Rama midwifery in eastern Nicaragua

Rama midwives in eastern Nicaragua use a wide array of plants in providing health care to women and infants. In this study, I document the use of medicinal plants by Rama midwives on the island of Rama Cay in eastern Nicaragua. Field investigations included semi-structured interviews and field trips with eight midwives to collect voucher specimens. A total of 162 plant species, in 125 genera and 62 families were documented as useful in midwifery, over 5 years of fieldwork. Most (59%) medicinals are obtained from second-growth forest, and are used to treat more than 35 human ailments. Over 90% have some bioactive principle, most are trees (40%) or herbs (31%), and leaves are the most frequently used plant part. Most herbal remedies are prepared as decoctions and are administered orally. Most midwifery species are wild, but many important species are introduced domesticates native to the NW and OW tropics. This study is important because it is the first systematic study of midwifery in eastern Nicaragua and particularly of Rama midwifery. Eastern Nicaragua is a region undergoing tremendous changes, and the Rama are a people highly acculturated, but with very little documentation of their ethnobotanical heritage. Based on the results of this study I believe that for the near future, the Rama will continue to rely on midwifery as a primary source of health care.     

Ethnoveterinary medicinal plants used by the Maale and Ari ethnic communities in southern Ethiopia

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Livestock production is an integral part of the agricultural system in Ethiopia. Medicinal plants are used and are important for rural communities for the treatment of livestock diseases. We studied and analysed the traditional medicinal plants used for the treatment of livestock diseases by the Maale and Ari ethnic communities in southern Ethiopia.

Materials and methods

We used quantitative and qualitative ethobotanical methods, including individual and focus group discussions (n=18), field observations, and individual interviews (n=74) at three study sites.

Results

In total, 46 plant species (28 families) were used for the treatment of livestock diseases. Leaves with succulent stems were the most used part of the plant. The most frequently cited cattle disease was blackleg, for which 21 plant species were used. Our study showed variation in ethnoveterinary plant species used among sites (Jaccard’s similarity indices <0.25). The number of medicinal plant species used was significantly influenced by gender and site. Knowledge on ethnoveterinary plants was predominantly held by males, who cited more plant uses than females. The most widely used species were Lepidium sativum, Allium sativum, Clausena anisata, Croton macrostachyus, Ozoroa insignis, Sida rhombifolia, Centella asiatica, Cissampelos mucronata, Vernonia theophrastifolia and Vernonia amygdalina.

Conclusions

The study indicated that ethnoveterinary medicinal plants are important for the Maale and Ari ethnic communities. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies should focus on widely used and multi-use species.     

Traditional antimalarial phytotherapy remedies used by the Kwale community of the Kenyan Coast

In Kenya, most people especially in rural areas use traditional medicine and medicinal plants to treat many diseases including malaria. Malaria is of national concern in Kenya, in view of development of resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum to drugs especially chloroquine, which had been effective and affordable. There is need for alternative and affordable therapy. Many antimalarial drugs have been derived from medicinal plants and this is evident from the reported antiplasmodial activity. The aim of the study was to document medicinal plants traditionally used to treat malaria by the Digo community of Kwale district. Traditional health practitioners were interviewed with standardized questionnaires in order to obtain information on medicinal plants traditionally used for management of malaria. Twenty-five species in 21 genera and 16 families were encountered during the study. Celestraceae, Leguminosae and Rubiaceae families represented the species most commonly cited. Three plant species, namely; Maytenus putterlickioides, Warburgia stuhlmannii and Pentas bussei are documented for the first time for the treatment of malaria.     

Medicinal wild plant knowledge and gathering patterns in a Mapuche community from North-western Patagonia

Medicinal plant use has persisted as a long standing tradition in the Mapuche communities of Southern Argentina and Chile. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in the rural Curruhuinca community located near the mountain city of San Martin de los Andes, Argentina. Semi-structured interviews were carried out on 22 families in order to examine the present use of medicinal plants and their reputed therapeutic effects. Ecological variables, such as distance to the gathering site and biogeographical origin were also analyzed. Our results showed that the Curruhuinca dwellers cited 89 plant species for medicinal purposes, both of native and exotic origin. They know about 47 native plants, of which they use 40, and they know of 42 exotic medicinal plants of which they use 34. A differential pattern was observed given that only native species, relevant for the traditional Mapuche medicine, were collected at more distant gathering sites. The interviewees mentioned 268 plant usages. Those most frequently reported had therapeutic value for treating digestive ailments (33%), as analgesic/anti-inflammatory (25%) and antitusive (13%). Native species were mainly cited as analgesics, and for gynecological, urinary and "cultural syndrome" effects, whereas exotic species were mainly cited for digestive ailments. The total number of medicinal plants known and used by the interviewees was positively correlated with people's age, indicating that this ancient knowledge tends to disappear in the younger generations.     

