Plants used in ethnoveterinary practices in Medebay- Zana District, Northern Ethiopia

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1 Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 6(3), pp , 23 January, 2012 Available online at DOI: /JMPR ISSN Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Plants used in ethnoveterinary practices in Medebay- Zana District, Northern Ethiopia Gidey Yirga*, Mekonen Teferi, Gebregergis Brhane and Solomon Amare Department of Biology, Mekelle University P.O. Box 3072, Mekelle, Ethiopia. Accepted 4 October, 2011 Ethoveterinary medicine provides traditional medicines which are locally available and cheaper than standard treatments. The present study was conducted to document the indigenous knowledge of ethnoveterinary practices in Medebay-Zana district, northern Ethiopia. Ethnoveterinary data was collected between October and November 2010 on eight field trips made to the site from 30 traditional healers using a semi-structured interview. A total of 24 species of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants were collected and identified for treating 21 livestock ailments. The ethnoveterinary medicinal plant preparations were administer mainly through oral (12, 46%), dermal (10, 38%), and nasal (2, 8%) routes. The most commonly used parts for herbal preparations were leaves (11, 41%), roots (6, 23%) and barks (3, 12%). The ethnoveterinary medicinal plants have various methods of preparation for different types of ailments including crushing (8 and 30.8%), crushing and squeezing (5, 19.2%), tying (5, 19.2%) and grinding (3, 11.5%). The plant parts used for livestock health treatment were mainly leaves and preparations were administer mainly through oral. Leaves are the most harvested plant part of remedy preparation for livestock ailments and oral is the major route of application of traditional medicine in the treatment of livestock diseases. Documentation of farmers knowledge, attitude and practices of ethnoveterinary medicine would be very important before the indigenous knowledge is lost forever. Key words: Ethnoveterinary, Ethiopia, livestock, Medebay-Zana. INTRODUCTION Ethnoveterinary medicine is a traditional knowledge, folk beliefs, skills, methods and practices used for the treatment of livestock ailments (Mathias-Mundy and McCorkle, 1989; Tabuti et al., 2003). Ethiopians have used traditional veterinary medicines to treat human and livestock ailments since ancient times. Plants comprise the largest component of the diverse therapeutic elements of traditional livestock health care practices (Sori et al., 2004). Livestock disease is one of the principal causes of poor livestock performance in Ethiopia, leading to an ever-increasing gap between the supply of, and the demand for, livestock products (Sori et al., 2004). Conventional veterinary services have been playing a paramount role in the control and prophylaxis of livestock diseases over the last three decades in the country but they cannot yet deliver complete coverage in preventive and curative health care practices of livestock *Corresponding author. gidey1998ec@yahoo.com. due to the high cost of drugs and equipment, an erratic supply of drugs, logistical problems and inadequate labor (Sori et al., 2004). Farmers in various developing regions still use medicinal plants for treatment of livestock diseases (Harun-or-Rashid et al., 2010) due to lack of access to modern veterinarians and price of modern medicines. Ethnoveterinary traditional practices are continuing since farmers believe that medicinal plants are more efficacious for treatment of livestock ailments than modern medicines (Harun-or-Rashid et al., 2010). Traditional veterinary medicine knowledge may be lost due to rapid socioeconomic, environmental, technological changes and as a result of the loss of cultural heritage under the guise of civilization (Mathias-Mundy and McCorkle, 1989; Nfi et al., 2001). The knowledge is transferred from generation to generation through the word of mouth with great secrecy. This suggests documenting and conserving through ethnoveterinary studies before it is lost forever. The documentation of traditional knowledge on the medicinal uses of plants has

