Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Pastoral Community for Treating Livestock Diseases in Shinle Zone, Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

: Modern livestock health care is still at its lowest stage in Ethiopia and most modern veterinary services like drugs and veterinary professionals are not accessible and affordable to the majority of pastoral farmers. As a result, they are heavily relying on their traditional knowledge and practices on locally available materials mainly plants in the management of animal diseases. However, this traditional knowledge has not yet been well documented and analyzed. Therefore, this study was carried to identify medicinal plants used as ethno-veterinary to manage animal diseases and examined factors that threatens ethno-veterinary in Pastoral Community of Shinle Districts. Survey was conducted to gather information from 180 households on indigenous knowledge using a semi-structured questionnaire and filed guided observations. A total of thirty-one plant species belonging to eighteen families used against fourteen types of livestock health problems were collected and identified. Majority of plant species fall under Fabaceae (22.5%) and Euphorbiaceae (16.1%) family that are largely shrubs. The most commonly used plant parts were roots (35.5%) followed by leaves (25.8%). Remedy preparation was mainly through chop and soak in concoction of water and salt. Oral, topical and nasal route were the common mode of administration with no standardized dosing and treatment duration. The principal threats of medicinal plants were invasive plants, drought, over grazing, agricultural activity and firewood collection. Endogenous knowledge on ethno-veterinary medicinal plants was accepted orally from healer’s forefathers and transmitted similarly. Identified medicinal plants were not on sale in the local markets. Awareness should raise and ethno-veterinary medicine should integrate in to livestock extension delivery systems for the need to exploit the possibility of discovering more medicinally viable plants. Further studies needed under controlled conditions on the efficacy and veterinary properties of such plant products and livestock disease treatments.


INTRODUCTION
developing countries depends on plants for their primary Medicinal plants traditionally used in the treatment medicine [4]. Likewise 80% of the total population of of animal diseases play a crucial role in local health Ethiopia is depending on traditional medicine to treat modalities [1]. The use of ethno-veterinary medicine different types of human illness and animals [5]. (EVM) may present a cheaper and sustainable alternative According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural to synthetic medicines in the present and future [2]. These Organization, lack of drugs to treat diseases and herbal preparations, drawing upon centuries of traditional infections results in losses of 30-35% in the breeding belief and use, are in practice over time by pastoralists sector of many developing countries, where poor animal and farmers for the treatment of different diseases of health remains the major constraint to increased livestock [3]. About 65-80% of the world's population in production [6]. Global Veterinaria, 18 (6): [419][420][421][422][423][424][425][426][427][428]2017 Modern livestock health care in pastoral community interview, observations and field guided walks with of Ethiopia is still at its lowest stage due to limited traditional healers to share their indigenous knowledge. veterinary services and supply of drugs. Besides, most Data collected from respondents on local name of modern drugs are expensive and, as a result, not medicinal plant, diseases treated, animal species treated, affordable by the majority of Ethiopian farmers and distance from the house to place where plant species pastoralists. As a result, pastoral and agro-pastoral gathered, seasonality of plant species, degree of communities heavily rely on their traditional knowledge management (wild/cultivated), abundance, parts used, and practices on locally available materials mainly plants condition of plant part used (fresh/dried), other in the management of animal diseases. However; this ingredients or additives, methods of medicine preparation, traditional knowledge has not yet been well documented preservation, dosage prescriptions, routes of remedy and so far very little of the ethno-veterinary knowledge in administration, noticeable adverse effects of remedies, use Ethiopia is properly documented and analyzed [7].
of antidote for adverse effects, source and method of Moreover, the knowledge of ethno-veterinary transmitted indigenous knowledge transfer, existing threats and from generation to generation mainly orally; traditional conservation practices, marketability of consequently, it remains fragile and threatened and medicinal plant species and income earned per animal presents an urgent need for being record and document treated for any disease. for prospect utilization. Therefore, this study was identified medicinal plants used as ethno-veterinary to Plant Identification: Specimens of plants with leaves and treat animal diseases in pastoral community of Shinle zone roots and including floral parts, as it was appropriate for and examined factors that threatens ethno-veterinary in taxonomic identification were collected. The specimens the study area.
coded by their vernacular names and transported by MATERIALS AND METHODS authenticated.

