of these plants and conservation efforts to ensure their sustainable use in traditional medicine.