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Jarić S, Kostić O, Miletić Z, Marković M, Sekulić D, Mitrović M, Pavlović P. Ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal research into medicinal plants in the Mt Stara Planina region (south-eastern Serbia, Western Balkans). JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2024; 20:7. [PMID: 38200599 PMCID: PMC10782642 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-024-00647-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethnobotanical research in Southeast Europe-one of the most important European hotspots for biocultural diversity-is significant for the acquisition of Traditional Ecological Knowledge related to plants as well as for encouraging the development of local environments. The current ethnobotanical research was conducted in the region of Mt Stara Planina (south-eastern Serbia), which is characterised by rich phytodiversity with a large number of endemic and relict plant species. The aim of the study was to document the diversity of uses of medicinal plants and of traditional knowledge on their therapeutic uses. METHODS Ethnobotanical data was collected through both open and semi-structured interviews with locals. Fifty-one inhabitants were interviewed (26 men and 25 women), aged 30-91, and data was analysed by means of use reports, citation frequency, use values (UV), and the informant consensus factor (ICF). RESULTS The study identified 136 vascular medicinal plant taxa and one lichen species belonging to 53 families and 116 genera. Lamiaceae (19), Rosaceae (18), and Asteraceae (17) had the highest species diversity. The plant parts most commonly used to make a variety of herbal preparations were the aerial parts (54 citations), leaves (35 citations), fruits (20 citations), flowers (18 citations), and roots (16 citations), while the most common forms of preparation were teas (60.78%), consumption of fresh tubers, leaves, roots, and fructus (6.86%), compresses (5.88%), juices (5.39%), decoctions (3.92%), 'travarica' brandy (3.92%), and syrups (2.45%). Of the recorded species, 102 were administered orally, 17 topically, and 18 both orally and topically. The plants with a maximum use value (UV = 1) were Allium sativum, Allium ursinum, Gentiana asclepiadea, Gentiana cruciata, Gentiana lutea, Hypericum perforatum, Thymus serpyllum and Urtica dioica. The highest ICF value (ICF = 0.95) was recorded in the categories of Skin and Blood, Blood Forming Organs, and Immune Mechanism. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that medicinal plants in the research area are an extremely important natural resource for the local population as they are an important component of their health culture and provide a better standard of living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snežana Jarić
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11108, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Olga Kostić
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11108, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Zorana Miletić
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11108, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milica Marković
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11108, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dimitrije Sekulić
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11108, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Miroslava Mitrović
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11108, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Pavle Pavlović
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11108, Belgrade, Serbia
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Tsioutsiou EE, Cheilari A, Aligiannis N. Ethnopharmacological study of medicinal plants used against skin ailments on Mount Pelion, central Greece. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1225580. [PMID: 37583900 PMCID: PMC10424924 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1225580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Throughout centuries, traditional herbal medicine and the employment of medicinal plants have constituted an important tool for the treatment and prevention of numerous diseases. The present study focuses on the collection of ethnopharmacological data regarding the uses of medicinal plants for the treatment of dermatological ailments in various villages of Mount Pelion, Greece. More specifically, the study area is represented by the city of Volos and villages located in Central West Pelion and has not been investigated up to now. The information on the medicinal uses of the various species was obtained through extensive semi-structured interviews or the completion of specific questionnaires by the informants. Although the Covid-19 pandemic caused difficulties and obstacles in carrying out this research procedure, 60 informants were recruited and interviewed (36 women and 24 men). Their age range was between 31 and 97 years and their educational level was characterized by great diversity (primary, secondary, and higher education). The elaboration of the gathered information included the calculation of some quantitative indices, such as Fidelity Level (FL), and Informant Consensus Factor (FIC). Moreover, the relative importance of each reported species was identified by calculating the Use Value (UV). The interviews revealed 38 plant taxa belonging to 27 plant families reported to be used in the study area exclusively against skin diseases. The plant family mostly mentioned by the informants was Hypericaceae, followed by Plantaginaceae and Amaryllidaceae, while among the most popular methods of application are cataplasms, compresses, and topical application of decoction or raw plant material. Some of the most cited species are Hypericum perforatum L., Quercus coccifera L., and Plantago sp., traditionally used to treat skin problems such as eczema, wounds, and insect stings. The present ethnopharmacological study is the first documentation of ethnobotanical knowledge of this area that points out the traditional uses of medicinal plants against skin ailments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efthymia Eleni Tsioutsiou
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Zografou, Greece
| | - Antigoni Cheilari
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Zografou, Greece
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Scherrer MM, Zerbe S, Petelka J, Säumel I. Understanding old herbal secrets: The renaissance of traditional medicinal plants beyond the twenty classic species? Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1141044. [PMID: 37033626 PMCID: PMC10079881 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1141044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of traditional medicinal plants plays an important role especially in remote rural and marginalized landscapes at different latitudes. In the development of nature conservation strategies based on local knowledge and sustainable resource management, medicinal herbs have been hypothesized to be cultural key stone species. Environmental education is a crucial driver for fostering environmental literacy and preserving local knowledge across generations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the Autonomous Province of Bozen-South Tyrol (N Italy) to gain insights into, and reflections on, the cultural value of traditional medicinal plants and their interplay within the local landscape, nature conservation and their role in environmental education and knowledge transfer across generations. We also used a combination of purposive and snowball sampling to identify relevant actors. The different voices collected in the study clearly highlight the role of medicinal herbs in healthcare, for cultural identity of local communities and demonstrate a growing commercial market niche that maintains the local economy and services, including widespread offers related to environmental education, that have not, unfortunately, been used yet in the formal curricula of local schools. The latter is crucial for a holistic approach taking medicinal plants as an ideal vehicle to connect especially children with nature and history of South Tyrol, strengthening health education and overall environmental literacy, including species knowledge. However, the revival of herbal medicine and related knowledge do not prevent the continuous loss of local traditional knowledge regarding medicinal plants, recipes and use. More species and their uses are being forgotten due to superficialisation of knowledge and of mainstreaming and homogenization of the global market of herbal medicine. Safeguarding the natural and cultural treasures of South Tyrol for future generations is in the hands of the local communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefan Zerbe
