Ethnobotanical survey of plants used in the Maasai food system and traditional medicine against gout and associated conditions in Monduli-Tanzania

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to determine the plant species used against gout and gout-associated conditions (GACs) in Monduli, Arusha, Tanzania. The survey that involved 21 Maasai traditional food system (TFS) and traditional medicine (TM) practitioners revealed that the study area had 101 plant species distributed in 84 genera and 42 families. About 79% of the species were used as medicine; some were used as food or for processing. The medicinal plants (MPs) managed 69 health conditions including gout, "Olgila" and GACs. The MPs had potential nutritional and antioxidant agents against diseases including metabolic diseases (MDs), like gout. The root parts of the plants (54% species) were exploited the most; most plants (94%) were sourced from the wild. Integrated conservation and promotion measures are needed to prevent loss of TFS and TM knowledge.