Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in the environs of Tara-gedam and Amba remnant forests of Libo Kemkem District, northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

BackgroundRemnant forests found in areas that have long been converted to agricultural landscapes are refuges of wild useful plants; and societies inhabiting them are custodians of rich indigenous botanical knowledge. This study was undertaken to document the medicinal plants used by the people living in and around Tara-gedam and Amba remnant forests, northwestern Ethiopia, together with the associated ethnomedicinal knowledge.MethodsData were collected from 105 informants through semi-structured interviews, guided field walk, market survey; and analyzed using standard ethnobotanical analytical tools including ranking and comparison.ResultsA total of 163 medicinal plant species in 145 genera and 67 families were recorded among which Zehneria scabra drew the highest community consensus. Seventy-one percent of the medicinal plants were those used for treating human ailments only, 21% for both human and livestock and 8% for livestock only. Asteraceae, with 14 species, had the highest number of medicinal plant species. The medicinal plants mainly (79.1%) belong to the shrub and herb categories and most of them were sourced from the wild habitats. Leaves and fresh plant materials were more frequently used for medicine preparation than other parts. Protected government and church forests as well as tree propagation in nurseries followed by planting them and local practices constitute the major forest conservation efforts that indirectly protect the medicinal plants in the area. Elders and healers knew more about the medicinal plants, their distribution, the local ethnomedicinal practices and knowledge transfer patterns. Though important for the local healthcare system and with potentials for modern drug discovery, both the plants and the knowledge pool are under threat.ConclusionThe diversity of medicinal plants and the associated indigenous knowledge of Tara-gedam and its environs are of a considerable value to the local community and beyond. There is, therefore, a need for conservation of the vegetation and the medicinal plants along with preservation of the wealth of the indigenous knowledge.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by agro pastoralist Somali people for the management of human ailments in Jeldesa Cluster, Dire Dawa Administration, Eastern Ethiopia

“…There was a significant positive correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient, r =0.27, at α = 0.05, p = 0.04) between the age of informants and the number of species reported by the informants. Differences in medicinal plants knowledge among age groups was also reported in other studies (Gebrezgabiher et al, 2013;Tamiru et al, 2013;Yigezu et al, 2014;Chekole et al, 2015;Tugume et al, 2016). This might be attributed to the current expansion of education and health centers to kebele level which has resulted in the young generation focusing on modern medicines (Belayneh and Bussa, 2014) and advancement in science and technology has changed the social values and therefore, transformed the younger generation at a faster rate into the new tradition (Awas, 2007;Murad et al, 2013).…”

Exploring Alternative Use of Medicinal Plants for Sustainable Weed Management

“…Most of the herbal preparations were taken orally (58%), followed by topical applications methods such as body massage, tying on wound, bath, or smearing as a body lotion (35%). Oral intakes of herbal remedies as a major route of administration have also been reported in recent ethnobotanical surveys in Ghana [68,70,76,77,86] and in other countries [75,[87][88][89]. In addition, the use of herbal preparations as injections (as enema 7%) was also a common prescription among the traditional healers and other plant users in the municipality.…”

“…The details on the medicinal plants, ailments treated, preparation and administration methods, and other ethnobotanical values are provided in Table S1. The use of a single plant in the treatment of multiple health conditions (at least 5 diseases) was also reported among traditional healers and plant users in Ethiopia [87], Algeria [56], and Uganda [75]. Ocimum gratissimum was used in the treatment of Diabetes mellitus in Nigeria [94] and Mangifera indica was used in the treatment of coughs, infertility, and convulsions in Uganda [75].…”

“…In addition, Cleistopholis patens is used to treat malaria in other areas of Ghana [77,102] and Cameroon [103]. Vernonia amygdalina (FL = 65%) is highly preferred in Uganda for the treatment of malaria, stomach ache, and convulsions [75] and for managing impotence, dandruff and bloating in Ethiopia [87]. Alstonia boonei is used in treating malaria in Uganda [75], haemorrhoids and malaria in Nigeria [97,104,105].…”

Wound Care: Traditional African Medicine Approach

“…Empirical results have tracked the action of the wound-healing activities of some of the indigenous herbs to one or combination of the following pharmacological mechanisms: antiinlammatory, antimicrobial, and cell-regeneration [82][83][84][85]. Many of these tests were carried out by simulating acute and chronic wounds using various simple animal models in rodents.…”