Ethnobotanical aspects of medicinal plants of Mount Furi Forest, Sebeta Awas District, Southwest Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

In Ethiopia, more than 95% of conventional medicinal preparations are made from plant origin. There is an extreme abundance of potential drug candidates that can be discovered in under-studied medicinal plants from sub-Saharan Africa. This study attempts to showcase some of these understudied and underestimated medicinal plants from Mount Furi forest which is located in southwestern Ethiopia. The main purpose of this study was to document medicinal plant species and related knowledge from Mount Furi Forest. Semistructured interviews, observation, and guided field walk with informants were employed to obtain ethnobotanical data. Materials used include GPS, compass, diameter tape, computer (data entry), etc. Information regarding local names of medicinal plants, methods of preparation, part(s) used, diseases treated, and route of application was recorded. All medicinal plants for both humans and livestock were collected. Finally, 38 medicinal plant species belonging to 34 genera and 27 families were collected, which serve both human beings and their cattle. Most medicinal plants were taken orally while few have nasal and dermal applications. The use of medicinal plants by the community is low due to the access to modern health services and loss of indigenous knowledge. The study revealed the existence of indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants to treat human and livestock ailments. However, agricultural expansion, firewood collection, environmental degradation, and deforestation are the main threats to medicinal plants. Therefore, there should be mentoring for the local people in the study area to conserve their indigenous knowledge resources and prevent the extinction of medicinal plants.