Description of the Study Area:
This study conducted in Statistical Analysis: The collected data analyzed Ethiopian Somaliland regional state, Shinle zone. It is using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) located at about 517 Km east of Addis Ababa and 15 Km version 16. The variability of documented knowledge of from Dire-Dawa. The area's altitude ranges between 950-ethno-veterinary medicine and the homogeneity of the 1300 meters above sea level. Annual average rainfall and information given by the respondents were estimated by the average temperature of the area are between 500-informant consensus factor (ICF) [11,12]. 700mm and 27.5°c, respectively [8]. About 85-95% of Shinile district population depends on livestock and livestock products for their livelihood and the rest, 5-15% are engaged in the mixture of crop-livestock production where: nur = Number of usage-reported by informant, nt and cross border trade. The pastoralists keep the full = Number of plant species used. range of livestock in total livestock unit (TLU): 90000 sheep, 55000 cattle, 100000 goats and 60000 camels [9].

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Sampling Methods: Among the pastoral area of Somali Respondents' Demographic Characteristics: The Regional State, Shinile, Erer and Dembel districts was majority of respondents were males (Table 1) and this purposively selected on the bases of their traditional marked difference reflects the limited involvement of knowledge to treat their diseased livestock's. One women in livestock production and herd health in study hundred eighty households (Sixty from each district) who sites. Similarly, [13] observed that men had more used and practiced providing services related to knowledge of plant usage because they naturally selected veterinary medicinal plants purposively selected and during childhood to be trainees of ethno-veterinary interviewed conforming to [10].
practices. In addition, in some regions, labor division Data Collection: Survey conducted to gather information men take care of the animals [14]. The age characteristics from pastoral communities on traditional usage of plants indicated that most of respondents were elder (Table 1) in livestock health care system using a semi-structured and the concern expressed by some elder informants that plastic bag to Haramaya University where it identified and makes women responsible for housekeeping only, while     young people were not interested in ethno-veterinary absence of conventional veterinary services by the medicine (EVM). The young generation had little government and private sector has led the pastoralists to knowledge about the traditional medicines while the elder stick and relay on the traditional treatment systems people know much more about the traditional knowledge followed by their ancestors [21]. to treat livestock ailments. This finding is in line with the study of [15] who reported that majority of the Sources and Growth Habit of Medicinal Plants: Analysis respondents who involved in traditional livestock of the growth forms of ethno-veterinary medicinal plants treatment were old age people.
in the study area revealed that shrubs constituted the

Medicinal Plants and its Application to Livestock
herbs and trees account 11 species and 8 species, Diseases: Thirty-one plant species used against fourteen respectively ( Table 6). Dominance of shrubs was also (14) [20] who reported that people recognizing plants identified in the study area. Roots of the plants the value of indigenous knowledge to solve their animal were the parts most frequently used to treat livestock health problems in an accessible way and economic aliments, followed by leaves however mixed uses of plant affordability. The inconsistency and sometimes-complete parts were rare (Fig. 1). The finding agrees with the result largest number or proportion with 12 species whereas of Gabriel [17] who stated that root was identified as the whereas few (6.4%) practiced crushing and forming most frequently used (70%) plant part followed by whole powder then diluted by water when need arise for plants plant (7.5%), fruit (5%), leaves and stem (5%) for treatment used in dry form and it were made from preserved parts of of cattle diseases in Uganda. Many studies conducted plant. This finding is analogous to Deeba [41] who elsewhere in Ethiopia showed the dominance of leaves in reported grinding or crushing and soaking or boiling as the preparation of remedies. This was because leaves the most common method of drugs extraction from plants. contain many metabolites with characteristic anti-illness Preparations of remedies in study area involved single effects [24,32,37,38]. In contrast, Birhane [39] indicated medicinal plant, which is in agreement with the findings of root as the most commonly harvested plant part in a study studies conducted elsewhere in Ethiopia [28,42] while it carried out in other Ethiopian regions. A study conducted is believed that the potency of plant remedies could be in Oromia region of Ethiopia also witnessed the common enhanced when they are used in concoction form Abebe usage of root [23]. Harvesting root of a plant poses more and Ayehu [43]. threat to survival of plant than collecting other parts such as fruits, seeds and leaves [40]. Such widespread Route of Remedy Administration and Dosage: Analysis harvesting of roots or leaves, which are important for of mode of administration showed oral route (71%) was plant survival, threatens the survival and continuity of the most common followed by topical (22.6%) and nasal valuable medicinal plants. A plant whose roots are most (6.4%) route. Those findings were consistent with used is more susceptible to extinction than that whose findings of    instance, half cup, full cup and liter employed depending This was corresponding with studies in other parts of on age and types of livestock species to be treated. The

