MEDICINAL PLANTS USED BY THE PEOPLE OF HULET EJJU ENESIE WOREDA, EAST GOJJAM ZONE OF AMHARA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used as a source of medicine to treat human and livestock ailments since time immemorial. Indigenous people of a given community have their own local specific knowledge on plant. This study was conducted to document indigenous plant based medicinal knowledge in the study area. The data were collected using semi structured interviews, focus group discussions and field observations with local peoples. A total of 100 informants (70 males and 30 females) above the ages of 20 were selected to collect information on medicinal plant use. To analyze data, descriptive statistics such as percentage and frequency were employed. Moreover, Jaccard’s similarity index, independent sample t-test and ANOVA, informant consensus factor, fidelity level, preference ranking and direct matrix ranking were computed. A total of 80 medicinal plant species belonging to75 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 these medicinal plants, 53 species were used to treat only human ailments, 8 species used to treat only livestock ailments and the remaining 19 species were used for treating both human and livestock ailments. Majority of the species 43 were observed in the forest and river side. From the total medicinal plant species, shrub constitutes the largest number with 42.5% species. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves which accounts 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%). Some of the remedies are taken with additives include; butter, honey, milk, Injera, sugar, local alcohol (Tella or Arekie), salt, oil, coffee or tea. In the disease category with the highest (0.83) ICF 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 while agricultural expansion, firewood collection and charcoal making were considered major threats to medicinal plants. This study shows that the study area rich with medicinal plants and the people HEE still rely on traditional medicine of plant based origin to treat human and livestock ailments. In order to protect the loss of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants local communities should be given training, awareness creation and encouraged to transfer their indigenous knowledge. In addition, young generation should be taught the importance indigenous knowledge.