Anti-malarial herbal remedies of northeast India, Assam: an ethnobotanical survey

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Malaria is a serious public health problem in the north-eastern region of India including Assam, in view of development of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum. There is need for alternative and affordable therapy.

Aim of the study

This study was conducted to document indigenous knowledge, usage customs and practices of medicinal plant species traditionally used by the residents of Sonitpur district of Tezpur, Assam to treat malaria and its associated symptoms.

Materials and methods

A total of 50 randomly selected sampling represented by male (38.76%) and female respondents (12.24%) were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results

The present ethno-botanical survey revealed 22 species of plants belonging to 17 botanical families were reported to be used exclusively in this region for the treatment of malaria. Verbenaceae (three species), Menispermaceae (two species), and Acanthaceae (two species) botanical families represented the species that are most commonly cited in this survey work and the detailed use of plants has been collected and described.

Conclusions

The most serious threat to the existing knowledge and practice on traditional medicinal plants included cultural change, particularly the influence of modernization and lack of interests shown by the next younger generations were the main problems reported by the informants during the field survey. Hence, the proper documentation of traditional medicinal plants being used as anti-malarial agents and related indigenous knowledge held by the tribal community is an important approach to control the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria reported in this survey work.     

Medicinal plants in Baskoure, Kourittenga Province, Burkina Faso: an ethnobotanical study

Aim of the study

The majority of people living in Kourittenga Province, Burkina Faso, are highly dependent on medicinal plants for their daily health care. Knowledge on the use of medicinal plants by traditional healers is being seriously threatened, due to the fact that it is commonly transferred from one generation to another only verbally. Moreover, recent environmental changes, deforestation, and unsustainable rates of exploitation, represent a serious risk for plant species diversity. Thus, there is a need to record and document indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants in this country. The aim of this study was to report on the use of medicinal plants by traditional healers to treat human diseases in a rural area located in the East-Centre Region of Burkina Faso (Baskoure Area), which has not yet been studied from an ethnobotanical point of view.

Materials and methods

The research was carried out over a period of 8 months, by means of open-ended and semi-structured interviews. A total of 41 traditional healers were interviewed, and group meetings were organised with family members and other local inhabitants having knowledge of traditional medicine.

Results

A total of 190 plant species were recorded. Most medicinal plants used to prepare concoctions were herbs, and leaves were the most frequently used parts. A high percentage of plants were used against gastrointestinal diseases and malaria, which are the prevalent diseases in the study area. The major source of remedies came from wild plants, indicating that cultivation of medicinal plants is not a common practice.

Conclusions

Our study represents an inventory on medicinal plants used in a rural area of Burkina Faso, and confirms that wild plants are widely utilised as health remedies in this area. The collected data may help to avoid the loss of traditional knowledge on the use of medicinal plants detained by traditional healers, and represent the preliminary information required in view of a future phytochemical investigation on the most used plants.     

Ethnobotanical study on some Malaysian anti-malarial plants: A community based survey

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Various plants species are used in the traditional medicine for the treatment of malaria. This is the first community based ethnobotanical study in Peninsular Malaysia.

Aim of the study

To investigate the plants traditionally used in the treatment of malaria in Malaysia.

Materials and methods

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among 233 Aboriginal and rural households, and traditional healers in malaria endemic areas in Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire.

Results

Nineteen species belonging to 17 families were identified. Twelve plant species have not previously been documented for the treatment of malaria in Malaysia.

Conclusions

Findings of this study can be used as an ethnopharmacological basis for selecting plants for further anti-malarial phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies.     

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the people in Nhema communal area, Zimbabwe

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This study documented the pharmaceutical importance of plant resources in Nhema communal area, particularly the significance of medicinal plants in primary healthcare. This is reflected in the great diversity of plants used for medical purposes as well as in their wide range of medicinal applications. Such rich ethnobotanical knowledge and repository of medicinal plants reinforces the need for an evaluation of their biological activity as a basis for developing future medicines.

