Exploring Indigenous Knowledge and Practices of the Gurage Community on the Biosystematics and Utilization of Enset Landraces for Bone Fracture and Regeneration: The case of Gurage zone, Central Ethiopia Region

TEMESGEN NEGASSA DEBELO^1*Asfaw Meressa¹Negera Abdissa^1,2Sileshi Degu Getnet¹Getachew Addis¹Eyob Debebe Arega¹Negessa Abdisa¹Samuel Woldekidan¹Dereilo Bekere¹Sintayehu Ashenef Adane¹Werku Shanko^3,4Zeynu Zuber⁵Lemessa Kumsa⁶Mewded Kassahun¹Frehiwot Assamo¹Milkyas Endale¹

• ¹Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• ²Wollega University, Nekemte, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
• ³National Defence University, Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
• ⁴Ethiopian Defense University, P.O. Box 1419, Bishoftu, Ethiopia, Bishoftu, Ethiopia
• ⁵ALERT Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• ⁶Department of Applied Biology, School of Applied Natural Science, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Background: Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is a crucial perennial crop in Ethiopia for both food and medicine. The indigenous knowledge and practices of the use and biosystematics of the different Enset landraces are deeply rooted in the community. Enset corms, traditionally used for bone fracture treatment, are rich in phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and calcium supporting bone healing and mineralization. Thus, the study aims to explore the traditional knowledge and practices of the Gurage community regarding Enset folklore biosystematics and the utilization of Enset in bone healing. Method: The study utilized semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations to document traditional medicinal uses, cultivation practices, and indigenous biosystematics of Enset in four selected districts or Woredas (Cheha, Ezhe, Enor, and Gumer) of Gurage Zone, Central Ethiopia from 603 respondents. Descriptive statistics were employed for data presentation. Results: A total of 37 Enset landraces were identified across the study Woredas. Landraces were identified primarily based on leaf and pseudostem color (62%) and size (24.7%). The majority of respondents (57.7%) were knowledgeable about 6-10 Enset landraces, while 21% identified 11-15 varieties. Four landraces Astara (31.3%), Kibinar (22.9%), Dere (22.4%), and Guarye (20.1%)were most commonly used for healing fractured and broken bones. Corms are the major parts of Enset used for healing fractured bones and setting broken bones by mixing them with yogurt, milk, or meat. Enset also serves as livestock fodder (42.3%) and for making household materials (23.3%), with 91.4% cultivated in home gardens. Disease susceptibility, insects, and wild animals were identified as major challenges for Enset production. Conclusion: Indigenous knowledge has played a significant role in identifying, classifying, and cultivating Enset landraces. Astara, Kibinar, Dere, and Guarye are the most frequently used Enset landraces for healing fractured and broken bones. Further experimental studies to validate the ethnopharmacological uses of Enset for bone healing are highly recommended.