Identification of Poisonous Plants for Livestock and Their Phytochemical Screening Test in Kaffa zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

This study was conducted to identify livestock poisoning plants and evaluate the phytochemical constituents of those poisonous plants in the Kaffa zone in southwest Ethiopia. The cross-sectional study was conducted from March ۲۰۲۲ to December ۲۰۲۲. The most common poisoning plants identified in the study area include Ajuga alba, Solanum americanum, Amaranthus cruentus, Albizia gummifera, Cyperus rotundus, Uebelinia kiwuensis, Datura stramonium, Xanthium strumarium, Tribulus terestris, Medicago poly/morpha, Euphorbia tirucalli, Hedera canariensis, and Trifolium burchelianum. The survey data were collected from voluntary animal owners, traditional animal healers, and animal health experts in the selected districts. Structured questionnaires were developed, and ۳۶۶ individuals (۳۰۰ livestock owners, ۴۰ traditional animal healers, and ۲۶ animal health practitioners) were interviewed voluntarily. The study revealed that ۲۶۰ (۹۴.۸%) of livestock owners, ۴۰ (۱۰۰%) of traditional animal healers, and ۲۶ (۱۰۰%) of animal health practitioners complained about the presence of plant poisoning in livestock in the study area. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenoids, coumarin, saponins, tannins, and flavonoids was performed by using both polar and non-polar solvents of n-hexane, dichloromethane (۱:۱), and methanol with occasional shaking with a shaker for ۴۸ hours. Flavonoids, terpenoids, and polyphenols were the most abundant classes of compounds in the majority of the screened plants. And those constitute different medicinal values for the farmers according to traditional animal healers. The livestock were poisoned by leaves and other parts of the identified poisonous plants through ingestion or contact. Hence, the livestock health in the area is at high risk of exposure to these toxic plants; therefore, there is an improvement in the management of pastures using either chemical, biological, or physical controlling methods of poisonous plants from pasture, range land, hay fields, and roadsides. Further toxicological studies and possibly pharmacological activity are needed to be investigated by quantifying the toxin.

Keywords:

Medicinal plants , animal health , Phytochemical test , Poisonous plants