Phytotherapy of Polish migrants in Misiones,Argentina: Legacy and acquired plant species

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Analyzing how and why phytotherapeutical practices survive a migratory process is important for understanding migrant health seeking behaviour and health demand. Contrary to most studies, which focus on migrants from warm climates who settle in European and American cities, this study explores continuations in the herbal pharmacopoeia of Eastern European peasants who settled down in rural subtropical areas of Argentina. The study also explores the pharmacopoeia among the descendants of the first generation born in Argentina.

Material and methods

Primary and secondary sources were employed in the study. Data were collected during over 200 interviews (semi-structured, free lists and in-depth) with 94 study participants. Voucher specimens of species mentioned were gathered and identified. Illnesses were reported according to local ethnomedical terminology and classification. Only reports from informants’ own experience were included in the analysis. The unit of analysis was a plant use report (plant species×plant part×ailment×informant). The frequency of mentions was calculated for plant parts used and modes of preparation and administration of herbal medicines, and the Informant Diversity Value was also estimated. Secondary information was obtained from ethnobotanical and ethnomedical literature concerning the whole of Poland. A list was made of medicinal plant species known from Poland available in the study area. Then, the similarity between the available species and those used by Polish migrants was evaluated by applying the Simpson index.

Results

An exhaustive list of 129 plant species used by the Polish community in Misiones, Argentina, was obtained. Among 37 species known form Poland and available in Misiones, 19 were used by the community. There was low consensus on the treatment of health conditions with legacy plants between Polish migrants and the Polish folk pharmacopoeia. The reasons for the relatively low use of legacy species are explained. More continuation has been observed in forms of application and administration of medicinal plants. Most of the continued species are food plants and are predominantly applied as medicinal food.

Conclusions

In the migratory process, Polish peasants have preserved culturally salient species, which have a wide range of therapeutic applications and are easily accessible. Polish migrants and their descendants have incorporated a great number of local medicinal plant species into their home medicine but at the same time retained traditional ways of administration of herbal medicines. Based on the theory of acculturation, the observed patterns of medicinal plant use in Polish migrant colonies in Misiones indicate good adaptation to the predominant cultural environment.     

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants from Leepa valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

Aim of study

Ethnomedicinal studies were conducted first time in the Leepa Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan to document indigenous medicinal knowledge of most common plant species. Pakistan is diverse country by possessing a wide range of climatic and geological condition; this country also has a mammoth diversity of flora.

Material and methods

Rapid appraisal approach, semi-structured interviewees, personal observations and field work guided by local informants having sufficient knowledge of indigenous medicinal plants were employed to acquire ethnomedicinal information.

Results

In this study 61 medicinal plants belonging to 40 families have been reported through 705 informants (267 females, 393 males and 45 herbal specialists) from 17 sites of Leepa valley. The main sources of herbal medicines were wild herbs (64%) followed by trees (10%), wild shrubs (8%), cultivated herbs (3%), wild and cultivated herbs (3%), wild grasses (3%), climbing wild herbs (2%), prostate wild herbs (2%), spiny shrubs (2%), fungi (2%) and ferns (1%). The most repeatedly used plant parts were leaves (34%) followed by root (16%), seed (10%), shoot (9%), fruit (8%), flower (8%), bark (6%), whole plant (4%) and barriers, tubers, nuts, oil, milky latex (1%). Preparations of medicinal plants were administrated through oral and topical routs.

Conclusion

Leepa Valley is wealthy in its indigenous medicinal plants species and the allied traditional knowledge. Indigenous medicines play important role in the local healthcare system. Most of the local community prefers to use the traditional herbal preparation for against ailments. This is the first record of indigenous knowledge from this area and there is dare need for more studies to authenticate traditional plants used in herbal remedies of study area.     

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants from Gujranwala district,Pakistan

Aim of study

This study was focused with the aim to investigate and document the indigenous medicinal knowledge and commonly used medicinal plants from Gujranwala district, Pakistan and to establish a baseline data in continuing studies aimed at more comprehensive investigations on bio-active compounds of indigenous medicinal plants.

