An ethnobotanical survey of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants used by the traditional healers of the Lwamondo area,Limpopo province,South Africa

The use of medicinal plants in the treatment and prevention of diseases is attracting the attention of scientists worldwide. Approximately 3000 plant species are currently used by an estimated 200,000 indigenous traditional healers in South Africa. The specific part of the plant used for medicinal applications varies from species to species, and from one traditional healer to another. This study was carried out to explore and record those plants and plant parts used for treating various human ailments by the traditional healers of the Lwamondo area in the Limpopo province, South Africa for medicinal purposes. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 30 traditional healers (24 females and 6 males) in the Lwamondo area of Venda, by means of a data capture questionnaire focusing on the local names of the medicinal plants, their medicinal uses, the plant parts used, and methods of preparation and of administering treatments to patients. The survey identified 16 medicinal plants from 7 families, with 14 genera, used to treat a range of ailments in the Lwamondo area. The Fabaceae family was the most commonly used plant family representing 43.8% of all the medicinal plants species recorded by this study, followed by the Varbenaceae family at 18.8%. The plant parts most frequently used were the roots (44.5%), followed by the leaves (25.9%), bark (14.8%), the whole plant (11%), and flowers (3.7%). Most of the traditional healers obtained their extracts by boiling the medicinal plants. The most often recurring ailment treated by healers was stomach problems, using 31.3% of all the medicinal plants reported in this study for preparing such treatments. The following medicinal plants were covered by this study: Annona senegalensis, Schkuhria pinnata, Diospyros mespiliformis, Piliostigma thonningii, Senna obtusifolia, Bauhinia galpinii. The rural communities of the Lwamondo area possess a wealth of information on medicinal plants and their applications. This ethnobotanical survey can help scientists identify for further research those plants whose medicinal properties may be useful in the development of new drugs.     

An ethnobotanical study of the indigenous knowledge by the Rajbangshi community of Raiganj Block,Uttar Dinajpur district,West Bengal,India

BackgroundThe present study deals with documentation of medicinal importance of plants and traditional knowledge set harboring among the ethnic communities to utilize various plant parts for various health care practices. Twelve villages were surveyed primarily targeting the Rajbangshi communities of Raiganj Block, Uttar Dinajpur district, West Bengal, India.MethodsThe ethnomedicinal information was gathered through interviews using semi- structured questionnaires among the traditional healers (Kabiraj) of the Rajbangshi community. Identification and documentation of all the plants species have been completed following standard taxonomic procedure. The collected data were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed through different ethnobotanical indices like, use report, informant consensus factor and relative importance.ResultsA total of 76 plant species belonging to 40 families and 72 genera were reported to have been utilized for the treatment of a total of 42 types of ailments. Herbs (43%) were the major source of medicine while roots (31%) were most frequently used plant parts. Preparation of juice (55%) from plant parts accounted as most preferred method. Achyranthes aspera L. has the highest calculated relative importance (100) value. The average informant consensus factor value for all ailments categories was 0.75, indicating a high level of consensus among the interviewed informants.ConclusionThe present study clearly demonstrates that huge diversity of medicinal plants reported in the study area may immensely help in the development of novel drugs of natural origin if the traditional knowledge set of the Rajbangshi community is adequately nurtured.     

Ethnopharmacological survey of different uses of seven medicinal plants from Mali, (West Africa) in the regions Doila, Kolokani and Siby

An ethnopharmacological survey was carried out to collect information on the use of seven medicinal plants in rural areas in the nearby regions of Bamako, Mali. The plants were Opilia celtidifolia, Anthocleista djalonensis, Erythrina senegalensis, Heliotropium indicum, Trichilia emetica, Piliostigma thonningii and Cochlospermum tinctorium About 50 medical indications were reported for the use of these plants in traditional medicine. The most frequent ailments reported were malaria, abdominal pain and dermatitis. The highest number of usages was reported for the treatment of malaria (22%). The majority of the remedies were prepared from freshly collected plant material from the wild and from a single species only. They were mainly taken orally, but some applications were prepared with a mixture of plants or ingredients such as honey, sugar, salt, ginger and pepper. Decoction of the leaves was the main form of preparation (65%) and leaf powder was mostly used for the preparation of infusions (13%). The part of the plants most frequently used was the leaves. There was a high degree of informant consensus for the species and their medicinal indications between the healers interviewed. The results of this study showed that people are still dependent on medicinal plants in these rural areas of Mali.     

