Knowledge and uses of Quassia africana (Simaroubaceae) by Mongo, Yaka and Yombe people living in Kinshasa city, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The objective of this study was to contribute to the valorization of the Quassia africana plant, a medicinal plant with multiple uses. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out through a questionnaire submitted to the selected respondents. The results indicate that Q. africana treats 21 diseases of which malaria is the most credible. The Vm index shows that the Yaka and Yombe ethnic groups have a better knowledge of the uses of the plant species than the Mongo. While for the IGKP index, the three socio-cultural groups have the same level of knowledge of the uses of the plant. However, the Mongo people give much more importance to Q. africana (VUE=3.63) than the other two socio-cultural groups, notably the Yaka (VUE=3.41) and the Yombe (VUE=3.38). This study thus made it possible to provide information on the perception of the local populations regarding the frequency and condition of Q. africana in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Given that this species is increasingly exploited in Traditional Medicine and considered as a resource or source of income, it is therefore essential to understand how this plant develops (phenology), reproduces and its ecological requirements for domestication.

Keywords: Traditional pharmacopoeia, Quassia africana, vulnerability index, conservation, Kinshasa