Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Evil Eye Illness in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review

Background: Traditional medicinal plants are used worldwide to treat human ailments. One of the ailments used to treat medicinal plants through traditional medical practices is the evil eye. This systematic review aimed to compile and document ethnobotanical studies on the treatment of evil eye illnesses in Ethiopia. Methods: A web-based systematic literature search was performed using electronic databases. All studies with complete ethnobotanical information regarding the plants used to treat the illness were included. A total of 53 articles that met the inclusion criteria were used to compile and document this review. The number of plant species and families, parts used, habits, modes of preparation, and routes of administration was tabulated and summarized using an Excel spreadsheet and descriptive statistics. Results and Discussion: Ethnomedicinal use of 146 plant species belonging to 65 families has been reported and documented for the treatment of evil eye illness in Ethiopia. Fabaceae (22 species) and Asteraceae (13 species) were the most commonly used families in terms of the species count. The dominant habit was shrubs (41%), followed by herbs (31%). Roots (37.13%) and leaves (22.77%) were the first and second most commonly used plant parts, respectively. The most commonly used route of medicinal plant preparation was nasal (35.14%), followed by dermal (22.83%), and oral (18.84%) methods. Carissa spinarum L. (Apocynaceae), Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Solanaceae), Ruta chalepensis L. (Rutaceae), Allium sativum L. (Amaryllidaceae), and Capparis tomentosa Lam. (Capparaceae) are among the most utilized plant species for the treatment of evil eye illnesses. Conclusion and Recommendations: This review shows that many medicinal plants are used to treat evil eye illnesses in traditional medical practices in Ethiopia. Hence, further investigation of commonly utilized plant species for the same purpose is recommended. In addition, the documentation of indigenous herbal knowledge and conservation of commonly utilized traditional medicinal plants should be strengthened.