Material and methods

Rapid appraisal approach (RAA) was used along with the interviews, group meetings with people having knowledge about indigenous uses of medicinal plants and individual meetings with herbalists were conducted, to collect the ethnomedicinal data.

Results and discussions

About 71 species of medicinal plants belonging to 38 families have been documented through 203 informants. Most favored plant part used for indigenous medicine was leaves (38%) followed by the seed (13%), whole plant (11%), flower (9%), fruit (8%), root and bark (6%) and the main source of these medicines was wild herbs (54%) followed by the wild shrubs, wild trees (13%), cultivated herbs (10%), cultivated trees (5%), cultivated shrubs (3%) and wild grasses (2%). The herbal preparations were mainly administrated orally and topically.

Conclusion

Gujranwala district has great diversity of medicinal plants and people are aware about their medicinal values. Few plants are playing vital role in the basic health care needs of study areas; such plants should be screened for detailed pharmacological studied to explore new biological compounds.     

Mao's heritage: Medicinal plant knowledge among the Bai in Shaxi,China, at a crossroads between distinct local and common widespread practice

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The study focuses on medicinal plant knowledge among the Bai in the Shaxi Valley, Northwest Yunnan, where no ethnobotanical study has been conducted so far. In an area of high biodiversity, distinct medicinal plant knowledge is documented and the influence of herbals on local knowledge is revealed.

Aim of the study

To analyse current medicinal plant knowledge among the Bai in the context of the influence of the Han culture and mainstream Chinese herbal medicine.

Materials and methods

During fieldwork in summer 2005, semistructured interviews were conducted with 68 stakeholders, and voucher specimens of all plants mentioned were prepared.

Results

A total of 176 medicinal plant species were documented and 1133 use-reports have been collected. Overall, 91.5% of the documented plants are already established as known drugs, and are mentioned in books on medicinal plants in Yunnan and China. Furthermore, the way in which they are used largely coincides. Fourteen plant species represent novel recordings, 9 of which were independently mentioned by three or more informants.

Conclusions

The medicinal plant knowledge of the Bai is strongly influenced by mainstream Chinese herbal medicine and especially by medicinal plant books from the 1970s, which were distributed under Mao Zedong's directive to improve rural health care. We conclude that these herbals have exerted, and continue to exert, a strong influence on the standardisation of plant knowledge among rural populations in China. However, distinct local use of plants also exists, indicating that plant knowledge specific to the Bai people is alive and practiced.     

Ghana's herbal market

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Medicinal plant markets not only provide a snapshot of a country's medicinal flora, they also reflect local health concerns and the importance of traditional medicine among its inhabitants. This study aimed to describe and quantify the Ghanaian market in herbal medicine, and the diversity of the species traded, in order to evaluate their economic value.

Materials and methods

Initial visual surveys on the markets were followed by a detailed quantitative survey of 27 stalls in August 2010. Market samples were processed into herbarium vouchers and when possible matched with fertile vouchers from the field.

Results

We encountered 244 medicinal plant products, representing 186–209 species. Fourteen species were sold at more than 25% of the market stalls. Seeds and fruits that doubled as spice and medicine (Xylopia aethiopica, Monodora myristica, Aframomum melegueta) were in highest demand, followed by the medicinal barks of Khaya senegalensis and Pteleopsis suberosa. Plants sold at the market were mostly used for women's health, in rituals, as aphrodisiacs and against sexually transmitted diseases. An estimated 951 tons of crude herbal medicine were sold at Ghana's herbal markets in 2010, with a total value of around US$ 7.8 million. Between 20 and 30% of the Ghanaian medicinal flora was encountered during this survey. Roots were less dominant at the market than in dryer parts of Africa. Tons of Griffonia simplicifolia and Voacanga africana seeds and Fadogia agrestis bark are exported annually, but data on revenues are scanty. None of these species were sold on the domestic market.