Medicinal plant diversity and use in the highlands of Dolakha district,Nepal

This paper presents the ethnomedical uses of wild species among nine rural communities managing local forest resources in the Bonch Village Development Committee (VDC), Dolakha district, Nepal. Local communities possess knowledge of 113 medical remedies derived from 58 species belonging to 40 families to treat a wide range of ailments. A review of literature indicated that 56 medical remedies reported in this paper are new. Most medicines were prepared in the form of juice and were administered orally. Roots and leaves were the most frequently used plant parts. Local people were familiar mostly with the species dealing with common ailments particularly cough/cold, digestive problems, fever, headache, and skin infections. Complex ailments were treated by traditional healers. Haphazard harvesting and over-exploitation of commercial species were also reported. Sustainable harvesting methods and domestication of potential commercial species require attention in the local forest operational plans. The present study indicates that the area harbors a high diversity of medicinal plants. Despite gradual socio-cultural transformation, local communities still possess substantial knowledge of plants and their uses. The reliance on folk medicines for health care is associated with the lack of modern medicines and medication, poverty and the traditional belief of its effectiveness. Since there is a lack of phyto-therapeutic evidence for many of the species, we recommend that phytochemical and pharmacological studies be carried out in order to confirm the validity of properties attributed to these species: this is particularly relevant for species with market potential beyond the district. With setting up management plans for their extraction, these medicinal resources can provide for both subsistence needs and income. This, however, requires detail assessment of resource quantities, productivity potential, sustainable harvesting methods, domestication possibilities, market value of potentially promising species, and importantly, equitable benefit sharing regimes.     

Studies on pharmaceutical ethnobotany in the region of Pallars (Pyrenees, Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula). Part I. General results and new or very rare medicinal plants

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the region called Pallars--constituted by two districts, Pallars Sobirà and Pallars Jussà--situated in the Central Pyrenees, in North West Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula), with an approximate area of 2530 km(2) and a population of 19000. We obtained data on 437 plant species used for health care through interviews with 264 people. We detected 867 unreported or uncommon uses corresponding to 272 plant species, 52 of which had never or very rarely been cited as medicinal. To present the most important findings concerning the ethnopharmacology of the area studied, this first part includes the general results and the new or very scarcely reported medicinal vascular plants. Further papers will deal with unreported or very uncommon uses for known medicinal plant species and with medicinal non-vascular plants.     

Sustainable harvest of medicinal plants at Bulashbar Nullah,Astore (Northern Pakistan)

Rapid decline of plant resources due to their conventional use needs ex-situ and in-situ conservation, training of the community regarding collection of medicinal plants and their marketing. In this regard, the Bulashbar valley, Astore, District Diamer was identified as a case study. The main objectives of this activity were to enlist economic, medicinal and aromatic plants including their occurrence, general distribution and abundance in the project areas; to determine traditional use and pharmaceutical values of each medicinal plant species found in the project area. Ethnobotanical studies of the area revealed that 33 plants were being used by the local communities for medicinal purposes. Two species, Bunium persicum and Ephedra gerardiana, are recommended for in vitro cultivation to obtain quick benefits. While Hippophae rhamnoides can be sustainably used for socio-economic uplift of the local communities.     

Plant genetic resources and traditional knowledge on medicinal use of wild shrub and herbaceous plant species in the Etna Regional Park (Eastern Sicily,Italy)

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This paper illustrates the results of a study carried out in the Etna Regional Park (Eastern Sicily, Italy) concerning the traditional knowledge on medicinal use of wild plant species. It contains the results of a quantitative analysis carried out for the first time. A total of 71 wild species are used for medicinal purposes. Two species, Astracantha sicula (Biv.) Greuter and Trifolium phleoides Willd., are little known as medicinal in the Mediterranean area. The main aim of the study was to understand to what extent current knowledge on the medicinal use of plants is still an element of the culture within the elderly population of the Etna Regional Park. A further aim was to identify species not previously reported as medicinal in the Mediterranean area with a potential agricultural interest.

