ETHNOBOTANICAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF GALACTOGENIC PLANTS USED IN THE ZOU AND COLLINES DEPARTMENTS, BENIN

Exclusive breastfeeding remains uncommon in West Africa, partly because many mothers perceive themselves as not producing enough milk. Faced with this situation, women in the Zou and Collines departments, Benin, traditionally turn to plants reputed to be galactogenic. This study aimed to explore the diversity of these plant resources, identify the most consensual species among the surveyed population, and characterize its phytochemical profile. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted between April and June 2024 among 450 respondents across fifteen villages, selected through purposive sampling targeting traditional healers, herbalists and traditional birth attendants. The relative frequency of citation, the informant consensus factor, and principal component analyses were used to identify the most representative species and to characterize the structuring of its uses across sociolinguistic groups, prior to its phytochemical characterization through qualitative screening. Forty-five galactogenic species, belonging to 42 genera and 22 botanical families, were recorded, with Fabaceae largely dominating this diversity. Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels stood out as the most consensual species, with the highest relative frequency of citation, an informant consensus factor of 0.6979, and a medicinal and food use strongly associated with the Fon sociolinguistic group. Its phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, saponins and steroids, with a profile that varied according to the extraction solvent used. These findings confirm the relevance of the traditional knowledge surrounding Mondia whitei and provide a scientific basis for its future valorization as a galactogenic resource.