scholarly journals Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plant species used by communities around Mabira and Mpanga Central Forest Reserves, Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Savina Asiimwe ◽  
Jane Namukobe ◽  
Robert Byamukama ◽  
Betty Imalingat

Abstract Background Medicinal plants form an integral part of many health care systems in Uganda. This study aimed at documenting the therapeutic importance of plant species used in primary health care among communities living adjacent to Mabira and Mpanga forest reserves in Central Uganda. Methods An ethnobotanical study was conducted between April and June 2018 in 7 villages adjacent to Mpanga and 6 villages adjacent to Mabira central forest reserves. Information was obtained from 28 respondents identified using snowball and purposive sampling techniques and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data. The quantitative analysis of data was done using fidelity level, informant consensus factor, and percent respondent knowledge indices. Results A total of 136 medicinal plants were recorded. The plant species classified into 55 families were grouped under 14 medical categories with the highest number of plant species being used for digestive disorders (44%), followed by respiratory (38%) and dermatological disorders (36%). Hoslundia opposita Vahl was mentioned by 71% of the respondents for treating 22 disease conditions. Plant Family Fabaceae was the most represented with 16 species. Informant consensus agreement was high (0.7) for respiratory disorders. The fidelity level was 100% for Bidens pilosa L. and Callistemon citrinus Skeels for treating wounds and cough, respectively. Plant remedies were mainly prepared by decoction (31%) and administered orally (36%). A large number of plants (61%) were harvested from wild habitats. Herbs (50%) and leaves (50%) contributed the highest percentage of plant biological forms and parts used in remedy preparation. Conclusion This study recorded plant species with the potential to treat a wide range of illnesses. This is reflected in the high diversity of the recorded species used for medicinal purposes. Pharmacological studies on the plants with high percentage use values and fidelity levels are needed to validate their uses in the management of the said therapeutic applications. Further research on the isolation and characterization of the plant active compounds could lead to the discovery of new potential drugs.

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 679-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rapeeporn PHOLHIAMHAN ◽  
Surapon SAENSOUK ◽  
Piyaporn SAENSOUK

The present study aimed to study the diversity of plants used by Phu Thai ethnic groups in Nakhon Phanom province, and to find out the correlation between genders, age, and indigenous knowledge of the Phu Thai groups. The data were analyzed by using independent-samples t-test, one way ANOVA, cultural importance index (CI), informant consensus factor (ICF), and fidelity level (FL %). The results showed that there were 329 plant species from 89 families used in the daily life by the Phu Thai.The largest number of plant species were from Fabaceae (42 species, 12.77 %), followed by Zingiberaceae (20 species, 6.07 %), and Poaceae (15 species, 4.56 %). One hundred and ninety nine species were edible and used for consumption, 176 species for medicine, 56 species for cultural purposes, and 79 for other uses. The highest informant consensus factor (ICF) of medicinal plants were calculated for injuries (ICF = 0.961) indicating the highest degree of agreement among the informants knowledge of medicinal plants used to treat disorders in this category. The highest fidelity level (FL %) values were calculated for Crinum asiaticum L. var. asiaticum (93.62%), showing the conformity of knowledge regarding use of this plant to heal ankle sprains and postpartum women.          The CI values were calculated for Oryza sativa L. (CI = 2.74), followed by Saccharum officinarum L. (CI = 2.64), and Cocos nucifera L. (CI = 2.57), respectively. The most frequently used parts of the plant were leaves (82 species; 21.20 %) followed by fruits (70 species; 17.99 %), and stems (46 species; 11.85 %). Tree was the most common plant habit (77 species; 26.50 %), followed by the herb (72 species; 22.90 %), and climber (34 species; 9.20 %). The plants were gathered from cultivated fields more than from the forest. The ethnobotanical knowledge listed by males and females did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). The older informants had significantly more knowledge of medicinal plant uses than younger informants (p < 0.05). The Phu Thai ethnic group used Oryza sativa L. to make glutinous fermented liquors called “U”. It contains a variety of plants such as Alpinia galangal (L.) Willd., Lepisanthes rubiginosa (Roxb.) Leenh., Albizia myriophylla Benth., Paederia linearis Hook. f. var. linearis, Saccharum officinarum L., Streptocaulon juventas (Lour.) Merr., Oroxylum indicum (L.) Benth. ex Kurz, Harrisonia perforata (Blanco) Merr., and Tacca leontopetaloides (L.) Kuntze.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prabin Bhandari ◽  
Min Bahadur Gurung ◽  
Chandra Kanta Subedi ◽  
Ram Prasad Chaudhary ◽  
Khadga Basnet ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Chyangthapu-Phalaicha located in the northeastern Panchthar District, is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalaya. The area is dominated by the Kirat indigenous community. The present study was conducted to document the knowledge of the ethnomedicinal uses and practices that exist in the area before the associated socio-cultural knowledge on biological diversity is lost. Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires. Stakeholders meetings were organized for assessing the conservation issues in the sub-corridor. The importance of medicinal plant species was assessed using quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, relative importance, fidelity level and Rahman’s similarity index. Results: Altogether, 140 medicinal plant species from 68 families and 127 genera were reported, which were used to treat 12 health disorders categories. The dominant families were Asteraceae and Fabaceae which contributed eight species each. Fifty-five percent of the total medicinal plant species comprised of herbs. The most frequently used plant parts were underground parts (33%) and leaf (15%). The most common remedies preparation method was extract. Oral administration was the most common therapeutic mode (60%). Maximum informant consensus factor (0.96) was calculated for gastrointestinal disorders. The highest relative frequency of citation and fidelity level was observed for Swertia chirayita (0.83 and 100% respectively). Artemisia dubia depicted the highest relative importance (91.67). A thorough review of previous literature and analysis of field data revealed new therapeutic use reports for 41 ailments associated with 52 plant species. The Rahman similarity index was high with the studies in neighbouring areas, while it was low with the geographically distant studies. Conclusions: The ethnomedicinal study of the Chyangthapu-Phalaicha biological sub-corridor in the Kangchenjunga Landscape indicates that the area supports significant medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. The varied use of reported medicinal plants in the area indicates the need for their domestication, processing and phytochemical investigation, especially for those with high ethnobotanical indices.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 204-219
Author(s):  
A. Kefifa ◽  
A. Saidi ◽  
K. Hachem ◽  
O. Mehalhal

