Ethno-botanical survey of wild food plants in the Territory of Mobayi-Mbongo (Nord-Ubangi) in the Democratic Republic of Congo

In Africa in general, and in Democratic Republic of the Congo in particular, spontaneous plants represent one of the main sources of food in rural areas. They occupy a special place because of their medicinal and nutritional properties. In the present study, a survey was conducted in the Mobayi-Mbongo Territory (Nord-Ubangi) in order to identify these plants. The results obtained allowed the establishment of a floristic list of 30 species. The leaf is the most used organ with (72.2%), followed by fruit (13.9%), flower and root (5.6% each) and bark (2.8%) respectively. 53.3% of the listed plants are consumed as sources of nutritional supplements while 46.7% are used as nutraceuticals. 33.3% of these plants are harvested from fallow land. Cooking is the most commonly used method of preparation (93.8%) while 6.3% of the plants listed are consumed raw. 46.7% of these plants are also used as medicines to treat 23 common diseases. Therefore, efforts must be made to better understand these plants, their use and conservation. To achieve this, it will be necessary to conduct nutritional and toxicological analysis of the species identified and conduct domestication tests, particularly for those in danger of extinction. It would also be beneficial to deepen research on the phytochemistry of some spontaneous plants of this eco-region in order to identify the secondary metabolites responsible for biological activities. 

Keywords: Endogenous knowledge, spontaneous plant, nutraceuticals, Oubanguian eco-region, Democratic Republic of Congo