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Joshua Petelka
- Conservation Administration, Regional Council Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ina Säumel
- Integrative Research Institute THESys Transformation of Human-Environment-Systems, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Ina Säumel,
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Karpavičienė B. Traditional Uses of Medicinal Plants in South-Western Part of Lithuania. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11162093. [PMID: 36015397 PMCID: PMC9413674 DOI: 10.3390/plants11162093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Changes in people’s dependence on the resources of the immediate natural environment and in the ways in which information is transmitted may result in the loss of some of the traditional knowledge of plants and their uses. In order to investigate and preserve this knowledge, a comprehensive ethnobotanical study was carried out in a little-studied ethnographic region. Knowledge about the plants used for treatment was collected through open-ended and semi-structured interviews in villages and small rural settlements in southwestern Lithuania. In total, 30 informants reported 103 plant and 1 lichen species. Although the survey was carried out in a small area, up to five local names per species were recorded. The most frequently used species were Matricaria chamomilla, Tilia cordata, Artemisia absinthium and Plantago major. The largest number of plant species was used to treat digestive and respiratory system disorders. Wild plants were mentioned in 71.0% of all use reports, while a relatively higher proportion of cultivated plants was recorded among the new uses. Decoction and infusion were the most commonly used, while some unusual preparations have been recorded in past uses. Research showed that the diversity of plant species used for healing has declined over the last 20 years and that part of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge is disappearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birutė Karpavičienė
- Laboratory of Economic Botany, Nature Research Center, Akademijos Str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Mykhailenko O, Buydin Y, Ivanauskas L, Krechun A, Georgiyants V. Innovative GACP Approaches for Obtaining the Quality Iris hybrida Leaves for the Pharmaceutical Industry. Chem Biodivers 2022; 19:e202200149. [PMID: 35294108 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202200149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The ever-growing demand for active compounds of plant origin contributes to the implementation of cultivation methods for medicinal plants, according to the WHO guideline "Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for Starting Materials of Herbal Origin" to obtain high-quality raw material with the stable phytocomponent composition. Therefore, the development of the cultivation and processing stages of Iris varieties leaves is necessary and promising. The present article showed the potential of proper cultivation with GACP recommendations on affecting the phenolic compounds content in Iris×hybrida hort. 'Indian Pow Waw', Iris×hybrida hort. 'Galleon Gold', and Iris×hybrida hort. 'Mini Dinamo' leaves. The cultivation process was carried out on the experimental sites of the flowering and ornamental plants department of M.M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine) during 2018-2021. A positive effect of Iris samples proper cultivation and content of isoflavonoids (tectoridin, nigricin D-glucoside, genistin, iristectorigenin B, nigricin, irigenin, irisolidone), xanthone mangiferin, and also chlorogenic acid in Irises leaves by HPLC has been established. According to the analysis mangiferin (7.57∼28.75 μg/g), genistin (3324.82∼14642.10 μg/g), irisolidone (673.53∼2015.81 μg/g), and irigenin (3904.37∼1595.94 μg/g) were the dominant components and these compounds can be proposed as chemical markers for Iris raw material. The obtained results indicate a significant positive effect of the introduction and observance of the proper cultivation of medicinal plants to obtain a stable bioactive compounds content, in this case, on the example of Iris genus plants. Further work on the implementation of the good practice recommendation is planned to be carried out for various medicinal plants, since only controlled cultivation makes it possible to obtain high-quality raw materials with a standardized composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olha Mykhailenko
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National University of Pharmacy, 4, Valentynivska str., 61168, Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Yrii Buydin
- M.M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 1, Timiryazevska Str., 01014, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Liudas Ivanauskas
- Department of Analytical and Toxicological Chemistry, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickevičiaus g. 9, LT 44307, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Anastasia Krechun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Development of the public company 'Chempharm factory Chervona zirka', Gordienkivska, 1, 61000, Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Victoriya Georgiyants
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National University of Pharmacy, 4, Valentynivska str., 61168, Kharkiv, Ukraine
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Dutta T, Anand U, Saha SC, Mane AB, Prasanth DA, Kandimalla R, Proćków J, Dey A. Advancing urban ethnopharmacology: a modern concept of sustainability, conservation and cross-cultural adaptations of medicinal plant lore in the urban environment. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab073. [PMID: 34548925 PMCID: PMC8448427 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The discipline 'urban ethnopharmacology' emerged as a collection of traditional knowledge, ancient civilizations, history and folklore being circulated since generations, usage of botanical products, palaeobotany and agronomy. Non-traditional botanical knowledge increases the availability of healthcare and other essential products to the underprivileged masses. Intercultural medicine essentially involves 'practices in healthcare that bridge indigenous medicine and western medicine, where both are considered as complementary'. A unique aspect of urban ethnopharmacology is its pluricultural character. Plant medicine blossomed due to intercultural interactions and has its roots in major anthropological events of the past. Unani medicine was developed by Khalif Harun Al Rashid and Khalif Al Mansur by translating Greek and Sanskrit works. Similarly, Indo-Aryan migration led to the development of Vedic culture, which product is Ayurveda. Greek medicine reached its summit when it travelled to Egypt. In the past few decades, ethnobotanical field studies proliferated, especially in the developed countries to cope with the increasing demands of population expansion. At the same time, sacred groves continued to be an important method of conservation across several cultures even in the urban aspect. Lack of scientific research, validating the efficiency, messy applications, biopiracy and slower results are the main constrains to limit its acceptability. Access to resources and benefit sharing may be considered as a potential solution. Indigenous communities can copyright their traditional formulations and then can collaborate with companies, who have to provide the original inventors with a fair share of the profits since a significant portion of the health economy is generated by herbal medicine. Search string included the terms 'Urban' + 'Ethnopharmacology', which was searched in Google Scholar to retrieve the relevant literature. The present review aims to critically analyse the global concept of urban ethnopharmacology with the inherent plurality of the cross-cultural adaptations of medicinal plant use by urban people across the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tusheema Dutta
