Health seeking behavior and use of medicinal plants among the Hamer ethnic group, South Omo zone, southwestern Ethiopia

Appendix I Glossary of local names of illnesses and some traditional medical practices and their equivalent meanings in English. Appendix II Questionnaire to be used to collect ethnopharmacological information at house hold level among Hamer ethnic group, Hamer Woreda, South Omo Zone, SNNPR. Appendix III Questionnaire to be used to collect ethnopharmacological information for key informants among Hamer ethnic group, Hamer Woreda, South Omo Zone, SNNPR. Appendix IV Questions for Focused Group Discussions. (DOCX 24 kb

Ethnomedicinal uses of plants among the Somali ethnic group, Jigjiga Woreda, Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

Introduction: In Ethiopia, most people are dependent on traditional medicine (TM), mainly of plant origin for human and animal health problems. The practice of herbal medicine varies widely, in keeping with the societal and cultural heritage of different countries. The heritage has not been well documented in the developing countries including Ethiopia and this is even more so in the emerging regions of the country. The objective of this study was to document medicinal plant knowledge of the people and identifying factors determining the use of medicinal plants in Jigjiga Woreda, Somali Regional State, eastern Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five kebeles from where ethno-medicinal information was collected using semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered to 800 heads of households. Data were entered and analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences version 20. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to show possible associations between the dependent and independent variable and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.Results: The study documented an overall prevalence of 40% to use of herbal medicine during one month recall period. A total of 45 medicinal plant species were collected and botanically identified. The study found that leaves are the most frequently utilized plant part (30.5%), followed by roots (23.0%). The reasons for preference of herbal drugs were related to lower price, efficacy and geographic accessibility as compared to modern medicine. Age, gender, educational status and occupation were identified as important determinants for the use of herbal medicine.Conclusion: This ethno-medicinal study showed that community in Jigjiga Woreda relies on traditional medicinal plant species to treat a wide spectrum of human ailments. It is therefore suggested that more in depth studies be condicted to explore the potential of traditional medicine in the region to preserve this indigenous knowledge. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2017;31(3):188-199]Keywords: Ethnomedicine, Jigjiga Woreda, Medicinal plants, Somali ethnic grou

Review of ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological evidences of some Ethiopian medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of cancer

Background: Ethiopia is endowed with enormous diversity of plants. However, the majority of these plants have not been scientifically investigated. Traditional knowledge on the use of plants as medicinal agents has been transferred from generation to generation, as guarded secrets, through the word of mouth, and scientific studies on these herbs have not been properly compiled.Objectives: The main objective of this study was to review published ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological evidences of Ethiopian medicinal plants with anticancer potentials.Material and methods: A total of 92 articles have been reviewed. They were obtained from search engines such as PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar. The following keywords were used to search for the literature inside the databases: plant extract, anticancer, Ethiopia, antioxidant compounds, cytotoxic compounds and in vivo toxicity.Results: The current literature review revealed that about 136 anticancer plants belonging to 57 families have been identified in Ethiopia. Among these, 98 plant species were reported for their traditional use to treat different types of symptomatic cancers. However, only 29 species were scientifically studied for their in vitro cytotoxic or free radical scavenging activities. Plant parts commonly used for preparation of anticancer remedies were leaves (41.4%) and roots (32.8%). Among the reported plant species, whilst the crude extracts of Artemisia annua, Acokanthera schimperi and Catha edulis were found to be potent cytotoxic agents (IC50<15 g/ml), the total extracts of Cassia arereh, Rubus steudneri and Thymus schimperi showed strong radical scavenging activity (IC50 <15 g/ml). Chronic administration of Syzygium guineense hydroalcoholic leaf extract, on the other hand, induced pathological changes in liver and kidney of mice.Conclusions: Although several Ethiopian plants traditionally used for the treatment of cancer were shown to possess cytotoxic and free radical scavenging activities, in most cases compounds responsible for such activities have not been identified. Therefore, activity-guided detailed phytochemical studies coupled with evaluation of the safety particularly on those plant extracts that demonstrated potent activities should be carried out as this may lead to the discovery of safe and cost effective anticancer agents. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2017;31 (3):161-187]Keywords: Ethiopian medicinal plants, Antioxidant, Anticancer, Ethnopharmacology, Traditional us

The potential of Ethiopian medicinal plants to treat emergent viral diseases

Ethiopians have deep-rooted traditions of using plants to treat ailments affecting humans and domesticated animals. Approximately 80% of the population continues to rely on traditional medicine, including for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases. Many antiviral plants are available to and widely used by communities in areas where access to conventional healthcare systems is limited. In some cases, pharmacological studies also confirm the potent antiviral properties of Ethiopian plants. Building on traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and testing their antiviral properties may help to expand options to address the global pandemic of COVID-19 including its recently isolated virulent variants and prepare for similar outbreaks in the future. Here, we provide an ethnobotanical and pharmacological inventory of Ethiopian medicinal plants that might contribute to the prevention and treatment of viral diseases. We identified 387 species, about 6% of Ethiopia\u27s known flora, for which records of use by local communities and traditional herbalists have been documented for the treatment of viral diseases. We provide a framework for further investigation and development of this vital resource much anticipated to help combat emergent viral diseases along with existing ones in Ethiopia and elsewhere. © 2023 The Authors. Phytotherapy Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Evaluation of the effects of 80% methanolic leaf extract of <it>Caylusea abyssinica (fresen.)</it> fisch. & Mey. on glucose handling in normal, glucose loaded and diabetic rodents

