Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Meketewa District, northwestern Ethiopia Nature .com

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2025) Cite this article

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Abstract

Traditional medicinal plants remain vital healthcare resources for rural communities, particularly in areas with limited access to modern medical services. This study documents and quantitatively analyzes the ethnobotanical use of medicinal plants in Meketewa District, northwestern Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 360 informants (20 key informants and 340 general informants) across five kebeles (Sub-Districts) representing different agroecological zones. Data were analyzed using preference ranking, direct matrix ranking (DMR), informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), Jaccard similarity index (JSI), Rahman’s similarity index (RSI), t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. The distribution of indigenous medicinal plant knowledge was significantly influenced by agroecology and socio-demographic factors, including age, gender, education, and knowledge experience. A total of 76 medicinal plant species belonging to 46 families were documented, with Fabaceae as the dominant family (7.9%) and herbs as the most common growth form (38.16%). Most species were used for human ailments (63.2%), while 9.2% were used for livestock and 27.6% for both. Natural forests were the primary source of medicinal plants (61.84%). Crushing was the dominant preparation method (38.4%), and oral administration was the most common route (47.7%). The use of additives, antidotes, and localized dosage systems reflects advanced therapeutic knowledge. Rhamnus prinoides was the most preferred species for treating human tonsillitis, whereas Euphorbia abyssinica was widely used for livestock swelling. High ICF values (up to 0.92) indicated strong informant agreement, while JSI (2.29–45.19%) and RSI (0.00–16.67%) reflected largely localized ethnomedicinal knowledge; similarly, high fidelity levels for Asparagus africanus var. puberulus (83.3%), Rhamnus prinoides (75%), and Cucumis ficifolius and Euphorbia abyssinica (73.3%) underscore strong cultural consensus and priority for phytochemical validation. Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata was the highest-ranked multipurpose species but faces increasing anthropogenic threats. These findings emphasize the need for in situ and ex situ conservation and further phytochemical and pharmacological validation.

Data availability

The data supporting the findings of this study are presented in the tables and figures within the manuscript and supplementary file.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank the Meketewa community members and key informants for generously sharing their invaluable knowledge of medicinal plants used for human and livestock healthcare. We are grateful to Dr. Getinet Masresha for his expert botanical identification of plant specimens. We also acknowledge the local authorities and community elders for their invaluable support and guidance during data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, EthiopiaFentaye Kassawmar, Endale Adamu, Worku Misganaw & Kindu Geta
  2. Department of Biology, Debark University, Debark, EthiopiaFentaye Kassawmar

Contributions

FK led data collection, analysis, and manuscript writing, while EA supervised fieldwork and plant identification. WM contributed to analyses, interpreting results, and manuscript writing. KG managed data curation. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Worku Misganaw.

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Ethics approval

Ethical approval was obtained from the Biology Department of Debre Tabor University and permissions from the Meketewa District administrative offices before data collection. All informants were informed about the study’s objectives and provided verbal consent prior to participation.

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Kassawmar, F., Adamu, E., Misganaw, W. et al. Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Meketewa District, northwestern Ethiopia. Sci Rep (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33571-w

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