2 434 J. Med. Plants Res. Table 1. Demographic characteristic of sampled respondents. Item Alternatives Count Percent Sex Male Female 0 0 Age > Educational status Illiterate provided many important drugs of modern day (Balick and Cox, 1996). Hence, the present study was conducted to document the indigenous knowledge of ethnoveterinary practices in Medebay-Zana district, northern Ethiopia. METHODOLOGY Study area The study was conducted in Medebay-Zana district located 330 km from Mekelle, capital city of Tigray regional state of Ethiopia. The district lies in an area of approximately 105,536 km 2 with a total of human and livestock population of about 135,690 (67,304 males and 68,386 females) and 351,501, respectively. Cattle are the major livestock kept in the district. The mean minimum and maximum annual rainfall is 500 and 900 mm, respectively and the temperature ranges between 15 to 30 C and its maximum range is in the month May. Mixed crop and livestock farming system is the mode of agriculture in the district. The district has two veterinary clinics which cover to 90% of the livestock population of the district. Anthrax, blackleg, pasteurellosis, lumpy skin disease (LSD), sheep and goat pox, fowlpox (chickens), trypanosoma, babesiosis, parasites such as lice and ticks have been reported as the most common livestock diseases and parasites in the district. livestock diseases are determined by the veterinary experts of Mekelle University. RESULTS Most of the respondents were illiterate (60%) and 80% were older than 48 years (Table 1). A total of 24 species of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants were collected and identified for treating 21 livestock ailments (Table 2). In the study area, the inhabitants rely on medicinal plants for various purposes such as medicine, firewood, construction and food. It was found that 87.5% of medicinal plants have values other than their medicinal role (Table 2). The ethnoveterinary medicinal plant preparations were administer mainly through oral (12, 46%), dermal (10, 38%), and nasal (2, 8%) routes (Figure 1). The most commonly used plant parts for herbal preparations in the area were leaves (11, 41%), roots (6, 23%) and barks (3, 12%) (Figure 2). The ethnoveterinary medicinal plants have various methods of preparation for different types of ailments like crushing (8, 30.8%), crushing and squeezing (5, 19.2%), tying (5, 19.2%) and grinding (3, 11.5%) (Figure 3). Methods Ethnoveterinary data was collected between October and November 2010 on eight field trips made to the site from 30 traditional healers using semi-structured interview (Yirga, 2010a, b; Zerabruk and Yirga, 2011). The sample informants were selected purposefully with the help of elders and residents of the area. The traditional healers involved were all males and their ages ranged 28 up to 74 years. Most (60%) of the healer s were illiterate. Interviews were made with each traditional healer about the knowledge and use of medicinal plant species used to treat livestock disease in the study area. Data on livestock ailments treated, local name of plants used, parts used, methods of preparation, route of administration and application, added values of medicinal plants, existing threats to medicinal species and indigenous knowledge transfer were recorded. Identification of the medicinal plants was done in Mekelle University using Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea, by comparison with authentic specimens illustrations and taxonomic keys. The DISCUSSION Farmers have used traditional veterinary methods to treat livestock ailments for centuries. Majority of the respondents were older than 48 years; very few youths were involved in traditional livestock treatment in the study area showing consistency with our previous report (Yirga et al., 2011). Plants comprise the largest component of the diverse therapeutic elements of traditional livestock healthcare practices (Behailu, 2010). Ethnoveterinary medicinal practice and skills have developed through time mainly by trial and error and some times through deliberate, or even desperate experimentation and innovation (McCorkle and Mathias, 1996). Pharmacotherapy is an important means of controlling

3 Yirga et al. 435 Table 2. List of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants, disease treated, ingredients added, and condition of the plants used. Vernacular name Scientific name Family name Disease treated Ingredients added Condition of the plant used Other uses Koromo Acacia sieberiana Fabaceae Anthrax Water Fresh/dry Firewood, food for livestock Mychelo Achyramthes sapera Amaranthaceae Sprain (joint dislocation) None Fresh Food for livestock Dikala mebtie Acokanthera schimperi Apocynaceae Tumor Butter Dry/fresh Firewood, food for livestock Nim Azadirachta indica Meliaceae Diarrhea None Fresh Pesticide, abortion, food for livestock Alke Cissus quadrangularis Vitaceae Asthma None Fresh None Aftuh Corchorus depressus Tiliaceae Abdominal cramp None Fresh Evil eye Dikala awhi Cordia africana Boraginaceae. Rabies(mad dog) Goat s milk Fresh/dry Firewood, wood work Tambok and Aftuh Croton macrostachyus and corchorus depressus Euphorbiaceae and Tiliaceae Anthrax Butter Fresh Firewood Tambok and Aftuh Croton macrostachyus and Corchorus depressus Euphorbiaceae and Tiliaceae Bloating (no rumination) Coronopus didymus Fresh Firewood Hareg hafaflo Cucumis dipsaceus Cucurbitaceae (worms) animal head parasites None Fresh For washing Duba and Cheber ere Cucurbita pepo and Alo barbadensis Cucurbitaceae and Liliaceae Trips, trypanosoma and babesiosis Salt Fresh Food for humans, fencing Absho Datura innoxia Solanaceae Dermatitis/streptothricosis Ash Fresh None Mezerbai Datura stramonium Solanaceae Black leg Butter Fresh Food for livestock Mezerbai Datura stramonium Datura stramoniu Nasal bleeding Water Fresh For washing Kolonkal Euphorbia abyssinica Euphorbiaceae Abdominal problem None Fresh Wood work, firewood, fencing Tsinkuya Grewia ferrusginea Tiliaceae Leech None Fresh Food for human Ada-eka Kalanchoe marmorata Crassulaceae Swelling of dewlap Rope Fresh Ant-termite Chiendog Otestegia integrifolia Lamiaceae Symptom of pasteurellosis/anthrax None Fresh Repellent

