scholarly journals Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Adwa District, Central Zone of Tigray Regional State, Northern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhidin Tahir ◽  
Letebrhan Gebremichael ◽  
Tadesse Beyene ◽  
Patrick Van Damme

Abstract Background Medicinal plants have been used for ages in Ethiopia. Some 887 plant species have been documented to heal human and livestock health problems. Documenting the traditional use of medicinal plants is a vital step in obtaining information on bioactive chemicals, preserving indigenous knowledge and ultimately interesting, medicinal plant species. We conducted this study with the aim of documenting the ethnobotanical knowledge associated with medicinal plant use in Adwa District, Northern Ethiopia. Methods The study was conducted from September 2018 to December 2019. A total of 393 informants (242 males and 151 females) were selected. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, guided walks and group discussions. We calculated informant consensus factors (ICF) and fidelity level (FL) and performed ranking and paired comparisons. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including independent sample t test and ANOVA. Results Overall, we documented 127 medicinal plants belonging to 105 genera, under 54 families to be used by local people to address 43 human and 15 livestock ailments. Families Fabaceae and Solanaceae were the most important ones with 11 (8.66%) species each. Herbs were the dominant growth form (55 species), followed by shrubs (39). The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (24.27%) followed by roots (14%). The most important preparation method was crushing and pounding (42.7%) followed by fumigation (smoke and vapour) (23, 11.1%). The common route of administration was via skin application (67 or 32%) followed by oral (63, 27%). ICF showed that tonsillitis had the higher value (0.95). Cucumis ficifolius A. Rich. was the most preferred medicinal plant (36) treating abdominal pain, followed by Kalanchoe quartiniana A. Rich. for blackleg (34). Conclusions Adwa District is relatively rich in medicinal plant diversity and traditional knowledge on use, preparation and application of the medicinal flora. However, agricultural expansion (51%), overgrazing (43%) and drought (37%) were mentioned most when informants were asked about the threats to medicinal plants in Adwa District. Hence, on-site and off-site medicinal plant conservation would help protect medicinal plants in the district.

Author(s):  
Bonface Mwamatope ◽  
David Tembo ◽  
Ibrahim Chikowe ◽  
Cecilia Maliwichi-Nyirenda ◽  
Elizabeth Kampira ◽  
...  

Background: In Malawi, cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. This has led to increased use of herbal medicines for cancer management. Objective: This study aimed at identifying medicinal plants that are used for the management of cancer in the southern area of Karonga district, Northern Malawi. Methods: Semi-structured individual questionnaire interviews were used to collect ethnobotanical data from traditional herbal practitioners in the study area. Results: A total of twenty-six (26) plant species from seventeen (17) botanical families were reported by Traditional Herbal Practitioners to be effective in the management of cancer. The botanical families with the representation of more than one plant species were Fabaceae with five species, followed by Combretaceae and Anacardiaceae with tree species each and Meliaceaewith two species. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) showed that Senna singueana (RFC = 0.833), Lannea discolour (RFC = 0.833), Melia azedarach (RFC = 0.667), and Moringa oleifera (RFC = 0.667) were the medicinal plant species that were frequently mentioned and used in the study. The recipes could be a mixture of plant species or plant parts such as the leaves, barks, roots, rhizomes, seeds, flowers, and fruits. Conclusion: The study showed that a potential cancer management drug could be developed from the medicinal plant species found in the area. The results of this study could provide baseline information on medicinal plant species for further phytochemical studies and other studies to validate their use.


2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. O. Duguma ◽  
M. A. Mesele

Ethnobotanical study of traditional medicinal plants used by local people of Kondala Woreda was conducted from September 2016 to June 2017. The aim of the study was to collect, identify, describe, compile and document medicinal plant species used by the local people for the treatments of human and livestock ailments. A total of 49 informants from seven kebeles were selected. A total of 64 plant species were collected. Out of these, 78% of medicinal plant species were used as cure for human ailments, 12% of species for livestock and 10% of species for the treatment of both human and livestock. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves and roots. In the study area, there are threats to medicinal plants and firewood was ranked first by selected key informant followed by, agricultural expansion. Results indicated that Viciafaba is most effective in treating stomach ache while Cordia africana is used as multipurpose medicinal plants. Majority of the 64 medicinal plants that were cited by informants, (57.8%) were used to treat a specific ailment. Thus, the community should conserve and manage these medicinal plant species before they become extinct.


2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 54-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajendra Acharya

Present study aims to explore the ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants used by Magar community of Badagaun VDC of Gulmi district. The study was carried out during different periods of the year 2010. Informations on plant and plant parts uses were collected interviewing key informants by using semi-structured open-ended questionnaire. Altogether 161 different plant species belonging to 87 familes and 144 genera were documented and majority of them are herbs. In terms of plant parts use, leaf and stem/bark are in top priorities. These plants are used to treat different ailments ranging from gastro-intestinal to headache and fever, respiratory tract related problems to dermatological problems, snake bite to ophthalmic and cuts and wounds. Easy access to modern medicines and less recognition of traditional healers are the main causes leading to decrease in interest of young generation in the use of traditional medicinal practices. Scientific World, Vol. 10, No. 10, July 2012 p54-65 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/sw.v10i10.6863


2021 ◽  
pp. 50-59
Author(s):  
Karma Sherub ◽  
Bhagat Suberi ◽  
Purna Prasad Chapagai ◽  
. Penjor ◽  
Kelzang Jurmey ◽  
...  