Medicinal plants potential and use by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Erer Valley of Babile Wereda,Eastern Ethiopia

Background

Ethiopian plants have shown remarkably effective medicinal values for many human and livestock ailments. Some research results are found on medicinal plants of the south, south west, central, north and north western parts of Ethiopia. However, there is lack of data that quantitatively assesses the resource potential and the indigenous knowledge on use and management of medicinal plants in eastern Ethiopia. The main thrust of the present ethnobotanical study centres around the potential and use of traditional medicinal plants by pastoral and agro-pastoral communities in Babile Wereda (district) of eastern Ethiopia. The results can be used for setting up of conservation priorities, preservation of local biocultural knowledge with sustainable use and development of the resource.

Materials and methods

Fifty systematically selected informants including fifteen traditional herbalists (as key informants) participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews, discussions and guided field walk constituted the main data collection methods. Techniques of preference ranking, factor of informant consensus and Spearman rank correlation test were employed in data analysis. Medicinal plant specimens were collected, identified and kept at the National Herbarium (ETH) of Addis Ababa University and Haramaya University Herbarium.

Results

Fifty-one traditional medicinal plant species in 39 genera and 28 families were recorded, constituting 37% shrubs, 29% trees, 26% herbs, 6% climbers and 2% root parasites. Leaves contributed to 35.3% of the preparations, roots (18.8%) and lower proportions for other parts. Formulations recorded added to 133 remedies for 54 human ailments, in addition to some used in vector control. The majority of remedies were the juice of single species, mixtures being generally infrequent. Aloe pirottae, Azadirachta indica and Hydnora johannis were the most cited and preferred species. Aloe pirottae, a species endemic to Ethiopia, is valued as a remedy for malaria, tropical ulcer, gastro-intestinal parasites, gallstone, eye diseases and snake bite. The jel extracted from dried and ground plant material, called SIBRI (Oromo language), was acclaimed as a cleaner of the human colon. Concoction made from leaf, seed and flower of Azadirachta indica was given for treatment of malaria, fungal infections and intestinal worms. Root preparations from Hydnora johannis were prescribed as remedy for diarrhoea, haemorrhage, wound and painful body swelling, locally called GOFLA (Oromo language).

Conclusions

The study documented many well known and effective medicinal species of relevance for human healthcare, including for the treatment of malaria which is rampant in the area as it is in many parts of Ethiopia. This underscores the importance of the traditional medicinal plants for the people living in the area and the potential of the resource for development. Consequently, the study area deserves urgent conservation priority coupled with mechanisms for the protection of the associated indigenous medical lore as well as development and effective use of the medicinal plant resource.

     

Medicinal plants resources of Western Himalayan Palas Valley,Indus Kohistan,Pakistan: Their uses and degrees of risk of extinction

Present study was intended with the aim to document the pre-existence traditional knowledge and ethnomedicinal uses of plant species in the Palas valley. Data were collected during 2015–2016 to explore plants resource, their utilization and documentation of the indigenous knowledge. The current study reported a total of 65 medicinal plant species of 57 genera belonging to 40 families. Among 65 species, the leading parts were leaves (15) followed by fruits (12), stem (6) and berries (1), medicinally significant while, 13 plant species are medicinally important for rhizome, 4 for root, 4 for seed, 4 for bark and 1 each for resin. Similarly, thirteen species were used as a whole while twelve species as partial for medicinal purpose. Further, it is concluded that every part of plants such as bulb, rhizome, roots, barks, leaves, flowers, fruit and seed were used for various ailments. Moreover, among 65 plants species, 09 species are threatened and placed into Endangered (EN) and Least Concern (LC) categories of IUCN. The recorded data are very useful and reflects the significance of the Palas valley as medicinal plants resource area.     

