Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants and Conservation Status Used to Treat Human and Livestock Ailments in Fadis District, Eastern Ethiopia

Tahir Abdala,Chala Tamiru,Bekele Kindie

doi:10.11648/j.ijhnm.20210701.12

Abstract

This study was conducted to document medicinal plants, and indigenous knowledge, used to treat human and animal ailments. Eighteen key informants were selected purposely and eighty one informants were selected randomly. Ethnobotanical data were gathered using semi-structured interviews, field observations and group discussions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Ethnomedicinal use of forty plant species was recorded distributed as twenty one families. Solanaceae were the highest number of medicinal plants consisting of 6 (28.57%) species followed by Fabaceae (14.29) species. 18 plant species were used to treat humans, 2 species used to treat livestock and 20 were used for both human and livestock disease. The growth habits of medicinal plants shrubs were highly constituted (47.5%) followed by herbs (32.5%). Poundings is the highest method of preparation constituted (29.41%) followed by crushing (16.80%). The most common used plant parts were the leaves (36.36%) followed by roots (19.69%). The most commonly used route of administration was oral followed by dermal. Stomachache, Malaria, evil eye, headache, and intestinal parasite the highest ICF value > 93. People in the study area have their own ways of managing health problems of humans and livestock. The study indicated that the Fedis district possesses rich indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants and it’s used to treat animal and livestock diseases. The major threats to MPs and associated knowledge are lost due to agricultural expansion, charcoal productions, and unsustainable use of medicinal values.

Highlights

Ethno botany is the study practice of a particular culture and religion of people used to indigenous knowledge and traditional medicinal plants
The informant consensus obtained during this study indicated that some medicinal plant species are more popular than others
Ethno-botanical data collected from the study area by means of field walk indicated most of the local people used traditional medicine prepared from plant parts during infection for both humans and livestock in different dosages based on the type of ailments

Summary

Introduction

Ethno botany is the study practice of a particular culture and religion of people used to indigenous knowledge and traditional medicinal plants. In Ethiopia plants have been used as a medicine to treat different diseases integrated with indigenous knowledge and culture. People have continuously developed knowledge of traditional medicinal plant use and its supply administration. In many parts of Ethiopia people depend on traditional knowledge and medicinal plants used to meet their primary health care requirements and income. Diverse grouping of public and cultural experiences of the country contributed to rich indigenous knowledge and using medicinal plants to treat human and livestock ailments. About 80% of the human population and 90% of livestock depend on traditional medicine in the country [15]. Traditional medicine has been used for thousands of years with great contributions by practitioners to human health, as primary health care providers at the community

Methods

Results

Conclusion