Predominantly Used Medicinal Plants for Ethnoveterinary Purposes in the Highland Grasslands of South Africa and Lesotho: An Ethnobotanical Survey

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa

2 Centre for Applied Food Sustainability and Biotechnology, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Central University of Technology, Free State, South Africa

3 Department of Botany, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used for the maintenance of animal health in most parts of the world. However, ethnoveterinary knowledge is verbally passed on from generation to generation and can easily be lost or distorted if not documented for future reference. This study therefore seeks to ascertain the mostly used medicinal plants for ethnoveterinary practices in the research area. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out with 69 respondents consisting of subsistence livestock farmers, traditional healers and other traditional knowledge holders from four (4) towns in the study region. Interviews were conducted using semi-structured questionnaires designed to collect data on the plants used, their common names, methods of preparation and administration and livestock ailments treated. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) index was calculated in order to determine the most predominantly used plant species. Fifty-one (51) plant species were mentioned by respondents. Rhamnus prinoides L'Hér., Aloe striatula var. striatula, Monsonia burkeana Planch. ex Harv. and Leucosidea sericea Eckl. & Zeyh. were the frequently mentioned plants mostly from the Asteraceae family. Roots (45%) and leaves (43%) were the most frequently used plant parts. Approximately 84% of Medicines were prepared in the form of decoctions and administered orally. Thirteen (13) health conditions of livestock were treated with medicinal plants and bile acid malabsorption was the most predominant (39%). The study region is endowed with a rich biodiversity of medicinal plant species which are used for the treatment of various animal diseases. Therefore, it is imperative to establish the salient medicinal plant species used in this area for possible drug development.

