Ethnobotanical study on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-Western Serbia,Zlatibor district

Ethnopharmacological relevance: This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on medicinal plant uses in the Zlatibor district, South-Western Serbia.     

新疆产四种锦鸡儿的民族植物学调查△

目的:对吐鲁番锦鸡儿、刺叶锦鸡儿、小叶锦鸡儿和粉刺锦鸡儿等4种锦鸡儿进行民族植物学调查。方法:通过野外实地考察,对吐鲁番锦鸡儿等4种锦鸡儿属植物的资源分布情况进行调查;通过走访当地集市和关键人物访谈,对其民间使用及市场流通情况进行调查。结果:掌握了当地原住民对锦鸡儿属植物资源利用的总体情况。结论:为锦鸡儿属植物的开发利用奠定了基础。     

我国的民族植物学研究进展

我国是一个多民族国家,有着悠久的历史和灿烂的文化.各民族在利用植物方面有着鲜明的民族特点.民族植物学的研究工作在我国已经有一定的时间,本文试对近年来我国民族植物学方面的工作做一个综述,以期望为日后的进一步研究打下基础.     

Continuity and change in medicinal plant use: The example of monasteries on Cyprus and historical iatrosophia texts

Ethnopharmacological relevance

How medicinal plant knowledge changes over time is a question of central importance in modern ethnopharmacological research. However, only few studies are available which undertook a comprehensive exploration of the evolution of plant use in human cultures.

Aims

In order to understand this dynamic process, we conduct a systematic diachronic investigation to explore continuity and change in two knowledge systems which are closely related but separated in time—historical iatrosophia texts and today′s Greek Orthodox monasteries on Cyprus.

Materials and methods

An ethnobotanical study was conducted in 21 of the island′s monasteries involving various types of interview as well as a written questionnaire survey. Data about medicinal plant use collected in the monasteries was analysed and quantitatively compared to historical iatrosophia texts using data from our pre-existing dataset.

Results

We found a core group of plant taxa for which a high consensus exists among the monasteries regarding their medicinal usefulness. Various means and routes of knowledge transmission appear to be involved in the development of this knowledge. The systematic comparison between the monasteries and the iatrosophia shows similarities and differences on various levels. While the plants used by the nuns and monks have by the majority a relationship to the iatrosophia and show a remarkable historical consistency in terms of their use for defined groups of ailments, the importance of many of these plants and the use of herbal medicines in general have changed.

Conclusions

This is one of the first studies from the Mediterranean region which is based on a systematic ethnopharmacological analysis involving comprehensive datasets of historical and modern ethnographic data. The example illustrates continuity and change in ‘traditional’ knowledge as well as the adoption of new knowledge and provides the opportunity to look beyond the dichotomy between traditional and modern concepts of plant usage. Overall, the study suggests that a systematic diachronic approach can facilitate a better understanding of the complex and dynamic processes involved in the development of medicinal plant knowledge.     

Analysis of traditional knowledge in medicinal plants used by Yuan in Thailand

Ethnopharmacological relevance

We studied traditional knowledge of medicinal plants use of the Yuan in northern Thailand, documenting and analysing traditional medical practices and its trend in the younger generations.

Aim of the study

To providing useful information for appropriate and sustainable management under the urbanization and other developments and use of natural resources in their communities. In addition, traditional medicinal plant used, and knowledge that leads to discovery of new medicines can be promoted.

Materials and methods

Traditional medicinal plant knowledge of the Yuan in Lamphun province was studied from October 2009 through September 2011 in order to determine the important medicinal plant species and dominant use-categories in 5 villages. In each village, questionnaire interviews about medicinal plants uses were applied to 30 informants (5 informants per each of six stratified age groups). The relative importance of plant species was captured by calculation of use value (UV). Likewise, the dominant use-categories were determined by calculation of the informant agreement ratio (IAR). Correlations between informants’ age and number of medicinal plants known by them were determined with the coefficient of determination (R²).

Results

A total of 93 medicinal plant species in 82 genera and 49 families were recorded in the five villages. The most important species of medicinal plants were Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f., Andrographis paniculata Ness, Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M.King and H.Rob., Jatropha podagrica Hook., and Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl. which had UVs of 1.02, 1.01, 0.75, 0.71, and 0.65, respectively. Likewise, the most dominant use-categories were injuries, which accounted for 0.91 of the IAR. The age of informants and medicinal plants reported by each of them were positively correlated (R²=0.96, p<0.01).

Conclusions

Most of the Yuan's traditional medicinal plant knowledge is used for treating basic ailments. However we should be concerned that there is an imminent danger that it will be lost in the near future because their lifestyle was changing.     

Traditional knowledge on medicinal and food plants used in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio,Italy)—An alpine ethnobotanical study

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This work increases the ethnobotanical data from Northern Italy and, in particular, the Lombardy region, till now poorly documented, safeguarding the local folk knowledge, and provides information on new or scarcely reported properties of medicinal plants, whose traditional use needs to be validated experimentally.

Aim of the study

The present study aimed to gather, analyse and evaluate the ethnobotanical information on the species used for medicinal and food purposes by the native people of Val San Giacomo.

