Enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) is one of the oldest cultivated food security crops inEthiopia. There are a number of enset landraces used for traditional medicine. These landraces are believed to have better minerals and phytochemical compositions, which are not proved scientifically. The objective of this study was to compare the proximate, mineral and phytochemical compositions of corms of enset landraces used for treating bones illness traditionally, and two other landraces having another use value. Laboratory analysis was made by following standard methods, and the data determined were analyzed using SAS statistical software. Enset landraces, Kibnar and Guarye showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher protein content (4.74 and 4.06%), while Astara and Guarye were superior in phosphorus content (127.41 and 116.38 m g -2 ) respectively. Similarly, the highest zinc and tannin contents (8.52 and 153.94 m g -2 ) were obtained from Astara and Kibnar landraces respectively. On the other hand, Amerat landrace showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher crude fibre content. The three landraces used for traditional medicine showed better performances in protein, phosphorus, zinc and tannin contents than the other two landraces.

Background: Ethnic groups throughout the world have developed their own cultures expressed in the form of customs, taboos and traditional healthcare systems. Traditional medicine system is one of the widespread cultures known throughout the world which is very much tied to cultural practices of the community or ethnic group. Medicinal plant treasure found in Gurage and Silti Zones remained poorly characterized and understood. Therefore, this study was conducted in four ethnic groups: three from Gurage zone (Gurage, Qebena and Mareqo) and one from Silti zone (Silti) which have lived in close proximity and contact for many centuries in the respective Zones. In the present study unique and shared cultural elements in connection to traditional herbal medicine were examined through investigation of the diversity of medicinal plants. Moreover, attempts have been made to determine similarities among the society in the medicinal plants they have used in general and in medicinal plant species considered culturally most important.Methods: In a study that involved 320 randomly sampled informants semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation were used and qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Descriptive statistics, rank order priority (ROP), informant consensus factor, jaccard similarity coefficient and clustering were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 244 medicinal plant species and a fungal species used to treat human and/or livestock ailments were documented. The number of plants (80 plants, 33 %) with ROP value greater than 50% is considerably smaller than that of plants with ROP < 50% (164, 67 %). Jaccard similarity index and clustering analysis for all cited plants, among the respective studied districts, indicated that grouping generally followed the existing ethnic origin. On the contrary, clustering based on culturally important medicinal plant species (80 plant species, score ROP ≥ 50%) showed the influence of proximity and geographical orientation rather than ethnic relation. Conclusions: Culturally most important plants (80 spp.) are widely used and best shared with nearby communities and this could imply current (new) knowledge being practiced in the community. This knowledge must be documented and better utilized in a modern way including modernized use of traditional medicinal plants.

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Abstracts Background: Locally available and easily accessible, underused complementary foods including wild edible fruit species are affordable and potentially more acceptable than other options to address the problem of ‘hidden hunger’ or micronutrient deficiency. Study aimed to collect and determine the nutritional composition of wild edible fruits with its bioavailability collected from Temcha watershed. Methods: Semi structured interviews were administered to collect all wild edible plants and its associated knowledge through the participation of informants systematically selected from six sub districts in the study area. Mineral and pyhtate content and molar ratio of phytate to mineral ratio were determined using standard methods. Results: Based on the total use value of all wild edible plants, the top 18 wild edible fruits were selected for dietary analysis. The zinc contents of the analyzed fruits were ranged in between 0.06 ± 0.02 mg/100g -88.89 ± 0.42 mg/100g. The iron content of the analyzed fruits were ranged in between 5.84 ±0.00 mg/100 g – 148 ± 0.93 mg/100g and the calcium contents were in between 53.25 ± 0.45 mg/100g – 1280 ± 0.77 mg/100g. The phytate content of each fruits were ranged in between 6.9 ± 0.00 mg/100g – 51.4 ± 0.04 mg/100g. Conclusions: Combination of Ficus sycomorus and either of all wild edible fruits satisfy the daily-recommended allowance of calcium for male and female age 10-18 (1300 mg/100 g). Almost all WEFs provides optimum amount of iron for Children up to 10 years required 11.6 – 17.8 mg / day except Embelia schimperi, Ficus sur, Rossa abyssinica, Rubus studinary & Ximenia americana. The different amount of zinc (0.66 - 89 mg /100 g) contributes to control progressive stunting in children in the study area. The phytate concentrations of wild edible fruits do not have a negative impact on the bioavailability of calcium, iron and zinc. The micronutrient content of wild edible fruits provided a lot of contribution for the study area communities and those who shared similar feeding culture elsewhere in the country. Key words: Micronutrients, temcha watershed, wild edible fruits,

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Background: Ethnic groups throughout the world have developed their own cultures expressed in the form of customs, taboos and traditional healthcare systems. Traditional medicine system is one of the widespread cultures known throughout the world which is very much tied to cultural practices of the community or ethnic group. Medicinal plant treasure found in Gurage and Silti Zones remained poorly characterized and understood. Therefore, this study was conducted in four ethnic groups (viz. Gurage, Qebena, Mareqo and Silti) which have lived in close proximity and contact for many centuries in the two Zones. In the present study unique and shared cultural elements in connection to traditional herbal medicine were examined through investigation of the diversity of medicinal plants. Moreover, attempts have been made to determine similarities among the society in the medicinal plants they have used in general and in medicinal plant species considered culturally most important.Methods: In a study that involved 320 randomly samples informants semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation were used and qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Descriptive statistics, rank order priority (ROP), Jaccard similarity coefficient and clustering were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 244 medicinal plant species and a fungal species used to treat human and/or livestock ailments were documented. The number of plants (80 plants, 33 %) with ROP value greater than 50% is considerably smaller than that of plants with ROP < 50% (164, 67 %). Jaccard similarity index and clustering analysis for all cited plants, among the respective studied districts, indicated that grouping generally followed the existing ethnic origin. On the contrary, clustering based on culturally important medicinal plant species (80 plant species, score ROP ≥ 50%) showed the influence of proximity and geographical orientation rather than ethnic relation. Conclusions: Culturally most important plants (80 spp.) are widely used and best shared with nearby communities and this could imply current (new) knowledge being practiced in the community. This knowledge must be documented and better utilized in a modern way including modernized use of traditional medicinal plants.