Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Asagirt District, Northeastern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: The people in Ethiopia have developed their own specific knowledge to use, manage and conserve plant resources, giving traditional medicine its diverse nature. Documenting and investigating the traditional and cultural use of remedial plants is vital to extract bioactive chemicals and preserve plant species. This research was conducted with the aim of documenting ethnobotanical and associated knowledge on medicinal plants in Asagirt District, northeastern Ethiopia. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted from September 27, 2018, to April 9, 2019. A total of 367 informants (244 males and 123 females) were involved in the interviews. General informants (n = 349) were randomly selected, whereas key informants (n = 18) were selected purposively. Data were collected by using semistructured interviews, group discussions and guided field walks. We performed direct matrix ranking and preference ranking, and calculated the fidelity level and informant consensus factor (ICF). Descriptive statistics, including analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent sample t-test were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Overall, 103 medicinal plant species belonging to 96 genera under 45 plant families were recorded to be used by Asagirt people to alleviate different health problems. The species used to heal human diseases only were (64%, 66 species) followed by both livestock and human ailments (31%, 32 species) and livestock diseases only (5%, 5 species). Asteraceae and Fabaceae were best-represented (10.7%, 11 species each). The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (28%, 29 species), followed by seeds (16%, 17 species). The most important method of herbal remedy preparation was crushing (20.4%, 21 species). The common route of administration was oral (46.6%, 48 species), followed by dermal (22.3%, 23 species). Febrile illness, fever, headache, amoebiasis, typhoid and diarrhoea ailment categories had the highest ICF value (0.99). Ocimum lamiifolium Hochst. ex Benth. scored the maximum fidelity level value (98%). CONCLUSION: Asagirt District is comparatively rich in medicinal plants and their associated knowledge. However, firewood collection, construction, the expansion of agricultural activities and timber production are the major challenges to medicinal plants. Hence, joint management with the people in Asagirt District in overall medicinal plant conservation would save medicinal plant resources.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Adwa District, Central Zone of Tigray Regional State, Northern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants have been used for ages in Ethiopia. Some 887 plant species have been documented to heal human and livestock health problems. Documenting the traditional use of medicinal plants is a vital step in obtaining information on bioactive chemicals, preserving indigenous knowledge and ultimately interesting, medicinal plant species. We conducted this study with the aim of documenting the ethnobotanical knowledge associated with medicinal plant use in Adwa District, Northern Ethiopia. METHODS: The study was conducted from September 2018 to December 2019. A total of 393 informants (242 males and 151 females) were selected. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, guided walks and group discussions. We calculated informant consensus factors (ICF) and fidelity level (FL) and performed ranking and paired comparisons. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including independent sample t test and ANOVA. RESULTS: Overall, we documented 127 medicinal plants belonging to 105 genera, under 54 families to be used by local people to address 43 human and 15 livestock ailments. Families Fabaceae and Solanaceae were the most important ones with 11 (8.66%) species each. Herbs were the dominant growth form (55 species), followed by shrubs (39). The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (24.27%) followed by roots (14%). The most important preparation method was crushing and pounding (42.7%) followed by fumigation (smoke and vapour) (23, 11.1%). The common route of administration was via skin application (67 or 32%) followed by oral (63, 27%). ICF showed that tonsillitis had the higher value (0.95). Cucumis ficifolius A. Rich. was the most preferred medicinal plant (36) treating abdominal pain, followed by Kalanchoe quartiniana A. Rich. for blackleg (34). CONCLUSIONS: Adwa District is relatively rich in medicinal plant diversity and traditional knowledge on use, preparation and application of the medicinal flora. However, agricultural expansion (51%), overgrazing (43%) and drought (37%) were mentioned most when informants were asked about the threats to medicinal plants in Adwa District. Hence, on-site and off-site medicinal plant conservation would help protect medicinal plants in the district.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Ganta Afeshum District, Eastern Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Starting from the ancient time, the people of Ethiopia use medicinal plants as traditional medicine to heal different human and livestock ailments. This ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants was carried out in Ganta Afeshum District, Eastern Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, to identify medicinal plant species used by the local community to treat various human and livestock ailments. METHODS: A total of 78 informants (54 men and 24 women) were selected to collect ethnobotanical information from four study sites. Among the 78 informants, 20 key informants were selected purposefully; the other 58 informants were selected randomly by lottery method. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, field observations, guided field walks, and group discussions and were analyzed by preference ranking, paired comparison, direct matrix ranking, informant consensus factor, fidelity level (FL), use-value, independent samples t test, and Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: A total of 173 medicinal plants were collected and identified that were distributed across 77 families and 156 genera. The family Fabaceae stood first by contributing 17 (9.8%) species followed by Lamiaceae and Solanaceae with 9 (5.2%) species each. Rhamnus prinoides was reported for the treatment of many of the described diseases. One hundred sixteen (67.1%) medicinal plant species were collected from natural vegetation, 34 (19.7) were from home gardens, 13 (7.5%) from farmland, and 10 (5.8%) were from natural vegetation and home gardens. The most widely used life form was herbs (69 species, 39.9%) followed by shrubs (58 species, 33.5%). The most commonly used part of the medicinal plants was the leaves followed by roots. The plants were prepared by grinding, powdering, squeezing, roasting, and burning and were administered through oral, dermal, nasal, anal, ocular, and vaginal, and on the surface of the teeth. The most commonly used applications were by drinking, smearing, eating, fumigation, and chewing. There was no difference between men and women informants, showing that the two sexes had similar knowledge in the use of traditional medicinal plants. Educational level and medicinal plant knowledge of informants were negatively correlated; whereas age and medicinal plant knowledge of informants were positively correlated. CONCLUSIONS: Ganta Afeshum District is relatively rich in diversity of medicinal plant resources accompanied with a rich indigenous knowledge within the local communities to harvest and effectively use to prevent different human and livestock ailments. However, nowadays, deforestation, agricultural expansion, overgrazing, drought, and overexploitation are threatening these properties. Therefore, people of the study area should apply complementary conservation approaches (in situ and ex situ) for sustainable use of these resources and to prevent species extinction.