Materials and methods

The plant use was documented by speaking with more than 100 people, mainly over 60 years old, born and resident in Val San Giacomo. Information was collected using semi-structured interviews and then analysed by indices such as Ethnophytonomic Index (EPI), Ethnobotanicity Index (EI), relative frequency of citation (RFC), use value (UV), relative importance (RI) and factor informant consensus (FIC).

Results

Information on 66 plants belonging to 35 families (Asteraceae, Rosaceae and Lamiaceae, mainly) was gathered. The preference ranking placed Achillea moschata Wulfen at first place, both for the citation number and for RFC and UV. Arnica montana L., Thymus pulegioides L. and Artemisia genipi Stechm. were also in relevant use. Sixty species were wild and six were cultivated. Leaves, flowers, complete aerial parts and fruits were the plant parts most commonly used for remedy preparation (infusion, especially). The interviewees collected local flora for medicinal purposes, specifically. About 51.5% of the plant species were used to treat gastrointestinal tract of humans as digestive, depurative, appetiser, laxative, astringent and carminative remedies. About 56% of the plants were used in cookery, 24.2% in veterinary field, and 3% as cosmetics. The calculated indices demonstrated that in the studied area there is a small retention of plant knowledge. Only 6.2% of the autochthonous plants proved useful in folk tradition. Despite this, the uses of Sempervivum montanum L., Rhododendron ferrugineum L. and Panicum miliaceum L. were never documented by other ethnobotanical investigations conducted in the alpine area.

Conclusions

This survey was an extension of the ethnobotanical investigations performed in the Italian Alps. A study like this, though performed in a small area with a reduced traditional knowledge, could be the basis for subsequent research on the species that are interesting from a phytochemical point of view and on the potential use of their active metabolites.     

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

Background

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

Materials and methods

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

Results

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

Conclusion

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

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants utilised by Hani ethnicity in Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve, Yunnan, China

Aim of the study

This study was conducted in the Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve to identify and analyse knowledge and use of wild plants for medicinal purposes by Hani ethnicity and to search out culturally as well as economically important plant species and land use types.

Material and methods

Ethnobotanical data was collected using freelisting interviews with randomly selected informants and semi-structured as well as field interviews. Plant specimens were collected, identified and deposited at the Herbarium of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Mengla, Yunnan Province, China. Data were analysed by use-reports, in addition important indices like relative frequency of citation (RFC) and cultural importance index (CI) were calculated. Smith's salience index was assessed using Anthropac 4.08. Consensus analysis was applied to measure informant agreement on plants used in different medicinal use categories.

Results

A total of 199 medicinal plants belonging to 73 families were recorded. Dominant families are Asteraceae (5.5%), Piperaceae and Verbenaceae (4.5%), Fabaceae, Liliaceae (4.0%) and Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae and Solanaceae (3.5%). Most culturally salient species from freelisting analysis were Dendrobium crepidatum Lindl. ex Paxt. (Smith's SI = 0.41), Aristolochia sp. (0.306), Microstegium ciliatum (Trin.) A. Camus (0.129), Eupatorium coelestinum L. (0.119), Litsea martabanica (Kurz) Hook. F. (0.116) and Psidium guajava L. (0.103). The majority of the utilised species were collected from forest (51.9%), followed by fallow land (22.52%), arable fields (14.5%), and homegardens (11.08%).

Conclusions

It became clear that the knowledge of medicinal plants is not homogenously distributed among Hani. Based on the percentage of collected medicinal plants from four habitat types, forest is the most important source of medicinal plants for Hani but when considering the cultural importance of species it seems that homegardens are slightly more important than other habitats.     

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

Aim of the study

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

Materials and methods

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

Results

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

Conclusion

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

Resilience and adaptation in the use of medicinal plants with suspected anti-inflammatory activity in the Brazilian Northeast

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This study uses the utilitarian redundancy model as a basis to investigate issues related to the preference for plants native to the Caatinga used as anti-inflammatories by respondents from the community of Carão in rural Pernambuco, Brazil.

Materials and methods

For this purpose, 49 respondents and 24 native plants used as anti-inflammatories were selected from a database built by previous studies in this study area. Interviews with respondents were conducted by applying the checklist-interview technique and by presenting photographs of plants, which were ordered according to plant preference for each type of inflammation mentioned. After elaborating each list of preferences, we inquired as to the criteria used for the construction of the lists. A salience index was calculated to determine the most- and least-preferred species, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the most significant criteria used by the respondents to indicate the preferred plants for anti-inflammatory use.

Results

We identified 37 subcategories or inflammatory conditions, most of which were associated with disorders of the genitourinary (8 conditions), digestive (7) and respiratory (4) systems. Subcategories with the highest level of redundancy include “wound” (79.1% of species), “cut” (66.6%) and “uterus” (66.6%), and five non-redundant conditions were identified (only one species). We obtained approximately 300 lists and 18 choice criteria. PCA analysis showed that seven species were most preferred by the respondents, as they showed the highest salience values, and that the preferred criterion was “treatment effectiveness”.

Conclusions

These results indicate that inflammation is a complex collection of disorders consisting of several subcategories. Furthermore, respondents preferred different treatments for different inflammatory conditions, which pose a challenge for future pharmacological studies that aim to assess the biological activity of anti-inflammatory plants. Preferences were very specific, focused on a small number of species and mainly related to therapeutic effectiveness.