Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used as antimalarial and repellent by Sidama people of Hawassa Zuria district, Southern Ethiopia

Background/Aim: More than 7,000 species of flowering plants are recorded in Ethiopia, of which only 200 species are recorded for malaria treatment. A large segment of the population in Ethiopia relies on traditional medicine to get a relief from various diseases. Malaria is the major cause of death in Southern Ethiopia. The main aim of the study was to assess the indigenous knowledge and to document antimalarial and repellent plants used by Sidama people of Hawassa Zuria district, Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods: A total of 150 informants (32 females and 118 males) were selected randomly to collect information on medicinal plants use from 10 kebeles. Out of these, 30 key informants were purposively selected based on the recommendation of the district office and elderly people. Ethnobotanical survey was conducted from January to February 2018. Ethnobotanical data were collected and analyzed through a semi-structured interview, field observation, Use value, preference ranking, and informant consensus factor. Results: A total of 25 medicinal plants belonging to 24 genera and 19 families were recorded in the study area. Among the total traditional medicinal plants, 21 species were used as antimalarial and eight species were used as repellent. Out of the collected plant species, nine species (38%) were trees followed by shrubs (eight species, 33%). The highest informant consensus factor was scored for repellent (0.95). The most cited species were Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (UV = 0.50) followed by Premna schimperi Engl. (UV = 0.32) and Dodonaea viscosa subsp. angustifoia (UV = 0.19). The most preferred species by the informants were Azadirachta indica both as antimalarial and repellent plant. Conclusion: The result of the current study showed the existence of indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants to treat malaria, as well as to repel mosquitoes and ticks in Hawassa Zuria district. Further research should be considered to discover effective antimalarial drugs and simple repellent products from the documented antimalarial plants through phytochemical and pharmacological studies.