Traditional uses of medicinal plants among the rural communities of Churu district in the Thar Desert, India

The traditional uses of medicinal plants in healthcare practices are providing clues to new areas of research; hence its importance is now well recognized. However, information on the uses of indigenous plants for medicine is not well documented from many rural areas of Rajasthan including Churu district. The study aimed to look into the diversity of plant resources that are used by local people for curing various ailments. Questionnaire surveys, participatory observations and field visits were planned to elicit information on the uses of various plants. It was found that 68 plant species are commonly used by the local people for curing various diseases. In most of the cases (31%) leaves were used. The interviewees mentioned 188 plant usages. Those most frequently reported had therapeutic value for treating fever, rheumatism, diarrhea, asthma and piles. The knowledge about the total number of medicinal plants available in that area and used by the interviewees was positively correlated with people's age, indicating that this ancient knowledge tends to disappear in the younger generation.     

Anti-trypanosomal activity of African medicinal plants: A review update

Ethnopharmacological relevance

African trypanosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases caused by different species of trypanosomes that affect both human and livestock with devastating consequences in the continent. Most of the affected populations commonly use traditional medicinal plants for the treatment of the disease. Consequently, this prompted ethnopharmacological research activities on the anti-trypanosomal activity of a number of these African medicinal plants in order to validate their ethnomedicinal use. Furthermore, such studies could lead to the identification of chemical leads for the development of newer anti-trypanosomal agents from those plants. This review aims to provide updated information on the ethnopharmacological evidence of African medicinal plants with anti-trypanosomal activity.

Methods

Literature was collected via electronic search (PubMed, Sciencedirect, Medline and Google Scholar) from published articles that report on the in vitro or in vivo anti-trypanosomal activity of plants that were collected from different parts of Africa.

Results

African medicinal plants investigated for in vitro and in vivo anti-trypanosomal activity from January 1993 to October 2013 are systematically compiled and all the in vivo studies are critically discussed. A total of 264 plant species belonging to 79 families were investigated for anti-trypanosomal activity. However, only 48 bioactive anti-trypanosomal compounds were successfully isolated in pure forms. Furthermore, some of the plants were investigated for possible ameliorative effects on the trypanosome-induced pathological changes out of which 18 plants were reported to be effective while a few others were not. In spite of interesting preclinical ethnopharmacological evidence for anti-trypanosomal activity, not a single African medicinal plant was investigated in a clinical study.

Conclusion

Several African medicinal plants have demonstrated promising anti-trypanosomal effects but the studies on the anti-trypanosomal potentials of these plants are not taken beyond proof of concept stage. It is hoped that the article would stimulate future clinical studies because of the paucity of knowledge in this area.     

An ethnobotanical study of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants used by the village peoples of Thoppampatti,Dindigul district,Tamilnadu, India

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This study provides significant ethnopharmacological information, both qualitative and quantitative on medicinal plants in the Thoppampatti village, Dindigul district, Tamilnadu, India. There is urgency in recording such data to conserve the traditional medicinal plants. This is the first ethnobotanical study which records the traditional important medicinal plants of Thoppampatti village. To collect, analyze and evaluate the ethnopharmacologic knowledge in Thoppampatti village in order to protect it. This study reports the results of an ethnopharmacological survey on the uses of medicinal plants by inhabitants of the Thoppampatti.

Materials and methods

The field study was carried out in a period of about one year (April 2012–May 2013) in Thoppampatti village. The information was obtained through open and semi-structured interviews with 48 (27 males, 21 females) knowledgeable local people and traditional healers (THs). The collected data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. In addition, use value (UV), relative importance (RI) and Jaccard index (JI) was determined.

Results

A total of 139 species of plants, mostly trees and herbs, belonging to 54 families were identified in this study. This is used to treat 142 diseases and ailments. These ailments were categorized into 18 major categories. Leaves were the most frequently used parts, while decoction and juice are the most common method of preparation to treat various diseases. Based on IUCN Red data the identified medicinal plants include 11 least concerned species, 3 vulnerable species and one endangered species. The most important species according to their use value were Cynodon dactylon (0.79), Azadirachta indica (0.73), Ocimum tenuiflorum (0.71), Moringa oleifera (0.68), Coriandrum sativum (0.62), Abelmoschus esculentus (0.61), Acalypha indica (0.59) and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (0.59).

