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      Ethnoveterinary Study of Plant-Based Remedies for Treating Diseases in Small Ruminants in Maputo Province, Mozambique

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          Abstract

          Small ruminants, particularly goats and sheep, are key livestock species in Mozambique, and their production is mainly undertaken by families. However, small ruminants are often plagued by diseases that can cause considerable economic damage. In this context, traditional remedies, including various plant species, have been widely used to manage these diseases. The aim of this study was to explore the use of plant-based remedies and other treatments for managing diseases in small ruminants in Maputo Province, Mozambique. Data collection involved conducting interviews with 44 small ruminant breeders across 5 districts in Maputo Province to identify the plants and other remedies commonly used for managing diseases in their animals. We identified a total of 38 plant species belonging to 22 families. Among these plants, four were not identified by their scientific name. The most important plants reported were Cissus quadrangularis, Euphorbia kirkii, and Aloe sp., with Cissus quadrangularis being particularly noteworthy as it was frequently cited for the treatment of wounds. The most commonly cited botanical families were Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Asphodelaceae. Interestingly, in addition to plant-based remedies, we also identified other nonplant sources of treatment, such as alkaline batteries, which are commonly used to treat wounds in small ruminants. The use of plants for ethnoveterinary purposes remains prevalent in Maputo province, with older breeders serving as the primary custodians of this traditional knowledge. Efforts should be made to document and share the knowledge of these older breeders, ensuring that it is not lost over time. This preservation of ethnoveterinary knowledge can contribute to sustainable livestock management and support the wellbeing of both rural communities and their animals.

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          An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV

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            Cultural Importance Indices: A Comparative Analysis Based on the Useful Wild Plants of Southern Cantabria (Northern Spain)1

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              A preliminary classification of the healing potential of medicinal plants, based on a rational analysis of an ethnopharmacological field survey among Bedouins in the Negev desert, Israel.

              In the course of an ethnopharmacological survey carried out among the Bedouins of the Negev desert, it was noticed that in addition to the use of modern medical services, medicinal plants were also being employed. We deemed it worthwhile, therefore, to investigate the current status of herbal medicine among the Negev Bedouins and to evaluate the relative efficiency of the plants used. To evaluate plant effectiveness by enquiries among patients once treated was found to be difficult and impractical. Hence, each interviewed informant was first requested to volunteer information on the plants and their uses. Next, to avoid the risk of memory failure, a list of 50 commonly used species was read out and the informant was asked to provide information on any that were familiar to him as medicinal herbs. Of 81 plant species mentioned by our 27 informants, 41 were named or recognized by more than 3. These species were arranged in accordance with the percentage of informants suggesting the same medicinal use for a given species as compared with the total number of informants reporting any sort of use for that plant. The obtained ratio was defined as the fidelity level (FL). The rank-order priority (ROP) of the plants was derived from these FL values. The relative popularity level (RPL) of the plants encountered was determined and plants were accordingly designated as "popular" or "unpopular". FL values were further adjusted, according to RPL value. We found that the bark of Phagnalon rupestre is widely used to induce deliberate burns for the healing of various ailments (ROP = 100), while infusion of the shoots of Teucrium polium, or of Artemisia herba-alba is employed to a lesser degree (ROP = 66 and 56, respectively) to relieve stomach disorders. Because the latter two species show fairly high ROP and are seen to be directly curative, they merit further investigation. Additional findings and implications of our ethnopharmacological survey are duly discussed.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
                Evid Based Complement Alternat Med
                ECAM
                Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM
                Hindawi
                1741-427X
                1741-4288
                2023
                5 October 2023
                5 October 2023
                : 2023
                : 1842870
                Affiliations
                1Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo 1101, Mozambique
                2Directorate of Animal Sciences, Institute of Agrarian Research of Mozambique, Maputo 1109, Mozambique
                3Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo 1101, Mozambique
                Author notes

                Academic Editor: Adolfo Andrade-Cetto

                Author information
                https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1932-529X
                https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8014-5298
                Article
                10.1155/2023/1842870
                10569895
                37842333
                92526d73-b6e7-4c6e-a01a-84c0124b3e14
                Copyright © 2023 Filomena M. A. Barbosa et al.

                This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

                History
                : 27 March 2023
                : 28 August 2023
                : 7 September 2023
                Funding
                Funded by: Fundo Nacional de Investigação (FNI)
                Award ID: 22A
                Categories
                Research Article

                Complementary & Alternative medicine
                Complementary & Alternative medicine

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