Volume 94, September 2014, Pages 101–107
An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used to treat livestock diseases in Onayena and Katima Mulilo, Namibia
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Highlights
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- Sixteen plants were used as ethnoveterinary medicines.
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- Skin rashes were managed using Aloe esculenta.
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- Ziziphus mucronata was a remedy for diarrhoea.
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- Eye infections were treated using Ximenia americana.
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- Ziziphus mucronata healed wounds.
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- Fockea angustifolia was a treatment for anthrax.
Abstract
Since
many small scale and resource-poor livestock farmers cannot afford
synthetic pharmaceutical drugs, they turn to indigenous knowledge as an
alternative key to unlock the power of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants
to treat animal diseases. However, there is no ethnoveterinary
pharmacopeia and data on ethnoveterinary usage of plants are still
sparse. In this study, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted to
document the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used to treat
livestock diseases in Onayena and Katima Mulilo, Namibia. Using
semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, ethnobotanical data were
collected from 22 farmers in Onayena, Oshikoto region, and 20 farmers in
Katima Mulilo, Zambezi region. The results showed that 16 plant species
were used to manage various livestock diseases. Plant leaves were
commonly used, being crushed in water, and administered orally or
topically. Skin rashes were managed using the plants Aloe esculenta, Salvadora persica, Friesodielsia obovata, and Acanthosicyos naudinianus. Diarrhoea was treated using Ziziphus mucronata, Acacia karroo, and Solanum delangoense. The plants Ximenia americana, Combretum imberbe and Geigeria pectidea were used to relieve eye infections in cattle, goats and sheep. Wounds were treated with Orthanthera jasminiflora, Aloe zebrina and Baphia massaiensis. Livestock owners in Katima Mulilo used water extracts from the roots of Capparis tomentosa to treat the lack of appetite in cattle and goats. In Onayena, Fockea angustifolia
roots were used to treat cattle suffering from anthrax. Further studies
are needed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations,
biological activities and toxicities, and to characterize the plants'
chemical compounds.
Keywords
- Ethnobotany;
- Medicinal plants;
- Indigenous knowledge;
- Livestock diseases;
- Namibia