Conclusion

As a result of the present study, medicinal plants play an important role in the health care of Thoppampatti village inhabitants; they rely on medicinal plants to treat various ailments. In addition, the medicinal plants with high RI values might give some useful leads for further pharmacological investigations. Deforestation and overexploitation of a particular plant species leads to extinction so sustainable utilization of medicinal plants is recommended in the study area.     

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus,hypertension and cardiac diseases in the south-east region of Morocco (Tafilalet)

In this study, the medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiac diseases were inventoried based on the ethnopharmacological survey in south-eastern Morocco: Tafilalet region. Seven hundred persons including 320 diabetic patients and 380 patients with hypertension and cardiac disorders and 20 traditional herbal healers were interviewed in different areas of Tafilalet. The results indicated that 80% of patients interviewed used medicinal plants to treat diabetes, hypertension and cardiac diseases because they state that phytotherapy is cheaper (58%), more efficient (40%) and better (65%) than modern medicine. In this ethnobotanic enquiry, about 92 medicinal plants were cited. A lot of them are cited for the first time in Morocco. Many parameters have been evaluated such as knowledge of the toxic plants, doses, parts used, etc. Also, we have reported that 75% of type 2 diabetic patients used medicinal plants in association with modern drugs, while 10% of type 1 diabetic patients regularly used medicinal plants combined with insulin treatment. Some toxic plants have also been reported. In conclusion Tafilalet region disposes of a large phytotherapy knowledge which must be scientifically investigated especially in treating diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiac diseases.     

Medico-religious plants used by the Hajong community of Assam,India

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The Hajong people use many medicinal plants in their different rituals. The information generated from the present study regarding the medico-religious plants used by the Hajong tribes need a thorough phytochemical investigation. This could help in creating awareness regarding the need for conservation of such plants and also in the promotion of ethno-medico-botany knowledge within the region besides contributing to the preservation and enrich- ment of the gene bank of such economically important species before they are lost forever. Medico-religious plants so found out in this study should be screened for their efficacy by which new drugs or products could be brought out. There is also need to document this information and compare with that of other tribes in the state and region.

Materials and Methods

The diseases found during the research work among the Hajong community were grouped in 11 categories. The category of diseases includes plants used for both human and animal diseases. The informants having good knowledge on medico-religious plants were chosen for the interview. Kabiraj or Vaidyas were also included among the informants though they were not available in all villages. The informants were asked about the ritual and religious importance and the medicinal properties of the plants used in different cultural practices.

Results

Some 36 plant species including herbs, shrubs and trees are used for curing 51 different diseases with 63 formulations which are recorded during the study. Most of the medicinal plants were collected from their own homestead and rest from the forest. Hajongs make sustainable use of available natural resources that include both medicinal and religious plants. They lead a much disciplined life. They are very much religious and knowledgeable. The survey revealed that not only the Kabiraj but also the elder community member have good knowledge of the medicinal value of some plant usually those species used to treat common diseases like cough, cold, fever, viral fever, headache, stomachache, joint pain, diarrhea, dysentery, minor wounds and cuts etc. Thus 36 plants are found to be used by Hajong in different medico-religious practices. These are regarded as holy plants. These plants are strictly protected by the community. Traditional conservation and management on cultural grounds, therefore, represents a historic contribution to the present day rich biodiversity in the region.

Conclusion

The whole life system and socio-economic as well as religious and cultural activities of Hajongs were totally dependent upon forests. It reflected their high possession of knowledge on medico religious plants which allowed them to apply their indigenous knowledge regarding various aspects of exploitation of such resources. Different types of important species have been disappeared from the study area, which ultimately creates social, economical and religious problem in Hajong community. The information generated from the present study regarding the medico-religious plants used by the Hajong tribes need a thorough phytochemical investigation. This could help in creating awareness regarding the need for conservation of such plants and also in the promotion of ethno-medico-botany knowledge within the region besides contributing to the preservation and enrichment of the gene bank of such economically important species before they are lost forever. Traditional culture in different Hajong populated areas is very fast declining with lot of traditional knowledge under the influence of dominant culture. Cultural diversity conservation is needed urgently.     