Medicinal plants are one of the most affordable and accessible method available for the treatment of various ailments and diseases by the local people. In this regards, the study aimed to document the ethno-medicinal knowledge of plants used by the local people of Dagana district of Bhutan. Data were collected between June and November of 2020 using semi-structured interviews from the local people, following snowball sampling.  The study documented 74 medicinal plant species, used for treating 30 different body ailments and diseases. Maximum number of species (14) was used in treating cut/body wounds and commonly used plant parts was leaves (30 species). Current study area was found to be rich in ethno-medicinal knowledge, but equally threatened with declining practices and management of resources. Thus, appropriate conservation of resources and preservation of traditional knowledge is required.


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sulaiman ◽  
Sikandar Shah ◽  
Sheharyar Khan ◽  
Rainer W. Bussmann ◽  
Maroof Ali ◽  
...  

The current study on the traditional use of medicinal plants was carried out from February 2018 to March 2020, in Gokand Valley, District Buner, Pakistan. The goal was to collect, interpret, and evaluate data on the application of medicinal plants. Along with comprehensive notes on individual plants species, we calculated Use Value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Use Report (UR), Fidelity Level (FL), Informant Consensus Factor (FCI), as well as Family Importance Value (FIV). During the current study, a total of 109 species belonging to 64 families were reported to be used in the treatment of various ailments. It included three families (four species) of Pteridophytes, 58 families (99 species) of angiosperm, one family (three species) of Gymnosperms, and two families (three species) of fungi. The article highlights the significance of domestic consumption of plant resources to treat human ailments. The UV varied from 0.2 (Acorus calamus L.) to 0.89 (Acacia modesta Wall.). The RFC ranged from 0.059 (Acorus calamus L. and Convolvulus arvensis L.) to 0.285 (Acacia modesta Wall.). The species with 100% FL were Acacia modesta Wall. and the fungus Morchella esculenta Fr., while the FCI was documented from 0 to 0.45 for gastro-intestinal disorders. The conservation ranks of the medicinal plant species revealed that 28 plant species were vulnerable, followed by rare (25 spp.), infrequent (17 spp.), dominant (16 spp.), and 10 species endangered. The traditional use of plants needs conservation strategies and further investigation for better utilization of natural resources.


2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Alberto Lara Reimers ◽  
Eloy Fernández Cusimamani ◽  
Eduardo Antonio Lara Rodríguez ◽  
Juan Manuel Zepeda del Valle ◽  
Zbynek Polesny ◽  
...  

Despite the fact that Mexico has vast biocultural biodiversity, there are numerous regions where the traditional medicinal use of plants has not yet been studied. We aimed to document, analyze quantitatively, and preserve medicinal plant knowledge among local people living in over 40 communities in the state of Zacatecas. Ethnobotanical information was collected by semistructured interviews with 132 informants. Data were analyzed using standard quantitative indices such as relative frequency of citation, family importance value, cultural importance index, and informant consensus factor. We recorded 168 medicinal plant taxa belonging to 151 genera and 69 botanical families and used to treat 99 health disorders. The most medicinally important plant families were Asteraceae (20 species), followed by Fabaceae and Lamiaceae (12 species) and Cactaceae (five species). The most culturally important species was <em>Matricaria chamomilla</em> L., mentioned 140 times, followed by <em>Arnica montana</em> L. (62 times) and <em>Artemisia ludoviciana</em> Nutt (48 times). The highest consensus for use was for diseases of the reproductive system. The type of disorder for which there was the highest number of references for use (389; 25% of all uses) and plant species (67) were diseases of the digestive and gastrointestinal system. The present study represents the first quantitative medical-ethnobotanical documentation and analysis of the traditional use of medicinal plants in Zacatecas state. Despite the semiarid climate, this region is botanically highly diverse, and its flora have versatile medicinal uses.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Auemporn Junsongduang ◽  
Onuma Nabundit ◽  
Pimrudee Chinnawong ◽  
Wattana Tanming ◽  
Henrik Balslev

