CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2024 Feb 28;20(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s13002-024-00666-z.
Medicinal plants have been used for centuries and are still relied upon by over 80% of the Ethiopian population. The people of Gamo, southern Ethiopia, have a rich cultural and traditional lifestyle with a long history of using plant resources for various uses including traditional herbal medicine. However, their traditional knowledge of traditional medicinal plants in Boreda Abaya District has not been explored Ethnobotanically yet, despite preserving diverse indigenous traditional medicinal plants. Hence, the study aimed to document and analyze traditional medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge and practices used by local people.
Quantitative ethnobotanical data were collected via semi-structured interviews, face-to-face conversations, group discussions, and guided field trips between September 2022 and February 2023. In total, 92 informants participated, of which 25 were key informants. Quantitative data indices (informant consensus factor-ICF-and use report-Ur) were computed by MS Excel spreadsheet software. Scientific names of medicinal plants were checked via World Flora Online.
In the present study, we recorded 188 traditional medicinal plant species belonging to 163 genera and 73 plant families. Lamiaceae (16 species), Asteraceae (16 species), Fabaceae (11 species), and Euphorbiaceae (8 species) contributed highest number of species and were found to be predominant family in the area. Leaves and seeds were most frequently used plant parts, and pounding (46%) was the main method to prepare remedies. The sudden sickness disease category scored the highest consensus (ICF: 0.35), followed by blood and circulatory-related disease categories (ICF: 0.33). The highest number of plant taxa (61 species) used to treat dermal disease has a 71-use report score, while fewer plant taxa (21 species) were utilized to treat genitourinary system-related disease category, having 25 use reports. Ocimum lamiifolium (Ur:56) and Moringa stenopetala (Ur:51) are widely used species and received highest use report value.
Gamo people possess extensive traditional knowledge of ethnomedicine. The region's vegetation hosts diverse medicinal species, but deforestation, agriculture, and droughts threaten them. Local conservation practices require scientific support, prioritizing species having higher use reports (Ur), and in-depth investigations of promising species for drug development are essential.
药用植物已被使用了几个世纪，目前仍有超过 80%的埃塞俄比亚人依赖它们。埃塞俄比亚南部的 Gam 族拥有丰富的文化和传统生活方式，长期以来一直利用植物资源用于各种用途，包括传统草药。然而，尽管拥有多样化的本土传统药用植物，但他们在博雷达阿巴亚地区的传统药用植物的传统知识尚未从民族植物学的角度进行探索。因此，本研究旨在记录和分析当地人民使用的传统药用植物及相关传统知识和实践。
2022 年 9 月至 2023 年 2 月期间，通过半结构式访谈、面对面交谈、小组讨论和实地考察收集了定量民族植物学数据。共有 92 名知情者参与，其中 25 名为关键知情者。通过 MS Excel 电子表格软件计算了定量数据指标（信息共识因子 ICF 和使用报告 Ur）。药用植物的学名通过世界植物在线进行核对。
在本研究中，我们记录了 188 种传统药用植物，隶属于 163 属 73 科。唇形科（16 种）、菊科（16 种）、豆科（11 种）和大戟科（8 种）的物种数量最多，是该地区主要的科。叶片和种子是最常用的植物部位，而捣碎（46%）是制备药物的主要方法。突发疾病类别的共识度最高（ICF：0.35），其次是血液和循环系统相关疾病类别（ICF：0.33）。用于治疗皮肤病的植物类群数量最多（61 种），其使用报告数为 71，而用于治疗泌尿系统相关疾病类别的植物类群数量较少（21 种），使用报告数为 25。奥图姆·拉米福卢姆（Ur：56）和辣木属·史蒂诺佩塔莱（Ur：51）是广泛使用的物种，其使用报告值最高。
Gamo 人拥有广泛的传统民族医学知识。该地区的植被拥有丰富的药用物种，但森林砍伐、农业和干旱威胁着它们。当地的保护实践需要科学支持，优先考虑使用报告较高的物种（Ur），并对有开发潜力的药用物种进行深入调查。