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 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.     

Medicinal plant use in the practice of midwifery in rural Honduras

Midwives in rural communities across the globe play an important role as primary health care providers, but few studies have documented the medicinal plants employed in this age-old practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 midwives in seven rural communities near La Ceiba, Honduras, regarding the plants they employ during the birthing process as well as their associated beliefs. Seventy-nine different plant species used to treat 15 conditions occurring during the pregnancy, birth and postpartum stages were recorded. Most plants and uses were reported by only one or two midwives, reflecting the fact that most midwives in this region had immigrated from different parts of the country. Almost all the midwives used or knew of plant remedies for treatment of miscarriages, postpartum abdominal pain and hemorrhages, retained placenta, and for speeding up contractions during labor. The most frequently cited plants as well as those for which there was greatest consensus tended to be widespread cultivated or weedy species. Although use of medicinal plants by midwives has decreased as a result of retraining programs by government health centers, midwives' knowledge of medicinal plants may provide an important resource for improving maternal-infant health in Honduras and elsewhere. Suggestions for future ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies on this topic are provided.     

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 plants uses of the Tacana, an Amazonian Bolivian ethnic group

We present the results of an ethnopharmacological investigation of a Bolivian lowland ethnic group, the Tacana. The Tacana have a long tradition of exchange with highland communities. Though facing rapid acculturation, highlighted by the loss of the Tacana language among the younger generations, the knowledge and uses of medicinal plants are still alive. Of the approximately 450 different plant species collected during this survey, 33% had medicinal uses. We present an overview of the traditional Tacana ethnomedicine and pharmacopoeia.     

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants and traditional therapies on Batan Island,the Philippines

Ethnopharmacological relevance

We studied the local knowledge and uses of medicinal plants among the Ivatan people of Batan Island by documenting their traditional practices.

Aim of the study

To identify the types of medicinal plants used in self-care by the indigenous people of Batan Island, the Philippines and to investigate the extent to which the plants are used. Conservation of medicinal plants and natural resources is becoming increasingly important; thus, this research aims to collect information from local people concerning the use of medicinal plants on Batan Island.

Materials and methods

A total of 116 informants were interviewed, allowing for calculated informant consensus factors (ICF), use value (UV), and fidelity levels (FL) for each medicinal plant species used to cure various ailments. This helped to establish a consensus on which species are effective for particular ailments, as well as the species’ relative importance, and enabled us to understand the extent of the potential utilization of each species.

Results

We describe the therapeutic effects of 112 plant species used medicinally against 13 categories of ailments. The highest ICF value (1.00) was cited for diseases of the ear and respiratory system and for use during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. The maximum FL of 100% was found for Carica papaya, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Musa sapientum, and Pedilanthus tithymaloides, used for the treatment of constipation, cuts and wounds, diarrhea, and dislocations and fractures, respectively. The highest UV was for Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (0.67). All plants with high UV were used for exogenous diseases, certain infectious and parasitic diseases, injuries, poisonings and other consequences of external factors, and diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. In addition to its use for endogenous disease and lifestyle-related diseases and illnesses, Moringa oleifera is also used for diseases of the circulatory system, with a UV of 0.57 and Cocos nucifera is used for diseases of the genitourinary system, with a UV of 0.56.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that many plant species play an important role in local healing practices and that knowledge of traditional medicine is still utilized and plays a significant role on Batan Island. The documentation of this rich traditional ethno-medicinal knowledge has furnished us with novel information that not only will provide recognition of this undocumented knowledge but also could provide new avenues for pharmacological investigations to improve healthcare for a range of ailments.     

