Survey of Medicinal Plants Used for the Management of Hypertension in Selected Communities in Rivers State, South South Nigeria

Hypertension has emerged as a major non-communicable disease burden in Rivers State, South South Nigeria, where a significant proportion of affected individuals rely on herbal remedies either exclusively or in combination with orthodox medications. This study surveys the medicinal plants used for hypertension management in Port Harcourt, Obio-Akpor, and Ikwerre local government areas. A cross-sectional ethnobotanical survey was carried out using structured interviews administered to traditional medicine practitioners, patent medicine vendors, and community residents. A total of 180 respondents participated. Plant specimens cited were collected from field locations and authenticated at the University of Port Harcourt Herbarium. Thirty-one plant species were documented, with Allium sativum, Hibiscus sabdariffa, and Ocimum gratissimum cited most frequently. Leaves constituted the most used plant part, and aqueous decoctions were the predominant preparation method. Informant consensus factor values were highest for cardiovascular applications, indicating consistent use patterns. The study noted a concerning lack of awareness of drug-herb interactions among respondents using concurrent antihypertensive medications. These findings recommend systematic pharmacological validation of the most-cited species and the integration of herb-drug interaction counselling into clinical pharmacy and community health outreach programmes in Rivers State. Keywords: hypertension, ethnobotany, Rivers State, medicinal plants, drug-herb interaction