Traditional Medicine and Childcare in Western Africa: Mothers’ Knowledge,Folk Illnesses,and Patterns of Healthcare-Seeking Behavior

Background

In spite of the strong role of traditional medicine in childcare in the pluralistic healthcare system in Western Africa, little information is known on mothers’ domestic plant knowledge. Identifying local perspectives and treatments of children’s illnesses, including folk illnesses, is essential to having a comprehensive understanding of how mothers make healthcare treatment decisions. We aimed to identify which infant illnesses Beninese and Gabonese mothers knew to treat with medicinal plants and for which illnesses they sought biomedical care or traditional healers.

Methods

We conducted 81 questionnaires with mothers in Bénin and Gabon and made 800 botanical specimens of cited medicinal plants. We calculated the number of species cited per illness and the proportion of participants knowledgeable on at least one herbal remedy per illness. Using qualitative data, we described folk illnesses in each country and summarized responses on preferences for each of the three healthcare options.

Results

Participants from both countries were most knowledgeable on plants to treat respiratory illnesses, malaria, diarrhea, and intestinal ailments. Mothers also frequently mentioned the use of plants to encourage children to walk early, monitor the closure of fontanels, and apply herbal enemas. Major folk illnesses were atita and ka in Bénin and la rate and fesses rouges in Gabon. Traditional healers were reported to have specialized knowledge of cultural bound illnesses. Malaria was frequently cited as an illness for which mothers would directly seek biomedical treatment.

Conclusion

Mothers largely saw the three systems as complementary, seamlessly switching between different healing options until a remedy was found. Folk illnesses were found to give insight into local treatments and may reveal important neglected diseases. Due to high reported levels of knowledge on treating top statistical causes of infant mortality and folk illnesses, mothers’ medicinal plant knowledge should be included in the analysis of healthcare-seeking behavior for childcare.     

Ethnomedicines used in Trinidad and Tobago for urinary problems and diabetes mellitus

This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Loja province, Southern Ecuador. Two hundred fifteen plant species were collected, identified and their vernacular names and traditional uses recorded. This number of species indicates that the healers, market vendors and members of the public interviewed still have a very high knowledge of plants in their surroundings, which can be seen as a reflection of the knowledge of the population in general. However, the area represents only an outlier of the larger Northern Peruvian cultural area, where more than 500 species of plants are used medicinally, indicating that in Ecuador much of the original plant knowledge has already been lost. Most plant species registered are only used medicinally, and only a few species have any other use (construction, fodder, food). The highest number of species is used for the treatment of "magical" (psychosomatic) ailments (39 species), followed by respiratory disorders (34), problems of the urinary tract (28), Fever/Malaria (25), Rheumatism (23) and nervous system problems (20).     

Knowledge and Uses of African Pangolins as a Source of Traditional Medicine in Ghana

Traditional medicine has been practised in Ghana for centuries with the majority of Ghanaians still patronising the services of traditional healers. Throughout Africa a large number of people use pangolins as a source of traditional medicine, however, there is a dearth of information on the use of animals in folk medicine in Ghana, in particular the use of pangolins. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalent use of pangolins and the level of knowledge of pangolin use among traditional healers in Ghana for the treatment of human ailments. Data was gathered from 48 traditional healers using semi-structured interviews on the traditional medicinal use of pangolin body parts in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. The cultural importance index, relative frequency of citation, informant agreement ratio and use agreement values were calculated to ascertain the most culturally important pangolin body part as well as the level of knowledge dissemination among traditional healers with regards pangolin body parts. Our study revealed that 13 body parts of pangolins are used to treat various medicinal ailments. Pangolin scales and bones were the most prevalent prescribed body parts and indicated the highest cultural significance among traditional healing practices primarily for the treatment of spiritual protection, rheumatism, financial rituals and convulsions. Despite being classified under Schedule 1 of Ghana’s Wildlife Conservation Act of 1971 (LI 685), that prohibits anyone from hunting or being in possession of a pangolin, our results indicated that the use of pangolins for traditional medicinal purposes is widespread among traditional healers in Ghana. A study on the population status and ecology of the three species of African pangolins occurring in Ghana is urgently required in order to determine the impact this harvest for traditional medical purposes has on their respective populations as current levels appear to be unmonitored and unsustainable.     

