Medicinal ethnoveterinary plants used for treating livestock ailments in the omo-gibe and rift valley basins of Ethiopia

Abenezer Wendimu; Elias Bojago; Yitbarek Abrham

doi:10.1186/s12917-024-04019-6

Medicinal ethnoveterinary plants used for treating livestock ailments in the omo-gibe and rift valley basins of Ethiopia

BMC Vet Res. 2024 Apr 30;20(1):166. doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-04019-6.

Authors

Abenezer Wendimu¹, Elias Bojago², Yitbarek Abrham³

Affiliations

¹ Biology Department, Wolaita Sodo University, Natural and Computational Sciences College, PO Box 138, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia.
² Environmental Science Department, Wolaita Sodo University, Natural and Computational Sciences College, PO Box 138, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia.
³ College of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, Wolaita Sodo University, PO Box 138, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia. yetiabr269@gmail.com.

Abstract

Background: Traditional medical practices have been used to maintain animal health for millennia and have been passed down orally from generation to generation. In Ethiopia also, plants are the primary means by which the indigenous people in remote areas treat the illnesses of their animals. The present study was therefore, carried out to document the type and distribution of medicinal plants of the county.

Methods: To collect ethnobotanical information, a total of 205 informants (133 men and 72 women) were selected. Among these 121 traditional medicine practitioners, while the remaining 84 were selected through a systematic random sampling method. Ethnobotanical data were collected between January 2023 and August 2023 through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, guided filed walks and focus group discussions. Using descriptive statistics, the ethnobotanical data were analyzed for the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) and Fidelity Level (FL) values, preference, and direct matrix rankings. SPSS 26.0 and PAST 4.11 software were used in data analysis.

Results: Totally, 78 ethnoveterinary medicinal plants distributed in 36 families were identified in the study area. Asteraceae was the dominant family with 9 species (14%), followed by Euphorbiaceae with 8 species (12%). Herbs 42(56%), wild collected 62 (66%), and leaf part (52%) made the highest share of the plant species. Hordeum vulgare L. had the highest fidelity level (FL = 98%) for treating bone fractures. Blackleg, bloat, and endoparsistes each had the highest values of the consensus factor among the informants (ICF = 1). According to preference ranking, Withania somnifera was the most potent remedy for treating blackleg. Knowledge of medicinal plants was shared through storytelling within families.

Conclusion: In the study area, there is broad access to traditional medicinal plants that can treat ailments in animals. Conservation efforts should be prioritized to protect medicinal plants from threats such as agricultural expansion, drought, and development. Further research should be conducted to explore the potential of different medicinal plants for treating common livestock ailments.

Keywords: Animal diseases; Ethno-veterinary; Medicinal plants; Traditional medicine.

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Animals
Ethiopia
Ethnobotany*
Female
Humans
Livestock*
Male
Medicine, African Traditional*
Middle Aged
Phytotherapy / veterinary
Plants, Medicinal*