Evaluation of traditional knowledge and uses of medicinal plants among the Bapindi of Yoko village, Kwilu Province (Democratic Republic of the Congo) / Évaluation des connaissances et usages traditionnels des plantes médicinales chez les Bapindi du village Yoko, Province du Kwilu (République Démocratique du Congo)

Description of the subject. This study focuses on the inventory and use of medicinal plants by the Bapindi community of Yoko village, located in the Bahungana grouping, on the outskirts of Kikwit (DRC). Objective. The study aims to identify the plant species used in traditional pharmacopoeia by the Bapindi in order to promote and preserve the indigenous knowledge of this local community. Methods. An ethnobotanical survey coupled with direct observations was conducted among 100 informants from the Bapindi tribe in Yoko village. Data were collected through focus group discussions, targeting the species used, plant parts harvested, methods of preparation and administration, treated ailments, and modes of knowledge transmission. Results. The inventory reveals 52 medicinal plant species, distributed across 46 genera and 26 families, among which Rubiaceae predominate (12 %). Leaves constitute the primary plant parts used (45 %). These resources are mostly harvested from forests (45 %) and herbaceous formations (35%). The most frequently treated pathologies are hemorrhoids (23 %), diabetes (17%), and malaria (15 %). Intergenerational transmission of this knowledge occurs orally and practically, mainly through family inheritance (60 %), apprenticeship (25 %), and social relations (10 %). Conclusion. These practices reflect a dynamic and continuous interaction between the Bapindi population and the floristic resources of their environment. In-depth phytochemical and pharmacological studies are required to scientifically validate this knowledge and consider the domestication of these species of interest.