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Ganta Afeshum District,Eastern Zone of Tigray,Northern Ethiopia

Background

Starting from the ancient time, the people of Ethiopia use medicinal plants as traditional medicine to heal different human and livestock ailments. This ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants was carried out in Ganta Afeshum District, Eastern Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, to identify medicinal plant species used by the local community to treat various human and livestock ailments.

Methods

A total of 78 informants (54 men and 24 women) were selected to collect ethnobotanical information from four study sites. Among the 78 informants, 20 key informants were selected purposefully; the other 58 informants were selected randomly by lottery method. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, field observations, guided field walks, and group discussions and were analyzed by preference ranking, paired comparison, direct matrix ranking, informant consensus factor, fidelity level (FL), use-value, independent samples t test, and Pearson correlation coefficients.

Results

A total of 173 medicinal plants were collected and identified that were distributed across 77 families and 156 genera. The family Fabaceae stood first by contributing 17 (9.8%) species followed by Lamiaceae and Solanaceae with 9 (5.2%) species each. Rhamnus prinoides was reported for the treatment of many of the described diseases. One hundred sixteen (67.1%) medicinal plant species were collected from natural vegetation, 34 (19.7) were from home gardens, 13 (7.5%) from farmland, and 10 (5.8%) were from natural vegetation and home gardens. The most widely used life form was herbs (69 species, 39.9%) followed by shrubs (58 species, 33.5%). The most commonly used part of the medicinal plants was the leaves followed by roots. The plants were prepared by grinding, powdering, squeezing, roasting, and burning and were administered through oral, dermal, nasal, anal, ocular, and vaginal, and on the surface of the teeth. The most commonly used applications were by drinking, smearing, eating, fumigation, and chewing. There was no difference between men and women informants, showing that the two sexes had similar knowledge in the use of traditional medicinal plants. Educational level and medicinal plant knowledge of informants were negatively correlated; whereas age and medicinal plant knowledge of informants were positively correlated.

Conclusions

Ganta Afeshum District is relatively rich in diversity of medicinal plant resources accompanied with a rich indigenous knowledge within the local communities to harvest and effectively use to prevent different human and livestock ailments. However, nowadays, deforestation, agricultural expansion, overgrazing, drought, and overexploitation are threatening these properties. Therefore, people of the study area should apply complementary conservation approaches (in situ and ex situ) for sustainable use of these resources and to prevent species extinction.

     

Dermatological remedies in the traditional pharmacopoeia of Vulture-Alto Bradano, inland southern Italy

This study documents indigenous medicinal plant utilization, management and the threats affecting them. The study was carried out in Mana Angetu district between January 2003 and December 2004. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi structured interviews, field observations, preference and direct matrix ranking with traditional medicine practitioners. The ethnomedicinal use of 230 plant species was documented in the study area. Most of the plants (78.7%) were reportedly used to treat human diseases. The most frequently used plant part were roots (33.9%), followed by leaves (25.6%). Most of the medicinal species (90.4%) were collected from the wild. Direct matrix analysis showed that Olea europaea L. Subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) was the most important species followed by Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne (120) indicating high utility value of these species for the local community. The principal threatening factors reported were deforestation (90%), agricultural expansion (85%) and fire (53%). Documenting the eroding plants and associated indigenous knowledge can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in the area.     

Quantitative ethnobotany of medicinal plants uses in the Jhelum valley,Azad Kashmir,Pakistan

Indigenous knowledge provides information on phytotherapeutic potential of medicinal plants for basic health care mangements in local communinites. The present study was aimed to document folklore knowledge of ethnic communities, who are practicing the herbal medicines in the Jhelum valley (District Hattian), Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The information regarding folklore use of plants was collected from local communities through informed consent semi- structured interviews from 152 key informants. The ethnobotanical data were quantitatively analyzed using indices of use value (UV), relative frequency citation (RFC) and Informant census factor (ICF). A total of 113 medicinal plant species belong to 52 families were documented in the local communites of Jhelum Valley. The Asteraceae and Polygonaceae were the dominant plant families. The plant species hold potential folklore uses against hepatitis, stomach and respiratory problems, tooth ache, skin ailments and tumor treatment. The whole plants (32.52%), leaves ((21.14%)) were highly consumed plant parts and decoction (22.99%), powder form (18.39%) and infusion (13.79%) was the commonly used method for herbal formulation. The species with maximum use value was Beberis lyceum (0.80) and Valeriana jatamansi (0.60). The highest ICF value was obtained for disease catergories that is ear pain (1.00) followed by heaptic disorder (0.94) and urinary system disorders (0.89). The lowest ICF value was recored for nervous system disorders (0.44). The present study disclosed that traditional knowledge of medicinal plants is still widespread in ethnic people, but gradually decline in youngers. Documentation of newly documented plant species with their folklore uses shall uphold further phytochemical and pharmacological studies.     