This paper presents the first quantitative ethnobotanical study of the flora in the semi-arid region in the southwest part of Algeria. The aim of this ethnobotanical survey in the region of El Bayadh situated in the semi-arid part of Algeria was to identify the main medicinal plants used by the local inhabitants to treat different diseases and to collect all the data on their therapeutic characteristics. One hundred informants of different ages were interviewed for this study (69 women and 31 men). Both quantitative and qualitative information were collected through open semi-structured face-to-face interviews with the local people. Data were organized and analyzed by descriptive statistics. The ethnobotanical data were analyzed using various important quantitative indices calculated for each of the recorded medicinal plant species like use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), relative importance index (RII), informants’ agreement ratio (IAR), informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), and family importance value index (FIV). In addition, a correlation analysis was performed to check the level of association between RFC and both UV and RII. It was reported that 44 useful plant species, belonging to 26 botanical families were used in the treatment of various diseases. The Asteraceae family was the most common family (6 species, 13.64%, FIV = 0.94) of all the medicinal plants recorded in this study. Leaves were the most commonly used plant part, accounting for 50.77% of the plants reported. Eighty-three diseases were identified and grouped into eleven categories, dominated by diseases of the nervous system and sensory organs (ICF = 0.94), which were treated with local medicinal plants. There is a clear dominance of Artemisia herba alba Asso. (Chih) in the three important ethnobotanical indices (UV, RFC, and RII).We found in this study five plant species having maximum fidelity level (100%) where they were used to treat only one disease. The Pearson correlation coefficient between RFC and UV (0.986**), and between RFC and RII (0.713**) showed highly positive significant association between RFC and both UV and RI of plant use in the study area. We deduce that herbal medicine is used in selfmedication of the local population; however, we also draw attention to the fact that the incoherent and limitless use of the medicinal flora constitutes a potential risk contributing to the degradation of the plant biodiversity of the area of study. These results may complement the database of the national medicinal flora and support research in phytochemistry and pharmacology to discover new drugs and approve ethnomedicinal knowledge.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
TERESA HAIDE BELGICA ◽  
Marlon Suba ◽  
Grecebio Jonathan Alejandro

