Documentation and identification of medicinal plants traded in Tanzania by means of DNA barcoding.

Abstract

Background Tanzania is rich in biodiversity and home to a lot of endemic plants that are used in treatment of diseases. The country continues to lose plant biodiversity through trade of medicinal plants. The medicinal plants are traded in the forms ranging from: raw state (leaves, bark and roots) to unprocessed fragmented materials (chips and slices), and semi-processed materials (powders, extracts and teas) which makes conventional identification challenging. In this study the use of DNA barcoding was trialled. Objectives The aim of this study was to identify medicinal plants that are trade in Tanzania by means of DNA barcoding. Methodology A total of 78 respondents were obtained using the “snowball” technique and personal communication. Data collected was done through local market survey using semi-structured questionnaire, botanical collection, literatures, and laboratory works. Microsoft Excel ware used to structure frequencies, percentage and figures. Result There is trade in medicinal plants in Dar-es-Salaam and Tanga regions. Most of these medicinal plants are collected from Coast, Tanga and Arusha regions. The trade is much on most important medicinal plants in the markets which include Zanthoxylum chalybeum Engl., Zanha africana (Radlk.) Exell, Cassia abbreviata Oliv., Albizia anthelmintica Brongn., Hymenaea verrucosa Gaertn., Rapanaea melanocephalus and Ximenia aegyptiaca L.. Threat to medicinal plants have been much on most important plants in the market and those affected through debarking which include: Albizia anthelmintica in Bwawa village and Afzelia quanzensis., Hymenaea verrucosa. and Pterocarpus bussei. Human activities have also impacted on the availability of medicinal plants. Molecular identification of medicinal plants was successful in identification 52% (n=27) of sample sequenced. There is high possibility of contamination of the sample sequenced especial to those that gave wrong identification.