Conclusion

Our quantitative market survey reveals that the trade in Ghanaian herbal medicine is of considerable economic importance. Regarding the specific demand, it seems that medicinal plants are used to complement or substitute Western medicine. Further research is needed on the ecological impact of medicinal plant extraction.     

Evidence-based toxicity evaluation and scheduling of Chinese herbal medicines

Ethnopharmacological relevance

While there is an increasing number of toxicity report cases and toxicological studies on Chinese herbal medicines, the guidelines for toxicity evaluation and scheduling of Chinese herbal medicines are lacking.

Aim

The aim of this study was to review the current literature on potentially toxic Chinese herbal medicines, and to develop a scheduling platform which will inform an evidence-based regulatory framework for these medicines in the community.

Materials and methods

The Australian and Chinese regulations were used as a starting point to compile a list of potentially toxic herbs. Systematic literature searches of botanical and pharmaceutical Latin name, English and Chinese names and suspected toxic chemicals were conducted on Medline, PubMed and Chinese CNKI databases.

Results

Seventy-four Chinese herbal medicines were identified and five of them were selected for detailed study. Preclinical and clinical data were summarised at six levels. Based on the evaluation criteria, which included risk–benefit analysis, severity of toxic effects and clinical and preclinical data, four regulatory classes were proposed: Prohibited for medicinal usage, which are those with high toxicity and can lead to injury or death, e.g., aristolochia; Restricted for medicinal usage, e.g., aconite, asarum, and ephedra; Required warning label, e.g., coltsfoot; and Over-the-counter herbs for those herbs with a safe toxicity profile.

Conclusion

Chinese herbal medicines should be scheduled based on a set of evaluation criteria, to ensure their safe use and to satisfy the need for access to the herbs. The current Chinese and Australian regulation of Chinese herbal medicines should be updated to restrict the access of some potentially toxic herbs to Chinese medicine practitioners who are qualified through registration.     

Bathe the baby to make it strong and healthy: Plant use and child care among Saramaccan Maroons in Suriname

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Young children are vulnerable to a range of illnesses and evil forces. Ethnobotanical folk remedies often play a major role in combating these afflictions. Here we show that plant use is highly valued and practiced within the Saramaccan Maroon Society in Suriname to maintain the general health and well-being of children.

Aim of the study

To assess the plant use importance in child care, we (1) quantified diversity and current status of herbal pharmacopoeia used in child care and (2) elucidated the reasons why care takers (mostly mothers) use these plants.

Methodology

We collected botanical vouchers of plants used in child care, carried out an ethnobotanical household survey with 105 women and interviewed 19 key informants.

Results

A total of 178 plant species were used in child care for different purposes. Preventive practices were preferred over curing remedies and plants were most frequently used to keep young children strong and healthy. Child care had a strong magical connotation. Bathing proved to be the most important type of application, often combined with drinking small amounts of the bath water.

Conclusions

Plants play an important role in child care, but more research is needed on how Maroon plant use reflects actual health problems in young children in the Surinamese interior.     

Volume,value and floristic diversity of Gabon׳s medicinal plant markets

Ethnopharmacological relevance

African medicinal plant markets offer insight into commercially important species, salient health concerns in the region, and possible conservation priorities. Still, little quantitative data is available on the trade in herbal medicine in Central Africa. The aim of this study was to identify the species, volume, and value of medicinal plant products sold on the major domestic markets in Gabon, Central Africa.

Materials and methods

We surveyed 21 herbal market stalls across 14 of the major herbal medicine markets in Gabon, collected vouchers of medicinal plants and documented uses, vernacular names, prices, weight, vendor information and weekly sales. From these quantitative data, we extrapolated volumes and values for the entire herbal medicine market.

Results

We encountered 263 medicinal plant products corresponding with at least 217 species. Thirteen species were encountered on one-third of the surveyed stalls and 18 species made up almost 50% of the total volume of products available daily, including the fruits of Tetrapleura tetraptera and seeds of Monodora myristica. Although bark comprised the majority of the floristic diversity (22%) and the highest percentage of daily stock (30%), the resin of IUCN red-listed species Aucoumea klaineana represented 20% of the estimated daily volume of the entire herbal market. Plants sold at the market were mainly used for ritual purposes (32%), followed by women?s health (13%), and childcare (10%). The presence of migrant herbal vendors selling imported species, especially from Benin, was a prominent feature of the Gabonese markets.