Ethnobotanical investigation of 'wild' food plants used by rice farmers in Kalasin, Northeast Thailand

This paper reports on the plant use of laypeople of the Oromo in Southern Ethiopia. The Oromo in Bale had names/uses for 294 species in comparison to 230 species documented in the lower reaches of the Bale area. Only 13 species was used for veterinary purposes, or as human medicine (46). Plant medicine served mostly to treat common everyday ailments such as stomach problems and diarrhea, for wound treatment and as toothbrush-sticks, as anthelmintic, for skin infections and to treat sore muscles and. Interestingly, 9 species were used to treat spiritual ailments and to expel demons. In most cases of medicinal applications the leaves or roots were employed. Traditional plant knowledge has clearly declined in a large part of the research area. Western style health care services as provided by governments and NGOs, in particular in rural areas, seem to have contributed to a decline in traditional knowledge, in part because the local population simply regards western medicine as more effective and safer.     

Ethnomedicinal assessment of Irula tribes of Walayar valley of Southern Western Ghats,India

The present study was aimed to explore the traditional knowledge of Irula tribal people who are practicing herbal medicine in Walayar valley, the Southern Western Ghats, India. A total number of 146 species of plants distributed in 122 genera belonging to 58 families were identified as commonly used ethnomedicinal plants by them. Interestingly, 26 new claims were also made in the present study. Through the data obtained from Irula tribal healers, the herbs were mostly used for medicine (40.4%) followed by trees (26.7%) and climbers (18.5%). In addition leaves were highly used for medicinal purposes, collected from 55 species (38%) followed by multiple parts from 18 species (12%). Acorus calamus is the species of higher use value (1.80) assessed to be prescribed most commonly for the treatment of cough. High informant consensus factor (1.0) obtained for insecticidal uses and cooling agent indicates that the usage of Canarium strictum and Melia dubia, and Mimosa pudica and Sesamum indicum respectively for that purposes had obtained high degree of agreement among the healers in using these species for the respective purposes. The most commonly used method of preparation was decoction (63%) followed by raw form (23%), paste (12%) and powder (2%). Therefore, it is suggested to take-up pharmacological and phytochemical studies to evaluate the species to confirm the traditional knowledge of Irulas on medicinal plants.     

Uses of ethnomedicinal plants by the people living around Kitam Bird Wildlife Sanctuary,South Sikkim,India

The utilization of wild medicinal plants in primary healthcare system is still vital for mankind, particularly for people residing nearby the protected area. However, ethnobiological knowledge of indigenous people on plant usage is diminishing. The present study aimed at documenting the wild ethnomedicinal plants and to evaluate their importance in the healthcare among the local inhabitants in the fringe villages of Kitam Bird Sanctuary, South Sikkim, India. The methodology comprised interviews and questionnaire-based household surveys focusing on the informant's knowledge and experience in the use of wild medicinal plants against several diseases and ailments. Data was analysed using relative frequency citation (RFC), use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (FL%). A total of 23 ethnomedicinal plant species belonging to 20 families were recorded from the study area. Among the growth forms, herbs accounted the highest number of species (39%), followed by trees (30%), climbers (13%), ferns and shrubs with 9% each. Fruits have shown the highest use (20%), followed by leaves (16%) and whole plant. Terminalia chebula had the highest RFC (0.91) and UV (0.99), followed by Terminalia bellirica (RFC = 0.89, UV = 0.96) and Phyllanthus emblica (RFC = 0.84, UV = 0.91). Results indicate that the locals in the area had good ethnobotanical knowledge of medicinal plants which indicates their dependency on plants for treating several ailments and diseases. Some unexplored species such as Calamus erectus, Laportea bulbifera, Pteris biaurita and Solanum viarum possessing high fidelity level have scope for further pharmacological investigation.     