Materials and methods

In order to document information on medicinal plants used for primary health care and to maximize the collection of indigenous knowledge in Nhema communal area, nine traditional healers were identified using the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) approach. Data was collected through open-ended interviews with traditional healers, between January and May 2008.

Results

A total of 61 plant species representing 45 genera and 28 families were found to be commonly used in the treatment of 34 different human health problems. More than a third of the plant species were used for diarrhoea, which is a prevalent disease in the study area. The root was the most commonly used plant part while decoction was the most common method of traditional drug preparation.

Conclusions

Nhema communal area in the Midlands province, Zimbabwe is endowed with a strong culture of herbal medicine usage for primary healthcare. This is reflected in the number of medicinal plants used and the human ailments they treat. This preservation of indigenous knowledge is due to continued reliance on wild plant resources for primary healthcare by the local community. Deforestation and unsustainable rates of plant use are a serious threat on continued utilization of plant resources for primary healthcare.     

Ethnomedicinal study of plants used by Sheko ethnic group of Ethiopia

Aim of the study

This study was conducted to document and evaluate knowledge on medicinal plant use by Sheko ethnic group in Southwest Ethiopia.

Materials and methods

Interviews and ranking exercises were the main methods employed to collect the ethnobotanical data. Fidelity level (FL) values were calculated for claimed Sheko medicinal plants to estimate their healing potentials.

Results

Seventy-one Sheko medicinal plants were reported, the majority of which were used to treat skin and gastro-intestinal ailments. Ocimum lamiifolium, Phytolacca dodecandra, Amaranthus dubius and Amaranthus graecizans were the medicinal plants assigned with the highest FL values, a possible indication of their better healing potential. The majority of Sheko medicinal plants were found to be herbs, and leaf was the most preferred plant part in remedy preparations. The study indicated that men, older people and illiterate ones had better knowledge of medicinal plants use as compared to women, younger people and literate ones, respectively.

Conclusions

The study showed that the Sheko people have rich knowledge of medicinal plant use. This knowledge is however, currently threatened mainly due to acculturation. Awareness should thus be created among Sheko community by concerned bodies regarding the usefulness of their medical practice. The efficacy and safety of the claimed medicinal plants need to be evaluated before recommending them for a wider use with priority given to those with high fidelity level values.     

Ethnobotanical studies of medicinal plants used by Traditional Health Practitioners in the management of diabetes in Lower Eastern Province, Kenya

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Diabetes mellitus is a growing problem in many developing countries and the financial burden associated with it is enormous. In traditional African communities, majority of people relies on traditional medicines and Traditional Health Practitioners as the primary source of health care. Hence, this study was undertaken in the Lower Eastern province of Kenya to document the medicinal plants used by the traditional practitioners to treat diabetes and to assess the existing knowledge in management of this condition.

Materials and methods

Data was collected using structured open- and close-ended questionnaires.

Results

Thirty-nine species belonging to 33 genera and 26 families were encountered and the most frequently cited species were from Caesalpiniaceae, Ebenaceae, Solanaceae and Labiatae families. Twenty-eight percent of the plant species are reported to have hypoglycaemic activity.

Conclusions

Currently there is no data on medicinal plants used to treat diabetes in Kenya. Therefore, these findings are important in the management of diabetes and future research on traditional medicine in drug development.     

Ethnomedicinal application of plants in the western plain region of North Jeolla Province in Korea

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This study aims to record and conserve oral traditional knowledge of medicinal plants from the indigenous people living in the western plain region of North Jeolla Province, Korea.

Materials and methods

Our research team interviewed 46 key informants (20 men and 26 women) who have lived over 50 years in the area. The average age of the informants was 74 (with a minimum age of 56 to maximum 84). Data was collected through the participatory rural appraisal method involving interviews, informal meetings, open and group discussions, and overt observation using semi-structured questionnaires.