Conclusion

An estimated volume of 27 t of medicinal plant products worth US$ 1.5 million is sold annually on the main Gabonese markets. Aucoumea klaineana and Garcinia kola are highlighted as frequently sold species with conservation priorities. The herbal market in Gabon is slightly higher in species diversity but lower in volume and value than recently surveyed sub-Saharan African markets.     

In search of the perfect aphrodisiac: Parallel use of bitter tonics in West Africa and the Caribbean

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Enslaved Africans in the Americas had to reinvent their medicinal flora in an unknown environment by adhering to plants that came with them, learning from Amerindians and Europeans, using their Old World knowledge and trial and error to find substitutes for their homeland herbs. This process has left few written records, and little research has been done on transatlantic plant use. We used the composition of aphrodisiac mixtures across the black Atlantic to discuss the adaptation of herbal medicine by African diaspora in the New World. Since Africans are considered relatively recent migrants in America, their healing flora is often said to consist largely of pantropical and cultivated species, with few native trees. Therefore, we expected Caribbean recipes to be dominated by taxa that occur in both continents, poor in forest species and rich in weeds and domesticated exotics.

Materials and methods

To test this hypothesis, we compared botanical ingredients of 35 African and 117 Caribbean mixtures, using Dentrended Correspondence Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Indicator Species Analysis and Mann–Whitney U tests.

Results

Very few of the 324 ingredients were used on both continents. A slightly higher overlap on generic and family level showed that Africans did search for taxa that were botanically related to African ones, but largely selected new, unrelated plants with similar taste, appearance or pharmacological properties. Recipes from the forested Guianas contained more New World, wild and forest species than those from deforested Caribbean islands. We recorded few ‘transatlantic genera’ and weeds never dominated the recipes, so we rejected our hypothesis.

Conclusions

The popularity of bitter tonics in the Caribbean suggests an African heritage, but the inclusion of Neotropical species and vernacular names of plants and mixtures indicate Amerindian and European influence. We show that enslaved Africans have reinvented their herbal medicine wherever they were put to work, using the knowledge and flora that was available to them with great creativity and flexibility. Our analysis reveals how transplanted humans adapt their traditional medical practises in a new environment.     

Management of diabetic complications: A chemical constituents based approach

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Long term hyperglycemia leads to development of complications associated with diabetes. Diabetic complications are now a global health problem without effective therapeutic approach. Hyperglycemia and oxidative stress are important components for the development of diabetic complications. Over the past few decades, herbal medicines have attracted much attention as potential therapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of diabetic complications due to their multiple targets and less toxic side effects. This review aims to assess the current available knowledge of medicinal herbs for attenuation and management of diabetic complications and their underlying mechanisms.

Material and methods

Bibliographic investigation was carried out by scrutinizing classical text books and peer reviewed papers, consulting worldwide accepted scientific databases (SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIELO, NISCAIR, Google Scholar) to retrieve available published literature. The inclusion criteria for the selection of plants were based upon all medicinal herbs and their active compounds with attributed potentials in relieving diabetic complications. Moreover, plants which have potential effect in ameliorating oxidative stress in diabetic animals have been included.

Results

Overall, 238 articles were reviewed for plant literature and out of the reviewed literature, 127 articles were selected for the study. Various medicinal plants/plant extracts containing flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, saponins and phytosterol type chemical constituents were found to be effective in the management of diabetic complications. This effect might be attributed to amelioration of persistent hyperglycemia, oxidative stress and modulation of various metabolic pathways involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications.

