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

Ethnopharmacological relevance

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

Aim of the study

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

Materials and methods

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

Results

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

Conclusions

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

Herbal medicines used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Arunachal Himalaya, northeast, India

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Medicinal plants have played an important role in treating and preventing a variety of diseases throughout the world. Khampti tribal people living in the far-flung Lohit district of the Eastern Arunachal Himalaya, India still depend on medicinal plants and most of them have a general knowledge of medicinal plants which are used for treating a variety of ailments. This survey was undertaken in Lohit district in order to inventory the medicinal plants used in folk medicine to treat diabetes mellitus.

Materials and methods

Field investigations were conducted in seventeen remote villages of Lohit district starting from April 2002 to May 2004 through interviews among 251 key informants who were selected randomly during our household survey. To elucidate community domains and determine differences in indigenous traditional knowledge of medicinal plants with anti-diabetic efficacy, we repeated our field survey starting from April 2008 to May 2010 with one hundred traditional healers locally called as “Chau ya” in Khampti of Lohit district. “Chau ya” traditional healers who know and use medicinal plants for treating diabetes mellitus were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results

This study reports an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh reputed for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Forty-six plant species were identified in the study area to treat diabetes mellitus by the Khamptis “Chau ya” traditional healers. Comparative published literature survey analysis of this study with other ethnobotanical surveys of plants used traditionally in treating diabetes mellitus suggests that eleven plant species make claims of new reports on antidiabetic efficacy. These plant species are Begonia roxburghii, Calamus tenuis, Callicarpa arborea, Cuscuta reflexa, Dillenia indica, Diplazium esculentum, Lectuca gracilis, Millingtonia hortensis, Oxalis griffithii, Saccharum spontaneum, and Solanum viarum. Some of the plants reported in this study have an antidiabetic effect on rodent models but none have sufficient clinical evidence of effectiveness.

Conclusions

The wide variety of medicinal plants that are used to treat diabetes mellitus in this area supports the importance of plants in the primary healthcare system of the rural people of Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh. The finding of new plant uses in the current study reveals the importance of the documentation of such ethnobotanical knowledge.     

Medicinal plants used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat diarrhoea in the Limpopo Province,South Africa

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This paper provides ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants used to treat diarrhoea in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Documentation of this nature usually provides the basis for selecting medicinal plants for future phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies aimed at developing new, effective and affordable plant-derived diarrhoea remedies.

Aim of the study

To record and document medicinal plants used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat diarrhoea in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Materials and methods

In order to record and document medicinal plants used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat diarrhoea, 51 healers from 17 municipalities covering Capricorn, Sekhukhune and Waterberg districts in the Limpopo Province, South Africa were interviewed between January and July 2011. Data collected included the names of plants, plant part(s) used, methods of herbal preparation, administration, dosage and duration of treatments. Voucher specimens of the plants used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat diarrhoea were collected, identified and deposited as future reference material at the Larry-Leach Herbarium (UNIN), University of Limpopo.

Results

A total of 20 plant species representing 16 families and 20 genera were found to be commonly used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat and manage diarrhoea in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The largest proportion of the medicinal plants belonged to the families Anacardiaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Malvaceae (10% each). The most frequently used species were Punica granatum (39.2%), Grewia bicolor (33.3%), Dombeya rotundifolia (21.6%), Commiphora marlothii (19.6%) and Acacia senegal (13.7%). The roots were the most commonly used plant part (50%), followed by leaves (20%), bark (15%), fruits (10%), pericarp, seed, tuber and whole plants (5% each). Mono therapies based on preparations made from a single plant species were the most dominant (90%). All medicinal preparations were taken orally for 1 week or until diarrhoea subsided. The therapeutic claims of the medicinal plants documented in this study are well supported by literature, with 70% of the species having anti-diarrhoeal properties or are used as diarrhoea remedies both in South Africa and also in other countries.

Conclusion

This study reveals that local communities in the Limpopo Province, South Africa still depend on traditional medicines for basic healthcare; and the use of traditional medicines is still an integral part of their socio-cultural life.     

