Abstract:
Study of medicinal plants used by local people and associated indigenous knowledge was
conducted in Mencho District, Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia. The purpose of this study was
to investigate and document medicinal plants used by local people and their indigenous
knowledge. A total of 377 general and key informants, all of whom were over the age of 25,
were used including 347 men and 30 women, which were selected to got information on
medicinal plantsuse from seven sampled kebeles.Datawere collected using semi-structured
interviews,field observations and group discussions. Descriptive statistics, informant consensus
factor, fidelity level, preference ranking,direct matrix ranking and paired comparision were also
calculated. A total of 72 medicinal plant species distributed across 41families were collected
from the study area and identified. From the total collected plant species56(77.8%) were used for
the treatment of 28 human ailments, while 11(15.3%) plant species were used for treating
sevenlivestock ailments. The remaining 5(6.9%) plantspecies were used for treating threeboth
human and livestock ailments. Herbs represented by 28(39%) species followed by shrubs with 24
(33%) species and tree 20 (28%) species. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves 33
(46%), followed by roots 13 (18%), seeds 12 (17%), barks 8 (11%), fruit 3 (4%) and flower
3(4%).The most widely used method of preparation was crushing 26 (36%), powdering 16
(22.2%), pounding 12 (16.7%),chewing and roasteting5(6.9%) each and squeezing 3(4.2%)and
rubbing 2(3%), pulverizing and powdering 1(1.4%)and crushing and pounding 1(1.4%) and
exudating 1 (1.4%).The common route of administration recorded was oral 51(71%) followed by
dermal 10 (14%), nasal 4(6%), both oral and dermal6(8%)and oral andnasal 1(1%). The most
preferred plant species remedy for curing ailmentsof the evil eyes isEchinopskebericho, followed
by RicinuscommunisandVacheliaabyssinica was the most preferred species by healers for the
treatment of teeth infection.Cordia africana was shown to be the top multipurpose species. This
study revealed that the study area was rich in medicinal plants. Agricultural expansion,
construction,overgrazing, firewood collection, timber and charcoal production were considered
major threats to medicinal plants. Therefore, awareness creation for local people of the study
area to conserve medicinal plants in their homegarden is recommended.
