Background
Sheka forest is the last indigenous forest in Ethiopia. Plant species are important for the production of different honey types used for both consumption and healing purpose. Healing purposes of plant species used for honey production has not been well documented. Documentation of the community honey based ethno pharmacological knowledge can provide huge significance in the process of subjective interpretation.
Materials and Methods
The study employed ethnographic descriptive and explanatory research design which participate 40 healers from Sheka forest, Ethiopia Quantitative analytical tools such as relative frequency citation (RFC), use value (UV), cultural importance index (CI), relative importance (RI), frequency index (FI) and informants consensus factor (ICF).
Results
Six major plant species have been identified in the study area. Honey made from Scheflera abyssinica (Geteme) had higher relative importance (1.67), relative frequency citations (0.55), citation index and frequency index (100). Honey from Vernonia amygdaline (Girawa) was used basically to treat human ailments such as diarrhea and Tonsillitis. Honey from Ficus vasta (Sholla) was primarily used to treat coughing, itching and allergy. Syzgiu guineense (Dokima) and Guizotia schimperi (Meskel Abeba) honeys were primarily used as cosmetics and to protect skin from excessive cold. Scheflera abyssinica honey was used for treat of almost all of the above listed ailments. Ailments like cosmetics and excessive cold, Tonsillitis and Itching and Allergy had a higher Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) of 0.86, 22 0.82 and 0.80, respectively. Wound and Foot and Mouth diseases were the only two livestock ailments treated by five different honey types.
Conclusion
Six plant species used for medicinal honey production that treated eight ailments have been identified. Scheflera abyssinica (Geteme) honey used for the treatment of eight human ailments. Honey treatment for Tonsillitis and itching and allergy had a higher Informant Consensus Factor.