- Ethnopharmacology and Natural Product Research Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, 700073, West Bengal, India
| | - Uttpal Anand
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Suchismita Chatterjee Saha
- Department of Zoology, Nabadwip Vidyasagar College (Affiliated to the University of Kalyani), Nabadwip, West Bengal, 741302, India
| | - Abhijit Bhagwan Mane
- Department of Zoology, Dr. Patangrao Kadam Mahavidyalaya, Sangli, (Affiliated to Shivaji University of Kolhapur), Maharashtra, 416308, India
| | - Dorairaj Arvind Prasanth
- Department of Microbiology, School of Biosciences, Periyar University, Salem, 636011, Tamilnadu, India
| | - Ramesh Kandimalla
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Uppal Road, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500007, Telangana, India
- Department of Biochemistry, Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, 506007, Telangana, India
| | - Jarosław Proćków
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 5b, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Ethnopharmacology and Natural Product Research Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, 700073, West Bengal, India
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Li X, Chen W, Simal-Gandara J, Georgiev MI, Li H, Hu H, Wu X, Efferth T, Wang S. West meets east: open up a dialogue on phytomedicine. Chin Med 2021; 16:57. [PMID: 34281584 PMCID: PMC8287783 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-021-00467-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The desire to extend the wisdom of traditional health systems has motivated the trade of many phytomedicine on a global scale for centuries, especially some dietary herbs, making a great overlap exits between western and eastern phytomedicine. Despite the communication since ancient times, a key disconnect still exists in the dialog among western and eastern herbal researchers. There is very little systematic effort to tap into the friction and fusion of eastern and western wisdom in utilizing phytomedicine. In this review, we analyzed the similarities and differences of three representative phytomedicine, namely Rhodiola, seabuckthorn, and fenugreek, aiming to open up new horizons in developing novel health products by integrating the wisdom of the east and the west.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuzhu Li
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao SAR Taipa, China
| | - Weijie Chen
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao SAR Taipa, China
| | - Jesus Simal-Gandara
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Vigo-Ourense Campus, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Milen I. Georgiev
- Laboratory of Metabolomics, The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Hongyi Li
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao SAR Taipa, China
| | - Hao Hu
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao SAR Taipa, China
| | - Xu Wu
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan China
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Shengpeng Wang
- Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao SAR Taipa, China
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Łuczaj Ł, Jug-Dujaković M, Dolina K, Jeričević M, Vitasović-Kosić I. Insular Pharmacopoeias: Ethnobotanical Characteristics of Medicinal Plants Used on the Adriatic Islands. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:623070. [PMID: 34025401 PMCID: PMC8138454 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.623070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Adriatic islands in Croatia, usually divided into two archipelagos – the Kvarner and Dalmatian islands – is one of the largest groups of islands in Europe. Over 40 islands are still inhabited. Unfortunately the traditional use of medicinal plants was never properly documented there. Our data comes from 343 interviews carried out in 36 islands, including the 15 largest islands of the archipelago. The medicinal plants are mainly used to make herbal infusions or decoctions, occasionally medicinal liqueurs, syrups, compresses, or juices squeezed out of raw plants. We recorded the use of 146 taxa, among them 131 with at least one medicinal purpose and 15 only for tea. The frequency curve of use is relatively steep – several plants are used very frequently and most are reported only by one or two informants, which can be explained both by the large geographical spread of the area, and even more so by the devolution of local knowledge and disappearance of gathering practices due to specialization in tourism, modernization and depopulation. Most of the gathered plants already occur in ancient and medieval herbals and are a part of the pan-Mediterranean pharmacopoeia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Łuczaj
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland
| | | | - Katija Dolina
- Institute for Marine and Coastal Research, University of Dubrovnik, Dubrovnik, Croatia
| | | | - Ivana Vitasović-Kosić
- Department of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used in Central Macedonia, Greece. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 2019:4513792. [PMID: 31057648 PMCID: PMC6463668 DOI: 10.1155/2019/4513792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This work provides the ethnobotanical data concerning the traditional use of medicinal plants in Macedonia region (Northern Greece), which has, up to now, been poorly investigated. The aim of the present study was to collect, analyze, and evaluate information on the use of medicinal plants among different population groups living in Central Macedonia. The study was carried out in the area of two small cities, Edessa and Naoussa, and nearby villages. The ethnobotanical data were gathered through extensive and semistructured interviews. The informants belonged to different population groups living in the study areas and were involved, at least partially, in agriculture. Together with detailed reports on each species, data were also summarized by some indices, such as Fidelity Level (FL) and Informant Consensus Factor (Fic). A group of 96 informants was interviewed and 87 plant taxa with medicinal uses were cited. Medicinal plants are used to treat a wide range of diseases, in particular ailments of the respiratory tract and skin disorders. The importance of the traditional use of plants to cure and prevent common and some uncommon diseases had been highlighted. About 55% of medicinal plants mentioned by the informants had been previously reported to be sold in Thessaloniki herbal market as traditional remedies. Medicinal uses of some endemic taxa had been reported, e.g., Satureja montana subsp. macedonica, a member of the S. montana group restricted to Northern Central Greece, Origanum dictamnus, an endemic species of Crete, and six Balkan endemics, i.e., Achillea holosericea, Digitalis lanata, Helleborus odorus subsp. cyclophyllus, Sideritis scardica, Thymus sibthorpii, and Verbascum longifolium. Several differences in Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge (TEK) were observed in relation to social and cultural components of the population. Only 7 species (Crataegus monogyna, Hypericum perforatum, Matricaria chamomilla, Rosa canina, Sambucus nigra, Sideritis scardica, and Tilia platyphyllos) were commonly reported by all population groups, whereas 30 out of 87 taxa (34%) were exclusively mentioned by a single group. All groups are incorporated in the local society and do not identify themselves as members of different ethnic groups, although they try to preserve their distinctiveness by keeping their traditions and dialects. Nevertheless, our data show that the knowledge regarding the medicinal plant use was rarely accompanied by preservation of linguistic diversity concerning the plant names. This work contributes to improve the knowledge on the traditional use of plants in the folk medicine of a region like Central Macedonia where different population groups live together, partially maintaining their traditions. A part of data of this paper has been presented as posted at 112° Congress of Italian Botanical Society (IPSC), Parma 20-23 September 2017.
