10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Dementia is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive decline in memory, reasoning, behaviour, and the ability to perform everyday activities. It has a rising burden in Nigeria, where access to orthodox treatment is limited, and caregivers often resort to alternative, nature-based remedies. Despite the widespread use of natural remedies in dementia management, ethnopharmacological documentation of this practice is limited. This study aimed to document nature-based remedies used to manage dementia in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, their pattern of use, and to examine the pharmacological evidence supporting the most frequently reported remedies. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional descriptive study design was used to identify and document nature-based remedies among sixty caregivers of dementia patients at Brafem Geriatric Foundation and the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital. A total of 53.4% of dementia caregivers reported awareness of natural remedies used for dementia. The most frequently reported remedies were Moringa oleifera (58.5%), local herbal mixtures (47.2%), and Garcinia kola (45.3%), while Curcuma longa, Ginkgo biloba, and coconut oil were also identified. About 25% of caregivers used both drugs and herbal remedies, and only half of these informed their doctor. Remedies were perceived as safe, affordable, readily available, and effective with no side effects reported. A review of the pharmacological studies showed that the four most frequently reported plants possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cholinesterase-inhibitory activities, which may contribute to their neuroprotective effects. This study contributes to the preservation of indigenous knowledge and identifies medicinal plants that warrant further phytochemical, pharmacological, and clinical evaluation for dementia management.