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants in Jordan,Mujib Nature Reserve and surrounding area

Aim of the study

Medicinal plants are an important element of indigenous systems in Jordan. These resources are usually regarded as part of a culture's traditional knowledge. Therefore, the aim of this study is to collect information from local population concerning the use of medicinal plants of the Mujib region; identify the most important medicinal plants used; determine the relative importance of the species surveyed and calculate the informant consensus factor (F_ic) in relation to medicinal plant use.

Materials and methods

Qualitative tools were used for data collection and to record the interviewee's personal information and topics related to the medicinal use of specific plants. The collected data were used to calculate the F_ic and the plant use values.

Results and conclusions

Fifty-eight plants were identified to be still in use in traditional practice in Mujib. Our results showed that the highest use values were recorded for the species Artemisia sieberi Bess. and Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn., while the highest F_ic was cited for digestive problems. Anthropologically, women were the primary gatherers while healers were reported to be both females, predominantly, and males; yet, herbalists are deficient in this local community.     

Medicinal utilization of exotic plants by Bapedi traditional healers to treat human ailments in Limpopo province,South Africa

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Most exotic plants are usually labelled as alien invasives and targeted for eradication. However, some of these exotic plants play an important role in the traditional primary healthcare sector of the Bapedi culture in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The medicinal uses of most of these species have neither been documented nor their biological activity evaluated.

Aim of the study

To make an inventory of exotic species employed by Bapedi traditional healers to treat different human ailments in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Materials and methods

Semi-structured interviews, observation and guided field walks with 52 traditional healers were employed to obtain ethnobotanical data during first half of 2011 on the use of exotic plant species by Bapedi healers to treat human ailments. Based on ethnobotanical information provided by these healers, specimens were collected, numbered, pressed, and dried for identification.

Results

A total of 35 exotics species belonging to 21 families and 34 genera, mostly from the Fabaceae and Solanaceae (11.4% for each), Apocynaceae and Asteraceae (8.5% for each) were used by Bapedi healers to treat 20 human ailments. Trees (45.7%) and herbs (37.1%) are the primary source of medicinal plants. Species most frequently reported were used for the treatment of hypertension (35%), diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction and gonorrhoea (25% for each). The highest consensus from individual accounts of the traditional healers on the use of exotic plant remedies in this study was noted for the three ailments. These were for Catharanthus roseus (gonorrhoea, 60%), Punica granatum (diarrhoea, 38.4%) and Ricinus communis (sores, 21.5%). Of the 35 exotic plant species recorded, 34.2% are regulated by the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (1983) (CARA) No. 43 of 1983 either as worst weeds or invaders.

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that exotic plant species play an important part as medicinal remedies employed by Bapedi healers to treat different human diseases in the Limpopo Province. The use of these species as alternative sources of medicinal remedies could alleviate harvesting pressure of wild indigenous plants, thereby enhance biodiversity's region. However, there is a need to formulate an appropriate policy to retain some of the useful medicinal exotics (listed under CARA No. 43 of 1983) within the environment before their medicinal value vanishes as they are eradicated through management strategies adopted by the South African government.     

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.     

Ethnobotanical survey of antidiarrhoeal plants of Parinche valley,Pune district,Maharashtra, India

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Maharashtra is the third largest state in India with a large tribal population. Documentation of traditional knowledge through ethnobotanical studies is important for conservation and utilization of indigenous knowledge. Diarrhoeal diseases are the second largest cause of morbidity in rural India. Medicinal plants given by the traditional healers of Parinche in Pune district, Maharashtra are known to be efficacious for many common ailments, including diarrhoeal diseases.

Aim of the study

Ethnobotanical survey of antidiarrhoeal plants from Parinche valley towards the documentation and conservation of traditional knowledge.

Materials and methods

Interviews and inquiries were conducted amongst traditional healers, indigenous communities and village elders.

Results

One hundred and eighty two plants used by tribes and natives for different ailments were documented of which 28 flowering plants were for diarrhoea. Leaf was the most preferred plant part. Amongst the 28 plants, antidiarrhoeal activity of five plants viz., Caesalpinia sepiaria, Dioscorea pentaphylla, Launaea pinnatifida, Syzygium rubicundum and Ziziphus jujuba has not been reported previously. Two species viz., Ziziphus xylopyra and Syzygium rubicundum are endemic to India.

