Revue internationale des sciences appliquées - Recherche et examen Libre accès

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Review of Efficacy and Safety Evidences of Ethiopian Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used For the Treatment of Rabies

Yeweynshet Tesera , Jemal Mohammed, Ayele Bizuneh, Sileshi Degu, and Bihonegni Sisay

Background: Where rabies vaccines are physical inaccessible and economically unaffordable, traditional medicinal plants are options for rabies management in different parts of Ethiopia. However, most of these plants have not been scientifically investigated. Objective: This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the safety and efficacy data of medicinal plants used traditionally for the management of rabies in Ethiopia. Methods: A website-based search strategy was employed. Databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science and Google Scholar) have been thoroughly sought. The search items used were “Rabies in Ethiopia” “Traditional medicinal plants”, and “Safety and Efficacy”. Results: The current review revealed that about 80 plant species which belong to 43 families and 68 genera were found to be used in the traditional treatment of rabies in Ethiopia. Among these, only 5 plant species (Phytolacca dodecandra, Justica schimperiana, Salix subserrata, Croton macrostachyus and Silene macroselen) were scientifically tested in animal models and/or in animal cell lines. Conclusion and recommendation: According to this review, various medicinal plants have been used in treatment of rabies in Ethiopia on basis of traditional uses. However, there is limited scientific evidence to establish the safety and efficacy of these medicinal plants. More studies with adequate methodological quality in order to investigate the efficacy and safety of those traditional medicinal plants are needed.