Medicinal Plants Used to Manage Human and Livestock Ailments in Raya Kobo District of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.

Ashenafi Osman,Mirutse Giday,Desta Berhe Sbhatu,Tadaaki Satou

doi:10.1155/2020/1329170

Abstract

Plant-based traditional medicine is practiced in Raya Kobo district, Amhara Regional State, Northeastern Ethiopia, to manage different human and livestock ailments. However, the formal ethnobotanical survey that documented such knowledge is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to document the traditional knowledge on the use of medicinal plants to manage human and livestock ailments in the district. The study was conducted from January to July 2017 in five purposefully selected kebeles of the district. Ethnobotanical data were collected mainly using semistructured interviews conducted with 150 informants. In the five kebeles, 30 informants (15 males and 15 females) were selected using the stratified random sampling method from a list of traditional practitioners and knowledgeable individuals. Data were analyzed by employing descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The study documented a total of 91 medicinal plant species (distributed in 51 families) used in managing 38 human and 12 livestock ailments. Out of the total recorded plants species, 74 and 17 were used in managing human and livestock ailments, respectively. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts in the preparation of remedies, accounting for 53.1% of the total preparations. The three most common methods of remedy preparation were grinding/pounding (23.5%), crushing (19.8%), and boiling (14.5%). Preference ranking conducted by selected informants on eight medicinal plants used in treating human febrile illness locally called “mich” revealed that Ocimum urticifolium is the most preferred medicinal plant—an indication of its high potency against the disease, and therefore needs to be prioritized for future scientific investigation. The result of this study demonstrated the rich traditional knowledge and practices in the district on the use of medicinal plants in treating various human and livestock ailments. Deforestation and drought were reported to be the major factors in the district threatening the medicinal plants and the associated knowledge. Thus, concerted efforts have to be made to conserve this important heritage using every possible means.

Highlights

Estimates show that 80% of the population living in developing countries depends on traditional medicine for its healthcare needs [1]—a practice that largely relies on the use of plants. e high prevalence in the use of traditional medicine is mainly attributed to its low cost, efficacy, and better accessibility
Traditional medicine is serving as a source of knowledge in the development of many plantbased synthetic drugs—e.g., morphine used as analgesic is synthesized from Papaver somniferum, aspirin used as analgesic is synthesized from Filipendula ulmaria, and quinine used in treating malaria is synthesized from Cinchona pubescens [2]
An ethnobotanical study that aims to document the local use of medicinal plants is lacking. us, the aim of this study was to document the local knowledge on the use of medicinal plants in treating human and livestock ailments

Summary

Introduction

Estimates show that 80% of the population living in developing countries depends on traditional medicine for its healthcare needs [1]—a practice that largely relies on the use of plants. e high prevalence in the use of traditional medicine is mainly attributed to its low cost, efficacy, and better accessibility. Estimates show that 80% of the population living in developing countries depends on traditional medicine for its healthcare needs [1]—a practice that largely relies on the use of plants. E high prevalence in the use of traditional medicine is mainly attributed to its low cost, efficacy, and better accessibility. One report indicated that about 80% of the Ethiopian population is still dependent on traditional medicine principally using plants [4]. Traditional medicine is the most affordable and accessible source of treatment in the primary healthcare system of many communities of the country. The rich knowledge of traditional medicine that has been developed over thousands of years is being exposed to serious depletion mainly due to deforestation, environmental degradation, overexploitation, agricultural land expansion, acculturation, and limited practice of its documentation

Objectives

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Results