Acute coronary syndrome and its treatment outcomes in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is the principal cause of death in developing countries including Ethiopia. No study reports the overall patterns of risk factors and burden of in-hospital mortality in Ethiopia. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the magnitude of risk factors, management, and in-hospital mortality of ACS in Ethiopia. METHODS: Electronic searching of articles was conducted using PubMed, Science Direct, EMBASE, Scopus, Hinari, and Google Scholar to access articles conducted in Ethiopia. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews checklist was used for identification, eligibility screening, and selection of articles. Data were extracted with an abstraction form prepared with Microsoft Excel and exported to STATA for analysis. Funnel plot, Begg's test, and Egger's test were used to determine publication bias. Heterogeneity between the studies was checked by I2 statistic. The pooled prevalence of risk factors and in-hospital mortality of ACS were estimated using a random-effects meta-analysis model. RESULTS: Most (59.367%) of the patients had ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Hypertension (54.814%) was the leading risk factor for ACS followed by diabetes mellitus (38.549%). Aspirin (56.903%) and clopidogrel (55.266%) were most frequently used in patients with STEMI ACS, respectively. The pooled proportion of in-hospital mortality of ACS was 14.82% which was higher in patients with STEMI (16.116%). CONCLUSION: The rate of in-hospital mortality is still high which was higher in patients with STEMI. Initiation of treatment must consider the heterogeneity of each patient's risk factor and reperfusion therapy should be implemented in our setting.

Medicinal plants used for management of hemorrhoids in Ethiopia: A systematic review.

Background: Hemorrhoids have been reported to beset human beings since the earliest history of mankind. Utilization of herbal medicines is ever increasing as the demand for natural remedies is growing. In Ethiopia, many patients commonly use herbal medicines for hemorrhoids management despite lack of organized information at country level. This systematic review was aimed to document reports about utilization of medicinal plants for hemorrhoids management in Ethiopia. Method: A web-based systematic literature search was carried out through electronic databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Sciences, Science Direct, and websites of different organizations. All studies with complete ethnobotanical information were included in this review without regard to methodology and publication year. Results: A total of 23 articles were included in this systematic review. Majority (41.7%) of studies were reported from Oromia region followed by Amhara (33.3%) regional state. A total of 50 medicinal plants have been reported where Fabaceae and Solanaceae represent the most commonly used families. Herbs were the most (38%) commonly used medicinal plants followed by shrubs (34%) and trees (26%). Leaf (44%) and root (24%) were the first and second most commonly used plant parts, respectively. Most of the medicinal remedies (36%) were prepared by pounding the fresh part of the plant. Besides, 56.1% of the herbal preparations were administered through topical route. Conclusion and recommendations: Numerous medicinal plants from various families have been documented in this review as anti-hemorrhoidal remedies. Further studies could be anticipated in the search for new, effective, and safe plant-based medications from medicinal plants discussed in this review.

Prevalence of Medication Non-Adherence and Associated Factors among Diabetic Patients in A Tertiary Hospital at Debre Markos, Northwest Ethiopia.

Background: Non-adherence to prescribed medications is possibly the most common reason for poor treatment outcomes among people with diabetes although its rate is highly variable. Data on the magnitude of medication non-adherence and associated factors are scarce in the study area. This study aimed to assess the rate of non-adherence and associated factors among diabetic patients at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 17 to July 17, 2021. Study participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected with a pre-tested structured questionnaire and entered into SPSS version 25. Logistic regression was utilized to determine predictors of medication non-adherence at a significance level of ≤ 0.05. Results: A total of 176 study participants were enrolled in the study. About 59% of the study participants had type-2 diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of non-adherence to anti-diabetic medications was found to be 41.5%. Male sex, rural residence, being divorced, being merchant, self- or family-borne medical cost, and presence of comorbidities were significantly associated with increased rate of non-adherence to anti-diabetic medications. Conclusion: The prevalence of non-adherence to medications among diabetic patients is significantly high in the study area. Public health measures should be strengthened to decrease nonadherence among diabetic patients.