Conclusion

Screening chemical candidate from herbal medicine might be a promising approach for new drug discovery to treat the diabetic complications. There is still a dire need to explore the mechanism of action of various plant extracts and their toxicity profile and to determine their role in therapy of diabetic complications. Moreover, a perfect rodent model which completely mimics human diabetic complications should be developed.     

Medicinal plant use in two Andean communities located at different altitudes in the Bolívar Province,Peru

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The study documents current medicinal plant knowledge and use in two Andean communities and depicts the dynamic nature of ethnobotanical relationships by illustrating cultural integration of biomedicine and local plant medicine into a complementary system.

Aim of the study

In order to elucidate the importance of medicinal plants, the following research questions were addressed: Which position do medicinal plants have in the local health care system? Which plants are used medicinally, and do they differ between the communities? Is their use supported pharmacologically?

Materials and methods

Fieldwork was done for seven months in 2010. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 120 informants in Uchumarca and Pusac/San Vicente de Paúl, and the medicinal plant species mentioned by the informants were vouchered.

Results

In total, 2776 plant remedy use reports were recorded. Most people in both communities know at least some medicinal plants, usually from their parents, grandparents, sometimes from books. There are different types of local plant specialists, who are consulted above all for the treatment of diseases thought to have a magical origin or for recommendations of plants to treat minor diseases. Overall, 140 medicinal plants were documented, with a conformity of over 90% between the communities. The effective use of the most frequently cited medicinal plants is supported by scientific literature. Most uses were reported for the treatment of gastrointestinal (17%), nervous (14%), respiratory (14%), urological (13%) and dermatological diseases (8%); nervous diseases were more prevalent in the mountain community, while dermatological and urological diseases were more common in the valley.

Conclusions

People combine medicinal plant use and biomedicine depending on the kind of disease, their beliefs, and their economic situation. The local use of different available medical resources is reflected by the combination of related epistemologies to explain disease causes. Medicinal plant use and biomedicine complement each other to form the local health care system.     

Clinical research on traditional drugs and food items—the potential of comparative effectiveness research for interdisciplinary research

Ethnopharmacological relevance

In the traditional context, herbs are often used as herbal whole system therapies, however, most clinical trials included highly selected patients and applied standardized treatment protocols with the aim to exclude as much bias as possible. These studies have contributed important information on the efficacy of herbal medicine extracts; however, their results are only marginally helpful to understand the value of herbal medicine and food items in a more traditional usual care context.

Methods

The new development of comparative effectiveness research (CER) will be introduced and synergies with ethnopharmacology will be outlined.

Results

CER provides great opportunities for guiding researchers and clinicians in improving management of disease. CER compares two or more health interventions in order to determine which of these options works best for which types of patients in settings that are similar to those in which the intervention will be used in practice. CER uses a broad spectrum of methodologies including randomized pragmatic trials that can also be applied to herbal whole system therapies. Ethnopharmacological research can provide highly relevant information for CER including data on characteristics of typical patients as well as traditional usage including methods of collection, extraction, and preparation. Recommendations for future research on traditional herbal medicine and food items are (1) a systematic cooperation between ethnopharmacology and clinical researchers and (2) a call for more CER on traditional herbal medicines and food items.

Conclusion

Multiple stakeholders, including ethnopharmacologists, should cooperate to identify relevant study questions as well share their knowledge to determine the optimal placement of a clinical trial in the efficacy–effectiveness–continuum.     

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used for the treatment of malaria in plateau of Allada,Benin (West Africa)

Background

Malaria remains one of the most important illnesses in sub-Saharan Africa. In Benin, it constitutes a major public health preoccupation particularly for children and pregnant women. Until now, population still mostly relies on herbal medicine for malaria healing. Hence this study was carried out to document the medicinal plants used in the plateau of Allada in Benin and to assess local knowledge on traditional medicine in the management of malaria and related symptoms.

Materials and methods

Data were collected from 53 informants composed of 23 traditional healers and 30 medicinal plants sellers using a structured questionnaire.