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Pranskuniene Z, Dauliute R, Pranskunas A, Bernatoniene J. Ethnopharmaceutical knowledge in Samogitia region of Lithuania: where old traditions overlap with modern medicine. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2018; 14:70. [PMID: 30458833 PMCID: PMC6247776 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-018-0268-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Modern ethnopharmaceutical studies are still quite unusual in Northern Europe. Data regarding the medicinal use of plants, animals, and fungi and also of spiritual rituals of healing is obtained mostly from ethnographic and folkloric sources in Lithuania. The aim of this study was to assess the ethnopharmaceutical knowledge regarding traditional use of natural substances for medicinal purposes in the Samogitia region and compare with prior research conducted 10 years prior in the same region. METHODS The study was performed during 2016-2017 in the Samogitia region (Lithuania) using the conventional technique of ethnobotanical studies. Twenty-eight respondents aged between 50 and 92 years were selected for the study using snowball techniques. Information was collected using semi-structured and structured interviews. The obtained information was recorded indicating local names of plants, their preparation techniques, parts used, modes of administration, and application for therapeutic purposes. RESULTS During the research, 125 records of raw materials of herbal origin belonging to 55 families were made. The Asteraceae family had the highest number of references, 147 (16.6%). It was stated that the most commonly used medicinal plants were the raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) (100%), marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) (96.4%), camomile (Matricaria recutita L.) (92.9%), and small linden tree (Tilia cordata Mill.) (92.9%). The most commonly used material of animal origin was the toad (Bufo bufo) (89%). The most commonly used kind of fungi was the common stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus) (71%), and the material of the mineral origin was sand (50%). Comparative analysis of the two surveys in this region showed similar results and produced a large amount of ethnopharmaceutical information. CONCLUSIONS Lithuania belongs to the countries known for urban ethnobotany where old traditions overlap with modern healing methods. Also, because modern medical assistance is quite expensive, self-medication with home-made medicines is still popular in Lithuania. It is important to collect and systematize this information as soon as possible, to save it as a traditional Lithuanian heritage and also use it for scientific investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zivile Pranskuniene
- Department of Drug Technology and Social Pharmacy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Sukileliu pr. 13, Kaunas, Lithuania
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technologies, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Roberta Dauliute
- Department of Drug Technology and Social Pharmacy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Sukileliu pr. 13, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Andrius Pranskunas
- Department of Intensive Care, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Jurga Bernatoniene
- Department of Drug Technology and Social Pharmacy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Sukileliu pr. 13, Kaunas, Lithuania
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technologies, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
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Ramet A, Benyei P, Parada M, Aceituno-Mata L, García-del-Amo D, Reyes-García V. Grandparents' Proximity and Children's Traditional Medicinal Plant Knowledge: Insights from Two Schools in Intermediate-Rural Spain. J ETHNOBIOL 2018. [DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-38.2.187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Ramet
- Faculté des Sciences, Université Montpellier II
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona
| | - Petra Benyei
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona
| | - Montserrat Parada
- Laboratori de Botànica (UB) - Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació — Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona
| | - Laura Aceituno-Mata
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica). Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid
| | - David García-del-Amo
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona
| | - Victoria Reyes-García
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona
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Gilca M, Tiplica GS, Salavastru CM. Traditional and ethnobotanical dermatology practices in Romania and other Eastern European countries. Clin Dermatol 2018; 36:338-352. [PMID: 29908576 DOI: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The geographic and ecologic specificity of Romania and other Eastern European countries has resulted in the development of an exceptional diversity of medicinal plants. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the ethnobotanical dermatology practices based on the use of medicinal plants in this region. The indications, ethnopharmacologic activities, parts used, and administration of 106 medicinal plants are provided. We also discuss the relative importance of these species, using two modified indices of quantitative ethnobotany: Use Value Index and Relative Dermatologic Importance, which were calculated on the basis of etic constructions (indications and ethnopharmacologic activities). The species identified to have the highest dermatologic importance (on a scale of 100) were Brassica oleracea L. (100), Matricaria chamomilla L. (79.17), Arctium lappa L. (74.82), Daucus carota L. (72.28), Equisetum arvense L. (70.47), Juglans regia L. (69.93), Populous nigra L. (65.94), Symphytum officinale L. (63.59), Chelidonium majus L. (57.78), Calendula officinalis L. (57.78), Achillea millefolium L. (57.43), Melilotus officinalis L. (55.25), Allium cepa L. (51.45), Quercus robur L. (51.08), and Betula spp. (50.91). This preliminary study on ethnobotanical dermatology practices indicates that Eastern European traditional medical knowledge represents an important heritage that is currently underexploited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilena Gilca
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of General Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania.
| | - George Sorin Tiplica
- Dermatology Department, 2nd Clinic of Dermatology, Colentina Clinical Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Carmen Maria Salavastru
- Dermatology Department, Pediatric Dermatology Unit, Colentina Clinical Hospital, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
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Jarić S, Kostić O, Mataruga Z, Pavlović D, Pavlović M, Mitrović M, Pavlović P. Traditional wound-healing plants used in the Balkan region (Southeast Europe). JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2018; 211:311-328. [PMID: 28942136 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The geographical and ecological specificity of the Balkan Peninsula has resulted in the development of a distinct diversity of medicinal plants. In the traditional culture of the Balkan peoples, plants have medicinal, economic and anthropological/cultural importance, which is reflected in the sound knowledge of their diversity and use. This study analyses the traditional use of medicinal plants in the treatment of wounds and the pharmacological characteristics of the most frequently used species. MATERIALS AND METHODS A detailed analysis of the literature related to ethnobhe uses of medicinal plants in the Balkan region was carried out. Twenty-five studies were analysed and those plants used for the treatment of wounds were singled out. RESULT An ethnobotanical analysis showed that 128 plant species (105 wild, 22 cultivated and 1 wild/cultivated) are used in the treatment of wounds. Their application is external, in the form of infusions, decoctions, tinctures, syrups, oils, ointments, and balms, or direct to the skin. Among those plants recorded, the most commonly used are Plantago major, Hypericum perforatum, Plantago lanceolata, Achillea millefolium, Calendula officinalis, Sambucus nigra, Tussilago farfara and Prunus domestica. The study showed that the traditional use of plants in wound healing is confirmed by in vitro and/or in vivo studies for P. major and P. lanceolata (3 laboratory studies for P. major and 2 for P. lanceolata), H. perforatum (5 laboratory studies and 3 clinical trials), A. millefolium (3 laboratory studies and one clinical trial), C. officinalis (6 laboratory studies and 1 clinical trial), S. nigra (3 laboratory studies) and T. farfara (one laboratory study). CONCLUSION The beneficial effects of using medicinal plants from the Balkan region to heal wounds according to traditional practices have been proven in many scientific studies. However, information on the quantitative benefits to human health of using herbal medicines to heal wounds is still scarce or fragmented, hindering a proper evaluation. Therefore, further studies should be aimed at isolating and identifying specific active substances from plant extracts, which could also reveal compounds with more valuable therapeutic properties. Furthermore, additional reliable clinical trials are needed to confirm those experiences encountered when using traditional medicines. A combination of traditional and modern knowledge could result in new wound-healing drugs with a significant reduction in unwanted side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snežana Jarić
