Ethnopharmacological Study of Plants Used in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus Among the Tiv People of Benue State, North Central Nigeria

Diabetes mellitus is increasingly prevalent among the Tiv people of Benue State, North Central Nigeria, where herbal medicine constitutes a first-line response to chronic disease management in many communities. This ethnopharmacological study documents and analyses the medicinal plants used by the Tiv for managing diabetes mellitus. Field research was conducted in Gboko, Makurdi, and Katsina-Ala local government areas using semi-structured questionnaires administered to 60 traditional healers and herbal practitioners selected by purposive sampling. Voucher specimens were deposited at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi herbarium. Ethnobotanical indices including use-value, relative importance, and informant consensus factor were calculated. Twenty-six plant species distributed across 17 families were documented. Momordica charantia, Catharanthus roseus, and Gongronema latifolium were the most frequently cited. The Apocynaceae and Cucurbitaceae families showed the highest representation. Stem bark and leaf preparations in decoction form were the most prevalent modes of use. Several documented species had scientific literature supporting hypoglycaemic activity, lending ethnopharmacological credibility to the reported uses. The study identifies knowledge holders primarily in the 50-70 age bracket, raising concerns about intergenerational transmission. Recommendations include systematic antidiabetic bioassay evaluation of the most-cited species. Keywords: diabetes mellitus, ethnopharmacology, Tiv, Benue State, hypoglycaemic plants