Published January 30, 2026 | Version CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0
Journal article Open

Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Medicinal Plants and Conservation by Indigenous People in Eastern Ethiopia

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Department of Plant Genetics, Ethiopia Biodiversity Institute, Harar Biodiversity Centre, Harar (Amhara), Ethiopia.

Contributors

Contact person:

Researcher:

  • 1. Department of Plant Genetics, Ethiopia Biodiversity Institute, Harar Biodiversity Centre, Harar (Amhara), Ethiopia.
  • 2. Department of Microbiology, Ethiopia Biodiversity Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Description

Abstract: According to research, a medicinal plant has been a key component of the healthcare system and a readily available source of therapy worldwide. Purposive sampling was used to choose 24 critical respondents and 96 informed respondents from a range of age groups. The majority of respondents (58.33%) reported using medicinal plants regularly. Many human and animal ailments have been treated with medicinal plants, particularly in places where access to contemporary public healthcare is limited. Fifty-five plant species from 32 families were examined; of these, 52.74% were used to treat human health, 10.90% were used to treat livestock health, and 36.36% were used to treat both human and livestock health issues. The most dominant families were Solanaceae (6), followed by Fabaceae. Home gardens are the primary method for cultivating medicinal plants, accounting for 49.10%, while roadsides represent the least common cultivation method. Leaf (36.26%) was the most commonly used plant part in the preparation of drugs, followed by root (17.58%). Threatened medicinal plants and related knowledge were most commonly caused by urbanization, agricultural growth, lack of community awareness, firewood production, construction, modern health expansion, drought, and overgrazing. However, there isn't a comprehensive, systematic study on the use of medicinal plants for remedies and other economically significant purposes in the field of current research. We stressed that for the sustainable use and conservation of medicinal plants, both in situ and ex situ conservation and growing methods should be sufficiently considered.

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Additional details

Identifiers

DOI
10.54105/ijpmh.B1140.06020126
EISSN
2582-7588

Dates

Accepted
2026-01-15
Manuscript received on 19 December 2025 | First Revised Manuscript received on 28 December 2025 | Second Revised Manuscript received on 05 January 2026 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 January 2026 | Manuscript published on 30 January 2026.

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