Abstract Background: Local knowledge of herbal medicine in rural communities is rich. This part of cultures plays an important role in societies where knowledge of indigenous medicine and folk healing has been passed down from generation to generation. Most of the knowledge was never written down and much such knowledge has disappeared over time when it was presented orally and through memorization. The objective of this study was to compile knowledge related to medicinal plants used by Tai Lao traditional healers in Roi et province and identify their explicit use in order to preserve the useful wisdom for the people. Methodology: In this study we identify and document medicinal plants and associated ethnobotanical knowledge held by 14 traditional Tai Lao healers. They were selected by snowball and purposive sampling and questioned using semi-structured interviews. Interviews about their knowledge, covered their training, the ailments they treated, the techniques they used, their methods of preparation and, in addition, several healing sessions were observed. During walks in the fields, we searched for the medicinal plant with help from the healers to review and document their availability at each locality and in different habitats around the villages. Use Values (UV) were calculated to estimate the importance of each medicinal plant and Informant Agreement Ratios (IAR) were calculated to understand how widely known the uses were among the healers. Results: We found 146 species of medicinal plants in 127 genera and 60 plant families that were used for medicinal purposes by the 14 traditional healers interviewed. The family with most medicinal plants was Fabaceae (12 spp., 8%) followed by Poaceae (9 spp., 6%) and Zigiberaceae (8 spp., 5%). The most important and widely used medicinal plants were the sedge Cyperus rotundus (UV=0.71) followed by the dicot tree Salacia dongnaiensis (UV=0.64) and the palm Borassus flabellifer (UV=0.42). The most common preparation method was decoction, which was done for 99 species (68%) followed by grinding with water to produce a drink for 29 species (20%). The 14 healers together used medicinal plants to treat 53 specific conditions. Itching had the highest informant agreement ratio (IAR) value among the specific conditions with 0.33 (4 use-reports, 3 spp.). The general category of digestive system disorders had an informant agreement ratio (IAR) value of 0.35 (57 use-reports, 37 spp.) and this category of treatments also had the highest degree of consensus. The most common life form among the medicinal plants was trees (56 spp., 38%), followed by herbs (41 spp., 28%). The medicinal plants were mostly collected in homegardens (60 spp., 41%). The most commonly used plant parts for medicine was the stem which was used for almost half of the species (69 spp., 48%), followed by the roots (54 spp., 37%). The age of the Tai Lao healers varied from 26–87 years. All of them were male. Their age and educations were not correlated with the number of known medicinal plants. The highest number of known medicinal plants was held by a 70 years old healer (55 spp.). Conclusion: Considering the richness of the healers’ pharmacopeia, and the fact that their profession is not being perpetuated, this study points to the urgent need to document the traditional knowledge from the old herbalists before it disappears with the last practitioners in the rural communities.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27
Author(s):  
Sipriana Dogomo ◽  
Rosye H.R. Tanjung ◽  
Suharno Suharno

Plants are widely used by the community as traditional medicine in an effort to maintain health. The purpose of this study was to determine the diversity of plant species used as traditional medicines and how to use them by the Mee Tribe in Kamuu District, Dogiyai Regency, Papua. The study was conducted in December 2018-July 2019. The method used in this study was a qualitative method with observation, interview, and documentation. The research showed that are 59 species of plants from 30 families that are used as medicinal plants by the Mee Tribe community. The community uses medicinal plants by: without processing 38 species, boiling 10 species, burning 7 species, and more than one way 4 species. The plant parts used are: stem (14 species), fruits (7 species), flowers (3 species), leaves (20 species), bark (2 species), tubers (1 species), and more than one part (12 species). The most widely used part of medicinal plants is leaves (33.89 %). Key words: medicinal plant, Mee, community, Dogiyai


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Sangay Tenzin ◽  
Pema Tendar

This paper documents the medicinal plant species in wetlands of the Eastern Himalayan Highlands of Gasa District, Bhutan. A random quadrat sampling method was used to assess the presence-absence of species. The study was conducted at Khatoed and Khamaed gewogs (blocks), Gasa District between January and December 2018. Identification of medicinal plant species and families were done in consultation with a botanist at the herbarium in Thimphu and volumes of Flora of Bhutan were referred. Based on the published and authentic scientific literature, information on medical uses of plant parts was collected. A total of 74 species of medicinal plant species in the wetlands, distributed in 69 genera and 43 families have been recorded. The study suggests preserving invaluable wetland medicinal plants and integrating ethno-medicinal practices in our lives.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nyoman Wijana ◽  
Putuindah Rahmawati

Abstract. Wijana N, Rahmawati PW. 2020. Short Communication; Medicinal plants in Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali, Indonesia: Diversity, distribution, traditional use and tourism attractiveness. Biodiversitas 21: 2455-2461. The present study attempts to survey and document the medicinal plant diversity found in Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali, Indonesia. The study covers three aspects, namely: ecosystems (vegetation), socio-systems (social) and cultural systems. The population from ecosystem aspects are all plant species that grow in the Ubud​​ Monkey Forest. Numerous surveys were conducted to study the distribution pattern of medicinal plants. The purposive samples were used from the aspect of the socio-system, including: community leaders, stakeholders, traditional healers and local community with a total sample of 50 people. The cultural system discussed in this research is Balinese culture. The present study concluded that 28 species of medicinal plants in the Ubud Monkey forest that can be used for traditional medication; medicinal plants in the Monkey Forest are spread in the forest area; these species can be used for internal and external medicine; and various parts of medicinal plant species used for medication are parts of leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots. The availability of these medicinal plants in Ubud Monkey Forest can be used as an additional attraction for visitors, i.e., for educational tours for students as well as for health and wellness tourism.


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