ETHIOPIAN TRADITIONAL AND HERBAL MEDICATIONS AND THEIR

INTERACTIONS WITH CONVENTIONAL DRUGS

Language key: (A) – Amharic (T) – Tigrinya (O) – Oromo

Herb/Spice Common Uses Drug Affected Mechanism Consequences

Basil § Mostly culinary § Anticoagulant § Oil extract has § Increased chance

s been found to of bleeding
§ Medicinal: increase clotting § May further
Ocimum headache, insect § Hypoglycemic time lower blood
basilicum repellent, malaria agents § Synergistic glucose
interaction with
Besobila (A) insulin and oral
Zahahene hypoglycemic
(O) agents

Black Mustard § Culinary use § Proton Pump § Mustard seeds § Interferes with
§ Medicinal use: Inhibitors and antacid
Brassica stomach ache, oil may increase treatment
nigra constipation, § H2 receptor production of
bloating, amoebic antagonists stomach acid § Antagonizes
Senafitch (A) effects of
(T) dysentery and
abortifacient § Anticoagulant § Allyl thiocyanate Warfarin
Senafitcha s is an irritant that
(O) § Also used for can cause
wound dressing. § May interact severe burns
with aspirin and tissue
necrosis (Fullas
2003)

§ High
concentration of
Vitamin K

Black Seed § Culinary uses § Anti- § Platelet § Increased risk of

coagulants aggregation bleeding
Nigella § Medicinal: inhibition
sativa headache, § Anti- § Synergistic action
stomachache, hypertensives § Increases with medication
Tiqur azmud abortifacient pancreatic that lowers blood
(A) insulin secretion pressure and
§ Insulin and
Awoseta (T) oral blood glucose
hypoglycemic § Evidence in
Gura (O) drugs animal studies
of reduced
arterial blood
pressure by
increasing
 vasodilation and
inhibiting
contraction.

§ Evidence of
pregnancy
inhibitor in rats
(Fullas, 2003)

Capsicum § Mostly culinary § Anti- § Capsaicin may § Increased risk of

Pepper coagulants inhibit platelet bleeding
§ Medicinal: stomach aggregation
Cayenne Pepper ache, antimicrobial § Anti- § May counteract
hypertensives § Increases mechanism of
Capsicum production of anti-
annum § ACE inhibitors catecholamines hypertensives
Berbere (A)
§ Decreases blood § Recorded
glucose levels incidences of
and stimulates increased cough
insulin release when combined
with ACE
inhibitors

Cinnamon § Culinary § Antacids § Claimed to § May counteract

Cinnamomu increase antacids
m zelanicum § Medicinal: § Tetracyclines stomach acid
treatment for cold § May inhibit
Qarafa (A) symptoms § Experimental tetracycline
Crefte (T) evidence of action
tetracycline
Carafu (O) dissolution rate
interference

Coriander § Mostly culinary § Insulin and § Unknown, but § *Lowers loog

Coriandrum orial has been sown sugar levels
sativum § Medicinal: stomach hypoglycemic to be effective
ache and colic agents in treating upset
Dimbelal (A) stomach (Fullas,
Zagada (T) 2003)

Shucar (O)

Cumin § Mostly culinary § Hypoglycemic § May have § *Hypoglycemia

agents hypoglycemic
Cuminum properties § *Increased risk of
cyminum § Anticoagulant bleeding
Ensilal (A) s § May have
anticoagulating
Kemano (T) properties
Hawaja (O)
Dingetegna § Medicinal only for § No specific § Antispasmodic § Antispasmodic
(A) stomach upset class propertis may propertis may
affect affect absorption
No common § Fever reduction absorption of of medication
English medication
name
Taverniera
abyssinica

Fenugreek § Mostly culinary § Antidiabetic § Studies have § *Hypoglycemia

drugs shown that
§ Medicinal: fenugreek acts § *Lower
Trigonella stomachache, § Lipid lowering synergistically cholesterol
foenum- antispasmodic, drugs with blood
graceum powder used for glucose § *Reduced
Abish (A) wound dressing § Thyroid lowering drugs intestinal
Replacement absorbance of
Halbata (O) Therapy § Decreases total medication
cholesterol and
§ Warfarin LDLs § *Increased risk of
bleeding
§ Alters T3 and
T4 levels