Off-label medication use in pediatrics and associated factors at public hospitals in east Gojjam zone, Ethiopia.

Objective: Due to a lack of appropriate pediatric preparations, health providers frequently use adult formulations in an off-label manner. This study aimed to assess pediatric off-label medication use patterns and associated factors in East Gojjam, Ethiopia. Methods: Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2020 to June 2021 at three randomly selected hospitals. Data were collected by using self-structured questionnaires and a data abstraction checklist from health care workers and prescriptions, respectively. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between independent and dependent variables. Results: A total of 285 eligible health professionals from the pediatric unit and pharmacies, and 1,800 eligible prescriptions were involved in the study. The response rate of healthcare workers was 94.37%. Around 74.4% of professionals had good knowledge about off-label medication. Only 8% of participants had taken training on pediatric off-label medications. Of all prescriptions, 27.6% of them have contained at least one off-label medication. Phenobarbitone (16.1%) and phenytoin (12.7%) were the most frequently prescribed off-label medication. In all, 496 (27.6%) prescriptions contained off-label drugs in the form of overdose, cutting adult tablets into small portions, and formulating tablets/capsules into solution. Lack of information on off-label prescribing, shortage of pediatric drugs, and suitable dosage forms showed significant association with off-label prescribing with p-value < 0.001. Conclusion: Almost one-third of pediatric prescriptions contained off-label medication. Only a small number of healthcare workers had taken training on pediatric off-label medications. Lack of sufficient information on risks of off-label medication, shortage of pediatric medication, and suitable pediatric dosage forms were associated with the use of off-label medication compared to non-use. Further research should be done on the long-term effects associated with off-label prescribing in pediatrics to assess whether the potential risks are balanced with the therapeutical benefit.

Gram-negative bacteria isolates and their antibiotic-resistance patterns among pediatrics patients in Ethiopia: A systematic review.

Objective: Antimicrobial resistance is one of the serious threats in the world, including Ethiopia. Even though several studies were conducted to estimate common bacteria and their antibiotic-resistance profile in Ethiopia, it is difficult to estimate the overall resistant patterns due to the lack of a nationwide study. This systematic review aimed to determine the prevalence of gram-negative bacteria isolates and their antibiotic-resistance profile among pediatrics patients in Ethiopia. Methods: A web-based search using PubMed, EMBASE, Science Direct, the Cochrane Database for Systematic Reviews, Scopus, Hinari, Sci-Hub, African Journals Online Library, and free-text web searches using Google Scholar was conducted from August to September 16, 2021. Each of the original articles was searched by Boolean search technique using various keywords and was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist. The data were extracted using Microsoft Excel format and exported to STATA 14.0 for statistical analyses. Results: The database search delivered a total of 2,684 studies. After articles were removed by duplications, title, reading the abstract, and assessed for eligibility criteria, 19 articles were included in the systematic review. Of a total of 1372 (16.77%) culture-positive samples, 735 (53.57%) were gram-negative. Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated bacteria followed by Klebsiella species, 139/1372 (10.13%), and 125/1372(9.11%), respectively. More than 66.67% of isolates were resistant to ampicillin except for Neisseria meningitidis which was 32.35% (11/34). Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiela species, and Citrobacter species were 100% resistance for cefepime. Haemophilus influenzae was 100% resistant to meropenem. Salmonella species were 93.30%, 78.26%, and 63.64% resistant to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and cotrimoxazole, respectively. Conclusion: Gram-negative bacteria were identified as the common pathogen causing infection in pediatrics and the level of resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics was significantly higher in Ethiopia. Culture and susceptibility tests and well-designed infection control programs are important measures.