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Olga Kostić
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Zorana Mataruga
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragana Pavlović
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija Pavlović
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Miroslava Mitrović
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Pavle Pavlović
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
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Aziz MA, Adnan M, Khan AH, Shahat AA, Al-Said MS, Ullah R. Traditional uses of medicinal plants practiced by the indigenous communities at Mohmand Agency, FATA, Pakistan. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2018; 14:2. [PMID: 29316948 PMCID: PMC5761105 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-017-0204-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant-derived products have an imperative biological role against certain pathogenic organisms and were considered to be a major source of modern drugs. Rural people residing in developing countries are relying on traditional herbal medical system due to their strong believe and minimum access to allopathic medicines. Hence, ethnomedicinal knowledge is useful for the maintenance of community's based approaches under this medical system. Present study was carried out in an unexplored remote tribal area of Pakistan to investigate and document the existing ethnomedicinal knowledge on local flora. METHODS Data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires from the community members and local herbalists. Use reports (URs) were counted for each species and analyzed through Linear Regression between the number of URs per family and number of plant species per family. RESULTS A total of 64 medicinal plant species were recorded belonging to 60 genera and 41 families. Most frequently used plant families in ethnomedicines were Lamiaceae (8 species) and Asteraceae (7 species). Highest URs were recorded for Caralluma tuberculata N.E. Br. (49 URs) being followed by Thymus serphyllum L. (49 URs), Fagonia cretica L. (47 URs), Plantago lanceolata L. (45 URs), Periploca aphylla Decne. (44 URs), Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. (44 URs), and Sideroxylon mascatense (A.DC.) T.D.Penn. (44 URs). New ethnomedicinal uses were reported for Boerhaavia elongata Brandegee and Fumaria officinalis L. with confidential level of URs from the study area. Nineteen groups of health conditions were recorded during the course of study being treated with medicinal plants. Maximum number of 30 plant species was used to treat digestive problems. Most widely practiced mode of drugs' preparation and administration was powder. Leaves (30% plants) were the most frequently used plant parts in the preparation of ethnomedicinal recipes. CONCLUSIONS Current study is an important addition to the field of ethnomedicines. The study reports important medicinal plants from an area, which has not been investigated previously. Traditional knowledge is restricted to health practitioners and elder community members. This knowledge is at the verge of extinction because younger generation is not taking interest in its learning and preservation process. Hence, there is a dire need to phytochemically and pharmacologically test the investigated taxa for the validation of traditional knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Abdul Aziz
- Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 26000 Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Adnan
- Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 26000 Pakistan
| | - Amir Hasan Khan
- Department of Botany, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, District Dir (Upper), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan
| | - Abdelaaty Abdelaziz Shahat
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Aromatic, and Poisonous Plants Research Center, College of Pharmacy King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451 Saudi Arabia
- Phytochemistry Department, National Research Centre, 33 El Bohouth st., Dokki, P.O. Box 12622, Giza, Egypt
| | - Mansour S. Al-Said
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Aromatic, and Poisonous Plants Research Center, College of Pharmacy King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451 Saudi Arabia
| | - Riaz Ullah
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Aromatic, and Poisonous Plants Research Center, College of Pharmacy King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451 Saudi Arabia
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Ilic DV, Radicevic BA, Nedelcheva A, Djurovic I, Ostojic D. Traditional dentistry knowledge among Serbs in several Balkan countries. JOURNAL OF COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE RESEARCH 2017; 6:223-233. [PMID: 28512604 PMCID: PMC5429083 DOI: 10.5455/jice.20170325055450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background/Aim: There are still unrevealed treasures of traditional dental medicine, that is, the reason to investigate and present various ways in treatment of oral and orofacial tissues, as well as magic and religious elements involved in representative areas among Serbs. Materials and Methods: Information was collected from the elderly non-professional folk dentists and herbalists with the additional help of local physicians and dentists that was done through questionnaire and personal interviews. Results: Classified and prepared material consists of total 1038 inquiry sheets. The 41 data were averagely obtained by inquiry form, i.e. 41,984 information for the whole research. The most voluminous was the group of 64 recipes, including 39 for gums diseases and 25 for toothache, while only seven ones were mentioned for magic way of treatment. Among them, 18 prescriptions were of nonherbal origin. The study revealed 84 herbal original prescriptions, including 67 plant species (29 families) including local name, synonyms, and preparation mode. Traditional healers used predominantly herbal recipes to treat painful tooth, gum disease, blisters - herpetic ulcers/lips and mouth/, stomatitis/painful mouth, ptyalismus/, maxillary sinusitis, bad breath, teeth cleaning and bleaching. Very few methods of treatment appeared as inadequate (magical practice), whereas majority were noted as beneficial ones (herbal medicine). Still many people in distant nonurban areas use various plant recipes, especially as the first aid in oral disease healing. Conclusions: The significance of plants obtained from unpolluted areas, whose active ingredients have not yet been used in dental pharmaceutics, should be further investigated in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragan V Ilic
- Department of Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics, School of Dental Medicine, Belgrade University, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Anely Nedelcheva
- Department of Botany, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | - Dejan Ostojic
- Department of Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics, School of Dental Medicine, Belgrade University, Belgrade, Serbia
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16
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Wiese M. Does ‘traditional’ evidence have a place in contemporary complementary and alternative medicine practice? A case for the value of such evidence. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/fct.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Wiese
- School of Medicine, Flinders University; Bedford Park; South Australia 5042 Sydney Australia
- Faculty of Health; UTS Sydney Australia
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17
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Ceuterick M, Vandebroek I. Identity in a medicine cabinet: Discursive positions of Andean migrants towards their use of herbal remedies in the United Kingdom. Soc Sci Med 2017; 177:43-51. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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18
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Rahman IU, Ijaz F, Afzal A, Iqbal Z, Ali N, Khan SM. Contributions to the phytotherapies of digestive disorders: Traditional knowledge and cultural drivers of Manoor Valley, Northern Pakistan. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2016; 192:30-52. [PMID: 27353866 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.06.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2016] [Revised: 04/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
