American Journal of Ethnomedicine

A survey on medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Harari regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

Joint Event on 3^rd World Congress on NATURAL PRODUCTS CHEMISTRY AND RESEARCH & 12^th WORLD PHARMA CONGRESS
October 16-18, 2017 Budapest, Hungary

Yeneayehu Fenetahun Mihertu

Ethiopia Biodiversity Institute (EBI), Ethiopia

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Am J Ethnomed

DOI: 10.21767/2348-9502-C1-003

Abstract

This study was carried out to collect and document indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants in Harari regional state, East Ethiopia. The ethnobotanical data were collected from 24 traditional healers (14 male and 10 female) using semistructured questionnaire, observation and guided field walks. The survey identified 54 medicinal plants distributed into34 families and 50 genera. The fabaceae family was the most dominant plant family recorded as sources of traditional medicines. The study revealed that 42 species (78%) were used against human ailments, 4 species (7%) were used to treat health problems of livestock and 8(15%) species were used to treat both human and livestock ailments. The plant parts most frequently used were the Leaf (48%), followed by root (24%), stem (11%), fruit (9) and whole parts (7). Traditional remedies were processed mainly through crushing, followed by squeezing. Oral applications were widely used, followed, in frequency of prescription, by dermal applications. The study showed that Harari area possess wealthy of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants and their applications. Moreover, this ethnobotanical study can assist scientists for further research on medicinal properties of identified plants species that could contribute to development of new drugs.

Biography

E-mail: shoyama@niu.ac.jp