A systematic review on traditional medicinal Animal's parts and products used for the treatment of respiratory tract disorders in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory diseases affect more than one billion people worldwide. Although medicinal animals have huge importance in primary health care, limited effort applied so far been in Ethiopia to properly identify, document, and conserve these animals and the related knowledge. This systematic review was aimed to identify the medicinal animals and document reports on the use of medicinal animals for the management of respiratory disorders. METHODS: Both published and unpublished articles on the ethnozoological use of medicinal animals were searched using electronic database (Science Direct, Pub Med, Google Scholar, Scopus, hinari, and research gate) and institutional repositories. Different keywords were used separately and in combination using Boolean operators "OR" or "AND" as well as medical subject heading [MeSH] terms. Studies that did not address respiratory disorders were excluded. Data were extracted using Microsoft excel spread sheet. RESULTS: Among 211 articles obtained from database searches, nine articles were eligible and included in the review. Thirty two medicinal animals were reported for treatment of respiratory disorders. Mammals were the most commonly (43.8%) used medicinal animals. Meat was reported as the most commonly (22.6%) used medicinal remedy. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the medicinal remedies were obtained from mammals and administered orally. As the majority of the medicinal animals were obtained from wild sources, due attention should be given to conserve them. Besides, this traditional medicinal knowledge should be integrated to modern medicine to investigate the acute and chronic toxicity profile and efficacy of these remedies to identify potential lead compounds to modern drugs.

Ethnozoological study of medicinal animals and animals' products used by traditional medicinal practitioners and indigenous people in Motta city administration and Hulet Eju Enessie District, East Gojjam, Northwest Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: In Ethiopia, many ethnic communities use traditional/indigenous medicine for primary health care. However, this indigenous medicinal practice is being neglected and continued to be lost due to poor documentation as they are transferred from generation to generation through oral tradition. Therefore, this ethnozoological study aimed to assess and document the medicinal use of animals and animals' products used by traditional medicinal practitioners and indigenous people in Motta city administration and Hulet Eju Enessie Districts, East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia. METHODS: Cross-sectional ethnozoological survey was conducted using a Semi-structured questionnaire among purposively selected respondents in Motta city administration and Hulet Eju Enessie District, East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia from September 2020 to June 2021 GC. The ethnozoological data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 and Microsoft Excell Spreadsheet. Fidelity level, use-value, and informant consensus factor were determined. RESULTS: A total of 25 animal species were reported to be used for the treatment of different ailments by 33 informants. The majority of animals (64%) were mammals followed by birds (16%). The fidelity level ranged from 18.2 (Hyena for bad spirit) to 100% (stingless be for asthma, Tiger for rabies virus, Whisper for nightmare). CONCLUSION: This study showed the wide use of medicinal animals and their parts/products for meeting the primary healthcare needs of the community in the study area. Therefore, this ethnozoological medicinal knowledge needs to be integrated with modern medicine to use animals/animals' products as a potential source of effective drugs for different ailments.

Pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness of antidiabetic flavonoids: Molecular docking and DFT study.

Computer aided toxicity and pharmacokinetic prediction studies attracted the attention of pharmaceutical industries as an alternative means to predict potential drug candidates. In the present study, in-silico pharmacokinetic properties (ADME), drug-likeness, toxicity profiles of sixteen antidiabetic flavonoids that have ideal bidentate chelating sites for metal ion coordination were examined using SwissADME, Pro Tox II, vNN and ADMETlab web tools. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also employed to calculate quantum chemical descriptors of the compounds. Molecular docking studies against human alpha amylase were also conducted. The results were compared with the control drugs, metformin and acarbose. The drug-likeness prediction results showed that all flavonoids, except myricetin, were found to obey Lipinski's rule of five for their drug like molecular nature. Pharmacokinetically, chrysin, wogonin, genistein, baicalein, and apigenin showed best absorption profile with human intestinal absorption (HIA) value of ≥ 30%, compared to the other flavonoids. Baicalein, butein, ellagic acid, eriodyctiol, Fisetin and quercetin were predicted to show carcinogenicity. The flavonoid derivatives considered in this study are predicted to be suitable molecules for CYP3A probes, except eriodyctiol which interacts with P-glycoprotein (p-gp). The toxicological endpoints prediction analysis showed that the median lethal dose (LD50) values range from 159-3919 mg/Kg, of which baicalein and quercetin are found to be mutagenic whereas butein is found to be the only immunotoxin. Molecular docking studies showed that the significant interaction (-7.5 to -8.3 kcal/mol) of the studied molecules in the binding pocket of the α-amylase protein relative to the control metformin with the crucial amino acids Asp 197, Glu 233, Asp 197, Glu 233, Trp 59, Tyr 62, His 101, Leu 162, Arg 195, His 299 and Leu 165. Chrysin was predicted to be a ligand with high absorption and lipophilicity with 84.6% absorption compared to metformin (78.3%). Moreover, quantum chemical, ADMET, drug-likeness and molecular docking profiles predicted that chrysin is a good bidentate ligand.

