Predominantly Used Medicinal Plants for Ethnoveterinary Purposes in the Highland Grasslands of South Africa and Lesotho: An Ethnobotanical Survey

Medicinal plants have been used for the maintenance of animal health in most parts of the world. However, ethnoveterinary knowledge is verbally passed on from generation to generation and can easily be lost or distorted if not documented for future reference. This study therefore seeks to ascertain the mostly used medicinal plants for ethnoveterinary practices in the research area. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out with 69 respondents consisting of subsistence livestock farmers, traditional healers and other traditional knowledge holders from four (4) towns in the study region. Interviews were conducted using semi-structured questionnaires designed to collect data on the plants used, their common names, methods of preparation and administration and livestock ailments treated. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) index was calculated in order to determine the most predominantly used plant species. Fifty-one (51) plant species were mentioned by respondents. Rhamnus prinoides L'Her., Aloe striatula var. striatula, Monsonia burkeana Planch. ex Harv. and Leucosidea sericea Eckl. & Zeyh. were the frequently mentioned plants mostly from the Asteraceae family. Roots (45%) and leaves (43%) were the most frequently used plant parts. Approximately 84% of Medicines were prepared in the form of decoctions and administered orally. Thirteen (13) health conditions of livestock were treated with medicinal plants and bile acid malabsorption was the most predominant (39%). The study region is endowed with a rich biodiversity of medicinal plant species which are used for the treatment of various animal diseases. Therefore, it is imperative to establish the salient medicinal plant species used in this area for possible drug development.