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Kebericho

Echinops kebericho

Also calledKebericho (Ethiopia)

A globe thistle found only in Ethiopia whose aromatic rootstock is burned so the smoke can be inhaled for fever, colds, cough and toothache, used to fumigate the room during childbirth, and taken as a decoction for malaria and many other illnesses. Root extracts reduced malaria parasites, fever and pain in mice, and its dehydrocostus lactone kills Leishmania in the lab, but there are no human trials. Root harvesting for the medicine trade is driving local extinctions.

What it is used for

Fever
Limited
Smoke of the root is inhaled for fever in Ethiopian traditional medicine. A methanol root extract and its fractions lowered induced fever in mice, most at 400 mg/kg.^1,5
Malaria
Limited
Used in Ethiopian folk medicine for malaria. An ethanol root extract suppressed Plasmodium berghei parasitaemia in mice by up to 57% at 500 mg/kg and prolonged survival, but did not prevent weight loss. No human trials.^1,4
Pain (general)
Limited
Traditionally used for headache, toothache and stomach ache. Root fractions had dose-dependent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in mice at 100–400 mg/kg.^1,6
Lice and scabies
Limited
Dehydrocostus lactone from the root oil was more active than miltefosine against Leishmania major and L. tropica promastigotes in vitro and was not toxic to HeLa cells; this is early drug-discovery work only. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is common in Ethiopia.⁷
Bacterial infections
Limited
Used for wound infections, tuberculosis, syphilis and typhoid; root (tuber) extracts showed antibacterial activity in the lab.^1,8
Common cold
Traditional
Root smoke is inhaled for the common cold, cough and tonsillitis.¹

How it is prepared

inhalation

Pieces of dried rootstock burned and the smoke inhaled, or used to fumigate a room, as recorded in Ethiopian practice.

Fever · Common cold

decoction

Root boiled in water; also prepared as an infusion or chewed. No traditional dose was recorded in the sources found.

Malaria

Amounts are as recorded by the named source, not a recommendation.

Safety

Pregnancy: Insufficient data
Breastfeeding: Insufficient data

Toxicity

In rats a root decoction caused no deaths up to 5000 mg/kg and was tolerated at up to 600 mg/kg daily for 28 days, though high doses caused fatty liver. The essential oil caused no deaths in mice up to 2000 mg/kg, with some kidney and liver-enzyme changes on repeated dosing. Teratogenicity, mutagenicity and long-term toxicity have not been studied, and there are no data on inhaling the smoke repeatedly.

In the healing traditions

African traditional medicine
Kebericho (Ethiopia)
Rootstock smoke inhaled for fever, typhoid, tonsillitis, toothache, typhus, colds, colic, cough and 'evil eye'; used to fumigate during childbirth; decoction, infusion or chewed root for malaria, wound infections, tuberculosis, dysentery, headache, migraine, mental illness and other complaints. Tubers are also used in Ethiopian ethnoveterinary medicine for skin and respiratory infections and blackleg.
Middle Eastern
Kebericho (Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel)
Used traditionally in Israel, where the knowledge was probably brought by Ethiopian Jews.

Active compounds

dehydrocostus lactone: sesquiterpene lactone, a major component of the root essential oil; leishmanicidal, antibacterial and mosquito-larvicidal in the lab
essential oil (sesquiterpenes): responsible for the aroma of the smoke; chemotypes vary between accessions

History

Kebericho is one of the best known Ethiopian medicinal plants and its root is sold in markets across the country, providing income for traditional healers. Over-harvesting has led Ethiopian botanists to map its potential habitat for reintroduction.

Sources

Reference, not prescription. Nothing here is medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and be dangerous in pregnancy; tell your doctor or pharmacist about anything you take.