Results

A total of 82 plants species belonging to 78 genera in 43 plant families were recorded as antimalarial in the study area. The families of Rubiaceae and Caesalpiniaceae were the most represented with seven species each. High informant consensus factor (ICF) was recorded in the treatment of malaria (ICF=0.90). High fidelity level (FL=100%) was also recorded for 45.67% of the species used as antimalarial. Dichapetalum madagascariense was the species of high relative frequency of citation (RFC=0.81). The dominant plant parts used in the preparation of remedies were leaves (68%). The decoction (79%) was the main mode of preparation, while oral route (92%) was the principal route of remedies administration.

Conclusion

This study provides plant species used in the plateau of Allada for malaria and related symptoms treatment. We hope that this study could be important for the conservation of traditional knowledge on the antimalarial plants and the improvement of malaria management. However, several plant species used as antimalarial by the traditional medicine practitioners in the study area need to be screened in order to identify the species having antiplasmodial activity.     

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants in Kotli Sattian,Rawalpindi district,Pakistan

Aim of study

The present study aimed to report the ethnomedicinal information from Kotli Sattian, district Rawalpindi for detailed medicinal uses and to inform the community about conservation of medicinal plant diversity and ethnomedicinal knowledge of plants.

Material and methods

Ethnomedicinal data were collected via Rapid Appraisal Approach (RAA) along with interview, group meetings with local people having awareness about medicinal knowledge of plants and individual meetings with local healers.

Results and discussions

This study reported eighty seven (87) indigenous medicinal plants, distributed among fifty five (55) families and seventy nine (79) genera. Among these, herbs contributed 43%, trees 28%, shrubs 21% and climbing plants 8%. About 34% of herbal preparations were made from whole plants followed by the leaves (27%), fruits (08%), bark (06%), seeds (05%), root (05%), rhizome (04%), stem, flower, gum, pod and tubers (02%) and milky latex (01%). Justicia adhatoda showed the maximum use value (0.91) while Cuscuta reflexa showed the least use value (0.11).

Conclusion

Elder people in the study area still rely on herbal remedies although the modern heath care facilities are present in the study area; thus, the indigenous plants remain important medicines in solving health problems.     

Ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants in the highlands of Soan Valley,Salt Range,Pakistan

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Two thirds of the world’s population relies on medicinal plants for centuries for several human pathologies. Present study aimed to identify, catalogue and document the large number of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in Soan Valley, Salt Range, Pakistan.

Materials and methods

Informal interviews were conducted involving a total of 255 villagers (155 male and 65 female and 35 herbalists) to elicit the knowledge and use of medicinal plants.

Results

Local communities possessed knowledge of fifty eight (58) medicinal plant species belonging to thirty five (35) families to treat fifteen ailment categories. Whole plant and leaves were the most frequently used plant parts (24%) followed by seed (14%), root (12%), flower (7%), bulb (6%), fruit (4%), stem (3%), latex and rhizome (2%) and sap and gum (1%). Frequently used growth forms of medicinal plants were wild herbs (63%) followed by cultivated herbs (14%), wild trees (11%), wild shrubs (10%) and wild and cultivated herbs (2%). Preparations were administrated generally through oral and topical routes. Local people were familiar mostly with the species in order to deal common ailments particularly cough, cold, digestive problems, fever, headache, and skin infections. Complex ailments were treated by traditional healers. Justica adhatoda, Olea ferruginea, Amaranthus viridis and Mentha royleana were identified as plants with high use value (UV).

Conclusions

This study revealed that the area harbors high diversity of medicinal flora. Despite gradual socio-cultural transformation, local communities still hold ample knowledge of plants and their uses. The reliance on traditional medicines was associated with the lack of modern health care facilities, poverty and the traditional belief of their effectiveness. Medicinal plants play a significant role in management of various human diseases in the study area. A high degree of consensus among the informants was an indicative that plant use and knowledge were still strong, and preservation of this knowledge showed good foresight in the future. Awareness was thus needed to be raised among local people on sustainable utilization and management of plant resources.     