Conclusion

Parinche valley is an ethnobotanically rich area with abundant availability and knowledge of medicinal plants that can serve as a model for low cost health care.     

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.     

A first survey on the medicinal plants of the Chazuta valley (Peruvian Amazon)

Aim of the study

At present, the Peruvian Amazonian district of Chazuta represents one of the main reservoirs of the San Martin Quechuas (also known as Lamas Quechuas) and their culture. These particular Quechuas, as well as the region of Chazuta, have been seldom studied from an academic point of view. With the objective of contributing to the ethnopharmacological knowledge of the area, a field survey on the use of medicinal plants was performed in the region.

Material and methods

The information was obtained through interviews to the 6.3% of the district rural adult population (140 individuals, 75% of which was considered Quechua).

Results

In total, the study recorded 945 medicinal use-reports of 289 plant species collected in Chazuta, which belong to 202 genera in 81 families of vascular plants. Mainly, plant remedies were employed to treat musculoskeletal disorders (29.7% of all the medicinal use-reports), gastrointestinal complaints (13.4%) and skin conditions (12.9%).

Conclusions

In Chazuta, medicinal plants are used within a context of a traditional medicine that confronts health and illness from an integral vision, in which the medicinal uses of plants, its combination with lifestyle advice, and its participation in the performance of rituals and other practices concerning to what is often named as “the world of spirits” have to be considered.     

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

Ethnopharmacological relevance

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

Materials and methods

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

Results

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

Conclusions

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

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by traditional healers in silent valley of Kerala,India

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Medicinal plants are treating and preventing a variety disease. There is urgency in recording such data. This is the first ethno botanical study in which statistical calculations about plants are done by ICF method. The present study was aimed to identify plants collected for medicinal purposes by the traditional healers of silent valley, located in Palakad district of Kerala, India and to document the traditional names, preparation and uses of these plants.

Materials and methods

Field study was carried out a period of 2 years in Kerala. The ethno medicinal information was collected through interviews among traditional healers. The collected data were analyzed through use value (UV) informant consensus factor (F_ic) and fidelity level (FL).

Results

A total of 102 species of plants distributed in 95 genera belonging to 53 families were identified as commonly used ethno medicinal plants by traditional healers in silent valley for the treatment of 19 ailment categories based on the body systems treated. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts and most of the medicines were prepared in the form of paste and administrated orally. F_ic values of the present study indicated that dermatological infections/diseases and gastro-intestinal disorders had highest use reports and 7 species of plants has the highest fidelity level of 100%. The most important species according to their use value were Moringa oleifera (2.62), Curculigo orchioides (2.5) Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, Vitex negundo (each 2.37), Carica papaya (2.12), Annona squamosa (1.87).

Conclusion

Gathering the present study, we can recommended the plants Moringa oleifera, Curculigo orchioides, Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, Vitex negundo, Carica papaya, Citrus hystrix, and Tribulus terrestris (with high use values), Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, Aloe vera, Carum capticum and Discorea pentaphylla (newly reported claims with highest FL) for further scientific investigation based upon the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants can be an approach in the discovery and development of novel drug leads.     

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by Bapedi healers to treat diabetes mellitus in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Bapedi phytomedicine employ a range of plant species to treat diabetes mellitus (DM). Existing literature partially support the use of certain species for this purpose.

Aim of the study

To report on Bapedi medicinal plants employed to treat DM.

Materials and methods

A semi-structured questionnaire was employed to conduct a survey on medicinal plants used by Bapedi traditional healers in their DM management protocol. Fifty-two traditional healers from 16 municipalities, covering three districts, were interviewed during the first half of 2011.

