Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40217533›Full record

ReviewJournal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine2025

A comprehensive review on animals and their products used in traditional folk medicine in Ethiopia.

Alembrhan Assefa, Kalayu Mesfin, Teklay Girmay

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Alembrhan AssefaDepartment of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Science, Aksum University, P.O. Box, 1010, Axum, Ethiopia.
Kalayu MesfinDepartment of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Science, Aksum University, P.O. Box, 1010, Axum, Ethiopia.
Teklay GirmayDepartment of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Science, Adigrat University, P.O. Box, 50, Adigrat, Ethiopia. tekigir9@gmail.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundZootherapy is the treatment of human and livestock ailments using medicines derived from animals and their products. The objective of this review paper was to compile and document ethnozoological knowledge on traditional medicinal animals used to treat various human and livestock ailments, along with the associated indigenous knowledge from different parts of Ethiopia.

methodsScientific databases were employed to conduct an exhaustive systematic search of published articles in the English language. A collection of 21 articles focused on animals and their by-products utilized in Ethiopian traditional medicine was compiled from accessible international online databases like Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, Research Gate, and various journal Web sites.

resultsAccording to the sources, a total 112 animal species used to treat 167 different ailments were identified. Among these, mammals are the most frequently used, followed by birds, arthropods, and reptiles. Most remedies are sourced from wild animals, with treatments for serious diseases, including HIV/AIDS and cancer, being reported. The most commonly used animal parts for medicine preparation are meat and fat, followed by internal organs, with cooking being the predominant preparation method.

conclusionThe medicinal use of animals is under threat due to illegal hunting and deforestation. The Ethiopian people possess rich indigenous knowledge of animal-based traditional medicine. To ensure the sustainable use of medicinal animals and support the development of modern medicine, further comprehensive ethnozoological research is urgently needed.

Indexed as

Medicine, African TraditionalMedicine, TraditionalAnimalsEthiopiaHumansAilmentEthiopiaEthnozoologyMedicinal animalTraditional practiceZootherapy

Identifiers

PMID40217533
PMCPMC11992803

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.