Methodology

The information was obtained using a semi-structured interview format performed on a sample of 196 people over the age of 60 who were considered experts in rural traditions. The plant uses were compared with other medical-ethnobotanical studies carried out in other areas of Sicily, Italy and various other Mediterranean countries. A number of quantitative indices were also used in order to verify the incidence of the species cited in the study within the culture and traditional medicine.

Results

Local communities currently use a total number of 71 wild species (34 families) as remedies for medicinal purposes. Most of the species were used as treatments against metabolic disorders and for general health. The leaves and the aerial parts of plants are the most-used parts of the plant and the most common preparation methods are decoction and direct application of plant parts. Astracantha sicula and Trifolium phleoides have never been documented as a species with medicinal properties in the Mediterranean literature.

Conclusions

Only very few medicinal uses are widely known by all the informants and, on many occasions, a specific medicinal use is cited by only very few people. The quantitative analysis shows that the level of traditional knowledge on medicinal use of plants in the study area is poor, highlighting a considerably advanced state of cultural erosion.     

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants at periodic markets of Honghe Prefecture in Yunnan Province, SW China

In China, traditional markets are considered as important places for trading of medicinal plants harvested by rural villagers, which also play a social role of exchanging traditional use of herbal medicine among different cultural and social groups at local level. Market survey is often engaged in ethnobotanical studies for documenting locally used herbal plants and associated traditional knowledge. Information collected from market survey is also useful for plant conservation in the habitat areas. However, information on the market traded medicinal plants is not well documented from traditional markets in Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan. The study aimed to look into medicinal plants that are used by local people for curing various ailments. Ethnobotanical market survey methods, interviews, Participatory Action Research (PAR) and field visits were planned to elicit information on the uses of various medicinal plants. It was found that 216 plant species are commonly used by local people for curing various diseases, of which 173 species (80.1%) are wild plants and 43 species (19.9%) are home garden plants. A total of 278 records of medical uses in 60 herbal recipes for the treatment of 16 types of common diseases were recorded. In most of the recipes recorded, digestion diseases (30.6%) were used. The rest are rheumatological diseases (13.0%), respiratory system diseases (10.4%), infectious diseases (7.9%) and surgery uses (7.9%). The knowledge about the number of medicinal plants available in that area and used by interviewees was positively correlated with the threats on medicinal plants in the wild habitats of the study area, indicating that the diversity of medicinal plants and the associated traditional knowledge trends to disappear in the area.     

A cross-cultural analysis of Jammu,Kashmir and Ladakh (India) medicinal plant use

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is a predominantly Himalayan state in the north-western part of India. It has three geographically distinct divisions viz., Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, which are immensely rich in their biological and cultural diversity. Medicinal plants are an important element of indigenous medical system of the region. The main goal of the present article is to examine the use of ethnomedicinal plants in three divisions of J&K and to discuss cross-cultural consensus on the use of medicinal plants in these divisions. The article also discusses the gaps in the current state of knowledge on ethnomedicinal plants of the region and gives recommendations for the future studies.

Materials and Methods

Scientific literature on ethnomedicinal field studies conducted in J&K state of India available in the journals, edited books and other scientific databases viz., CAB international, DOAJ, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science direct, SciFinder, Scopus and Web of Science were searched. Only field based ethnomedicinal surveys from last four decades up to December 2013 reporting first hand information on the medicinal plants used to treat human health related ailments by indigenous communities of J&K were included in this study. Venn diagram was used to analyze the cross-cultural consensus on the use of ethnomedicinal plants in the three divisions of J&K.

Results

A total of 948 plant taxa (923 angiosperms, 12 gymnosperms and 13 pteridophytes) belonging to 129 families, 509 genera, 937 species and 11 varieties have so far been reported to have a traditional medicinal use by indigenous communities of J&K. Asteraceae (60 genera, 132 spp.) was the most frequently used family followed by Fabaceae (32 genera, 50 spp.) and Lamiaceae (27 genera, 55 spp.). 514, 415 and 397 medicinal plants were used in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh divisions, respectively. Sixty eight plant taxa were used in all the three divisions, whereas 95 plants were common between Ladakh and Jammu, 127 plants between Ladakh and Kashmir, and 216 plants between Jammu and Kashmir. Maximum numbers of plant taxa were used for treating dermatological problems (321), followed by cold, cough and throat related ailments (250), fever (224), joint and muscle related ailments (215), gastrointestinal disorders (210), urogenital ailments (199), respiratory ailments (151), body pain (135) and gynecological disorders (127).

