Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used by Local People in Hintalo Wajerat District, Northern Ethiopia

Author Biography

Indigenous people of different ethnic groups in Ethiopia are enormously reliant on traditional medicinal plants to fulfilling human and livestock healthcare needs and have been used over many centuries. This study was conducted to document different types of herbal medicinal plants used and the traditional knowledge held by the local people in Hintalo Wajerat District. The techniques used in ethnobotanical data collection were semi-structured interviews, field observations, guided field walks, and group discussions with informants. A descriptive statistical method was applied to analyze and summarize the data. In the present study, a total of forty plant species representing twenty seven families were identified and documented to treat 33 human ailments. The most dominant plant part that used to prepare remedies was 22 (55%), followed by root 7(17.5%). The most common method of preparation is crushing 10 (25%) and the route of administration was oral 23 (57.5%).Euphorbiaceae was the most dominant medicinal plant family reported with 5 species. The result of the study also revealed Cordia africana as the most preferred multipurpose plant. The major factor reported as a threat to medicinal plants was deforestation (65%) followed by overgrazing by livestock (15%). This study confirmed that plants are still valued for their medicinal uses in the study area and the local community has rich indigenous knowledge of herbal medicinal plants. Since the plant species in the district are under high pressure, the concerned body should apply complementary conservation measures for sustainable use of herbal resources and to prevent species from extinction.