Results

A total of 24 plant species belonging to 20 families, mostly from the Asteraceae (13%), Cucurbitaceae and Sapotaceae (8%), were used to treat diabetes mellitus. Plant parts mostly preferred were roots and leaves. A decoction of these is most commonly used to make extracts, which are then taken orally for a period of one week. Mimusops zeyheri (29%), Helichrysum caespititium (25%), Plumeria obtusa (21%), Aloe marlothii subsp. marlothii, Hypoxis iridifolia and Moringa oleifera (17% each), were repeatedly mentioned by the traditional healers as most used for the management of diabetes mellitus in the study area. Plumeria obtusa and Momordica balsamina are exclusively used to treat diabetes mellitus, and only in the Sekhukhune District.

Conclusion

It is concluded that Bapedi traditional healers do have a basic understanding of the causes and remedial action required in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.     

Plants used as remedies antirheumatic and antineuralgic in the traditional medicine of Lebanon

Aim of the study

In the present investigation, ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological research of the traditional use of plants to cure antirheumatic and antineuralgic diseases was carried out in Lebanon.

Materials and methods

The information was collected from different cities and villages of the twenty-six districts “aqdya or qadaa” of the six governorates “mohaafazah” of Lebanon. The knowledge on the medicinal use of plants has been recorded directly on the basis of a detailed survey on herbalists “Attarin or dabbous”, folk healers, on older experienced people and midwives “daye”. This research was carried out for 5 years (2002–2007).

Results and conclusions

In this survey, 231 species of which 5 are endemic, distributed in 79 botanical families, currently used as antirheumatic herbal remedies, were collected and identified. Among them 53.3% are indigenous, 19.2% are cultivated and 17.5% are imported. Their latin names, local names, local medicinal uses, the used parts of the plant and the preparations and the ways of administration are described. The anti-inflammatory properties due to the plant compounds have been demonstrated and discussed.     

Comparing medicinal plant knowledge using similarity indices: a case of the Brou, Saek and Kry in Lao PDR

Background

Medicinal plant traditional knowledge is one of the most widely known traditional ecosystem services, as it provides primary healthcare, contributes to subsistence livelihoods, and for its potential value as a source of novel pharmaceuticals. People living in close contact with their surroundings for many generations are hypothesized to have developed, through trial-and-error, in-depth knowledge of ecosystems, biodiversity, and their management and utility. In the case of medicinal plant knowledge it could lead to an asymptotic climax or a constantly evolving equilibrium of cures with proven efficacy and those under assessment.

Methods

An in-depth study of 97 plant species used in traditional medicine by the Brou, Saek and Kry ethnic groups in Lao PDR was made to test similarity in medicinal plant knowledge.

Results

Medicinal plants were used in 99 different ways in 510 species-use combinations. Medicinal uses could be generalized into 12 use categories with 747 species-category combinations. Similarity indices show Brou and Saek plant use appears to be most similar (QS_BS: 60.0; JI_BS: 75.1) followed by Kry and Saek (QS_KS: 51.6; JI_KS: 53.4), and then Kry and Brou (QS_BK: 46.9; JI_BK: 44.1).

Discussion

Intercultural similarities found are quite low, considering that all three groups share the same geographical and ecological area and have the same dependence on medicinal plants. Intercultural transmission is unimpeded but many treatments are likely to be ineffective. Comparison of the similarities found here with similarities computed from other data show that these results are homologous with other sympatric ethnic groups, and much higher than those for allopatrically living groups.

Conclusion

Medicinal plant knowledge does not reach a stable climax, but appears to evolve continually by trial-and-error, as effective cures to many ailments are unavailable.     

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants around Limu Mountains of Hainan Island,China

Aim of the study

The main objectives were to document traditional knowledge on the use of medicinal plants and compare medicinal plant traditions between Li and Hmong living around Limu Mountains of Hainan Island.

Material and methods

Information was obtained from semi-structured interviews, personal conversation and guided fieldtrips with herbalists. Quantitative methods, such as the coefficient of similarity (S), Chi-square analysis and the ‘informant agreement ratio’ were applied for the comparison of medicinal plant tradition between Li and Hmong.

