Ethnomycological study of macromycetes used by the population of Mont-Ngafula, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Research Article
Open Access Research Journal of Science and Technology, 2021, 02(01), 001–014.
Article DOI: 10.53022/oarjst.2021.2.1.0043
Publication history:
Received on 10 July 2021; revised on 22 August 2021; accepted on 24 August 2021
Abstract:
The present study is a contribution to the improvement of knowledge on fungal species of food and medicinal interest, their frequency of appreciation and consumption as well as their uses. The mycological surveys were carried out between August 10 and November 10, 2020. During this study, we used the survey-participation technique thru an interview. Participants were randomly selected and the sample size was 138. The focus was mainly on the description of macroscopic characters, to identify various taxa encountered. Data coding, analysis, and processing were done with Microsoft Excel 2016 and SPSS version 20.0The statistical analysis was based on association tests of Chi-square and Pearson correlation, at 5%. The findings show that22 taxa of fungi grouped in 5 families divided into 3 orders were listed. Termito mycesgenus was the most represented with 11 species. These species are used as food and as source of drugs. Statistical analysis revealed that the taxa of Termitomyces and Auriculariawere the most appreciated. Taxa of Termitomyces were considered by the majority of respondents to be the most valued while Auricularia are considered to be the most popular all year round, followed by Schizophyllum commune. Statistical analysis did not show any link between age groups and frequency of appreciation We found that the proportion of respondents' gender profiles is predominantly female, which are also involved in mushroom-related activities in this area. However, statistical analysisshowed that women are very highly significantly related to the mycological activity profiles listed. The endogenous mycological knowledge held by the population of Mont-Ngafula, is a good start for constituting the fungal database of Kinshasa city. This study is only the beginning of a research that can be extended to the whole city and other Congolese provinces. In the future, research should be initiated on the inventory of edible and/or medicinal mushrooms of the city of Kinshasa.
Keywords:
Ethnomycology; Macromycetes; Uses; Mont Ngafula; Kinshasa
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