article · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
An ethnobotanical investigation in the Kelala District of Ethiopia documented indigenous knowledge regarding 82 medicinal plant species across 79 genera and 45 families. Gathered through interviews with 60 informants, focus group discussions, and guided field walks, the findings reveal that 43 plant species are used to treat human ailments, 33 treat livestock conditions, and six serve both purposes. Most documented remedies are harvested directly from wild environments, with Solanaceae representing the most common family, followed by Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Apiaceae, and Euphorbiaceae. Local preparations rely predominantly on fresh plant tissues, especially leaves and seeds, processed primarily by crushing or powdering. The findings indicate that agricultural expansion through tree felling poses a notable threat to these wild resources, while high-ranking species provide valuable targets for drug discovery research.
Documenting indigenous botanical knowledge preserves critical community heritage while identifying promising biological resources for healthcare. As wild habitats face mounting pressure from agricultural encroachment, recording how communities use local flora ensures traditional therapies are not permanently lost. Systematically cataloguing plant species and preparation practices also provides an essential foundation for laboratory researchers seeking to discover and validate new treatments for human and veterinary conditions.
This work represents early-stage research relevant to pharmaceutical and veterinary drug discovery programmes. By highlighting high-ranking medicinal species and traditional preparation methods, the findings offer bioprospecting teams and natural-product researchers candidate targets for compound extraction. However, because the study is confined to ethnobotanical documentation, any potential commercial application remains distant from real-world use and requires extensive chemical isolation, safety testing, and formal clinical evaluation.
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This research was carried out to record and document the medicinal plants and associated indigenous plant use knowledge of the local people in Kelala District of Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical data were collected by conducting preprepared semistructured interview items with 60 informants. Focus group discussion and guided field walk were also used. Data were analyzed using basic analytical tools and descriptive statistics. Determination of informant consensus factor, fidelity level, and ranking was performed. A total of 82 medicinal plants distributed in 79 genera and 45 families were collected. Of these plants, 43 species were used to treat human ailments, and 33 species were used to treat livestock ailments and the remaining 6 species were used to treat both human and livestock ailments. The majority of medicinal plants were harvested from the wild environments. The family Solanaceae occupied the first rank with seven species followed by Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Apiaceae, and Euphorbiaceae with four species each. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (42.2%) followed by seeds (15.2%), roots (8.1%), and fruits (7.6%). Freshly harvested plant parts (72.68%) were mostly used for remedy preparation compared to dried forms (24.74%) whereas crushing, which accounted for 41.12%, and powdering (24.37%) were the most widely used methods of remedy preparation in the study area. Expansion of farmlands by cutting trees heavily threatens medicinal plants and therefore needs due attention. High ranking medicinal plants are good candidates for further research in drug discovery and development.
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DOI: 10.1155/2021/6651922
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