Results

Ethnobotanical inventory possessed by the residents included 183 species of plants distributed in 156 genera belonging to 68 families and were used in 626 use-reports. Among them, the medicinal plants were comprised as 42 families, 75 genera, and 83 species in usage in 195 ways. A total of 71 ailments were treated with 222 kinds of remedies using medicinal plants. Parts of plant that were used as treatments total up to 17 and the methods of preparation for medicinal materials add up to 28. Informant consensus factor (ICF) showed that the muscular-skeletal disorders had the highest agreement measure (1.0) followed by cuts and wounds (0.87) and respiratory system disorders (0.77). Overall, 29 plant species showed fidelity level of 100%.

Conclusions

This study is noteworthy in that it records rapidly disappearing traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in a time period of pressing environmental changes with regard to the newly built sea wall, eventually leading more or less to the immigration of the seaside inhabitants and the familiarization of the modern medical systems to the farmland inhabitants.     

Medicinal plants used in Hmong women's healthcare in northern Thailand

Ethnopharmacological relevance

We studied traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used for women's healthcare in three Hmong villages in northern Thailand and determined how prevalent such knowledge is. We documented traditional medical practices and determined which of the species used are culturally important among the Hmong.

Materials and methods

We interviewed six key informants and 147 non-specialist informants about their traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used in Hmong women's healthcare. We selected nine species that were known in all three villages as the domain for questionnaire interviews with 181 additional and randomly selected non-specialist informants. We calculated the Cultural Importance index (CI) for each species and use category. We tested normality of the data, age correlations, and gender correlations with Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney tests.

Results

We documented traditional knowledge of 79 medicinal plants used in women's healthcare. Of these, three species were culturally important to the Hmong. Our questionnaire interviews revealed significant difference in traditional medicinal plant knowledge between genders and age groups.

Conclusions

The Hmong people in northern Thailand possess large amounts of traditional knowledge related to women's healthcare and plants used for this purpose. However, this knowledge, even for the culturally important species, is not possessed by all Hmong and there were signs of knowledge erosion. Preservation of the Hmong intellectual heritage related to medicinal plants used in women's healthcare requires intensive traditional knowledge dissemination to the young Hmong generation.     

Natural pharmacopoeia used in traditional Toba medicine for the treatment of parasitosis and skin disorders (Central Chaco, Argentina)

Aim of the study

To assess the knowledge and use of natural pharmacopoeia for the treatment of parasitosis and skin disorders, as well as for the control of their etiological agents or vectors, of a Toba community in Central Chaco, Argentina.

Materials and methods

Information was obtained by open, extensive and recurrent interviews and semi-structured surveys. Plant and animal pharmacopoeia was documented by collecting material in field assays carried out in the company of informers. The list of applications with the greatest consensus of uses, the list of species with most medicinal applications and the list of species with the highest reputation (according to the level of fidelity) for the aforementioned disorders were obtained using quantitative methods.

Results

A total of 178 medicinal uses were documented corresponding to 87 species (72 plant and 15 animal species) belonging to 51 different families (39 plant and 12 animal families). The most represented families according to the number of species were Solanaceae (7 species), Asteraceae (6 species) and Fabaceae (5 species) for plants, and Bovidae (3 species) for animals.

Conclusions

Although the list of medicinal species includes some symbolical applications, others are supported by phytochemical information. In other cases the applications coincide with other pharmacopoeias of the Gran Chaco region indicating the presence of an active exchange of knowledge through interethnic contacts.     

Ethnopharmacological survey of Annonaceae medicinal plants used to treat malaria in four areas of Cameroon

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Malaria endemic countries have vital resources that are medicinal plants on which their traditional medicines depend. In some Cameroonian settings, in addition to the commonly used potions from plants like Alstonia boonei, Zanthoxylum macrophylla and Mangifera indica, other herbal species are being increasingly used to treat malaria. So, specialized traditional healers have developed alternative reasonably priced therapies, relying on the signs and/or symptoms of malaria. Within this framework, Annonaceae plants were found to be increasingly utilized and therefore, highlighting the need to document this traditional knowledge for better malaria control.