Abstract Background The leaves of Caylusea abyssinica (fresen.) Fisch. & Mey. (Resedaceae), a plant widely distributed in East African countries, have been used for management of diabetes mellitus in Ethiopian folklore medicine. However, its use has not been scientifically validated. The present study was undertaken to investigate antidiabetic effects of the hydroalcoholic leaf extract of C. abyssinica extract in rodents. Materials and method Male Animals were randomly divided into five groups for each diabetic, normoglycemic and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) studies. Group 1 served as controls and administered 2% Tween-80 in distilled water, (TW80); Group 2 received 5 mg/kg glibenclamide (GL5); Groups 3, 4 and 5 were given 100 (CA100), 200 (CA200) and 300 (CA300) mg/kg, respectively, of the hydroalcoholic extract of C. abyssinica. Blood samples were then collected at different time points to determine blood glucose levels (BGL). Data were analyzed using one way ANOVA followed by Dunnet’s post hoc test and p  Results In normal mice, CA200 and GL5 induced hypoglycemia starting from the 2nd h but the hypoglycemic effect of CA300 was delayed and appeared at the 4th h (p rd h, whereas CA200 (p nd h. In OGTT, TW80 (p  Conclusion The results indicate that C. abyssinica is endowed with antidiabetic and oral glucose tolerance improving actions, particularly at the dose of 200 mg/kg in experimental animals. These activities of the plant extract may be related to the presence of secondary metabolites implicated in antidiabetic activities of plant extracts via different hepatic and extra-hepatic mechanisms. These results thus support the traditional use of the leaf extract for the management of diabetes mellitus.</p

Radical scavenging compounds from Ethiopian medicinal plants

Various solvent fractions prepared from plants used in Ethiopian traditional medicine were examined for their potential radical scavenging activity using rapid TLC screening method. The preliminary results indicated that the methanol fractions of the leaves of Bersama abyssinica and the fronds of Cheilanthes farinose, and the acetone fraction of the leaves of Euclea racemosa ssp. schimperi possess significant free radical scavenging capacity. The abilities of these extracts to act as nonspecific donors of hydrogen atom or electrons were evaluated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. It was found out that they all showed positive results with the methanol extract of B. abyssinica (7.5 ug/ml) displaying the highest activity. Phytochemical investigation of the methanol fraction of B. abyssinica leaves resulted in the isolation of five flavonol glycosides and the xanthone, magniferin. Four flavonol glycosides together with the plant acids caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid were obtained from the methanol extract of the fronds of Cheilanthes farinose. Similarly, the acetone fraction of the browse plant, E. racemosa ssp. schimperi afforded four flavonol glycosides. All the secondary metabolites isolated from these active fractions were found to exhibit significant antioxidant activity, as judged by scavenging stable DPPH free radicals. However, the flavonol glycoside rutin figured as the most active radical scavenger with an IC50 value of 9.5 mM. Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Journal Vol. 24, 2006: 23-3

Antimalarial Activity of Solvent and Alkaloid Fractions of Kleinia abyssinica

In Ethiopia, the roots of Kleinia abyssinica (A. Rich.) A. Berger are used traditionally for the treatment of malaria. In the present study, the 80% methanol extract as well as solvent and alkaloid fractions prepared from the powdered roots of K. abyssinica were tested for their in vivo antimalarial activity using mice infected with Plasmodium berghei parasites in a four-day suppressive test. Preliminary investigation showed that the crude 80% methanol extract significantly (P &lt; 0.05) inhibited parsitaemia of P. berghei in mice. Investigation of the activity of solvent fractions of the plant revealed that the petroleum ether and methanol fractions displayed better suppression than those of the chloroform and acetone fractions. However, the alkaloid extract obtained from the methanol fraction displayed maximum activity suppressing significantly (p &lt; 0.05) the growth of P. berghei at dose levels of 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg/day compared to the mice in the negative control group. The ED50 for the total alkaloid was found to be 60.77 mg/kg/day. In conclusion the present study confirmed the traditional uses of the plant in the treatment of malaria and that alkaloids contribute to the overall antimalarial activity.Keywords: Kleinia abyssinica, roots, four-day suppressive test, Plasmodium berghei, alkaloid fractio

Hypoglycaemic activity of extracts of the aerial parts of Satureja punctata Benth. Briq in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

The ethnopharmacological use of herbal remedies for the treatment of diabetes mellitus is an area of study ripe with potential as a starting point in the development of alternative, inexpensive therapies for treating the disease. In the traditional health care system of Ethiopia, the aerial parts of Satureja punctata (Benth.) Briq. (Lamiaceae) are used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and various other ailments. This study reports the antidiabetic activity of the total hydroalcoholic and aqueous extracts as well as the various solvent fractions of S. punctata in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. The results which were compared with glibenclamide, a standard hypoglycaemic agent, and control groups revealed that the total extracts as well as the most polar solvent fractions possess significant antidiabetic effect while those of the the nonpolar fractions are devoid of any activity. At a concentration of 300 mg/kg the total hydroalcoholic extract reduced blood glucose level from 441.3 to 339.0 mg/dl while the aqueous extract lowered the level from 458.3 to 351.7 mg/dl on the 3rd hr after drug administration. Similarly, both the methanol and aqueous fractions showed activity with the former displaying a much better action. Thus, the methanol fraction showed a maximum reduction (38.1%) of blood glucose level while a reduction of 19.4% was observed for the aqueous fraction during the 3rd hr following the application. Moreover, the activity of the methanol fraction was proved to be in a dose-dependent manner. From the present study, it can be concluded that the aerial parts of S. punctata have genuine antidiabetic activity, and their use in traditional medicine to control diabetis mellitus may be justified. Keywords/phrases: Antidiabetic activity, Glibenclamide, Hydroalcoholic extract, Lamiaceae, Satureja punctata solvent fractionsEthiop. J. Biol. Sci., 9(2): 143-152, 201