Medicinal Plants Used by Oromo Community in Kofale District, West-Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to record the utilization of medicinal plants by the Oromo people in the Kofale District, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, to control human and animal health problems.

Methods

Data regarding the use of medicinal plants were collected using ethnobotanical methods from 84 traditional medicine practitioners and 304 general informants sampled employing purposive and systematic random sampling methods, respectively, in the Kofale District. Data were analyzed using different indices, including a preference ranking exercise, informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL) and relative popularity level (RPL).

Results

In the district, 106 medicinal plants were claimed to be used for the treatment of 43 human and 18 livestock illnesses, of which 75 (71%) were used to manage human health problems, 23 (21.5%) were used to treat both human and livestock ailments and eight (7.5%) were utilized to treat manage livestock health problems. Most (76.4%) plants were harvested from the wild. Leaves were the most commonly used plant part (55.6%) in remedy preparations. Skin diseases scored the highest ICF value (0.97), followed by gastrointestinal disorders (ICF = 0.95), cancer (ICF = 0.93), and hemorrhoids (ICF = 0.91). Medicinal plants that record the highest fidelity level (FL) (100%) and rank order priority (ROP) (100%) values included Justicia schimperiana, Embelia schimperi, Ekebergia capensis and Datura stramonium, which have been used to treat liver disorders, tapeworm infections, babesiosis, and rabies, respectively. There were significant differences (p<0.05) in the mean numbers of medicinal plants claimed by different social groups: older, illiterate, and traditional medicine practitioners reported higher mean numbers of medicinal plants than younger, literate, and general informants, respectively.

Conclusion

This study indicated the richness of medicinal plant species in Kofale District. Medicinal plants with the highest FL and ROP values and those used to treat disease categories with the highest ICF values should be prioritized in future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations.

Keywords:

• ethnobotanical study
• traditional medicine
• traditional knowledge
• herbal medicine practitioners

Data Sharing Statement

Data concerning this study were kept on a desktop computer at the Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology (ALIPB), Addis Ababa University (AAU). Readers may get access to the data through requests made to ALIPB. Plant voucher specimens were stored at the mini-herbarium of the Endod and Other Medicinal Plants Research Unit (ALIPB, AAU).

Ethical Consideration

The study proposal was evaluated and approved by the Ethical Review Committee of the Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology at the Addis Ababa University. Permissions were granted by the zone, district, and kebele administrations to conduct the fieldwork. Verbal consent was obtained from the study participants, which was also approved by the Review Committee. We confirm that our study complies with the Declaration of Helsinki.¹⁹¹

Acknowledgments

We are thank the residents of Kofale District, particularly the informants, for sharing their accumulated indigenous knowledge and use of medicinal plants. Our gratitude also goes to the Healthcare, Agricultural, and Biodiversity Conservation offices of Kofale District for their cooperation in facilitating this study. We are grateful to Addis Ababa University for its financial support to conduct this investigation.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was sponsored by the School of Graduate Studies of Addis Ababa University and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer of Addis Ababa University (grant number TR/003/2021). We confirm that the information is accurate and the grant number is correct.