Background: Numerous drugs have entered the international market through exploration of ethnopharmacology and traditional medicine.
Aim: The need to document the beliefs and practice of our traditional healers, the wholesomeness and safety of some of indigenous extracts used in alternative medicine prompted this study.
Methods: Survey carried out between February 2011 and December 2011 in Ondo State and part of Oyo State on the usefulness of some local sources for alternative medicine showed that the people have strong belief in traditional medicine. A total of 200 respondents contacted filled-out the questionnaires.
Result: Majority of the studied population lived in the villages and semi urban areas of the States and within age range of 30 - 60. Aloe vera, Alma millsoni, Ganoderma lucidum and Archachatina maginata were reported to be useful for treatment of various ailments including labour pain, hypertension and diabetic. Though not without pockets of complications and mode of action not understood. Freshly prepared juice is safe and nutritious based on physicochemical profile but as storage progress at room temperature, bacterial contamination could be inimical to humans.
Conclusion: Therefore, careful thought must be made on the pros and coins of the effects of the local sources in alternative medicine or healthcare services. Governments at all level should encourage collaboration of western medicine and traditional medicine perhaps; there could be a way forward in treatment of problematic cases like HIV and cancer that have defiled current medical treatments.
Key words: Alternative medicine, Aloe vera, Alma millsoni, Ganoderma and Archachatina maginata, Healthcare
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