Conclusions

This is the first study from the J&K state, which has examined the medicinal plant use in three divisions of J&K and discussed the promising medicinal plant species with cross-cultural consensus. The analysis of the data suggested that while large numbers of plants are used medicinally in each division, there is a low interregional consensus and high variation between medicinal plants used in these divisions, which is due to both cultural divergence as well as biological distinctness. The issues related to current status of knowledge on medicinal plants used by indigenous communities of J&K have been discussed and some recommendations have been made for future studies on medicinal plants in J&K region.     

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.     

The use of medicinal plants in self-care in rural central Ethiopia

Medicinal plants are an important element of Ethiopian traditional medicine. This questionnaire survey examined the extent and type of medicinal plants used in self-care by rural Ethiopian community. Six hundred mothers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The prevalence of the use of herbal drugs in self-care was found to be 12.5%. Twenty-five plant species belonging to 21 families were reported, each with local names, methods of preparation and parts used. This study showed that self-care using medicinal plants is a major part of health care options in Butajira community.     

Ethnopharmacy of turkish‐speaking cypriots in greater London

For centuries, in the Eastern Mediterranean region, medicinal plant use has been widely accepted as a treatment method for both minor and major diseases. Although some knowledge exists on the use of such medicinal plants within the Greek Cypriot culture and considerable information is available on various regions in Turkey, no detailed ethnopharmaceutical or ethnobotanical studies exist on Turkish‐speaking Cypriots (TSC) both in Cyprus and within one of the largest TSC migrant communities in London, UK. Semi‐structured interviews with members of the TSC community in London were conducted by using a questionnaire consisting both of open and closed questions. Open questions were aimed at identifying herbs, spices, medicinal plants and their uses. Also, graded questions were used to define informants' opinions as a quantitative parameter, constructing a statistical basis. A wide range of therapeutic claims were recorded, including 13 chronic illnesses within 85 different plant species, of which 18 were cited more than 10 times. The most frequently mentioned species were Mentha spicata, Salvia fruticosa and Pimpinella anisum. The plants recorded are frequently based on knowledge derived from Turkish‐Cypriot traditions, but many examples of medicinal plants with a use based on UK or general western herbal medical traditions were also recorded. Informants highlighted the risk of knowledge loss in younger generations and thus this study serves as a repository of knowledge for use in the future. Due to a lack of knowledge about such usages in the healthcare professions, our study also highlights the need to develop information sources for use by healthcare practitioners in order to raise awareness about benefits and risks of such medical and health food products. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Studies on pharmaceutical ethnobotany in the region of Pallars (Pyrenees,Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula). Part II. New or very rare uses of previously known medicinal plants

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the region called Pallars--consisting of two districts, Pallars Sobirà and Pallars Jussà--, situated in the Central Pyrenees, in North West Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula), with an approximate area of 2530 km(2) and a population of 19,000. Through interviews with 264 people, we obtained data on 437 plant species used for health care. We detected 867 unreported or uncommon uses corresponding to 272 plant species, 52 of which had never or very rarely been cited as medicinal. This is the second paper of a series intended to present the most important findings concerning the ethnopharmacology of the area studied; it includes unreported or very uncommon uses of known medicinal plant species. A previous paper reported the general results and the new or very scarcely reported medicinal vascular plants, and a further one will deal with medicinal non vascular plants.     

Hot and cold: Medicinal plant uses in Quechua speaking communities in the high Andes (Callejón de Huaylas,Ancash, Perú)

Ethno-pharmacological relevance

An ethnopharmacological survey has been set up in high altitude Quechua speaking communities dwelling in Callejón de Huaylas (Ancash department, Peru) and in medicinal plant markets in order to document the medicinal plants use of 178 species within the frame of a traditional Andean medicinal system.

Materials and methods

A sound ethnopharmacological survey was performed during the years 2011, 2012 and 2013 in different places along Callejón de Huaylas valley in the peruvian Andes, were Quechua speaking communities dwell. Two different methodologies were used: first, plant uses were recorded during walks with informants and in medicinal plant markets held on a regular bases in the area (Huaraz, Carhuaz, Yungay). Secondly, traditional healers (curanderas, curanderos) were interviewed about their practices and healing sessions were observed, in order to understand better the traditional medicinal system as a whole (disease aetiology, diagnosis, treatments, healers).

