Abstract

The aim of this study was to inventory the plants traditionally used to treat common diseases in Negage City. The survey was conducted in 2022 from September to December. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, interviews and discussions with residents of the town of Negage. A total of 60 medicinal plant species belonging to 53 genera, in 31 botanical families, were documented as being used in the treatment of various ailments. The main families identified were: Solanaceae with 7 species, Euphorbiaceae (5 species), and Fabaceae (5 species). Of these, 40 species (65.6%) were exotic and 21 were indigenous (34.4%), and all plants were collected in the residential area of Negage city. Herbaceous plants (29.5%), and trees (28.0%) were the most commonly used life forms, while leaves were the most used plant tissue (71%). Phanerophytes were the most used life form in Negage City, comprising 47.7% of the species; followed by therophytes contributing 23.1% of the species. Most (61.6%) of the plant species in use had a very wide world distribution; for example, 50.8% of species were pantropical. Decoction (50%), and oral intake (44%) were the main methods of drug preparation and administration used. Fifty ailments were documented, of which abdominal pain (8%) and malaria (7.4%), were the most commonly treated. In the town of Negage, traditional and modern medicines have coexisted for centuries and are used to treat human illnesses. The therapeutic uses of the documented plants provide a foundation for further research focused on pharmacological studies and conservation of the most important species.

Key words: Ethnobotany, Plant remedies, Human ailments, Negage City, Northern Angola