A Systematic Review of the Stability of Extemporaneous Pediatric Oral Formulations.

BACKGROUND: Extemporaneous compounding is a pharmacy practice to produce suitable pharmaceutical preparations when there are no commercially available, licensed, and age-specific dosage forms. Compared to the use of authorized drugs, these preparations have significant risks. Stability issues are one of the major concerns during the preparation of extemporaneous formulations. AIM: The aim of this work was to study the stability of pediatric extemporaneous formulations of commercially available conventional solid dosage forms by reviewing systematically the currently available stability studies. METHOD: Articles were searched in the databases of the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. From all the searched articles, a total of 28 experimental studies reporting the stability of oral pediatric extemporaneous formulations were included based on the inclusion criteria. Oral extemporaneous formulations from commercially available dosage forms and pure drugs were considered. According to the United States and British Pharmacopeia (USP and BP), most extemporaneous formulations are accepted as chemically stable if they maintain ≥90% of the original drug amount, physically stable if there is no apparent change in physical property, and microbiologically stable if there is no growth of microorganisms in prepared formulations. Finding. In this study, most extemporaneous pediatric oral formulations were chemically, physically, and microbiologically stable and retained more than 90% of the initial content. Very few studies did not include either a physical stability test or a microbiological stability test. CONCLUSION: According to this systematic review, the chemical and physical instabilities as well as microbial growth on pediatric oral extemporaneous formulations are very rare in published experimental studies. Most studies show that extemporaneous preparations are stable at the ICH recommended storage conditions and duration. Generally, extemporaneously prepared oral formulations will be the promising option for child medications.

Practice on Metered Dose Inhaler Techniques and Its Associated Factors among Asthmatic Patients at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, East Gojjam, Ethiopia: A Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Asthma stands 16th among the leading causes of years lived with disability and 28th among the leading causes of disease in the world. A metered-dose inhaler remains the principal route for drug administration, and it has greater advantages over systemic treatment. In routine use, however, a majority of patients make inhalation errors. Suboptimal inhaler technique worsens health outcomes, with poor disease control, and increases the risk of hospitalization. This study aimed to assess practice metered-dose inhalation techniques and associated factors among asthmatic patients at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, East Gojjam, Amhara region, Ethiopia. METHODS: Prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from July 15 to August 30, 2020. Data were collected through a semistructured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Associations between dependent and independent variables were assessed by using binary and multiple logistic regressions. P values less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant in all cases. Results are presented in tables, figures, numbers, and percentages. RESULT: A total of 166 patients had involved in the study, of which 52.4% were females. One hundred and eleven (66.9%) participants had good knowledge of asthma and inhalational techniques, while the rest of them had poor knowledge. One hundred and eight (65.1%) patients had effective practice on metered-dose inhaler use techniques. Participant's knowledge regarding asthma and meter dose inhaler and marital status has a significant association with their practice of metered-dose inhaler techniques with P value 0.001 and 0.006, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study, most participants are suffering from asthma for a long duration and they have repeated exacerbation. Around two-thirds of patients had good knowledge regarding asthma and metered-dose inhaler and practice on metered-dose inhaler techniques. Participants with poor knowledge had poor practice on metered-dose inhaler techniques, and single patients were less likely to have poor practice on metered-dose inhaler techniques. Health education and counseling services should be consistently provided to the clients regarding the proper steps of inhalers use.

Safety and Biopharmaceutical Challenges of Excipients in Off-Label Pediatric Formulations.

