Volume 153, Issue 1, 11 April 2014, Pages 274–282
Ethnoveterinary medicinal plants used by the Maale and Ari ethnic communities in southern Ethiopia
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
Livestock
production is an integral part of the agricultural system in Ethiopia.
Medicinal plants are used and are important for rural communities for
the treatment of livestock diseases. We studied and analysed the
traditional medicinal plants used for the treatment of livestock
diseases by the Maale and Ari ethnic communities in southern Ethiopia.
Materials and methods
We used quantitative and qualitative ethobotanical methods, including individual and focus group discussions (n=18), field observations, and individual interviews (n=74) at three study sites.
Results
In
total, 46 plant species (28 families) were used for the treatment of
livestock diseases. Leaves with succulent stems were the most used part
of the plant. The most frequently cited cattle disease was blackleg, for
which 21 plant species were used. Our study showed variation in
ethnoveterinary plant species used among sites (Jaccard’s similarity
indices <0.25). The number of medicinal plant species used was
significantly influenced by gender and site. Knowledge on
ethnoveterinary plants was predominantly held by males, who cited more
plant uses than females. The most widely used species were Lepidium sativum, Allium sativum, Clausena anisata, Croton macrostachyus, Ozoroa insignis, Sida rhombifolia, Centella asiatica, Cissampelos mucronata, Vernonia theophrastifolia and Vernonia amygdalina.
Conclusions
The
study indicated that ethnoveterinary medicinal plants are important for
the Maale and Ari ethnic communities. Phytochemical and pharmacological
studies should focus on widely used and multi-use species.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Ethnobotany;
- Traditional knowledge;
- Livestock disease;
- Blackleg;
- Ethiopia;
- Plant resources
- Corresponding
author at: Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Forestry
Research Center, P.O. Box 58532, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Tel.:
+251 911 641376.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
