Assessment of Traditional Medicinal Plants Used for Treatment of Human Diseases in Oromia Region, West Shewa Zone: Jeldu Woreda, Ethiopia

Project Abstract

<p><b></b></p><p> Most of the information regarding traditional medicinal plants are still in the hands of traditional vendors, and knowledge of vendors is either lost or passed orally from generation to next generation. This study aimed to survey and document the currently used plants by herbalists in Jeldu Woreda and record their medicinal usage and mode of preparation. Due to most of the vendors of traditional medicinal plants in Jeldu Woreda are alliterated, the data was gathered by supported questionnaire from both vendors and the users of this traditional medicinal plants. The study was limited to traditional medicinal plants which used to treat diseases related to skin, digestive system and circulatory system. The technique used to select the sample from the traditional medicinal plant venders was available sampling since the number of venders in the selected site is not large in number. Thus all the traditional medicinal plant venders in Jeldu Woreda were the respondents of the study. From selected research site about 21 medicinal plants vendorsand 47 users were participated in the study. The finding of the study concluded that there were some plants used to treat some human disease in Jeldu Woreda. Therefore, this research tried to document some medicinal plants used to treat human gastrointestinal, skin and other diseases by including the mode of preparation and how to apply. In this research about 68 respondents have participated. Out of those respondents, 21 were vendors of medicinal plants while 47 were users of medicinal plants. According to data from the medicinal plant vendors and users total of 26 plant species were identified with an identification of the plants’ part with medicinal value. Also, the modes of preparation and mode of application were described in this research. Among this plants species, more than half of them used to treat digestive system disease. From the 26 plant species about half of those plants were recorded for their ability to treat skin disease. The application of the prepared medicine on the skin is mostly by painting the liquidified medicine from plant on infected skin. <br></p>

Project Overview

<p> </p><div>1. INTRODUCTION </div><div> </div><div>1.1 Background </div><div> </div><div>The usage of medicinal plants presents a significant aspect of the traditional medicine which is imbedded in the culture of people of developing countries [1,2]. In many developing countries, medicinal plants have not been well studied, tested, or documented. Most of the information is still in the hands of traditional</div><div>healers and knowledge of healers is either lost or </div><div>passed to next generation by word of mouth [3, </div><div>4]. The extent of the experience of traditional </div><div>medicine practice based on medicinal plants </div><div>should be documented through botanical surveys </div><div>[5]. Botanical collection and documentation of the </div><div>associated ethnobotanical knowledge should be </div><div>carried out before such rich heritages are lost </div><div>due to various anthropogenic and other natural </div><div>causes [6]. Awareness creation among the </div><div>traditional healers and community at large is </div><div>essential to preserve the indigenous medicinal </div><div>plant species and for conservation and </div><div>sustainable use of medicinal plants in the area </div><div>[7]. </div><div> </div><div>Recently, traditional medicine is recognised </div><div>throughout the world as a credible healthcare </div><div>resource and about 80% of the world's </div><div>population depends on traditional medicine for </div><div>the treatment of different ailments [8,9]. The </div><div>World Health Organization (WHO) considers that </div><div>traditional medicine is an important contributor to </div><div>its health goals and has been encouraging its </div><div>development through testing herbs’ toxicities and </div><div>improving methods of herb collection, drying and </div><div>conservation [10,11]. </div><div> </div><div>This study aimed to survey the currently used </div><div>plants by herbalists in Jeldu Woreda and record </div><div>their medicinal usage and mode of preparation. </div><div>Due to most of the collectors of traditional </div><div>medicinal plants in Jeldu woreda are alliterated </div><div>the data will be gathered by interview, </div><div>questionnaire and online survey for the users of </div><div>this traditional medicinal plants from Jeldu </div><div>Woreda. In this study, the research limited to </div><div>traditional medicinal plants which are used to </div><div>treat diseases related to skin, digestive system </div><div>and nervous system. </div><div> </div><div>Jeldu Woreda is the mountainous district located </div><div>between about 9</div><div>º</div><div>.05’ – 9</div><div>°</div><div>.25’ N Latitudes </div><div>and37</div><div>°</div><div>.40’ – 38</div><div>o</div><div>11’ E longitudes in Ethiopia. </div><div>Jeldu Woreda is the mountainous district lies </div><div>between about 9</div><div>°</div><div>.05’ – 9</div><div>°</div><div>.25’ N Latitudes </div><div>and37</div><div>°</div><div>.40’ – 38</div><div>°</div><div>11’ E longitudes in Ethiopia. </div><div>Jeldu is one of the woredas in the Oromia region </div><div>part of the West Shewa Zone, Jeldu is bordered </div><div>on the south by Dendi Woreda, on the southwest </div><div>by Ambo Woreda, on the north by Gindeberet </div><div>Woreda, on northeast by Abuna Gindeberet, on </div><div>the east by Meta Robi Woreda, and on the </div><div>southeast by Ejerie Woreda. Towns in Jeldu </div><div>include Chobi, Gojo, Osole, Shukute, Boni, Guto, </div><div>Bicho and Geba Senbeta. Jeldu woreda plant </div><div>biodiversity contains trees and shrubs</div> <br><p></p>