Results

Altogether, 178 medicinal species were collected. Most of the plants found on the market were also found in the wild and vice-versa. Medicinal plant trade is exclusively held by women, selling their merchandise to local people or to big retailer. Plants are classified according their hot or cold virtues, this in accordance with the local conception of the body physiology and disease aetiology, based on a hot–cold polarity. Main use notified for medicinal plants is “(bath) against cold”, a prophylactic measure against diseases of cold nature. Other uses include culture bound illnesses i.e. susto, aire, nervios, or heart pain, commonly cited in South America. Regarding symptoms, rheumatic/arthritic pain, musculoskeletal traumas, cough, pulmonary and respiratory problems, gastritis and stomach ache, were the most frequently cited. Diagnosis and treatment are intrinsically linked together and mainly based upon divination techniques using egg and cuy (Cavia porcellus L., Caviidae).

Discussion and conclusion

Medicinal plants use and traditional medicinal practices are still very vivid in Callejón de Huaylas as highlighted by the abundance of medicinal plants traded in the markets. In this business, women have a key position as healers at the family and community level. Medicinal uses of the majority of the species presented here are reported for the first time. Because medicinal plants sold on the market are collected from the wild and also because high altitude medicinal plants are generally small herbaceous species pulled out with their roots, there is a serious risk of over exploitation and extinction of endemic species.     

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants commonly used by local bedouins in the badia region of Jordan

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The harsh dry environment of the Badia region in Jordan harbors many valuable plant species that are well known to be used by the local Bedouins (Bedu) for medicinal purposes. An ethnobotanical study was conducted as a part of the local knowledge study which was carried out in 2010. The target participants were livestock owners in the arid Jordanian Badia region.Aim of the study: The objective of the study was to document traditional knowledge in using wild plants to treat health problems in order to conserve this valuable knowledge from loss; to identify the key plant species used; and to calculate the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) for each category of health disorder, the Fidelity Level (FL%) and the Use Value (UV) of the plant species used by the Bedouin.Materials and methods: The data was collected by interviewing 80 participants whom were interviewed face to face of whom 21% were women. The team designed a questionnaire that helped in the data gathering, and also recorded the procedures used by the local communities on video.Results: A total of 47 plant species are used by local Bedouins for medicinal purposes. The majority of these species are native to the study area, for example: Artemisia judaica, Citrullus colocynthis, Ecballium elaterium and Rheum palaestinum. The study showed that the plant species with the highest UV is Artemisia herba-alba and that Ducrosia flabellifolia is a remarkable native plant species with a high FL% in curing dental pain. Moreover, the highest value of ICF was scored for dental disorders, followed by gastrointestinal disorders, and jaundice which may indicate the high incidental occurrences of these diseases and/or the lack of dental care services in the rural areas. Conclusion: The study showed an agreement of the local Bedouins on using certain plant species, particularly natives in their dry surroundings, in treating certain health disorders. Some plants showed high use values and fidelity levels to treat certain health problem. Further investigation should be carried out in Jordan on the pharmaceutical value and production practices of these native medicinal plants that have very low water requirements in a country with extreme water shortages.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

澜沧县受威胁药用维管束植物的多样性及其分布特征

丰富的药用植物多样性是我国中医药事业发展的重要物质基础,摸清地区资源现状,可以为其药用资源的可持续保护和开发利用提供科学指导。该文依据《全国中药资源普查技术规范》和《县域植物物种多样性调查与评估技术指导手册》对云南省澜沧拉祜族自治县(简称"澜沧县")开展了全县范围的中药资源普查及野生植物多样性调查与评估工作,分析了其中受威胁药用植物维管束植物的多样性及其分布特征,结果发现:全县境内共有受威胁药用维管束植物33种,隶属于17科23属,分别包括极危、濒危、易危等级的物种1种、10种、22种。这些受威胁药用维管束植物分布在澜沧县境内的不同区域,以县东南部的糯扎渡镇和发展河乡、西南部的糯福乡以及西部的竹塘乡包含的受威胁物种多样性最为丰富,且其物种丰富度随海拔的变化呈单峰格局。研究仅发现6种受威胁药用维管束植物在糯扎渡自然保护区澜沧片区内受到保护,而多数该类群物种丰富的区域尚未得到有效保护。因此,该文建议进一步完善现有保护体系,以更好地保护和利用澜沧县地区的药用植物多样性。