An Ethnoveterinary Study of Medicinal Plants Used for the Management of Livestock Ailments in Selected Kebeles of Dire Dawa Administration, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethnoveterinary study of medicinal plants in selected kebeles of Dire Dawa Administration, eastern Ethiopia was carried out with the aim of assessing and documenting the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used in the local communities. In Ethiopia traditional medicine is often used for the management of livestock aliments by various ethnic groups. About 90% of livestock population is said to be dependent on traditional medicine for primary healthcare services and most of these remedies come from plants. The study sites were selected purposefully based on the reconnaissance survey conducted prior to the actual study and recommendations of elders in the study area. Ethnoveterinary data collection was carried out from December to June 2016 from 48 informants using semi-structured interviews. The informants were with an average age of 46 years. Males were the leading representing (83%) of the respondents. Generally, (60%) of the respondents were above 50 years. A total of 33 ethnoveterinary medicinal plant species belonging to 30 genera and 20 families were documented and identified for treating 22 different livestock ailments. Most of the ethnoveterinary medicinal plants were collected from the wild (88%) and leaves were the most frequently used (38%) parts for remedy preparations. Oral application is the most frequently employed (64%), followed by the dermal application which accounts for 11%. There was a significant positive correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient, r= 0.39, at α = 0.05, p = 0.04) between the informants’ age and the number of species cited. However, there was a significant negative correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = -0.31, at α = 0.05, p < 0.001) between the number of species cited and the educational background of the informants. The information generated from this study can be used as baseline data for farther studies.