4 436 J. Med. Plants Res. Table 2. Contd. Mekan Shibti Phytolacca dodecandra Phytolaccaceae Blackleg /Anthrax Spices Fresh Washing, abortion Dikala Hahot Rumex nervosus Polygonaceae Abdominal cramp None Fresh/dry Food for livestock Hambohambo Senna singueana Fabaceae Sprain (dislocation) Rope Fresh Repellent Adi Zanay Stereospermum kunthianum Bignoniaceae Wound None Fresh Firewood Metselem Striga hermonthica Scrophulariaceae Poison plants Water Fresh None Trnaka Verbascum sinaiticum Scrophulariaceae Anthrax Water Fresh/dry Land clearing Abetere Ziziphus abyssinica Rhamnaceae Snake bite Water Fresh/dry Firewood, food for livestock Livestock diseases, but it is possible only if livestock owners can afford to cover the cost of treatment which is an important determinant of the usefulness of veterinary drugs (Sori et al., 2004). Crushing, crushing and squeezing, tying and grinding were the main methods of ethnoveterinary medicine preparation in the area. Grinding or crushing and soaking or boiling different parts of plants are common methods for drug extraction (Deeba, 2009). Oral and dermal were the main routes of application (Gradé et al., 2009). Depending on the active ingredient to be extracted, application routes, and the medical objective preparation methods of ethnoveterinary medicine differs (McCorkle and Mathias-Mundy, 1992). Ethnoveterinary medicine is mainly administered to livestock orally as decoctions, liquid in that the plants have been steeped, vaccination, suppositories, through smoke, vapours, massage, intranasal or applied topically on the skin or as a bathe in skin problems (McCorkle and Mathias-Mundy, 1992; Lans et al., 2000; Tabuti et al., 2003; Muhammad et al., 2005; Dilshad et al., 2008). Livestock owners cannot rely on veterinary services for control of various important livestock diseases; they need to develop socially acceptable and effective remedies from reasonably inexpensive sources that can complement modern medicine (Ibrahim, 1986). The indigenous knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicine provides such an opportunity for livestock healthcare practices. Ethoveterinary medicine offers medicines, which are cheap and locally available than pharmacotherapy. Farmers can prepare and use home made remedies without any expenditure. Ethnoveterinary medicine can be useful when stock raisers have no other animal health care options (Endalew, 2007). The various traditional veterinary practices remained undocumented in Ethiopia in spite of its great contribution for livestock health care system (Dawit and Ahadu, 1993). Awareness creation on ethnoveterinary medicine emphasizing on useful plants used for treatment of livestock would be so importance for livestock management (Endalew, 2007). Majority of livestock stock in Ethiopia are in rural areas which are far from the site of veterinary stations and those that have access to veterinary services may not be able to afford the payment (Sori et al., 2004). Moreover, reduced funding for animal disease control is an issue in the country and is likely to influence the incidence of some serious livestock diseases (Sori et al., 2004). Both farmers and herders have developed their own ways of keeping their animal health and productivity (McCorkle and Mathias, 1996). The plant parts used for livestock health treatment were mainly leaves and preparations were administer mainly through oral. Leaves are the most harvested plant part of remedy preparation for livestock ailments and oral is the major rout of application of traditional medicine in the treatment of livestock diseases. This is consistent with the findings of Behailu (2010) in which leaves were the major plant part used for livestock remedy preparation and oral application of remedies was found the highest. However, Endalew (2007) reported roots as the major plant part used for livestock remedy preparation followed by leaf.

5 Yirga et al. 437 Tying, 1, 4% Eardrop, 1, 4% Nasal, 2, 8% Oral, 12, 46% Dermal, 10, 38% Figure 1. Rout of administration of traditional medicinal remedies. 2, 8% 2, 8% 2, 8% 11, 41% 3, 12% 6, 23% Leaf Root Bark Seed Stem Whole plant Figure 2. Parts of medicinal plants used. Figure 3. Methods of traditional medicinal plant preparation.