Abstract. Belgica THR, Suba MD, Alejandro CJD. 2021. Quantitative ethnobotanical study of medicinal flora used by local inhabitants in selected Barangay of Malinao, Albay, Philippines. Biodiversitas 22: 2711-2721. study identified and documented herbal medicines used in traditional therapies of local inhabitants in Malinao Albay. Ethnobotanical documentation in this study was through field observation, unstructured interviews, group discussions, and guided field walks. Preference ranking, use-value, informant consensus factor, and fidelity level were quantified. Based on the survey, 74 medicinal plants from 38 families and 72 genera were identified by 350 local inhabitants with therapeutic purposes using quantitative ethnobotanical indices. The plant species belonging to Lamiaceae were best represented with eight species, followed by Compositae with six species and Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, and Moraceae with four species each. While the plant species, i.e., Senna alata (L.) Roxb and Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth, were recorded with the highest Fidelity level (FL). In terms of Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Justicia gendarussa Burm.f, Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers and Centella abbreviata (A. Rich.) Nannf were recorded with the highest values. Moreover, the plant with the highest Use Value (UV) was Moringa oleifera Lam, and the leaves were the most used part as a decoction to cure different illnesses. This study provides baseline data of plant diversity in Malinao Albay and their medicinal uses, which could be used as a basis for drug discovery to improve the utilization of herbal plants from global perspectives.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prabin Bhandari ◽  
Min Bahadur Gurung ◽  
Chandra Kanta Subedi ◽  
Ram Prasad Chaudhary ◽  
Khadga Bahadur Basnet ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Chyangthapu-Phalaicha located in the northeastern Panchthar District, is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalaya. The area is dominated by the Kirat indigenous community. The present study was conducted to document the knowledge of the ethnomedicinal uses and practices that exist in the area before the associated socio-cultural knowledge on biological diversity is lost. Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected through three focus group discussions and 47 key informant interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. The importance of medicinal plant species was assessed using quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, relative importance, fidelity level and Rahman’s similarity index. Results: Altogether, 140 medicinal plant species from 68 families and 127 genera were reported, which were used to treat 12 diseases categories. The dominant families were Asteraceae and Fabaceae which contributed eight species each. Fifty-five percent of the total medicinal plant species comprised of herbs. The most frequently used plant parts were underground parts (33%) and leaf (15%). The most common remedies preparation method was extract. Oral administration was the most common therapeutic mode (60%). Maximum informant consensus factor (0.96) was calculated for gastrointestinal diseases. The highest relative frequency of citation and fidelity level was observed for Swertia chirayita (0.83 and 100% respectively). Artemisia dubia depicted the highest relative importance (91.67). A thorough review of previous literature and analysis of field data revealed 90 new therapeutic use reports for 42 ailments belonging to 64 plant species.Conclusions: The ethnomedicinal study of the Chyangthapu-Phalaicha biological sub-corridor in the Kangchenjunga Landscape indicates that the area supports significant medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. The varied use of reported medicinal plants in the area indicates the need for their cultivation, processing and phytochemical investigation, especially for those with high ethnobotanical indices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Birhanu Adibaru Abebe ◽  
Samuel Chane Teferi

Indigenous people of a given community have their own local specific knowledge on plant use, management, and conservation. The objective of this study was to document medicinal plants used to treat human and livestock ailments in Hulet Eju Enese Woreda. The data were collected using semistructured interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations with local people. A total of 100 informants over the age of 20 years were selected to collect information on medicinal plant use. Descriptive statistics (percentage and frequency), Jaccard’s similarity index, independent sample t-test and analysis of variance, informant consensus factor, fidelity level, preference ranking, and direct matrix ranking were computed. A total of 80 medicinal plant species belonging to 75 genera and 52 families were documented. In terms of species diversity, Solanaceae stood first with 5 species followed by Euphorbiaceae and Malvaceae with 4 species each. Out of eighty medicinal plants, 53 species were used to treat only human ailments, 8 species were used to treat only livestock ailments, and the remaining 19 species were used for treating both human and livestock ailments. From the total medicinal plant species, shrub constitutes the largest number with 42.5% species. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves, accounting for 28.9%. The major routes of administration were oral accounts, 81 (57%), followed by dermal, 45 (31.7%), nasal, 6 (4.2%), and others, 10 (7%). In the disease category with the highest informant consensus factor (0.83) value was sudden sickness. There was highest preference (49) for Phytolacca dodecandra to treat rabies. Cordia africana was shown to be the top multipurpose species. This study revealed that the study area was rich in medicinal plants. Agricultural expansion, charcoal making, and firewood collection were considered major threats to medicinal plants. Therefore, awareness creation to the youth and training to the healers play a pivotal role to prevent the loss of indigenous knowledge.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuha Shawarb ◽  
Manal Badrasawi ◽  
Hassan Abu Qaoud ◽  
Fatima Hussein