BACKGROUND: One of the major challenges in pediatric treatment is the lack of suitable drug preparations specifically designed and marketed for children. Most of the FDA approved drug formulations for adults have not been approved for use in pediatric patients. Shortage of suitable pediatric dosage information often leads health professionals to use adult formulations in an off-label manner. The aim of this work was to review the safety and biopharmaceutical challenges of commonly found excipients in off-label pediatric formulations as well as to show the current progress to alleviate pediatric toxicity related to excipients. METHODS: Research findings and medical case reports were searched from credible sources including Scopus, PubMed, OVID, Google Scholar, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. RESULTS: As several studies and clinical case reports have revealed, off-label adult formulations usage causes pediatric patients to become exposed to potentially harmful excipients, which are essential components of drug products. In addition to their toxicities, some of the excipients affect the biopharmaceutical property of different drugs. Immature organ and body composition, large body surface area and slower metabolism and elimination capabilities of pediatrics are the main causes of toxicities associated with different excipients. Recent studies have also shown that good progress is being made to develop safe and suitable excipients for pediatric use. CONCLUSION: A risk and benefit assessment should be done before using off-label formulation as excipients cause mild to severe toxicities and biopharmaceutical problems to pediatric patients.

Off-Label Use of Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 Treatment in Africa Against WHO Recommendation.

COVID-19 is continuing as a big challenge for the globe and several types of research are continued to find safe and effective treatment and preventive options. Although there is a lack of conclusive evidence of their benefit, there is worldwide controversy to use anti-malarial drugs, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, for the treatment of COVID-19. FDA issued an emergency use authorization to the use of these drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. On the contrary to the FDA, the European Medicines Agency has warned against the widespread use of these drugs to treat COVID-19. Finally, the WHO declared that clinical trials on these drugs are halted after the devastating findings of the study published in the medical journal called The Lancet. Against this fact, there are several rumors about the irresponsible use of these drugs in Africa for the treatment of COVID-19. This work aimed to review the off-label use of these drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 in African countries against WHO recommendation. Data on the use of these drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 in African countries were searched from credible sources including Scopus, PubMed, Hindawi, Google Scholar, and from local and international media. The study showed that many African countries have already approved at the national level to use these drugs to treat COVID-19 by opposing WHO warnings. In addition to this, falsified and substandard chloroquine products started to emerge in some African countries. The health sectors of the African government should critically compare the risks and benefits before using these drugs. The WHO and African drug regulatory organizations should intervene to stop the off-label use practice of these drugs against the licensed purpose and distribution of falsified and substandard products in the continent.

The Effect of Coffee on Pharmacokinetic Properties of Drugs : A Review.

BACKGROUND: Coffee has been the most commercialized food product and most widely consumed stimulant beverage in the world. It is a major source of caffeine which is the most bioactive component of coffee. Although both the United States Department of Agriculture and European Food Safety Authority consider daily intake of coffee which contains 400 mg of caffeine as safe for health, it causes different clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions with many drugs. The aim of this work was to review the effect of coffee on the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs. METHOD: This review was done by investigating the in vitro and in vivo research findings, clinical case reports, and expert panels from credible sources including Scopus, PubMed, Hindawi, OVID, Google Scholar, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. RESULT: Several studies and medical case reports evidently showed that concomitant consumption of coffee significantly affects the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of many drugs. These effects of coffee on the pharmacokinetics of drugs could lead to enhanced therapeutic response, therapeutic failure, or toxic reactions. Conclusion and Recommendation. Concomitant use of coffee should be avoided with medications which have a significant interaction with coffee. There should be an appropriate time gap between intake of drugs and coffee based on drug properties. Pharmacists and clinicians should be aware of the potential risks of drug-coffee interaction and advice patients appropriately. Further in vitro and in vivo studies should be done for frequently prescribed drugs to get a strong evidence on the pharmacokinetic interaction with coffee.

Ethno-medicinal and bio-cultural importance of aloes from south and east of the Great Rift Valley floristic regions of Ethiopia.