Materials and methods

Interview approach was used to document indigenous knowledge, usage customs and practices of Annonaceae species in the treatment of malaria in four Cameroonian areas (Yaoundé and its surroundings, Ngoyang, Kon-Yambetta and Mbalmayo).

Results

A total of 19/30 users of plants accepted to share their experiences during a semi-structured survey. Twelve of the respondents were men and seven were women. Thirty recipes based on twenty-one plants were recorded.

Conclusion

Annickia chlorantha was the only plant commonly found in the four study sites. Seven species of Annonaceae were found to be used to treat malaria, while 14 were used to treat symptoms that might be related to malaria.     

Analysis and recordings of orally transmitted knowledge about medicinal plants in the southern mountainous region of Korea

Aim of the study

This study aims to analyze and record orally transmitted knowledge of medicinal plants from the indigenous people living in the southern mountainous region of Korea. This article is the first study of its kind.

Materials and methods

Data was collected through the participatory rural appraisal (PRA) method involving interviews, informal meetings, open and group discussions, and overt observations with semi-structured questionnaires.

Results

The investigation reveals that the indigenous people have used 217 species of medicinal plants distributed in 177 genera belonging to 77 families with 691 different uses. The representative families were Asteraceae (13.5%) followed by Fabaceae (8.2%), Araliaceae (6.1%), Rosaceae (5.8%), Cucurbitaceae (4.1%), Poaceae (3.0%), Liliaceae (2.7%), and Apiaceae (2.6%). On the whole, 21 kinds of plant-parts were used and prepared in 26 various ways by the people for medicinal purposes. The informant consensus factor (ICF) values in the ailment categories were veterinary ailments (0.88), pains (0.84), cuts and wounds (0.77), and respiratory system disorders (0.76). In terms of fidelity levels, 41 plant species showed 100% of fidelities.

Conclusion

In recent years, the Korean society has been a heavy loss of traditional practices due to a rapid decrease of the senior population. This pressing circumstance raises the level of urgency for the preservation of indigenous knowledge from extinction. A priority should be given first for collecting and recording indigenous knowledge from the natives inhabiting the national parks and environmental preservation areas.     

Plants used for treating respiratory infections in rural Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Traditional remedies are frequently used in treating various respiratory ailments, and are very important in the primary health care of the people living in rural Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Novel information gathered from surveys like the present study is important in preserving indigenous knowledge.

Aim of the study

To explore the knowledge that the lay people of a rural community in northern Maputaland have about medicinal plants used in the vicinity to treat respiratory infections.

Materials and methods

Interviews were conducted among 80 homestead inhabitants, using structured questionnaires where convenience sampling was used. The focus was on plants used in treating respiratory infections. Some of the main topics discussed during the interviews were vernacular plant names, plant parts used, harvested amounts, preparation methods, dosage forms and quantities, use of plants in combination as well as the related symptomatic relief associated with respiratory infections.

Results

The study documented 30 plant species (18 families) which are used to treat respiratory infections by the rural people in the study area. Decoctions made with these plants are mostly taken orally, combined with the use of steaming. To the best of our knowledge, Acanthospermum glabratum, Aloe marlothii, Krauseola mosambicina, Ozoroa obovata, Parinari capensis and Plectranthus neochilus are recorded for the first time globally as medicinal plants used for treating respiratory infections and related symptoms. The indigenous aromatic shrub, Lippia javanica was by far the most frequently used plant species, followed by Eucalyptus grandis (an exotic), Tetradenia riparia and then Senecio serratulloides. Twenty-four different plant combinations were used where the most frequently used combination encountered was Eucalyptus grandis with Lippia javanica.

Conclusion

The large number of different plant species traditionally used against respiratory infections supports previous research on the importance of traditional medicine in the primary health care of this remote area. The finding of new vernacular plant names and plant uses in the current survey shows the importance of the documentation of such ethnobotanical knowledge.     

