Documentation of traditional medicinal plants use in Ensaro District, Ethiopia: Implications for plant biodiversity and indigenous knowledge conservation

Abstract

IntroductionPeople around the world have been using medicinal plants to treat myriad of diseases throughout history. This study was conducted in Ensaro District in Ethiopia to identify medicinal plant species used by the local community to treat various human ailments. MethodsA total of 389 informants (283 males and 106 women) were chosen to collect ethnobotanical data. Semi-structured interviews, participant observation, guided field walks, and focus group discussions were used to collect ethnobotanical data. ResultThe study documented 142 medicinal plant species distributed in 125 genera and 56 Families that were used to treat 52 ailments. The majority of these medicinal plant species were collected from wild habitats. The most used families were Fabaceae (14 species) followed by Lamiaceae and Solanaceae (9 species each). Most of these plants were herbs, followed by shrubs. ConclusionFindings from this study showed that medicinal plants and their usage in human daily activities and disease management cannot be ignored neither can it be over-emphasized, especially, in developing countries where there is limited resources for procuring and accessing modern health services. This study also showed that medicinal plants and sustainable utilization could only be further enhanced. Our study further showed that the study area is rich in the diversity of medicinal plants used to treat human ailments.