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Kani tribes of Pechiparai Hills,Western Ghats,India

BackgroundThe present study was conducted among the Kani, a tribe settled in the Pechiparai hills of Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Ghats, to document and quantify their traditional knowledge on the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of various human ailments.MethodsEthnomedicinal data were collected from the Kani by using semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed by using use value (UV), informant consensus factor (F_ic), fidelity level (FL) and family use value (FUV).ResultsIn total, 138 species representing 126 genera belonging to 60 families were reported to have medicinal value and were extensively used by the tribe. Leguminosae was the most speciose family, including 14% (19 species) of identified species. Leaf (50%; 69 species) was found to be the part most used to prepare drugs; leaf extract in the form of juice (26%) was the most widely used preparation; and remedies were often administered orally (53%). The highest UV was recorded for Aristolochia indica (0.35) with 18 use reports, whereas the highest F_ic (0.09) was noted for the ailment category ‘fever’. The wide use of Curcuma longa has strong pharmacological evidence – that it is effective in treating various ailments.ConclusionThe present study was the first quantitative survey of the traditional use of medicinal plants by the Kani and will help in the conservation of this invaluable inheritance.     

Kenyan medicinal plants used as antivenin: a comparison of plant usage

The importance of medicinal plants in traditional healthcare practices, providing clues to new areas of research and in biodiversity conservation is now well recognized. However, information on the uses for plants for medicine is lacking from many interior areas of Himalaya. Keeping this in view the present study was initiated in a tribal dominated hinterland of western Himalaya. The study aimed to look into the diversity of plant resources that are used by local people for curing various ailments. Questionnaire surveys, participatory observations and field visits were planned to illicit information on the uses of various plants. It was found that 35 plant species are commonly used by local people for curing various diseases. In most of the cases (45%) under ground part of the plant was used. New medicinal uses of Ranunculus hirtellus and Anemone rupicola are reported from this area. Similarly, preparation of "sik" a traditional recipe served as a nutritious diet to pregnant women is also not documented elsewhere. Implication of developmental activities and changing socio-economic conditions on the traditional knowledge are also discussed.     

Ethnomedicinal study of plants used for human ailments in Ankober District,North Shewa Zone,Amhara Region,Ethiopia

Background

Ankober District has long been inhabited by people who have a long tradition of using medicinal plants to treat human ailments. Overexploitation of medicinal plants coupled with an ever-increasing population growth, deforestation and agricultural land expansion threatens plants in the area. Hence, this study aimed at documenting and analyzing the plant-based ethnomedicinal knowledge of the people in order to preserve the dwindling indigenous knowledge.

Methods

Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation and walk-in-the-woods. Quantitative approaches were used to determine Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) and Fidelity level (FL) values. Statistical tests were used to compare the indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants among different informant categories.

Results

A total of 135 medicinal plant species belonging to 128 genera and 71 botanical families were reported to treat human diseases in the District. Families Asteraceae (12 species, 9%) and Fabaceae (10, 7.4%) were found to be best represented in the area. About 44% of preparations were reported to be obtained from roots. Significant difference (P?<?0.05) was observed on the mean number of medicinal plants reported by groups of respondents compared within age, literacy level and experience parameters. Highest ICF values were recorded for gastro-intestinal & parasitic and dermatological disease categories (0.70 each) indicating best agreement among informants knowledge on medicinal plants used to treat aliments in these categories. Highest fidelity level values were recorded for Zehneria scabra (95%) and Hagenia abyssinica (93.75%) showing conformity of knowledge on species of best healing potential. Podocarpus falcatus was ranked first in a direct matrix ranking exercise of multipurpose medicinal plants. The output of preference ranking exercise indicated that Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata was the most preferred species to treat atopic eczema.

Conclusion

The study revealed that Ankober District is rich in medicinal plant diversity and associated indigenous knowledge. However, anthropogenic factors coupled with acculturation and very poor conservation efforts threaten medicinal plant survival in the area. Promoting a complementary in situ and ex situ conservation strategy for medicinal plants of the District is highly recommended.