ABSTRACT
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Livestock production is an integral part of the agricultural system in Ethiopia. Medicinal plants are used and are important for rural communities for the treatment of livestock diseases. We studied and analysed the traditional medicinal plants used for the treatment of livestock diseases by the Maale and Ari ethnic communities in southern Ethiopia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used quantitative and qualitative ethobotanical methods, including individual and focus group discussions (n=18), field observations, and individual interviews (n=74) at three study sites. RESULTS: In total, 46 plant species (28 families) were used for the treatment of livestock diseases. Leaves with succulent stems were the most used part of the plant. The most frequently cited cattle disease was blackleg, for which 21 plant species were used. Our study showed variation in ethnoveterinary plant species used among sites (Jaccard's similarity indices <0.25). The number of medicinal plant species used was significantly influenced by gender and site. Knowledge on ethnoveterinary plants was predominantly held by males, who cited more plant uses than females. The most widely used species were Lepidium sativum, Allium sativum, Clausena anisata, Croton macrostachyus, Ozoroa insignis, Sida rhombifolia, Centella asiatica, Cissampelos mucronata, Vernonia theophrastifolia and Vernonia amygdalina. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that ethnoveterinary medicinal plants are important for the Maale and Ari ethnic communities. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies should focus on widely used and multi-use species.
Subject(s)
Animal Diseases/drug therapy , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Phytotherapy/veterinary , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Adult , Animals , Data Collection , Ethiopia , Ethnobotany , Female , Humans , Livestock , Male , Medicine, African Traditional , Sex FactorsSubject(s)
Health , Public Health/methods , Social Conditions , Causality , Ethics, Medical , Humans , PhilosophySubject(s)
Aging , Geriatrics/trends , Philosophy , Aged , Health Services for the Aged/trends , Human Development , Humans , NetherlandsABSTRACT
In chickpea, out of three colchicine concentrations and two treatment durations used (combinations of 0.25, 0.05, 0.025% colchicine and 4 and 6 h duration), seed treatment with 0.25% for 4 h proved to be the most effective in producing autotetraploids. Colchicine treatment on seedlings failed. The induced tetraploidy was accompanied by larger leaves, flowers, stomata, pollen grains and seeds. Mean percentage stainable pollen and podset were reduced, but some plants had relatively normal meiosis and produced as many pods as the diploid parent, indicating the potential of induced autotetraploids in chickpea improvement.