ETHNO PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Ethno medicinal traditional knowledge regarding the uses of indigenous medicinal plants used for various human digestive disorders are mostly known to the elder community members. As the young generation is not much aware about such vital traditional medicinal practice because they rely on elders. AIM OF STUDY To document, accumulate and widely disseminate the massive indigenous knowledge of century's practiced therapeutic uses of medicinal plants by the local people living in this remote area. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 63 local inhabitants (39 males and 24 females) were interviewed through a structured questionnaire. The data obtained were quantitatively analyzed through the use value (UVi), fidelity level index (FL%) and relative frequency citations (RFCs), consensus index (CI%) and informant consensus factor (FIC). For novel uses all the plants were checked with previously published articles on same disease by analyzing through Jaccard index (JI) and Sorensen's similarity index (QS). Plants specimen were preserved, mounted and labeled on the herbarium sheets, cataloged and deposited with voucher numbers in Hazara University Herbarium, Mansehra, Pakistan (HUP). RESULTS 44 plant species belonging to 44 genera and 28 families were documented in the current study. These medicinal plant species were used commonly as an ethno medicine against 26 various digestive disorders out of which most frequently occurred are; stomach ache, diarrhea, indigestion, constipation and inflammation etc. Herbaceous plant species were the dominant among plants studied which were 64% of the total plants, followed by trees (20%) and shrubs (16%). Lamiaceae was the leading family among collected medicinal plant species (13.6%). Maximum medicinal plant species were used for treatment of stomach ache (11.7%), diarrhea and indigestion (10.9% each). Most widely used parts were leaves (41% citations), fruit and whole plant (12% citations each) for medication of various digestive problems by the traditional drivers. Dominated medicinal plants with most use values were Ficus carica having (UVi=0.90) and Trifolium repens (UVi=0.84). Based on the RFC values, the most cited medicinal plant species by the traditional drivers were Ficus carica (0.43) and Berberis lycium (0.41), while most respondents percentage was noticed for same plant species calculated through consensus index (CI%=42.9% and 41.3%) respectively. The medicinal plant species with highest fidelity level was of Grewia optiva, Juglans regia and Sorbaria tomentosa each cited 100% for anthelmintic, easy digestion and Diarrhea respectively. Due to representation by only single medicinal plant taxa (Nt=1), the digestive diseases viz. cholera, colon cancer, emetic, internal injuries, kill microorganisms, Soothing, tumor and urine suppression had maximum FIC value. The analytical result reveals that 57% of medicinal plant species were reported for the first time regarding their uses. new medicinal uses of Anaphalis contorta, Caltha palustris, Pinus wallichiana, Plantago himalaica were recorded for the first time from Pakistan and Aralia cachemirica, Bupleurum longicaule, Pleurospermum stellatum, Potentilla argentea and Juglans regia across the globe for currently reported medicinal uses. Besides this, all the mentioned plant species were reported for the first time for digestive disorders from Manoor Valley as no single study up-till now has been conducted ethno medicinally. CONCLUSION The present study revealed the importance to document and launch list of all the possible plants that are used in traditional medicinal practices against digestive disorders in the unexplored study area and to show the important medicinal plants for future biological, phytochemical and pharmacological experimentation regarding digestive problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inayat Ur Rahman
- Department of Botany, Hazara University Mansehra-21300 KP, Pakistan.
| | - Farhana Ijaz
- Department of Botany, Hazara University Mansehra-21300 KP, Pakistan.
| | - Aftab Afzal
- Department of Botany, Hazara University Mansehra-21300 KP, Pakistan.
| | - Zafar Iqbal
- Department of Botany, Hazara University Mansehra-21300 KP, Pakistan.
| | - Niaz Ali
- Department of Botany, Hazara University Mansehra-21300 KP, Pakistan.
| | - Shujaul Mulk Khan
- Department of Plant Science, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
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Akinyemi AJ, Thome GR, Morsch VM, Stefanello N, da Costa P, Cardoso A, Goularte JF, Belló-Klein A, Akindahunsi AA, Oboh G, Chitolina Schetinger MR. Effect of dietary supplementation of ginger and turmeric rhizomes on ectonucleotidases, adenosine deaminase and acetylcholinesterase activities in synaptosomes from the cerebral cortex of hypertensive rats. J Appl Biomed 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jab.2015.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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20
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Prateeksha P, Paliya BS, Bajpai R, Jadaun V, Kumar J, Kumar S, Upreti DK, Singh BR, Nayaka S, Joshi Y, Singh BN. The genus Usnea: a potent phytomedicine with multifarious ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra24205c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The genusUsneaAdans. (Parmeliaceae; lichenized Ascomycetes) is a typical group of mostly pale grayish-green fruticoselichens that grow as leafless mini-shrubs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prateeksha Prateeksha
- Pharmacognosy & Ethnopharmacology Division
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
- Lucknow – 226001
- India
| | - B. S. Paliya
- Pharmacognosy & Ethnopharmacology Division
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
- Lucknow – 226001
- India
| | - R. Bajpai
- Lichenology Laboratory
- Plant Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Division
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
- Lucknow – 226001
- India
| | - V. Jadaun
- Pharmacognosy & Ethnopharmacology Division
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
- Lucknow – 226001
- India
| | - J. Kumar
- Pharmacognosy & Ethnopharmacology Division
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
- Lucknow – 226001
- India
| | - S. Kumar
- Pharmacognosy & Ethnopharmacology Division
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
- Lucknow – 226001
- India
| | - D. K. Upreti
- Lichenology Laboratory
- Plant Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Division
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
- Lucknow – 226001
- India
| | - B. R. Singh
- Centre of Excellence in Materials Science (Nanomaterials)
- Z. H. College of Engineering & Technology
- Aligarh Muslim University
- Aligarh-202002
- India
| | - S. Nayaka
- Lichenology Laboratory
- Plant Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Division
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
- Lucknow – 226001
- India
| | | | - Brahma N. Singh
- Pharmacognosy & Ethnopharmacology Division
- CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute
- Lucknow – 226001
- India
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Alarcόn R, Pardo-de-Santayana M, Priestley C, Morales R, Heinrich M. Medicinal and local food plants in the south of Alava (Basque Country, Spain). JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2015; 176:207-24. [PMID: 26481607 PMCID: PMC4675496 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOBOTANICAL RELEVANCE Medicinal and food plants in the Basque Country are an integral part of a fast changing culture. With a distinct tradition and language, this region of Europe provides an important example demonstrating the changing role of local and traditional knowledge in industrial countries. As other Mediterranean regions it preserves a rich heritage of using plants as medicine and food, offering a unique opportunity for studying the medicine food interface in an ethnopharmacological context. Therefore, the key goal of this study has been to contribute to an understanding of local and traditional plant usage, to evaluate their uses as food and medicine as well as to critically assess the role of these plants in the south of the Basque Country contributing to an understanding of how foods and medicines are used. METHODS A mixed methods approach, including participant observation; open and semi structured interviews was used. Ethnobotanical field work included 183 people, ages ranged from 24 to 98 years old with a majority being between 70 and 80 years old (mean age 71) from 31 towns of three different regions. The basic interview was a one-to-one meeting, which often included field walking and collection of samples as directed by the informants. 