Medicinal plants used with Thai Traditional Medicine in modern healthcare services: a case study in Kabchoeng Hospital, Surin Province, Thailand

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM) is available in many modern hospitals in Thailand. However, there have been difficulties in integrating TTM, particularly the practices of the use of herbal medicines, into modern healthcare services. Kabchoeng Hospital is one hospital that has been able to overcome these difficulties. Thus, this study aimed to document the successful utilization of herbal medicine at Kabchoeng Hospital. The documentation focused on both the knowledge of medicinal plants and the success factors that facilitated the utilization of herbal medicine in the context of a modern hospital in Thailand.

Materials and methods

Kabchoeng Hospital was intentionally selected for this case study. Participatory observation was used for the data collection. There were six groups of key informants: three applied Thai Traditional Medicine practitioners (ATTMPs), a pharmacist, two physicians, two folk healers, the head of an herbal cultivation and collection group, and 190 patients. The plant specimens were collected and identified based on the botanical literature and a comparison with authentic specimens; these identifications were assisted by microscopic and thin layer chromatography (TLC) techniques.

Results

Eighty-nine medicinal plants were used for the herbal preparations. The ATTMPs used these plants to prepare 29 standard herbal preparations and occasional extemporaneous preparations. Moreover, in this hospital, seven herbal preparations were purchased from herbal medicine manufacturers. In total, 36 preparations were used for 10 groups of symptoms, such as the treatment of respiratory system disorders, musculo-skeletal system disorders, and digestive system disorders. Four success factors that facilitated the utilization of herbal medicine at Kabchoeng Hospital were determined. These factors included a proper understanding of the uses of herbal medicines, the successful integration of the modern and TTM healthcare teams, the support of an herbal cultivation and collection group, and the acceptance of the local people.

Conclusions

The practices that support the use of herbal medicine at Kabchoeng Hospital illustrated the successful application of TTM and also represented a model for the integration of TTM, and particularly the use of herbal medicine, into modern hospitals. This integration will be beneficial for sustainable healthcare systems in Thailand and in other countries where modern medicine is the mainstream medical system.     

Cultural significance of medicinal plant families and species among Quechua farmers in Apillapampa,Bolivia

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Medicinal plant use was investigated in Apillapampa, a community of subsistence farmers located in the semi-arid Bolivian Andes.

Aim of the study

The main objectives were to identify the culturally most significant medicinal plant families and species in Apillapampa.

Materials and methods

A total of 341 medicinal plant species was inventoried during guided fieldtrips and transect sampling. Data on medicinal uses were obtained from fifteen local Quechua participants, eight of them being traditional healers.

Results

Contingency table and binomial analyses of medicinal plants used versus the total number of inventoried species per family showed that Solanaceae is significantly overused in traditional medicine, whereas Poaceae is underused. Also plants with a shrubby habitat are significantly overrepresented in the medicinal plant inventory, which most likely relates to their year-round availability to people as compared to most annual plants that disappear in the dry season. Our ranking of medicinal species according to cultural importance is based upon the Quality Use Agreement Value (QUAV) index we developed. This index takes into account (1) the average number of medicinal uses reported for each plant species by participants; (2) the perceived quality of those medicinal uses; and (3) participant consensus.

Conclusions

According to the results, the QUAV index provides an easily derived and valid appraisal of a medicinal plant's cultural significance.     

Resilience of Andean urban ethnobotanies: a comparison of medicinal plant use among Bolivian and Peruvian migrants in the United Kingdom and in their countries of origin

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Analysing why and how ethnobotanical traditions ‘survive’ is important for a better understanding of migrants’ health care behaviour. This study investigates the use of traditional medicinal plants among first generation migrants from Bolivia and Peru in London, in relation to practices among their peers in their respective home countries in order to assess changes in traditional health care among newcomer communities.

Materials and methods

A total of 98 semi-structured interviews were conducted in London (UK), Cochabamba (Bolivia) and Lima (Peru). Voucher specimens of all reported species were collected and identified. By comparing data on active plant uses and their applications, overlap and differences between health care practices before and after migration could be outlined.

