ABSTRACT
Indigenous knowledge and practices on medicinal plants used by local communities of Gambella region, south west Ethiopia was conducted to investigate those potential and popular medicinal plantsused for the treatment of various diseases in Gambella region.A total of 100purposivelyselected inhabitants were employed in the study of which 84 were male and 16 werefemales. A traditional use of plants information was obtained by semi structured oral interviews from experienced rural elders, Focus group discussion and through questionnaire administered to traditional herbal medicine practitioners of the study area. 81 medicinal plants were identified for the traditional treatment of both human (25) and animal (16) disease. The highest numbers of medicinal plants for traditional uses utilized by this community were belonging to shrubs 30(37.03%) followed by trees (32.10%). The result reviled that 15.2% of the remedies are prepared from root part and Original ResearchArticle squeezing accounts 17(20.99%) followed by chewing 14(17.28%). The major routs of administration of traditional medicines were reported oral 50(61.73%). Urine, placental retention and milk let down accounts higher informants’ consensus factor value (0.96). Thefindings showed that sheferaw and leele have higher fidelity level which is 100 and 92 respectively. Various factors were recorded as the main threats of medicinal plants in the study area. In conclusion,the community carries a vast knowledge of medicinal plants but this knowledge is also rapidly disappearing in this community. Such type of ethno-botanical studies will help in systematic documentation of ethno-botanical knowledge and availing to the scientific world plant therapies used as antivenin by the Gambella community and further research on plant species identification and chemical extraction is recommended
ABSTRACT
Ochrosia elliptica Labill. is a small shrub belonging to family Apocynaceae and well-known as a promising anticancer agent. Botanical study of the plant was done for the young and old stems, stem bark, and leaves. Laticiferoustubes with yellowish brown content, isodiametric stone cells (sclereids), sclerenchyma (rod-like), and calcium oxalateclusters are the main diagnostic elements observed in this plant. Furthermore, DNA fingerprinting was done usingrapid amplified (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) techniques with the identification of a total of 30RAPD markers and 17 ISSR markers. Carbohydrates, sterols, catechol tannins, flavonoids, and alkaloids were presentin all the organs under investigation. This study could be valuable for quality control of the plant.
ABSTRACT
Abstract Erythrina × neillii Mabberley & Lorence, Fabaceae, is a sterile hybrid between E. herbacea L. and E. humeana Spreng. Nothing was traced about its genetic, macro and micromorphology. Therefore, it was deemed of interest to study its botanical characters, in addition to the DNA fingerprint to help in the identification of the plant. The anatomical characters of the old stem and its bark are characterized by the presence of cork cells, bast fibers and sclereids. Pericycle is sclerenchymatous forming crystal sheath. The epidermises of the leaf and young stem are characterized by the presence of anomocytic and paracytic stomata, non-glandular, unicellular and multicellular two armed hairs, and glandular club shaped hair. Calcium oxalate is present in the form of crystal sheath and prisms. Secretory cavities are distributed in the phloem and cortex. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was used as one of the molecular methods to differentiate between the samples of Erythrina. The DNA of Erythrina was extracted and analyzed using seven-mer random primers. Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA were recognized. This characterization allows certification of the authenticity of Erythrina × neillii, in order to provide quality control for the plant.