There are 46 Aloe species identified from Ethiopia out of which 67.3% are endemics but comprehensive data on their ethno-medicinal and bio-cultural values are lacking. Interview, focus group discussion (FGD), and guided field walks were conducted with 210 respondents (152 men and 58 women). Relative frequency of citation (RFCs), informants' consensus factor (Fic), use value (UVs), relative importance index (RIs), and cultural value index (CV) were analyzed. Non-parametric Kruskal Wallis and Wilcoxon tests were performed using R software. Twenty-three Aloe species were recorded in the study areas with 196 use-reports and 2158 citations, grouped into six major use categories (NUC = 6). Medicinal use categories accounted for 149 use-reports (76%) with 1607 citations. The species with the highest numbers of use-reports were Aloe megalacantha subsp. alticola, A. trichosantha subsp. longiflora and A. calidophila of which 87, 75 and 61.1% respectively were medicinal uses. Aloe calidophila has highest values in all indices UV (11.72), RFC (0.68), RI (0.89), and CV (6.2). Among Aloe parts, leaf exudate accounted for 111 use-reports (49.1%) of which 92.9% were used for medicinal purposes. Aloe retrospiciens and A. ruspoliana were reported poisonous to carnivores. Fic values of the six major use categories ranged from 0.86 to 0.22. Elderly people (>60) had more knowledge than 25-40 and 41-60 age groups (Kruskal-Wallis chi-squared = 12.17, df = 3, p = 0.006), which is significant difference in depth of ethno-medicinal knowledge. Men had more knowledge of medicinal uses than women (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.002) significantly different, while women were knowledgeable than men for cultural uses like, cosmetic (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.06), not significantly different. The ways in which aloes are used and valued have implications for their future medicinal utility, which instigate detailed phytochemical and pharmacological studies.

Formulation and Optimization of Monolithic Fixed-Dose Combination of Metformin HCl and Glibenclamide Orodispersible Tablets.

The treatment of type II DM involves the use of combination of drugs, especially at the chronic stage. However, the pill burden of this combination therapy combined with swallowing difficulties, occurring at a later stage of DM, has been the major challenge for successful treatment outcomes. This study was aimed at formulating and optimizing a monolithic fixed-dose combination (FDC) of metformin (MET) and glibenclamide (GLB) orodispersible tablets (ODTs) to overcome both the pill burden and swallowing problems. The FDC ODTs were prepared by the melt granulation technique using polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 as a binding agent and crospovidone as a superdisintegrant. In the preliminary study, the effects of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), PEG 6000, crospovidone, and compression force on friability, disintegration time, and drug release of tablets were investigated. The FT-IR studies showed that there were no incompatibilities between MET and GLB as well as within excipients. The preliminary studies revealed that PEG 6000 and compression force significantly affect both the friability and the disintegration time, while SLS and crospovidone only affect the disintegration time. Therefore, the effects of PEG 6000, crospovidone, and compression force were further studied and optimized using the central composite design. Accordingly, the most desirable optimal values were obtained at 3.82% of PEG 6000, 9.83% of crospovidone, and 10.6 kN compression force having a friability of 0.302% and a disintegration time of 18.7 seconds. From these results, it can be concluded that a monolithic FDC of MET and GLB ODTs having adequate mechanical strength and faster disintegration time was successfully formulated.