Results

In London, people can rely on more biomedical alternatives and have access to less traditional herbal remedies as compared to their countries of origin. In general, Peruvians and Bolivians in London continued to use traditional medicine for common, self-limiting ailments that were also widespread in their countries of origin. The same widely used (either readily available cosmopolitan or culturally relevant) plant species appeared in the post-migration group. In general, less freshly available medicinal species were used in London and more edible, primary food species were consumed for medicinal purposes after migration.

Conclusions

Bolivian and Peruvian migrants in London clearly proved to be resilient in their use of home-remedies when faced with the changes that come with migration. The observed ethnobotanical coping strategies are characterised by: (1) the preservation of culturally salient species (cultural key stone species); (2) a positive influence of the presence of cultural diversity (cultural edge effect), (3) a creative blending of different kinds of knowledge and resources, noticeable in an increased use of dried, processed alternatives and food species; and (4) a reliance on social networks for the exchange of plant material.     

The importance of botellas and other plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Plant mixtures are understudied in ethnobotanical research.

Aim of the study

To investigate the importance of plant mixtures (remedies consisting of at least two plants) in Dominican traditional medicine.

Materials and methods

A Spanish language questionnaire was administered to 174 Dominicans living in New York City (NYC) and 145 Dominicans living in the Dominican Republic (DR), including lay persons (who self-medicate with plants) and specialists (traditional healers). Plants were identified through specimens purchased in NYC botánica shops and Latino grocery shops, and from voucher collections.

Results

The percentage of mixtures as compared to single plants in plant use reports varied between 32 and 41%, depending on the geographic location (NYC or DR) and participant status (lay person or specialist). Respiratory conditions, reproductive health and genitourinary conditions were the main categories for which Dominicans use plant mixtures. Lay persons reported significantly more mixtures prepared as teas, mainly used in NYC to treat respiratory conditions. Specialists mentioned significantly more botellas (bottled herbal mixtures), used most frequently in the DR to treat reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Cluster analysis demonstrated that different plant species are used to treat respiratory conditions as compared to reproductive health and genitourinary conditions. Interview participants believed that combining plants in mixtures increases their potency and versatility as medicines.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates the importance and complexity of plant mixtures in Dominican traditional medicine and the variation in its practices influenced by migration from the DR to NYC, shedding new light on the foundations of a particular ethnomedical system.     

Medicinal Plants of the Russian Pharmacopoeia; their history and applications

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Due to the location of Russia between West and East, Russian phytotherapy has accumulated and adopted approaches that originated in European and Asian traditional medicine. Phytotherapy is an official and separate branch of medicine in Russia; thus, herbal medicinal preparations are considered official medicaments. The aim of the present review is to summarize and critically appraise data concerning plants used in Russian medicine. This review describes the history of herbal medicine in Russia, the current situation and the pharmacological effects of specific plants in the Russian Pharmacopoeia that are not included in the European Pharmacopoeia.

Materials and methods

Based on the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR (11^th edition), we selected plant species that have not yet been adopted in Western and Central Europe (e.g., selected for inclusion in the European Pharmacopoeia) and systematically searched the scientific literature for data using library catalogs, the online service E-library.ru, and databases such as Medline/Pubmed, Scopus, and the Web of Science regarding species, effectiveness, pharmacological effects, and safety.

Results

The Russian Federation follows the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR (11^th edition), which contains 83 individual plant monographs. Fifty-one of these plants are also found in the European Pharmacopoeia and have been well studied, but 32 plants are found only in the Pharmacopoeia of the USSR. Many articles about these medicinal plants were never translated in English, and much of the information collected by Russian scientists has never been made available to the international community. Such knowledge can be applied in future studies aimed at a safe, evidence-based use of traditional Russian medicinal plants in European and global phytopharmacotherapy as well as for the discovery of novel leads for drug development.

Conclusion

The review highlights the therapeutic potential of these Russian phytopharmaceuticals but also highlights cases where concern has been raised about product safety and tolerability, which would aid in supporting their safe use.