A Survey on Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plants in Nekemte Town, East Wellega (Oromia), Ethiopia

Abstract

Knowledge of traditional uses of medicinal plants in Ethiopia passed on from generation to generation orally. This method of information conveyance has resulted in distortion or loss of indigenous knowledge. Locally available and used medicinal plants should be identified to alleviate risk of extinction due to urbanization, drought, and deforestation. An ethno-pharmacological survey was conducted to document medicinal plants commonly used to treat human diseases and indigenous knowledge of traditional healers for further use and scientific investigations during February to March 2006 applying a systematic random sampling method. Structured questionnaires were used to record pertinent information of the respondents, their knowledge on medicinal plants. The result obtained was analyzed, compiled, and documented. Some 71 medical plants were collected and identified for the treatment of different kinds of diseases as single species prescription; 17 of them were used as polyherbal prescriptions. Leaves were the most commonly used (34.5%) plant parts; 28.2% consisted of more than one part of the plant used as a source of medicine; and 28% needed additives either for test preference or as a portion of medicine. Most of the plant remedies were prepared as decoction/infusion. Water was the major medium for the decoctions/infusions. Most of the medicines were taken orally and majority of the medicinal plants were shrubs (43.7%). The study provided information and identified varieties and usage of medicinal plants in the study area.

Keywords:

• Ethnomedicine
• traditional medicine
• medicinal plants
• Nekemte
• Oromo
• indigenous knowledge

Acknowledgments

This study was financed by Students Research Project, Jimma University. The authors are grateful to Mr. Haile Yineger at the Department of Biology, Jimma University for his assistance in plant species identification following the taxonomic features of previously identified plant species. The community as a whole and the traditional healers in particular of the study area are acknowledged for sharing their indigenous knowledge.