Keywords

References

  1. Mthi S, Rust JM, Morgenthal TL, Moyo B. An ethnoveterinary survey of medicinal plants used to treat bacterial diseases of livestock in three geographical areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Acad J. 2018;12(18):240-7.
  2. Luseba D, Tshisikhawe MP. Medicinal plants used in the treatment of livestock diseases in Vhembe region, Limpopo Province. South Africa. J Med Plants Res. 2013;7(10):593-601.
  3. World Health Organization. World health statistics 2010. https://www.who.int/whosis/whostat/2010/en/. Accessed 17 March 2019.
  4. Phumthum M, Srithi K, Inta A, Junsongduang A. Ethnomedicinal plant diversity in Thailand. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018;214:90-98.
  5. Parthiban R, Vijayakumar S, Prabhu S, Gnanaselvam J, Morvin E. 2016. Quantitative traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used to treat livestock diseases from Kudavasal taluk of Thiruvarur district, Tamil. Rev Bras. 2016;26(1):109-121.
  6. McGaw LJ, Eloff JN. Ethnoveterinary use of southern African plants and scientific evaluation of their medicinal properties. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008;119(3):559-574.
  7. Gebrezgabiher G, Kalayou S, Sahle S. An ethnoveterinary survey of medicinal plants in woredas of Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation. 2013;5(2):89-97.
  8. Khunoana ET, Madikizela B, Erhabor JO, Nkadimeng SM, Arnot LF, Wyk IV, Mcgaw LJ. A survey of plants used to treat livestock diseases in the Mnisi community, Mpumalanga, South Africa, and investigation of their antimicrobial activity. S Afr J Bot. 2019;126:21-29.
  9. Maphosa V, Masika PJ. Ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plants: A survey of plants used in the ethnoveterinary control of gastro-intestinal parasites of goats in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Pharm Biol. 2010;48(6):697-702.
  10. Eshetu GR, Dejene TA, Telila LB, Bekele DF. Ethnoveterinary medicinal plants: Preparation and application methods by traditional healers in selected districts of southern Ethiopia. Vet World. 2015;8:674-684.
  11. Lu Y, Hernandez P, Abegunde D, Edejer T. The world medicines situation 2011. Medicine expenditures World Health Organization, Geneva, 2011;11(1):33-6.
  12. Khan MS, Razzaq A. Ethnobotanical indices based ethnoveterinary plant profile of Jabban hills, Malakand and Hindukush range, Pakistan. Pak J Bot. 2018; 50(5):1899-1905.
  13. Statistics South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/?page_id=4286&id=7354 (2021). Accessed 19 April 2021.
  14. Word Data.info. https://www.worlddata.info/africa/south-africa/climate-orange-free-state.php (2021). Accessed 19 April 2021.
  15. Low A, Rebelo A. Vegetation of   South   Africa, Lesotho   and Swaziland:  a companion to the vegetation map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism, 1996, Pretoria. http://www.environment.gov.za/soer/nsoer/Data/vegrsa/grassinl.htm. Accessed 19 April 2021.
  16. Free State – South African National Botanical Institute (SANBI). https://www.sanbi.org/gardens/free-state/tours/grassland/(2021). Accessed 12 August 2021.
  17. Plant Conservation Unit- University of Cape Town. Available at http://www.pcu.uct.ac.za/freestatefs.pdf. Accessed 12 August 2021.
  18. Weather Atlas. Available at https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/lesotho-climate (2020). Accessed 6 April 2020.
  19. Seleteng L, Moteetee A, Vuuren SV. Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in the Maseru district of Lesotho. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;170:184-200.
  20. Guillarmod JA. Flora of Lesotho (Basotuland). Lehre J. Cramer, Germany; 1971.
  21. Department of Environment. Lesotho Fourth National Report on Implementation of Conservation on Biological Diversity. Lesotho. https://businessdocbox.com/amp/78905794-Agriculture/Lesotho (2009). Accessed 4 June 2020.
  22. Government of Lesotho. https://www.gov.ls/lesotho-economy/ (2018). Accessed 19 April 2021.
  23. Samaha AA, Fawaz M, Salami A, Baydoun S, Eid AH. Antihypertensive Indigenous Lebanese Plants: Ethnopharmacology and a Clinical Trial. Biomolecules. 2019; 9(7):292.
  24. Morris B, Msonthi JD. Chewa Medical Botany: A Study of Herbalism in Southern Malawi Part 1: The Herbalist Tradition; Part 2: Medicinal Plants of Malawi (Monographs from the International African Institute (London)) vol 2. LIT Verlag Münster. 1996. p.560.
  25. Moteetee A, Van Wyk BE. 2011. The medical ethnobotany of Lesotho: A review. Bothalia. 2011;41(1):209-228. doi.org/10.4102/abc.v41i1.52
  26. Yirga G, Teferi M, Gidey G, Zerabruk S. 2012. An ethnoveterinary survey of medicinal plants used to treat livestock diseases in Seharti-Samre district, Northern Ethiopia. Afr J Plant Sci. 2012; 6(3):113-119.
  27. Landau SY, Muklada H, Abu-Rabia A, Kaadan S, Azaizeh H. Traditional Arab ethnoveterinary practices in small ruminant breeding in Israel. Small Rumin Res. 2014;119(1-3):161-171. doi.org/10.1016/j.smallrumres.2014.01.004
  28. Dovie DB, Shackleton CM, Witkowski E. Valuation of communal area livestock benefits, rural livelihoods and related policy issues. Land use Policy. 2006;23(3):260-271. doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2004.08.004
  29. Ndebele JJ, Muchenje V, Mapiye C, Chimonyo M, Musemwa L, Ndlovu T. Cattle breeding management practices in the Gwayi smallholder farming area of South-Western Zimbabwe. Livest Res Rural Dev. 2007; 19(11): Article #183.
  30. Bettencourt EMV, Tilman M, Henriques De Sousa PD, Narciso V, Carvalho Da Silva ML. The economic and sociocultural role of livestock in the wellbeing of rural communities of Timor-Leste. CEFAGE-UE Working Paper. https://core.ac.uk/display/62457418 (2013). Accessed 4 June 2020.