Results

In all, 224 plant species grown in the study areas are still traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases. Euphorbiaceae (17 species), Rubiaceae (16 species), Papilionaceae and Poaceae (11 species, respectively), Verbenaceae (10 species) and Compositae (7 species) are predominant families used by herbalists. The most species were reported to be used for injuries (25.1% of all the medicinal use-reports), digestive system disorders (24.8%), infections/infestations (14.7%) and muscular-skeletal system disorders (12.3%). The coefficient of similarity (29.0%) shows a relatively high overlap of medicinal plants used by Li and Hmong. Using Chi-square analysis, it was found that habit mentions were dependent upon the culture. Infections/infestations, injuries and muscular-skeletal system disorders scored high IAR value and mention in both Li and Hmong communities.

Conclusions

Medicinal plants are of importance to indigenous people around Limu Mountains who still rely on medicinal plants to treat a wide range of illnesses. There is a close relationship of medicinal plant tradition between Li and Hmong who are culturally distinct.     

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.     

Traditional knowledge on medicinal plant of the Karen in northern Thailand: A comparative study

Ethnopharmacological relevance

We studied traditional medicinal plant knowledge among the Karen in northern Thailand.

Aim of the study

To compare traditional medicinal knowledge in 14 Karen villages in northern Thailand and determine culturally important medicinal plant species in each Karen village.

Materials and methods

We interviewed 14 key informants and 438 non-specialist informants about their traditional knowledge of medicinal plants. We tested normality of the data and correlations with distance to the nearest city using Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Cluster analysis and cultural importance index (CI) were calculated for the similarity of medicinal plant used and culturally importance medicinal plant species among Karen villages respectively.

Results

In total 379 medicinal plant species were used. Number of medicinal plants used positively correlate with distance to the nearest city. Relatively low similarities of medicinal plant species and different CI values for species among the different areas were found.

Conclusions

Traditional medicinal plants still play an important role in medicinal practice of the Karen. Local environments, availability of medicinal plant and distance between Karen villages and the nearest city affect the amount of traditional medicinal knowledge in each Karen village. The medicinal plants in this study with high CI values might give some useful leads for further biomedical research.     

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.     

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used by indigenous and tribal people in Rangamati,Bangladesh

Ethnopharmacological relevance

There is very limited information regarding plants used by traditional healers in Rangamati, Bangladesh, for treating general ailments. Current study provides significant ethnopharmacological information, both qualitative and quantitative on medical plants in Rangamati.

Aim of the study

This study aimed to collect, analyze and evaluate the rich ethnopharmacologic knowledge on medicinal plants in Rangamati and attempted to identify the important species used in traditional medicine. Further analysis was done by comparison of the traditional medicinal use with the available scientific literature data.

Materials and methods

The field survey was carried out in a period of about one year in Rangamati, Bangladesh. A total of 152 people were interviewed, including Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) and indigenous people through open-ended and semistructured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. This ethnomedicinal knowledge was compared against the literature for reports of related uses and studies of phytochemical compounds responsible for respective ailments.

Results

A total of 144 species of plants, mostly trees, belonging to 52 families were identified for the treatment of more than 90 types of ailments. These ailments were categorized into 25 categories. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts and decoction is the mode of preparation of major portions of the plant species. The most common mode of administration was oral ingestion and topical application. Informant consensus factor (Fic) values of the present study reflected the high agreement in the use of plants in the treatment of gastro-intestinal complaints and respiratory problems among the informants. Gastro-intestinal complaint had highest use-reports and 3 species of plants, namely Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr., Ananas comosus (L.) Merr., and Terminalia chebula (Gaertn.) Retz., had the highest fidelity level (FL) of 100%. Asparagus racemosus Willd. and Azadirachta indica A. Juss. showed the highest relative importance (RI) value of 1.86. According to use value (UV) the most important species were Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (2.48) and Ocimum sanctum L. (2.45).

Conclusion

As a result of the present study, we recommend giving priority for further phytochemical investigation to plants that scored highest FL, Fic, UV or RI values, as such values could be considered as good indicator of prospective plants for discovering new drugs. Also counseling of THPs should be taken into consideration in order to smooth continuation and extension of traditional medical knowledge and practice for ensuring safe and effective therapy.