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Hakka in Guangdong, China

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to collect information on the use of medicinal plants by the Hakka living in Guangdong. AIM OF THE STUDY: This investigation was to document valuable knowledge represented by Hakka herbal medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information was obtained from semi-structured interviews, personal conversations with practitioners, direct observations, and by reviewing studies of Hakka and Cantonese reported in the literature. RESULTS: Our data covered 94 species belonging to 77 genera in 40 families. We found that most species used for medical purposes were for hepatitis (14 species) and skin diseases (12 species). These disorders are prevalent and are primarily treated with medicinal plants. For treatment, the plants were mainly used as teas (Luica, Bugingca and Lopêdca), medicinal baths and soups. The Hakka and non-Hakka people living in Guangdong use different medicinal plants and, in some cases, use the same medicinal plants differently. CONCLUSIONS: The fast disappearance of traditional culture and natural resources due to urbanization and industrialization suggests that unrecorded information may be lost forever. Thus, there is an urgent need both to record this valuable Hakka medicinal knowledge and to encourage its transfer to the next generation.     

Ethnobotany of medicinal plants used in Xalpatlahuac,Guerrero, México

Ethnopharmacological importance

Medicinal plants have been used for centuries for the empirical treatment of many diseases. This study documented the use of plant species in traditional medicine in the municipality of Xalpatlahuac, Guerrero, México.

Materials and methods

Direct interviews were performed with inhabitants from Xalpatlahuac. The interviews were analyzed with two quantitative tools: (a) the informant consensus factor (ICF) that estimates the level of agreement about which medicinal plants may be used for each category and (b) the relative importance (RI) that determines the extent of potential utilization of each species.

Results

A total of 67 plant species with medicinal purposes, belonging to 36 families and used to treat 55 illnesses and 3 cultural filiations were reported by interviewees.Nineteen mixtures with medicinal plants were reported by the interviewers. Mentha piperita was the most used plant for combinations (4 mixtures). The results of the ICF showed that diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems had the greatest agreement. The most versatile species according to their RI are Marrubium vulgare, Mimosa albida and Psidium guajava..

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that plant species play an important role in healing practices and magical–religious rituals among inhabitants from Xalpatlahuac, Guerrero, Mexico. Furthermore, pharmacological, phytochemical and toxicological studies with medicinal flora, including mixtures, are required for the experimental validation of their traditional uses.     

Traditional medicine in the Central Plateau of Haiti. 2. Ethnopharmacologic inventory

An ethnomedical and ethnopharmacological research on the traditional use of plants to cure human diseases was carried out in the Thomonde area located in the Central Plateau of Ha?ti. Part 1 of this publication was an ethnomedical study of the traditional folk therapy system. In this second part, we list 161 local plants, distributed in 64 botanical families, currently used for treating 38 common diseases. These 161 species were collected and identified. Their latin names, local names, local medicinal uses, the used part of the plant and the form of remedy are described.     

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.     

Ethnobotany of medicinal plants used in Eastern Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Mediterranean Sea)

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This paper represents the first large-scale ethnobotanical study in the island of Mallorca, and provides significant information on pharmaceutical plant uses, built up from interviews with native people from this touristic hotspot, demonstrating its ethnopharmacological importance.

Aim of the study

To collect, analyse and evaluate the ethnobotanical knowledge concerning medicinal plants in a north-eastern Mallorcan area (municipalities of Artà, Capdepera and Son Servera; 298 km², 31,764 inhabitants).

Materials and methods

We performed semi-structured interviews with 42 informants (mean age 77; 40% women, 60% men), identified the plant taxa reported and analysed the results, comparing them with those found in the current Mallorcan ethnobotanical information and in other territories.

Results

The informants reported data on 121 human medicinal plants representing 64 botanical families. Around 45 medicinal uses reported, concerning 37 species, have not or have very rarely been cited as medicinal. An index of medicinal importance is proposed.

Conclusions

All efforts addressed to compiling ethnobotanical information in industrialised or touristised areas such as Eastern Mallorca are still valuable. New possibilities can be explored to give practical value to Mallorcan ethnobotanical data in the frame of considering traditional plant knowledge as part of the islanders’ lifestyle and healthy habits.     