Ethnomedicinal plants used to treat human ailments in the prehistoric place of Harla and Dengego valleys, eastern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Traditional medicines remained as the most affordable and easily accessible source of treatment in the primary health care system among diverse communities in Ethiopia. The Oromo community living in the prehistoric Harla and Dengego valleys has long history of ethnomedicinal know-how and practice against human and livestock ailments. However, this rich ethnomedicinal knowledge had been remained unexplored hitherto. This study focus on the comprehensive ethnomedicinal investigation in an attempt to safeguard the deteriorating ethnomedicinal knowledge that can be used as a stepping-stone for phytochemical and pharmacological analysis. METHODS: Fifty five (44 male and 11 female) systematically selected informants including ten traditional herbalists (key informants) were participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews, discussions and guided field walk constituted the data collection methods. Factor of informant consensus (Fic), frequency of citation (F%), and binomial test were employed in data analysis. Medicinal plant specimens were collected, identified and kept at Herbarium of Haramaya University (HHU). RESULTS: A total of 83 traditional medicinal plant species against human ailments in 70 genera and 40 Families were recorded. Twelve medicinal plants were marketable in open market places of the nearby towns. Formulations recorded added to 140 remedies for 81 human ailments. Concoction accounts 50.7% of the total preparations followed by fluids extraction (10.7%) and infusion (6.4%). Fifteen different plant parts were used for remedies preparation wherein leaves accounted 46.4%, stem 9.2%, fruits and roots each 7.8%. Most of the remedies (90.7%) were prepared from single plant species like, aphrodisiac fresh rhizome of Kleinia abyssinica (A. Rich.) A. Berger chewed and swallowed few hours before sexual performance for a man having problem of erectile dysfunction. The Fic value ranges between 1.0 (gastritis and heartburn/pyrosis) and 0.77 (swollen body part). Aloe harlana Reynolds was reported to be used for the highest number of ailments treating swollen body part locally called GOFLA, colon cleaner, snake bite, liver swelling, spleen swelling/splenomegaly, fungal infections and inflammation of skin. CONCLUSION: Such documentation of comprehensive ethnomedicinal knowledge is very valuable and needs to be scaled-up so that it could be followed up with phytochemical and pharmacological analyses in order to give scientific ground to the ethnomedicinal knowledge.

Medicinal plants potential and use by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Erer Valley of Babile Wereda, Eastern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopian plants have shown remarkably effective medicinal values for many human and livestock ailments. Some research results are found on medicinal plants of the south, south west, central, north and north western parts of Ethiopia. However, there is lack of data that quantitatively assesses the resource potential and the indigenous knowledge on use and management of medicinal plants in eastern Ethiopia. The main thrust of the present ethnobotanical study centres around the potential and use of traditional medicinal plants by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Babile Wereda (district) of eastern Ethiopia. The results can be used for setting up of conservation priorities, preservation of local biocultural knowledge with sustainable use and development of the resource. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty systematically selected informants including fifteen traditional herbalists (as key informants) participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews, discussions and guided field walk constituted the main data collection methods. Techniques of preference ranking, factor of informant consensus and Spearman rank correlation test were employed in data analysis. Medicinal plant specimens were collected, identified and kept at the National Herbarium (ETH) of Addis Ababa University and Haramaya University Herbarium. RESULTS: Fifty-one traditional medicinal plant species in 39 genera and 28 families were recorded, constituting 37% shrubs, 29% trees, 26% herbs, 6% climbers and 2% root parasites. Leaves contributed to 35.3% of the preparations, roots (18.8%) and lower proportions for other parts. Formulations recorded added to 133 remedies for 54 human ailments, in addition to some used in vector control. The majority of remedies were the juice of single species, mixtures being generally infrequent. Aloe pirottae, Azadirachta indica and Hydnora johannis were the most cited and preferred species. Aloe pirottae, a species endemic to Ethiopia, is valued as a remedy for malaria, tropical ulcer, gastro-intestinal parasites, gallstone, eye diseases and snake bite. The jel extracted from dried and ground plant material, called SIBRI (Oromo language), was acclaimed as a cleaner of the human colon. Concoction made from leaf, seed and flower of Azadirachta indica was given for treatment of malaria, fungal infections and intestinal worms. Root preparations from Hydnora johannis were prescribed as remedy for diarrhoea, haemorrhage, wound and painful body swelling, locally called GOFLA (Oromo language). CONCLUSIONS: The study documented many well known and effective medicinal species of relevance for human healthcare, including for the treatment of malaria which is rampant in the area as it is in many parts of Ethiopia. This underscores the importance of the traditional medicinal plants for the people living in the area and the potential of the resource for development. Consequently, the study area deserves urgent conservation priority coupled with mechanisms for the protection of the associated indigenous medical lore as well as development and effective use of the medicinal plant resource.