Abstract Background: There are many medicinal applications of natural plant remedies. Several illnesses are still being treated by Palestinian people using medicinal plants. This research was intended to study the use of natural plants to treat different types of Respiratory tract disorders. Method: In the Northern part of Palestine, an ethno-pharmacological study of medicinal plants used to treat respiratory diseases has been carried out. A questionnaire was circulated to 120 informants. The details gathered included the names of the plants, the parts used, the diseases for which the products were used, as well as the method of preparation. To evaluate results: percentages (%), Fic (factor of informant consensus) and FL (fidelity-level) was calculated. Results: A total of 120 participants were included in the final analysis. The highest percentage of herbal use was reported for flu (103 participants) followed by cough, while the lowest percentages of users were in bronchitis management. The study showed that 31 plant species of 19 families were used for respiratory disorders. 6 species are from Lamiaceae family, while 3 species from Apiaceae family, two species are from Amaryllidaceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Rutaceae and Zingiberaceae , while the rest of the families only one species was mentioned by the participants, The pieces used most commonly were leaves and fruits. Decoction was the technique of preparation and was taken as a hot drink.Chamomile, mint, sage , lemon and ginger all were in treatment of all of the five respiratory diseases.Conclusions: The information provided on medicinal plants, with maximum percents & FL values can serve as basic data for further research to identify the active biological ingredients in these plants., and to develop new drug preparations for the treatment of disorders of the resapiratory system.


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 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gideon Woldemariam ◽  
Sebsebe Demissew ◽  
Zemede Asfaw

Abstract BackgroundIndigenous or traditional herbal medicine has been widely regarded as a resource for strengthening the health care systems among communities of low income countries including Ethiopia. The Yem people in Ethiopia have deep-rooted and ancient traditional knowledge of managing human ailments and health conditions using medicinal plants (mps). On the other hand, mps and the associated indigenous knowledge are under erosion due to human-induced and natural factors. Therefore, documenting the plant biodiversity along with the associated indigenous knowledge is of urgent task for conservation. MethodsThis study was conducted in April, 2013, October, 2016 and July, 2016 with the objective of documenting traditional mps in different land uses that are used for treating human ailments. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 69 informants that were selected by stratified random sampling and purposive sampling. Vegetation data were obtained from 30, 30x30 m quadrats. Ethnobotanical data were analysed using paired ranking, Informant consensus factor and Fidelity Level index. ResultsAbout 213 medicinal plant species that are used for treating 117 human ailments were recorded. ICF calculated depicted a highest ICF value of 0.82 for Gastrointestinal & Visceral organs ailments. Haplocarpha rueppellii, Carduus schimperi and Inula confortiflora each 100%, Maesa lanceolata 80% and Rumex abyssinicus 75%. Vegetation analysis showed three plant communities.ConclusionThe Yem people have rich traditional knowledge of utilising plants side by side with the mainstream biomedical system for maintaining human health care.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulugeta Berhanu ◽  
Tarekegn Tintagu ◽  
Selamawit Fentahun ◽  
Mirutse - Giday

Abstract Background: Traditional knowledge on the use of medicinal plants is in danger of extinction because of different changes taking place all over the world including Ethiopia and thus there is a need for its immediate documentation for the purpose of conservation, sustainable utilization and development. Thus, an ethnobotanical study was conducted in Ambo District, Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia to document and analyze local knowledge on medicinal plants used for the treatment of animal diseases.Methods: Data were collected between November, 2017 and April, 2018 mainly through semi-interviews conducted with purposively selected informants. Data collected mainly included demographic information of respondents, local names of medicinal plants, plant parts used, preparation methods, mode of applications, diseases treated, and habit and habitat of the reported plants. Based on data obtained through interviews, Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) values were computed.Results: A total of 55 medicinal plants used to manage livestock ailment were reported by informants in the Ambo District. Herbs were commonly used in the preparation of remedies. Leaf was the most frequently utilized plant part accounting for 49.1% of the total reported medicinal plants. The majority (69.0%) of the medicinal plants used in the study District were uncultivated ones mainly harvested from edges of forests and bushlands, roadsides, river banks and grasslands. High ICF values were obtained for ophthalmological (0.82), dermatological (0.79), febrile (0.77) and gastro-intestinal ailments (0.77).Conclusion: The current study shows that there is still rich traditional knowledge on the use of plants to control various animal diseases in study District. However, such claim needs to be scientifically verified with priority given to medicinal plants used in the treatment of ailment categories with high ICF values as such plants are considered to be good candidates for further pharmacological evaluation.


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