The phytotherapeutic knowledge of the Kongo people in the territories of Kisantu and Mbanza-Ngungu in Kongo-Central Province (DR Congo) is rapidly eroding. To document the remaining knowledge, we conducted an ethnobotanical survey on the most important medicinal plant species and diseases treated with them, as well as plants with therapeutic potential. We also checked for the cultural similarity in medicinal plant knowledge between the two territories and how knowledge about Kongo medicinal plants differs between different social groups. From June 2017 until February 2018 and from February 2019 until April 2019, we conducted a survey with 188 phytotherapists, selected using the snowball method and surveyed using semi-structured interviews. Voucher specimens were taken for identification. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using medicinal use value (UVs), informant agreement ratio (IARs), informant consensus factor (ICF), and species therapeutic potential (STP). Rahman’s similarity index was used for ethno-cultural comparison of medicinal plant knowledge between the two communities. Medicinal knowledge between different social groups was analyzed using non-parametric tests and Poisson regression. A total of 231 plants (i.e., 227 botanical species, representing 192 genera and 79 families) were reportedly used to treat 103 diseases. Most abundant taxa were reported for the Fabaceae family (including 11.9% of species and 10.9% of genera). Most reported species (45.0%) were from anthropized areas. Leaves (39.4%), herbs (37.1%), decoction (41.7%), and oral ingestion (72%) were the most frequently cited plant part, botanical form, preparation, and administration method, respectively. Four of all inventoried species showed high UVS (> 0.05), whereas eight had an IAR of one. According to ICF, 31 diseases were mentioned. Highest ICF (≥ 0.4) was observed for hemorrhoids (0.44), amoebiasis (0.43), and itchy rash (0.42). Fifty-four plant species were identified as likely possessing an interesting therapeutic potential. Low ethno-cultural similarity in medicinal knowledge (RSI = 16.6%) was found between the two territories. Analysis of the Kongo medicinal plant knowledge showed that the mean number of reported species and diseases vary considerably depending on gender, type, and residence of therapists (P < 0.05). Results prove that the Kongo phytopharmacopeia makes use of interesting medicinal plant species that could be further studied for conservation and pharmacological applications.

中文翻译：

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刚果民主共和国金戈中部省Kisantu和Mbanza-Ngungu领土使用的药用植物的民族植物学表征

在刚果（金）刚果（金）的基桑图和姆班扎－恩古古（Kbanang）地区的孔戈人对植物的治疗知识正在迅速消失。为了记录剩余的知识，我们对最重要的药用植物物种和用其治疗的疾病以及具有治疗潜力的植物进行了民族植物学调查。我们还检查了两个地区在药用植物知识方面的文化相似性，以及不同社会群体之间关于金刚药用植物的知识有何不同。从2017年6月至2018年2月以及从2019年2月至2019年4月，我们对188名植物治疗师进行了调查，他们采用滚雪球法选出并通过半结构化访谈进行了调查。拿取凭证样本进行识别。民族植物学数据使用药用价值（UVs），知情同意率（IAR），知情共识因子（ICF）和物种治疗潜力（STP）进行了分析。拉赫曼相似度指数用于两个社区之间药用植物知识的民族文化比较。使用非参数检验和泊松回归分析了不同社会群体之间的医学知识。据报告，总共使用了231种植物（即代表192属79个科的227种植物）来治疗103种疾病。据报道，豆科最多的分类单元（包括11.9％的物种和10.9％的属）。报道最多的物种（45.0％）来自人类居住地区。叶子（39.4％），草药（37.1％），煎剂（41.7％）和口服（72％）是最常被提及的植物部分，植物形式，制剂和给药方法。所有清单物种中有四个显示出较高的UVS（> 0.05），而八个具有IAR的IAR。根据ICF，提到了31种疾病。痔疮（0.44），阿米巴病（0.43）和瘙痒性皮疹（0.42）的ICF最高（≥0.4）。已确定有54种植物可能具有有趣的治疗潜力。在两个地区之间发现医学知识的民族文化相似性低（RSI = 16.6％）。对金刚药用植物知识的分析表明，所报告物种和疾病的平均数量因治疗师的性别，类型和居住地而异（P <0.05）。