Traditional Medicinal Plants Used By Tigrigna Ethnic Group In Central Region Of Eritrea

Abstract

An ethnobotanical study was conducted from October 2015 to April 2016 to investigate the uses of medicinal plants by the Tigrigna people of 15 villages and towns of Central region of Eritrea such as Asmara, Serejaka, Himbirti, Ebardea, Kitmowlie, Tseada-krstian, Nefasit, Embaderho,Embeyto, Adi-Hawesha, Tsazega,AdiTeclay, Adi-guadad, Selae-daero andAdemneger.Information was gathered from 50 people: 19 female and 31 males, using semi-structured questionnaire of which 22 are local healers. The informants, except the healers, were selected randomly and no appointment was made prior to the visits. Informant consensus factor (ICF) for category of aliments of the medicinal plants was determined. 55 medicinal plants used as a cure for 40 aliments were documented andthey are distributed across 27 families and 51genera. Shrubs formed a major component (50.9%) while trees and herbs constitute 27.3% and 21.8% respectively. The study showed that preparation and administration of medicinal plants include several methods. The most frequently used plant parts for the preparations of remedy were leaves (49%), stem (10.9%), bark (9%), fruits (9%), root (7.3%), seed (5.4%), latex (5.4%) and all parts (3.6%).Diseases related todermatological problems (0.67) had higher ICF values, diseases related to gastro-intestinal with ICF value of (0.59) and problems related to organ diseases (0.57). The medicinal plants that are widely used by the local people or have higher Informant consensus values are Rutachalepnesis (60%),Schinusmolle(50%), Vernoniaamygdalina(40%),Terminalliabrownii(38%)and Sennasingueana(30%). The main threats to medicinal plants in the study area were fire wood, grazing, agricultural expansion, construction & drought respectively. It is therefore, recommended that the local people have to be encouraged to cultivate medicinal plants in their homegarden.