§ Anticoagulating
properties

Flaxseed and § Medicinal § Anti- § Flaxseed and oil § *Increased risk of

Flaxseed Oil purgative, diuretic, coagulants decrease platel bleeding
laxative et aggregation,
Linum § Cardiac increase effects § Reduced intestin
usitatissimu glycosides of lipid lowering al absorbance of
m and oral medication;
§ Laxatives hypoglycemic as any fiber
Telba (A) agents source
Lina (T) § Insulin and
oral § Lignans (phyto- § Increased risk of
Konfur (O) hypoglycemic estrogens) from hypoglycemia
agents flaxseed (not oil)
possess § Possible
§ Hormonal hormonal dehydration from
drugs effects increased laxative
effects of
§ Lipid lowering § As a bulk flaxseed (Due to
agents forming absorption of
laxative, flaxsee liquid by fiber. It
d may bind to is important for
cardiac patient to drink
glycosides and enough water.)
other orally
administered
medications and
prevent
absorption

§ Flaxseed
enhances
 laxative effects
of stool
softeners

Garlic § Culinary § Antiplatelets § May be additive § *Possible

with increased risk of
Allium § Medicinal: common § Anticoagulant cholesterol- bleeding;
sativum cold, malaria, s lowering drugs
cough, pulmonary § *Reverses effects
Nech TB, hypertension, Hypertensive of orally
shinkrut (A) § Insulin and §
wounds, STDs, oral activity but it is administered
Tsada asthma, parasitic hypoglycemic not known if this thyroxine
shgurti (T) infections, agents effect is
toothache, antihypertensiv
Qullabbiiadii diabetes, § Cholesterol e drug additive
(O) hemorrhoids lowering
drugs § Decreases
T3 and T4 levels
§ Thyroid
replacement § May have blood
therapy thinning
properties

Ginger § Culinary § Antacids § Irritates gastric § *Inhibits antacid

§ Anticoagulant mucosa therapy
Zingiber § Medicinal: s
officinale stomachache, § Decreases § *Increased risk of
cough, fever, platelet bleeding
Zingibil (A) influenza aggregation
(T)

Khat § Mostly recreational § Amphetamine § Cathinone § Possible additive

Catha edulis s (active effect with
§ Medicinal: stimulan ingredient) may amphetamines
Chat (A) t, mental illness, § Amoxicillin act
Ciut (T) (O) gonorrhea, and synergistically § Decreases
common cold ampicillin, with absorbability of
PCN others amphetamines b-lactam
antibiotics
§ Tannins
(component of § Lowers seizure
Khat) complexes threshold,
with ß-lactam
antibiotics § Increases b.p and
heart rate and
induces cardiac
arrythmias.

Peppermint § Medicinal: common § Felodipine § Inhibits gut wall § Increased risk of

cold,, headache and metabolism of clots if patient is
Mentha simvastatin felodipine and in a
piperita simvastatin hypercoagulable
§ Iron state
Nanna (A) § Decreases
(O) absorption of Non-absorption
§ Warfarin §
Semhal (T) non-heme iron of felodipine,
 simvostatin and
§ Acid § Reduces iron
Suppression Warfarin
therapy internal § Increases GERD
(antacids) normalized ratio symptoms unless
to sub- taken as enteric-
§ Inhibits gut therapeutic coated capsules
wall levels
metabolism
of felodipine § Increased risk of
and clots if patient is
simvastatin in a
hypercoagulable
§ Decreases state
absorption of
non-heme § Non-absorption
iron of felodipine,
simvostatin and
§ Reduces iron
Warfarin
internal § Increases GERD
normalized symptoms
ratio to sub- unless taken as
therapeutic enteric-coated
levels capsules

Rue § Medicinal: common § Psoraien § No major § Anticoagulant

cold, stomach pain, Ultraviolet interactions effects may be
Ruta influenza (PUVA) reported addictive
chalepensis therapy
Warfarin § 5-methoxy
Tenadam (A) §
psoralen
(T) content of rue
Talatam (O) may increase
phototoxic
response

§ May interact
with Warfarin

Tumeric § Mostly culinary § Antiplatelets § Has been shown § Increased risk of

and to inhibit bleeding
Curcuma § Medicinal: used anticoagulant platelet (theoretical risk;
longa topically for “crying s aggregation in has not been
eyes” in children vitro demonstrated)
Ird (A) (O) § Insulin and
oral § Curcuminoids § Reduces blood
hypoglycemic and sugar levels
s sesquiterpene
components of
turmeric have
hypoglycemic

Language key: (A) – Amharic (T) – Tigrinya (O) – Oromo