700 voucher specimens (most of them with duplicates) were collected for the data obtained. Using SPSS version 20 the gathered information was processed and the replies of the different informants were subsequently organised in variables like medicine and food plants, part of the plants used, forms of preparations, zones preferred for collecting these plants. The data were analysed based on the frequency of records. This type of approach allows us to understand the way the informant's categorize the species, and how these categories are distributed along the sample. In order to analyse the data three main categories of use were distinguished: Medicine (M), Food (F) and an intermediate Health-Food (H-F). The three categories were divided in 27 subcategories (common uses). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The informants recognise and use a total of 184 species from 49 families. During interviews, 5658 individual use-reports were collected relating to three use-categories - as medicines, food and health-food. The two main groups with almost the same number of species each are health-food (75 species) and (locally gathered) food only (73), with medicinal uses only (36) being the smallest group. This highlights the important overlap between food and medicines. Overall, three core families were identified (based on the number of use reports and in the number of species): Asteraceae (25 species), Lamiaceae and Rosaceae (24 each). The most frequently reported species are Jasonia glutinosa, Chamaemelum nobile, Prunus spinosa and Quercus ilex subsp. ballota. The most important general use-subcategories are as raw vegetables (27.43% of the use-reports and including 81 species), infusions (14.74%/42) and gastrointestinal (12.53%/42). Conceptually foods and medicines are clearly distinguished but the intermediate group of health foods is more ambiguous. CONCLUSION Food and medicinal uses of plants are culturally closely linked. A wide range of plants are known and many still used. The analysis shows that the Basques use a wide range of species which are typical for Western European cultures. In comparison to other studies in the Mediterranean countries there are many similarities in the uses of different families, species of plants and their use and preparations. Some of these plants are key Mediterranean species, often used for a multitude of uses as food and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocίo Alarcόn
- Research Cluster Biodiversity and Medicines/Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, UCL School of Pharmacy, University of London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
| | - Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin, 2, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Caroline Priestley
- Lucozade Ribena Suntory Ltd., 2 Longwalk Road, Stockley Park, Uxbridge UB11 1BA, UK
| | - Ramón Morales
- Real Jardín Botánico, Plaza de Murillo 2, 28014 Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael Heinrich
- Research Cluster Biodiversity and Medicines/Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, UCL School of Pharmacy, University of London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK
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Jarić S, Mačukanović-Jocić M, Djurdjević L, Mitrović M, Kostić O, Karadžić B, Pavlović P. An ethnobotanical survey of traditionally used plants on Suva planina mountain (south-eastern Serbia). JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2015; 175:93-108. [PMID: 26375774 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE This study documents the ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal importance of plants in the Suva planina mountain region (south-eastern Serbia). It is reflected in their high diversity and their wide range of uses in the treatment of the local population. The aim of this study was a comparative analysis of data collected in the Suva planina region with relevant data from the Western Balkans, which included identifying the 'most popular' plants, as well as those species which are used specifically for treatment solely in the research area. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ethnobotanical research was carried out between 2012 and 2014 and data was collected through both open and semi-structured interviews with locals. A total of 66 people were interviewed (37 women and 29 men), aged between 49 and 90 (with a mean age of 71). RESULTS This study identified 128 plants and 2 fungi which are used in ethnomedicine, 5 plant species used in ethnoveterinary medicine, and 16 plants used for 'other' purposes. Lamiaceae (20), Asteraceae (17), Rosaceae (16), Brassicaceae (5), Alliaceae (4) and Apiaceae (4) have the greatest diversity of species. Results showed that Achillea mellefolium, Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi, Gentiana lutea, Hypericum perforatum, Juglans regia, Matricaria chamomilla, Mentha piperita, Plantago lanceolata, Plantago major, Salvia officinalis, Sempervivum tectorum, Tilia cordata and Thymus sepyllum are the 'most popular' medicinal plants (UV=1). Those plants with the most phytotherapeutic uses are Gentiana cruciata (14), H. perforatum (11) and A. sativum (10), while the most common conditions treated with medicinal plants are respiratory (79), urogenital (53), gastrointestinal (51), skin (43) and those relating to the circulatory system (35). A comparative analysis of the data collected in the research area and that from other parts of the Western Balkans showed that there are great similarities within Serbia between Suva planina and the Zlatibor region (37.2%) and Kopaonik Mt. (32.3%), while further afield it is most similar to Bosnia and Herzegovina (40.9%) and Bulgaria (40.6%). Moreover, it was established that 14 plant species and 2 fungi are used only in the Suva planina region, which points to the specificity of the diversity and the sound knowledge of medicinal plants in this region. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm that medicinal plants are an invaluable resource of the research area and need to be protected as they contribute to an improvement in living standards and the survival of people threatened by unfavourable demographic trends. However, due to over-exploitation, some plants have become exceptionally rare and are under threat, leading to the need for their rational use and protection so as to ensure they are still around for future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snežana Jarić
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
| | | | - Lola Djurdjević
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Miroslava Mitrović
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Olga Kostić
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Branko Karadžić
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Pavle Pavlović
- Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković', University of Belgrade, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
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Rock Tea extract (Jasonia glutinosa) relaxes rat aortic smooth muscle by inhibition of L-type Ca(2+) channels. J Physiol Biochem 2015; 71:785-93. [PMID: 26464340 DOI: 10.1007/s13105-015-0442-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In traditional herbal medicine, Rock Tea (Jasonia glutinosa) is known for its prophylactic and therapeutic value in various disorders including arterial hypertension. However, the mechanism by which Rock Tea exerts blood pressure-lowering actions has not been elucidated yet. Our aim was to demonstrate vasorelaxing effects of Rock Tea extract and to reveal its possible action mechanism. Isometric myography was conducted on high-K+-precontracted rings from rat thoracic aorta and tested extracts at concentrations of 0.5-5 mg/ml. Whole-cell patch-clamp experiments were performed in rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (line A7r5) to determine blocking effects on L-type Ca(2+) channels. Rock Tea extract relaxed the aorta contracted by high [K+] concentration dependently with an EC50 of ≈2.4 mg/ml and produced ≈75 % relaxation at the highest concentration tested. The L-type Ca(2+) channel blocker, verapamil (10(-6) M), had similar effects. Rock Tea extract had no effect in nominally Ca(2+)-free high-K(+) buffer but significantly inhibited contractions to re-addition of Ca(2+). Rock Tea extract inhibited the contractions induced by the L-type Ca(2+) channel activator Bay K 8644 (10(-5) M) and by phenylephrine (10(-6) M). Rock Tea extract and Y-27632 (10(-6) M), Rho-kinase inhibitor, had similar effects and the respective effects were not additive. Patch-clamp experiments demonstrated that Rock Tea extract (2.5 mg/ml) virtually abolished L-type Ca(2+) currents in A7r5. We conclude that Rock Tea extract produced vasorelaxation of rat aorta and that this relaxant effect is mediated by inhibition of L-type Ca(2+) channels. Rock Tea extracts may be of phytomedicinal value for prevention and adjuvant treatment of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.
