Survey of ethno-veterinary medicinal plants in Melkabello District, Eastern Harerghe Zone, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

An ethno botanical survey was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 in Melkabello district, Eastern Harerghe Zone, Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia. The objectives of the study were designed to document ethno veterinary medicinal plants and identify their associated threats. A structured and pre tested questionnaire was used to collect the required data. About 20 traditional healers were purposively selected based on the recommendation of local authorities. The majority of the healers were male, 16 (80%) and the remained 4 (20%) were females. In this study about 68 medicinal plant species belonging to 55 families were identified in the study area. The principal sources of the medicinal plants were from wild, cultivated and both with the proportion of 53 (77.9%), 12 (17.6%) and 3 (4.4 %), respectively. In this study herb, 27 (39.7%) followed by tree, 19 (27.9%) were the most commonly used habits of the plants by traditional healers. The major plant parts used were leaf, 40 (58.8%) and bark, 2 (2.9%). The most common administration routes were oral, 48 (70.6%) followed by topical, 12 (17.6%) and aerosol 3(4.4%). Febrile diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, external injuries, blackleg and reproductive insufficiency were treated by the traditional practioners. In conclusion, the study revealed that participants had a good knowledge to treat livestock ailments, but the dose varies among the healers. Therefore, further study should be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and standardize the dose of medicinal plants in the study area.Keywords: Ailments, Eastern Harerghe Zone, Ethiopia, Ethno-Veterinary,Medicinal Plants

The study of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants at Mojana Wodera district, central Ethiopia

“…Family Asteraceae and Solanaceae were dominant. The dominance of family Solanaceae was in line with other findings reported in different parts of Ethiopia [ 14 , 22 – 24 ], and dominancy of family Asteraceae was also reported in the district of Ankober, North Showa, Amhara region, Ethiopia and Kansas and the Great Plains [ 19 ]. From the total of 33 species, 81.82% was covered by endemic and indigenous plant species.…”

“…Different parts of the plants have been used to cure different ailments; however, leaves (55.3%) were the most widely used part of the plants in the study district followed by roots (23.21%). This finding agrees with works of [ 28 ] in Amaro special districts of southern Ethiopia [ 22 ], in Horro Gudurru district of western Ethiopia, [ 14 ] in Melkabello district of eastern Harerghe; however, it contradicts with the works of [ 29 ] in Berbere District of Bale zone of Oromia region and [ 23 ] at Enarj Enawega district of east Gojjam zone of Amhara region. Usage of leaves for medicine has less effect on the survival of the plants in their natural habitat.…”

“…This may be due to the relative abundance of shrub and availability of it to the practitioners in the study district. In contrast, other researchers reported that herbs are dominant [ 14 , 22 , 23 ].…”

“…A total of 105 informants (83 male and 22 female) were selected from seven district sites. Porposive and volunteer sampling approaches were applied to choose the representative general informants suggested by [ 14 ]. Fifteen key informants (11 male and 4 female) were selected based on suggestions from the members of the community, elder people and the informants themselves about their better knowledge.…”

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used to treat livestock ailment in Delomena district southeast Ethiopia.

“…The common use of crushing in the preparation of remedies may be related to its easiness. Most remedies in the study District are prepared from fresh plants materials and other studies conducted in different parts of Ethiopia (Birhanu and Abera ,2015, Mohammed et al, 2016, Bekele et al, 2018, Usmane et al, 2016,. Lulekal et al, 2014 also reported the common use of fresh materials.…”