An inventory of the ethnobotanicals used as anti-diabetic by a rural community of Dhemaji district of Assam, Northeast India

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Traditional remedies used for treating diabetic ailments are very important in the primary health care of the people living in rural Dhemaji district of Assam, north-east India. Novel information gathered from the current survey is important in preserving folk indigenous knowledge.

Materials and methods

Interviews were conducted amongst 80 households comprising of 240 individuals using semi-structured questionnaires. The focus was on plants used in treating diabetes mellitus.

Results

The current survey documented 21 plant species (20 families) which are reportedly used to treat diabetes mellitus by the rural people in the study area. To the best of our knowledge, Amomum linguiforme, Cinnamomum impressinervium, Colocasia esculenta, Dillenia indica, Euphorbia ligularia, Garcinia pedunculata, Solanum indicum, Sterculia villosa and Tabernaemontana divaricata are recorded for the first time based on globally published literature as medicinal plants used for treating diabetes mellitus and related symptoms.

Conclusions

The wide variety of plants that are used to treat diabetes mellitus in this area supports the traditional value that medicinal plants have in the primary health care system of the rural people of Dhemaji district of Assam. The finding of new plant uses in the current study reveals the importance of the documentation of such ethnobotanical knowledge.     

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in the Eastern Himalayan zone of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Aim of the study

The medicinal plants are integral source of easily available remedy used in rural healthcare system. This study was conducted among three major ethnic groups namely the Nocte, the Nyishi and the Adi in the Eastern Himalayan region of Arunachal Pradesh to evaluate their comparative knowledge on medicinal plants.

Materials and methods

The three remote districts of Arunachal Pradesh namely the Tirap, the Dibang Valley and the Papum Pare were surveyed through interviewing of randomly selected 237 participants using semi-structured questionnaire and regular field visits to selected districts.

Results

We recorded the traditional use of 74 medicinal plants species belonging to 41 taxonomic plant families used for treating a total of 25 different diseases/ailments. The informant consensus factor (ICF) values demonstrated that local people tend to agree more with each other in terms of the plants used to treat malaria (0.71), jaundice (0.62), urological problems (0.56), dermatological disorders (0.45), pain (0.30), and respiratory disorder (0.33), and while the general health (0.15) and gastro-intestinal disorders category (0.28) were found low ICF values.

Conclusion

Of the total 74 species recorded, the highest number of medicinal plants (36 species) was reported from the Adi of Lower Dibang Valley followed by the Nocte of the Tirap (25 species) and the Nyishi ethnic groups of Papum Pare districts (13 species). In the present study, we found that the men, elder people and illiterate ones had better knowledge on medicinal plants as compared to women, younger and literate people. Findings of this documentation study can be used as an ethnopharmacological basis for selecting plants for future phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies.     

Ethnomedical uses of Zingiberaceous plants of Northeast India

Aim of the study

Family Zingiberaceae consists of large number of medicinal plants and is well known for its use in ethnomedicine. The objective of this study is to systematically analyse and document the traditional knowledge regarding the use of Zingiberaceous plants for the treatment of various human ailments from NE India, adding information to the valuation of biodiversity and, to forward suggestions for its sustainable use, conservation and for future pharmacological studies.

Materials and methods

A survey on the utilization of medicinal plants belonging to Zingibereceae of North-eastern states was carried out by interviewing herbalists followed by collecting plant specimens and identifying the specimen. Ethnobotanical information on traditional plants was catalogued through structured questionnaires in consultations with traditional healers.

Results

A total of 34 species were documented belonging to 9 genera of Zingiberaceae for about 25 types of ailments, 67.6% of which were used in curing multiple disorders. Arunachal Pradesh hosts maximum number of Zingiberaceous plant (88%). Rhizomes were found to be the primary plant material as a source for medication and poultices as the predominant mode of preparation. Gastrointestinal conditions (58%) and chest and lungs (41%) related ailments were the main categories for which these plants are used.