6 438 J. Med. Plants Res. Documentation and understanding of farmers knowledge, attitude and practices about the treatment, prevention and control of various ailments is imperative in designing and implementing successful livestock production (Tafese and Mekonen, 2001). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors greatly acknowledge to the respondents of the study area for their hospitality and kind response. REFERENCES Balick MJ, Cox PA (1996). Plants, People and Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany. Scientific American Library, New York. Behailu E (2010). Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Medicinal Plants of Goma Wereda, Jima Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia, M.Sc. Thesis Addia Abeba University. Dawit A, Ahadu A (1993). Medicinal plants and Enigmatic Health practices of Northern Ethiopia. B.S. P.E. Deeba F (2009). Documentation of ethnoveterinary practices in urban and peri-urban areas of Faisalabad, Pakistan, PhD Thesis University of Agriculture, Faisalabad Pakistan. Dilshad SMR, Rehman N, Iqbal Z, Muhammad G, Iqbal A, Ahmad N, (2008). An inventory of the ethnoveterinary practices for reproductive disorders in cattle and buffaloes, Sargodha district of Pakistan. J. Ethnopharmacol., 117: Endalew A (2007). Use and Management of Medicinal Plants by indigenous People of Ejaji Area (Chelya Wereda) West Shewa, Ethiopia: An Ethnobotanical Approach. M.Sc. Thesis. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Gradé JT, Tabuti JRS, Van Damme P (2009). Ethnoveterinary knowledge in pastoral Karamoja, Uganda. J. Ethnopharmacol., 122(2): Harun-or-Rashid MD, Tanzin R, Ghosh KC, Jahan R, Khatun A, Rahmatullah M (2010). An ethnoveterinary survey of medicinal plants used to treat cattle diseases in Birishiri area, Netrakona district, Bangladesh, Adv. Natl. Appl. Sci., 4(1): Ibrahim MA (1986). Veterinary traditional practices in Nigeria: livestock systems research in Nigeria s sub-humid zone. Proc. second International Livestock Center Africa Symposium. Lans C, Harper T, Georges K, Bridgewater E (2000). Medicinal plants used for dogs in Trinidad and Tobago. Prev. Vet. Med., 45: Mathias-Mundy E, McCorkle CM (1989). Ethnoveterinary medicine: an annotated bibliography. Bibliographies in Technology and Social Change, Technology and Social Change Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa USA, No. 6, p McCorkle CM, Mathias E (1996). Animal Health Biotechnology: Building on Farmers Knowledge. Bunders, J, Haverkort, B. and Heiemstra, W, (eds.). Macmillan Education Ltd., London, pp McCorkle CM, Mathias-Mundy E (1992). Ethno veterinary medicine in Africa Africa: Journal of the International African Institute (London), 62(1): Muhammad G, Khan MZ, Hussain MH, Iqbal Z, Iqbal M, Athar M (2005). Ethnoveterinary practices of owners of pneumatic-cart pulling camels in Faisalabad city (Pakistan). J. Ethnopharmacol., 97: Nfi AN, Mbanya JN, Ndi C, Kameni A, Vabi M, Pingpoh D, Yonkeu S, Moussa C (2001). Ethnoveterinary medicine in the northern provinces of Cameroon. Vet. Res. Commun., 25: Sori T, Bekana M, Adugna G, Kelbessa E (2004). Medicinal Plants in the Ethnoveterinary Practices of Borana Pastoralists, Southern Ethiopia. Int. J. Appl. Res. Vet. Med., 2(3): Tabuti JRS, Dhillion SS, Lye KA (2003). Ethnoveterinary medicine for cattle (Bos indicus) in Bulamogi county Uganda: plant species and mode of use. J. Ethnopharmacol., 88, Tafese M, Mekonen L (2001). The role of traditional veterinary herbal medicine and its constraints in animal health care system in Ethiopia. In: (Medhin Zewdu and Abebe Demissie eds.). Proceeding of the National workshop on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable use of medicinal plants in Ethiopia, 28 April-01 May IBCR, Addis Ababa, pp Yirga G (2010a). Assessment of indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants in Central Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Afr. J. Plant Sci., 4(1): Yirga G (2010b). Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants in and Around Alamata, Southern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Curr. Res. J. Biol. Sci., 2(5): Yirga G, Teferi M, Zebrabruk S (Sub.). An ethnoveterinary survey of medicinal plants used to treat livestock diseases in Seharti-Samre district, northern Ethiopia. Zerabruk S, Yirga G (2011). Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in Gindeberet district, Western Ethiopia. South Afr. J. Bot., doi: /j.sajb