An Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used by Local People Inmachakel District, East Gojjam Zone of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia
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Date
2018-08-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
An Ethnobotanical study was conducted to document medicinal plants used by Local people and
their indigenous knowledge in Machakel District, East Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Regional
State. The study was conducted by involving 72 informants that were randomly selected from 12
selected kebles, from 72 (12 of them key informants). Ethnobotanical data were collected using
semi-structured interview, field observation and group discussions. Data gathered were analyzed
using descriptive statistics, preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, informant consensus and
fidelity level. In this study, From 82 species,57 species were used for the treatment of only
human health problems, 9 species are treated live stock ailments and 16 species are treated both
human and live stock ailments.Asteraceae, which contributed 8 species, stood first followed by
Lamiaceae. Most of the medicinal species were collected from the wild. 39 (47.5%) herbs, and
the least were climbers 4 (4.8%) species.The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (35%)
followed by roots (22.1%).The most frequent mode of preparation of plant medicine was
pounding (34%) followed by powdering (29%). The most common route of administration was
oral (37.6%) followed by dermal (34.1%). Fidelty level value showed that the most frequent
diseases in the area are stomach ache, common cold and Evileye. In the study area Echinops
kebericho was the mostscarce plant.Ranking of six species of plants showed that Ocimium
lamifolium is the most preferred species by traditional healers for the treatment of Febrileillness.
Euclayptus globulus was the most multipurpose species. Medicinal plant in the area is threatened
by agricultural expansion. Documenting the collected plants and associated indigenous
knowledge can be used together with modern sciences for developing management plans for
conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in the area.
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Keywords
Ethnobotany, Evil Eye, Fidelity Level, Indigenous Knowledge, Machakel District, Medicinal Plants