Conclusions

The study establishes Zingiberaceae as a medicinal family since 41% of all the available Zingiberaceous plant species in NE were found to possess medicinal value. Some new use of herbs also appeared in this study for the first time.     

Medicinal plant use in Vanuatu: a comparative ethnobotanical study of three islands

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Our study shows that large parts of Vanuatu's medicinal flora remain unexplored and that a high variability of medicinal plant knowledge between islands exists.

Aim of the study

The following questions are comparatively analyzed for three islands of Vanuatu: who are the medicinal plant specialists and how important is their knowledge today? Which plants are used to treat common diseases?

Materials and methods

On Loh, Ambrym and Aneityum plant related information was collected using semi-structured interviews, transect walks and participant observation. A total of 29 medicinal plant specialists were interviewed.

Results

Medicinal plant specialists are either peasants or people with a high rank in the local social system such as members of the chief's family or priests. Their knowledge may be very broad (Loh, Aneityum) or specialized on specific diseases (Ambrym). Medicinal plant knowledge is transmitted family and gender specific (Loh) or gender and family independent (Ambrym and Aneityum). Overall, 133 medicinal plant species were documented of which 117 are new to Vanuatu's ethnopharmacopoeia. Mainly members of the Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae, followed by Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae, Moraceae and Zingiberaceae are utilized. The majority of documented species are trees (33%), followed by herbs (22%) and shrubs (21%). Leaves accounted for the highest number of use reports (43%). The highest diversity of medicinal plants is found for the most common diseases such as skin, gastrointestinal, respiratory system and urogenital system diseases. Only a small overlap of taxa between the islands was found.

Conclusions

The biocultural diversity of Vanuatu is reflected in the variability of medicinal plant knowledge and differences in the traditional medicinal system between the three islands investigated. Traditional medicine is more vital on remote islands. The better connected the islands are to the main city, the more dominant western medicine becomes and traditional medicine mainly remains to treat illnesses with a magical origin.     

Ethnomedicinal practices and medicinal plant knowledge of the Yuracarés and Trinitarios from Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro-Sécure, Bolivian Amazon

Aim of the study

We investigated the ethnomedical practices and knowledge of medicinal plant and fungus species of contemporary Yuracaré and Trinitario ethnic groups from Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro-Sécure (TIPNIS), located in the Bolivian Amazon region.Our aim was to identify the culturally most significant medicinal plant families, growth forms and species, as well as to assess the current state of knowledge regarding the bioactivity of the most important species, based on available literature data.

Materials and methods

Medicinal plant and fungus species were inventoried during homegarden and swidden sampling, walk-in-the-woods and transect sampling. Data on medicinal uses were obtained from 12 Yuracaré and 14 Trinitario participants.

Results

We commence by providing a brief overview of Yuracaré and Trinitario ethnomedical systems, highlighting the important shamanistic component of particularly Trinitario traditional medicine. The rest of the paper is dedicated to an analysis and discussion based on the 349 inventoried medicinal plant and fungus species. Contingency table and binomial analyses of medicinal plants used versus the total number of inventoried species per family showed that several plant families are significantly over (Piperaceae, Araceae, Solanaceae, Asteraceae and Siparunaceae) and underused (Chrysobalanaceae, Sapotaceae, Lauraceae, Celastraceae and Annonaceae) in traditional medicine in TIPNIS. Also herbaceous plants are significantly overrepresented in the medicinal plant inventory, which is in line with relevant literature. Our ranking of medicinal species according to cultural significance is based on the Quality Use Agreement Value (QUAV) index we developed and presented in a previous paper. Results indicate that the QUAV index's property to mainly select species that combine multiple ethnomedical uses with high informant consensus, justifies its use as a measure of cultural significance of medicinal plants in TIPNIS. Results of a literature search suggest, on the other hand, that the QUAV_s score of a species could also be indicative of its bioactivity.

Conclusions

In addition to the QUAV index's value as a tool for assessing the cultural significance of medicinal species, it might also be useful to identify species with a higher likeliness of being bioactive.