  31. Nyahangare ET, Mvumi BM, Mutibvu T. Ethnoveterinary plants and practices used for ecto-parasite control in semi-arid smallholder farming areas of Zimbabwe. J Ethnobiol Ethnomedicine. 2015;11(1):30. doi.org/10.1186/s13002-015-0006-6
  32. Van der Merwe D, Swan GE, Botha CJ. Use of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants in cattle by Setswana-speaking people in the Madikwe area of the North West Province of South Africa. J S Afr Vet Assoc. 2001; 72(4):a651. doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v72i4.651
  33. Luseba D, Van der Merwe D. Ethnoveterinary medicine practices among Tsonga speaking people of South Africa. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 2006;73(2):115-122.
  34. Moteetee A, Moffett RO, Seleteng-Kose L. A review of the ethnobotany of the Basotho of Lesotho and the Free State Province of South Africa (South Sotho). S Afr J Bot. 2019;122:21-56.
  35. McGaw LJ, Famuyide IM, Khunoana ET, Aremu AO. Ethnoveterinary botanical medicine in South Africa: A review of research from the last decade (2009 to 2019). J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;257:112864.
  36. Bruschi P, Urso V, Solazzo D, Tonini M, Signorini MA. Traditional knowledge on ethno-veterinary and fodder plants in South Angola: an ethnobotanic field survey in Mopane woodlands in Bibala, Namibe province. J Agric Environ Int Dev. 2017;111(1):105-21.
  37. Tshivhandekano I, Ntushelo K., Ngezimana W, Tshikalange TE, Mudau FN. Chemical compositions and antimicrobial activities of Athrixia phylicoides DC. (bush tea), Monsonia burkeana (special tea) and synergistic effects of both combined herbal teas. Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2014;7(S1):S448-S453.
  38. Aremu AO, Fawole OA, Chukwujekwu JC, Light ME, Finnie JF, Van Staden J. In vitro antimicrobial, anthelmintic and cyclooxygenase-inhibitory activities and phytochemical analysis of Leucosidea sericea. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010;131(1):22-27.
  39. Mamphiswana ND, Mashela PW, Mdee LK. Distribution of total phenolics and antioxidant activity in fruit, leaf, stem and root of Monsonia burkeana. Afr J Agric Res. 2010; 5(18): 2570-5.
  40. Mafole TC, Aremu AO, Mthethwa T, Moyo M. An overview on Leucosidea sericea Eckl. & Zeyh.: A multi-purpose tree with potential as a phytomedicine. J Ethnopharmacol. 2017;203:288-303.
  41. Berhanu A. Microbial profile of Tella and the role of gesho (Rhamnus prinoides) as bittering and antimicrobial agent in traditional Tella (Beer) production. Int Food Res J. 2014; 21(1):357-365.
  42. Molla Y, Nedi T, Tadesse G, Alemayehu H, Shibeshi W. Evaluation of the in vitro antibacterial activity of the solvent fractions of the leaves of Rhamnus prinoides L’Herit (Rhamnaceae) against pathogenic bacteria. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016; 16(1):287.
  43. Chen Y, Guo Y, Pan Y, Zhao ZJ. Structure analysis of the receptor binding of 2019-nCoV. Biochem. Biophys Res Commun. 2020;525(1):135-140.
  44. Bosman AA, Combrinck S, Roux-van der Merwe R, Botha BM, McCrindle RI, Houghton PJ. Isolation of an anthelmintic compound from Leucosidea sericea. S Afr J Bot. 2004;70(4):509-511.
  45. Birhan YS, Kitaw SL, Alemayehu YA, Mengesha NM. Ethnoveterinary Medicinal Plants and Practices in Enarj Enawga District, East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Int J Anim Sci. 2018; 2(1): 1014.
  46. Shelar A, Sangshetti J, Chakraborti S, Singh AV, Patil R, Gosavi S. Helminthicidal and larvicidal potentials of biogenic silver nanoparticles synthesized from medicinal plant Momordica charantia. Med Chem. 2019; 15(7):781-789.
  47. Yipel M, Yipel FA, Tekeli IO, Güzel Y. Ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plants in Mediterranean district, Turkey. Rev. de Chim. 2017;68(2):411-416.
  48. Khan A, Tak H, Nazir R, Lone A. In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic activities of Iris Kashmiriana Linn. J. Saudi Soc. Agric. Sci. 2018;17(3):235-240.
  49. Teklay A. Traditional medicinal plants for ethnoveterinary medicine used in Kilte Awulaelo district, Tigray region, Northern Ethiopia. Adv Med Plant Res. 2015;3(4):137-150.
  50. Assefa A, Bahiru A. Ethnoveterinary botanical survey of medicinal plants in Abergelle, Sekota and Lalibela districts of Amhara region, Northern Ethiopia. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018;213:340-344.
  51. Ngarivhume T, Van’t Klooster CI, De Jong JT, Van der Westhuizen J H. Medicinal plants used by traditional healers for the treatment of malaria in the Chipinge district in Zimbabwe. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;159:224-237.
  52. Mandal SK, Rahaman CH. Documentation and consensus analysis of traditional knowledge about ethnoveterinary medicinal plants of Birbhum district, West Bengal (India). Int J Livest Res 2016;6(1):43-56
  53. Masika PJ, Sonandi A, Van Averbeke W. Perceived causes, diagnosis and treatment of babesiosis and anaplasmosis in cattle by livestock farmers in communal areas of the central Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. J S Afr Vet Assoc. 1997; 68(2): 40-44.
  54. Rajput ZI, Hu S, Chen W, Arijo AG, Xiao C. Importance of ticks and their chemical and immunological control in livestock. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2006; 7(11):912-921.
  55. Nwafor I, Roberts H, Fourie P. Prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths and parasites in smallholder pigs reared in the central Free State Province. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 2019; 86(1):1-8.
Journal of Medicinal plants and By-Products
Volume 12, Issue 3
September 2023
Pages 293-303

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics