Awoke Ashebir, Siyum Yared, Awoke Derbew, Gebremedhin Habtamu, Tadesse Afework
Department of Biology, Mizan-Tepi University, Tepi, Ethiopia.
Department of Midwifery, Arbaminch Health Science College, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2024 Dec 21;20(1):107. doi: 10.1186/s13002-024-00748-y.
Ethiopia is recognized as a significant center of origin for a wide variety of plant species, particularly those with medicinal properties. A substantial segment of the population across the nation depends on these therapeutic plants for their primary healthcare needs. Many communities, both rural and urban, engage in traditional medicine practices, passing down their knowledge orally from one generation to the next. Consequently, this study was undertaken to record the traditional medicinal plants and the related indigenous knowledge in the Yeki district of Southwest Ethiopia.
Between March 2024 and August 2024, semi-structured interviews, in-person meetings, group discussions, and escorted field trips were used to gather quantitative ethnobotanical data. A total of 132 informants 100 men and 32 women were interviewed in order to gather ethnobotanical data. The informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), plant part value, preference ranking, and direct matrix ranking were among the quantitative techniques that were employed. Furthermore, the study used a variety of statistical tests, such as independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, correlation, and regression with R software version 4.3.2, to compare the ethnobotanical knowledge of various informant groups.
A total of 98 species of traditional medicinal plants from 81 genera and 45 plant families were identified in the current study. The Asteraceae (11 species) were the largest family used by local peoples, followed by Solanaceae (8 species). The most commonly used plant parts were leaves and roots, and the primary technique for making remedies was crushing. The respiratory systems disease categories had the second highest consensus score (ICF: 0.90), after the dermal disease category (ICF: 0.91). The number of medicinal plants reported by respondents across gender, age groups, educational level, and informant's type varied significantly (P < 0.05). Various medicinal species can be found in the area's vegetation, but they are threatened by deforestation, agricultural extension, firewood, modernization, IAS, charcoal production, and material culture.
The results highlight the extensive variety of medicinal plants and the accompanying traditional knowledge present in the Guraferda district. The elevated ethnobotanical indices justify the need for additional phytochemical and pharmacological research. It is advisable to implement integrated conservation strategies to tackle the challenges confronting these precious plant resources.
埃塞俄比亚被公认为多种植物物种的重要起源中心，尤其是那些具有药用特性的植物。全国很大一部分人口依靠这些治疗性植物来满足其基本医疗保健需求。许多农村和城市社区都有传统医学实践，通过口口相传将知识代代相传。因此，本研究旨在记录埃塞俄比亚西南部耶基地区的传统药用植物及相关本土知识。
在2024年3月至2024年8月期间，采用半结构化访谈、面对面会议、小组讨论和陪同实地考察来收集定量民族植物学数据。总共采访了132名信息提供者（100名男性和32名女性）以收集民族植物学数据。所采用的定量技术包括信息提供者共识因子（ICF）、保真度水平（FL）、植物部位价值、偏好排序和直接矩阵排序。此外，该研究使用了多种统计测试，如独立t检验、单因素方差分析、相关性分析以及使用R软件版本4.3.2进行回归分析，以比较不同信息提供者群体的民族植物学知识。
本研究共鉴定出81属45个植物科的98种传统药用植物。菊科（11种）是当地使用最多的科，其次是茄科（8种）。最常用的植物部位是叶子和根，制作药物的主要方法是研磨。呼吸系统疾病类别的共识得分第二高（ICF：0.90），仅次于皮肤病类别（ICF：0.91）。不同性别、年龄组、教育水平和信息提供者类型的受访者报告的药用植物数量差异显著（P < 0.05）。该地区的植被中有各种药用植物，但它们受到森林砍伐、农业扩张、柴火采集、现代化、外来入侵物种、木炭生产和物质文化的威胁。
研究结果突出了古拉费尔达地区药用植物种类繁多以及相关传统知识丰富。较高的民族植物学指标表明有必要进行更多的植物化学和药理学研究。建议实施综合保护策略来应对这些珍贵植物资源面临的挑战。