Key informants (1-12) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethiopia [13], Pakistan [13] and Brazil [47,48]. The dose determination varied from healer to healer, disease to apparent lack of transfer of ethno-veterinary knowledge disease, even for the same type of ailment and the dose from older to younger generations was a cause of concern given depends on age, physical appearance and health in all studies [49,50]. conditions. This also observed in other ethno-veterinary surveys [13,14,27]. Majority healers (87.6%) prescribed Threats to Medicinal Plants: The major factors affecting plant remedies for livestock treatments until cure whereas the wealth of medicinal plants in the study area indicated few healers (12.4%) administered for a week. In this study, in Table 5. The principal threats of medicinal plants in the all respondents reported as the remedies have no adverse area reported to include expansion of invasive plants effects on animals. The variation in quantity, unit of (Prosopis juliflora), agricultural activity, drought, measurement and duration of treatment of prescribed overgrazing and firewood collection. The key informants plant preparations also noted in a study conducted also emphasized that Prosopis juliflora as a major threat elsewhere in the country [39]. Getahun [46] reported that to the ethno-veterinary plant species, which cover many lack of precision and standardization of preparations are parts of the land reducing capacity to grow medicinal two of the drawbacks of traditional health care system. plants as well as forage plants. This finding disagree with Preference Ranking of Medicinal Plants: Preference plants largely found in the natural habitats faced a major ranking exercise with twelve randomly selected key threat to their survival of the mother plants due to the informants for five medicinal plants that were reported to combined effect of factors like cultivation of marginal be used against livestock diarrhea, the most frequently lands and herbal preparation in the other part of the reported livestock diseases in the study area, showed that country. Likewise, Lulekal [23] reported that deforestation Acalyph indica.L and Olea europeae. L the first two due to agricultural expansion is the greatest threat to preferred medicinal plants (Table 4).
woody plants in southeast part of Ethiopia.  them for curing livestock disease should immediately REFERENCES contact the traditional healers in the community and described the symptoms of disease then healers soon collect appropriate plant part. Those traditional healers request a little charge for remedies but the charges vary based on the sources and availability of medicinal plants and number of animals treated. Traditional healers gave remedies free of charges for relatives.

CONCLUSIONS
Thirty-one plant species belonging to eighteen families were identified to be used to cure different livestock health problems. Majority of plant species fall under Fabaceae and Euphorbiaceae. The most commonly used plant parts were roots in fresh immediately after collection. Remedy preparation was mainly through chop then soaked overnight in concoction of water and salt then squeezed to separate liquid extract for plants used in fresh. Oral, topical and nasal route were the common mode of administration with no standardized dosing and treatment duration. The principal threats to ethnoveterinary medicinal plants were expansion of invasive plants (Prosopis juliflora), drought, overgrazing, agricultural activity and firewood collection. Endogenous knowledge on ethno-veterinary medicinal plants was accepted orally from healer's forefathers and transmitted similarly to their children. Awareness should raise and ethno-veterinary knowledge should integrate in to livestock extension delivery systems for the need to exploit the possibility of discovering more medicinally viable plants and conservation measures should undertake to ensure the continued availability of effective medicinal plants. Further studies needed under controlled conditions on the efficacy and veterinary properties of such plant products and livestock disease treatments.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to acknowledge Haramaya University, Office of Research affairs, for financial support. Next, we would like to express our cordial gratitude for agricultural office and people of Shinile Zone, who cooperated on providing all the necessary information and materials for the completion of this work. Our special thanks also go to field guidance's of study districts, Abdi and Hussen who assisted data collection and field observation.