Use and management of traditional medicinal plants by Maale and Ari ethnic communities in southern Ethiopia

Abstract

BackgroundAround 80% of the people of Ethiopia are estimated to be relying on medicinal plants for the treatment of different types of human health problems. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyse the use and management of medicinal plants used for the treatment of human health problems by the Maale and Ari communities in southern Ethiopia.MethodsQuantitative and qualitative ethnobotanical field inquiries and analytical methods including individual and focus group discussions (18), observations, individual interviews (n = 74), preference ranking and paired comparison were used. Data were collected in three study sites and from two markets; the latter surveyed every 15 days from February 2011 to February 2012.ResultsA total of 128 medicinal plant species, belonging to 111 genera and 49 families, used as herbal medicine by Maale and Ari communities were documented. Predominantly harvested plant parts were leaves, which are known to have relatively low impact on medicinal plant resources. Species with high familiarity indices included Solanum dasyphyllum, Indigofera spicata, Ruta chalepensis, Plumbago zeylanica and Meyna tetraphylla. Low Jaccards similarity indices (≤ 0.33) indicated little correspondence in medicinal plant use among sites and between ethnic communities. The dominant ways of medicinal plant knowledge acquisition and transfer is vertical: from parents to children through oral means. Gender and site significantly influenced the number of human medicinal plants known currently in the study sites. Age was only a factor of significance in Maale. Marketing of medicinal plants harvested from wild and semi-wild stands is not common. Expansion of agricultural land and lack of cultivation efforts by local communities are mentioned by locals to affect the availability of medicinal plant resources.ConclusionS. dasyphyllum, I. spicata, P. zeylanica, M. tetraphylla, and Oxalis radicosa need to be considered for phytochemical and pharmacological testing to verify their efficacy and determine their dosages. Land use planning and development initiatives in the area and beyond need to sharply focus on strategies that could alleviate the major threats affecting medicinal plant resources in the landscape and encourage their cultivation to enhance their availability and complement ex-and in-situ conservation.

Diversity, Knowledge, and Use of Plants in Traditional Treatment of Diabetes in the Republic of Benin

“…That is, according to the category of uses, the pattern of plant knowledge might vary among the social groups. On the second hand, most studies have come up with a positive association between age and traditional knowledge (Case et al 2005, Kidane et al 2014, Saynes-Vásquez et al 2013, probably because knowledge tends to accumulate through life cycle (Beltrán-Rodríguez et al 2014). But, it is worth understanding whether this trend varies according to the type of occupation.…”

In VitroAntibacterial Potential of Extracts ofSterculia africana,Acacia sieberiana, andCassia abbreviatassp.abbreviataUsed by Yellow Baboons(Papio cynocephalus)for Possible Self-Medication in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania

“…This study provides evidence that the yellow baboon forages for similar plants also used in ethno medicine as seen from previous literature reviewed [16,17,22,23]. 27.5% of microbes that affect nonhuman primates affect humans as well, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Escherichia coli being only a few examples of such microbes, a factor attributed to our phylogenetic closeness [4,12,36,37].…”

“…Sterculia africana root is used to treat asthma in communities around Lake Victoria region in Tanzania [21] and also possesses strong antifungal activity [18]. The Maale and Ari communities in Ethiopia utilize Sterculia africana as an antiemetic and to treat food poisoning as well as treating fever in the Blue Nile state, Sudan [22,23]. Sterculia africana is one of the sources of nontraditional seed oils in Botswana [24] and is widely used in African traditional medicine.…”

Effect of aqueous leaf extracts of Leptadenia hastata Pers (Decne) on spermiogram and testicular histology in albino rats (Wistar strain)

“…Some studies have shown the antifertility/spermicidal potentials of some medicinal plants (Huffman, 2003;Khillare and Singh, 2014). Fertility regulating plants and plant products have been traditionally used to control birth in different parts of Africa (Kidane et al, 2014). Leptadenia hastata Pers Decne (Njara in Kanuri, Yadiya in Hausa, Sabato, Kusubi in Fulani and Hagalhadjar in Arabic) belongs to the family Asclepiadaceae (Thomas, 2012).…”