Therapeutic Plants Used for Maintaining/Enhancing Health Conditionsin Owode-Yewa South Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria: An Ethno-Pharmacological Survey

Herbal therapy involves the use of plant-based products for therapeutic purposes and remains a popular and effective treatment option for various illnesses. This study aimed to conduct an ethnobotanical survey of therapeutic plants used for maintaining/enhancing health conditions in Owode-Yewa South Local Government, Ogun State, Nigeria. A total of 50 questionnaires were distributed to gather information about the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of diseases. The collected data were analyzed using Excel 2016 and SPSS 20.Results revealed that sixty (60) therapeutic plants were identified for treating or maintainingthirty (30) different illnesses, with trees (49%) and shrubs (31%) being the most common types. The leaves (42%) and bark (19%) were the most frequently utilized parts of the plants, while decoction (49%) was the predominant method of preparation, with water (67%) serving as the primary solvent. Large number of the plants are mono-therapeutic while few are known as poly-therapeutic while majority of treated of maintained illnesses are Infectious  (47%). This study contributes valuable insights into the medicinal plants used in the local area and highlights the urgent need for conservation efforts and the integration of these practices into formal healthcare systems.