Practices of ethnoveterinary against animal trypanosomosis in Southern Ethiopia

Endalachew B.E

Abstract

Traditional medicine practitioners in the Amaro district of southern Ethiopia have been using various ethnoveterinary practices to control animal trypanosomosis. Thus the aim of the present study was to document these practices in the two Amaro kebeles (wards) of southern Ethiopia, Kellie and Gamule. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, field observations, preference and direct matrix ranking. A total of 18 species of medicinal plants were collected and submitted to Ethiopian National Herbarium for botanical classification. From all the plant species 7 (38.9 %) were indicated for the treatment of animal trypanosomosis, 4(22.2%) for tsetse fly repellant and 7(38.9%) for both treatments of the disease and tsetse fly repellant. The five most common plant species indicated for treatment of animal trypanosomosis were Lepidium sativum, Echinops Kebericho, Allium sativum, Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal in DC and Myrica salicifolia Hochst ex A. Rich, where as Allium sativum, Aloe vera, Lepidium sativum L., Nicotiana tabacum L., Teradenia riparia, Loblia giberroa and Trifolium burchellianum were the five most common plant species indicated for tsetse fly repellant respectively. The indigenous knowledge on medicinal applications of the medicinal plants documented in this survey could be useful for future phytochemical and pharmacological studies.