Establishment of a Digital Database for Traditional Herbal Medicines in Kenya

Abstract

Traditional complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) is widely used and accepted worldwide. In Africa, the use of TCAM is increasing, with a few countries having developed digital databases for their traditional medicines. Lack of such databases has led to the tendency of researchers and herbalists to return to nature in search of new drugs. However, going back to nature searching for TCAM is a challenge because most herbalists are less educated and are advanced in age to continuously and accurately provide information on medicinal plants. These pose a risk of forever losing the rich ethnomedical knowledge, hence, the need to develop a freely accessible, national digital database with medicinal plants. Creating such a comprehensive digital database will involve collecting necessary data through theses, online research articles, and published books. The database will contain vital information on botanical and vernacular names of medicinal plants in Kenya, parts of plants used to treat diseases, therapeutic uses, the phytochemical compounds, toxicity, and the target proteins/genes. Kenya, therefore, needs to develop a national, freely accessible digital database for its medicinal plants. The database will provide vital information on TCAM for health workers, scientists, herbalists, policy-makers, and educators in Kenya and worldwide to hasten drug discovery and development.