Ethnoveterinary Medicine and Medicinal Plants
Summary
Ethnoveterinary medicine encompasses traditional knowledge, practices and beliefs concerning animal healthcare, employing indigenous plants and other natural substances. This field addresses the prevention and treatment of livestock diseases—ranging from parasitic infections and respiratory disorders to wound care—using multi‐component phytochemical mixtures. Practitioners rely on empirical observations, oral transmission and field surveys to document remedies, application methods (such as decoctions and infusions) and dosage forms. Contemporary research has begun to validate these folk practices through phytochemical profiling, pharmacological assays and safety evaluations, revealing antibacterial, anthelmintic, anti‐inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities. Conservation of both plant biodiversity and cultural heritage is paramount, as urbanisation, land-use change and generational gaps threaten the continuity of ethnoveterinary knowledge. Integrating traditional wisdom with rigorous scientific methodologies promises sustainable, locally adapted alternatives to synthetic pharmaceuticals and may inform the development of novel veterinary therapeutics.
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Ethnoveterinary Medicine and Medicinal Plants publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in ethnoveterinary medicine and medicinal plants across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ethnoveterinary medicine: Traditional knowledge and practices for animal healthcare using natural resources, particularly medicinal plants.
Fidelity level: A quantitative index expressing the percentage of informants in agreement on the use of a species for a specific ailment.
Informant consensus factor: A measure of agreement among respondents on plant usage within a category of ailments.
Transhumance: Seasonal movement of livestock between grazing areas, often associated with distinct knowledge systems.
Acute toxicity assay: A laboratory test determining the lethal dose (LD₅₀) of a substance, typically in animal models.
References
- Preserving Ethnoveterinary Medicine (EVM) along the Transhumance Routes in Southwestern Angola: Synergies between International Cooperation and Academic Research †. Plants (2024).
- Study of medicinal plants used in ethnoveterinary medical system in riverine areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2024).
- Ethnoveterinary practises of medicinal plants used for the treatment of different cattle diseases: A case study in East Khasi Hill district of Meghalaya, North East India. Heliyon (2023).
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