Ethno-Medicinal Study of Plants Used for Treatment of Human and Livestock Ailments by Traditional Healers in Goba Woreda, Bale Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

The investigation of traditional medicinal plants was performed in Bale district from August to October 2018 in three kebeles Kedu, Elasa and Aloshe Tilo. In the study area diverse medicinal plant were used to treat many human and livestock disease. The data were collected from the informants through semi-structured interview, discussion and collected plant samples from the study areas that were used to treat different human and livestock ailments. A total of 21 informants were selected that consist of seven informants from each kebele of which 16 were males and 5 females. Among the informants six of them were key informants selected by purposive sampling method. A total of 35 medicinal plant species were collected from the study area and identified using the Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea (volume 3, 1989). The medicinal plant collected was used to treat six disease categories. Namely, dermatological, respiratory, ureno-genital, gastro-intestinal, febrile and livestock disease. The frequently applied plant part was leaf (58%) followed by root (25%). Traditional healers commonly used the juice of fresh leaf and root of medicinal plants. To prepare it fresh part of the plant was crushed and the juice applied orally, nasally or dermally. However; these plant species were threatened by the activities of the community like expansion of agriculture, overgrazing, cultivation of eucalyptus tree as cash plant and application of the root of medicinal plant was a factor that needs risk of extinction. To conserve the biodiversity of the area and preserve the medicinal plants it was recommended to make aware of the society and to develop in –situ and ex-situ conservation of medicinal plants.

Keywords: Human diseases, Livestock ailments, Traditional medicinal plants, traditional healer.

DOI: 10.7176/ALST/71-03