Medicinal plant wealth of local communities in some villages in Shimoga District of Karnataka, India

An ethnomedicinal survey (1998-2000) was conducted in three villages of Shimoga district of Karnataka, India, using a questionnaire designed by [Sinha, R.K., 1996. Ethnobotany-The Renaissance of Traditional Herbal Medicine. Ina Shree Publishers, Jaipur, India, 242 pp.]. The herbal practitioners in the study area were interviewed and information on medicinal plants, their local names, habitat and their seasonal availability was collected. The survey revealed the utilization of 47 species of plants belonging to 46 genera in 28 families used to treat 9 infectious and 16 non-infectious diseases. Twelve new claims on ethnomedical knowledge were reported and there were formulations that were similar to that described already in the literature.     

Medicinal plants traditionally used in the northwest of the Basque Country (Biscay and Alava), Iberian Peninsula

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Many ethnobotanical studies show that people in industrial countries still rely on their traditional knowledge of medicinal plants for self-treatment, although the trend might not be as common as some decades ago. Given the social and public health implications of ethnopharmacological practices, this survey aims at recording and analysing the medicinal plants used in the folk medicine of the Northwest of the Basque Country focusing on how medicinal plants knowledge and practices evolve.

Materials and methods

Fieldwork consisted of 265 orally consented semi-structured interviews with 207 informants about medicinal uses of plants. Interviews were conducted between September 2008 and January 2011. Informants were on average 76 years old (minimum 45, maximum 95), being more than half of them (112) men. Data collected were structured in use-reports (UR). Following informants' comments, medicinal use-reports were classified as abandoned-UR, when the informants reported that the use was only practiced in the past, and prevalent-UR, when the informants reported to continue the practice.

Results and discussion

A total of 2067 UR for 139 species that belong to 58 botanical families were recorded, being the most important families Asteraceae, Liliaceae sensu latu and Urticaceae. Some of the most important species are commonly used in other European areas (e.g., Chamaemelum nobile, Urtica dioica and Chelidonium majus). However, there are also plants commonly used in the area such as Helleborus viridis or Coronopus didymus, that are scarcely used in other areas, and whose record is an original contribution of the local pharmacopeia. It is also the case of remedies such as the use of Plantago leaves against strains in a local remedy called zantiritu. Overall, and for all variables analysed (total UR, medicinal use-categories, drug preparation and administration), the percentage of UR being currently practiced (prevalence ratio) was very low (near 30%) suggesting a strong decay in the use of traditional medicinal plants. Exceptionally, some species (Chamaemelum nobile, Verbena officinalis or Anagallis arvensis) had a high prevalence ratio, reflecting the fact that this erosion process is not evolving homogeneously. Informants also reported that new species and medicinal plant uses were entering into the local pharmacopeia via non-traditional sources such as books, courses, or the internet. These modern ways are now being used to spread some traditional remedies that in the past were only orally transmitted.

Conclusions

This study shows that traditional knowledge is continuously changing, evolving and adapting to the new social and environmental conditions. The image of the local folk medicine as a dying reality doomed to disappear should be reviewed. It also shows the need of a culturally sensitive approach by the official health systems to these practices.     

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.     

Medicinal plant diversity and uses in the Sango bay area, Southern Uganda

An inventory is presented for the medicinal plants of the Sango bay area in Southern Uganda. Fieldwork was conducted between March and August 2004, using semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and participant observation as well as transect walks in wild herbal plant collection areas. One hundred and eighty-six plant species belonging to 163 genera and 58 families with medicinal values were recorded. Remedies from these plants are prepared mainly as decoctions and infusions and administered in a variety of ways. The majority (51.3%) of these plants are herbaceous, growing mainly in the wild. Grasslands provided the highest number of species for medicinal use (54.6%) followed by home gardens (25.4%) and fallow land (19.5%). A review of Ugandan and other literature indicated that 72 (38.5%) medicinal plants reported in this study have not been reported previously as having medicinal value. According to respondents, plant species including Hallea rubrostipulata (K. Schum) J-F Leroy (Rubiaceae) and Warburgia ugandensis Sprague (Canellaceae) are threatened because of poor harvesting techniques and unsustainable harvesting intensities. Suggestions for future conservation programs, sustainable utilization and ethnopharmacological studies are given.