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Zucca P, Pintus M, Manzo G, Nieddu M, Steri D, Rinaldi AC. Antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase properties of extracts of the Mediterranean parasitic plant Cytinus hypocistis. BMC Res Notes 2015; 8:562. [PMID: 26462912 PMCID: PMC4603636 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-015-1546-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cytinus is an endophytic parasitic plant occurring in South Africa, Madagascar, and in the Mediterranean region. We have extracted the inflorescences (the only visible part of the plant, emerging from the host roots at the time of blossom) of Cytinus hypocistis collected in Sardinia, Italy, and explored the antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, and cytotoxic activities of the extracts. Methods Extracts from C. hypocistis were prepared using increasing polarity solvents: cyclohexane, ethanol, and water. Phenolic composition were determined through spectrophotometric assays, and antioxidant activity with both electron-transfer and hydrogen-atom assays. Nine different bacterial strains, including clinical isolate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, were used in agar diffusion method. Cytotoxicity was tested using against the B16F10 melanoma cell line. Results While cyclohexane extracts where biologically inactive, ethanolic and aqueous extracts displayed an intriguing activity against several Gram-positive bacterial strains, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus, and against the Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumanii. Compared to the conventional antibiotics like cloxacillin, ampicillin, and oxytetracycline, C.hypocistis extracts were less active in absolute terms, but displayed a wider spectrum (notably, cloxacillin and ampicillin were inactive against methicillin-resistant S. aureus). The ethanolic extract of C. hypocistis was found to be particularly rich in polyphenols, in most part hydrolysable tannins. The antioxidant activity of extracts, tested with several methodologies, resulted to be particularly high in the case of ethanolic extracts, in accordance with the composition in phenolics. In detail, ethanol extracts presented about a twofold higher activity than the water sample when tested through the oxygen radical absorbance capacity-pyrogallol red (ORAC-PYR) assay. Cytotoxicity analysis against the B16F10 melanoma cell line showed that both extracts have not significant cytotoxic effect, even at the highest dose (1000 µg/mL). Tests showed that ethanolic extracts also had the greatest tyrosinase inhibition activity, indicating that C. hypocistis-derived substances could find application in food formulations as anti-browning agents. Conclusions Overall, these results point to the need of further studies on C. hypocistis extracts, aimed at isolating and fully characterizing its biologically active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Zucca
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Complesso Universitario, SP Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy. .,Consorzio UNO, Oristano, Italy.
| | - Manuela Pintus
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Complesso Universitario, SP Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy.
| | - Giorgia Manzo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Complesso Universitario, SP Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy.
| | - Mariella Nieddu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Complesso Universitario, SP Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy.
| | - Daniela Steri
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Complesso Universitario, SP Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy.
| | - Andrea C Rinaldi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, Complesso Universitario, SP Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy.
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Vitalini S, Puricelli C, Mikerezi I, Iriti M. Plants, people and traditions: ethnobotanical survey in the Lombard Stelvio National Park and neighbouring areas (Central Alps, Italy). JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2015; 173:435-58. [PMID: 26031473 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The value of ethnobotanical information is now increasingly acknowledged. Our investigation added new data to the traditional knowledge on the plant uses in Italian alpine areas, where only in recent years the awareness of losing such valuable heritage stimulated interest of the scientific community and land managers in its recovery and enhancement. To this end, the present study aimed to collect and analyse information on plant species employed in Northern Italy (Lombardy Region), particularly in Alta Valtellina, an area of high naturalistic interest, where ethnobotanical knowledge is at the risk of passing covering a secondary role compared to other aspects of the local culture. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 328 people from six municipalities were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Data were evaluated by quantitative parameters such as ethnobotanicity and ethnophytonomic indices, factor informant consensus (Fic), fidelity level (Fl). Abandoned and current uses were compared. Herbarium materials were prepared and conserved. RESULTS Inhabitants of Alta Valtellina used 212 plant species, including 19 mushrooms and 1 lichen for medicinal, food and cosmetic purposes. Despite half of medicinal uses has fallen into disuse, the plant species of this category were still collected in largest number. Digestive, respiratory and skin systems were the most frequently treated. Fic and Fl values, in addition to simple percentage data confirmed this finding. Although 40% of the known uses is now abandoned, a considerable number of them was recorded for the first time in an alpine area. CONCLUSIONS The study revealed that the popular knowledge of plant species is still alive in the Alta Valtellina. The prerogatives of some species are now outdated, but they leave room for other uses of the plant resources that may provide new opportunities from the scientific, cultural and economic points of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Vitalini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via G. Celoria 2, I-20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Cristina Puricelli
- Orto Botanico di Brera, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Brera 28, 20121 Milano, Italy.
| | - Ilia Mikerezi
- Department of Biology - Faculty of Natural Sciences, Bulevardi Zog 1, Tirana University, Tirana, Albania.
| | - Marcello Iriti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Milano, via G. Celoria 2, I-20133 Milano, Italy.
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Kaliszewska I, Kołodziejska-Degórska I. The social context of wild leafy vegetables uses in Shiri, Daghestan. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2015; 11:63. [PMID: 26260575 PMCID: PMC4542102 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0047-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Shiri is a small mountainous village in the Republic of Daghestan, in the North Caucasus. Daghestan is Russia's southernmost and most ethnically and linguistically diverse republic, a considerable part of which belongs to the Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot. Various species of wild leafy vegetables are collected in Shiri and there are still many social and cultural practices connected with plant collection in the village. Yet due to migration processes, local knowledge about wild greens and their uses is being slowly forgotten or not passed on. The Shiri language is highly endangered and so are the local plant terminologies and classifications. The unstable political situation hinders local and international research, therefore we find it highly important to explore both what wild leafy vegetables are collected in this mountainous part of Daghestan and how the relation between plants and people is shaped in this linguistically and culturally diverse context. We answer the following questions: what wild leafy vegetables are collected in Shiri? Why are they important to the local people? What is the social aspect of wild leafy vegetable uses? METHODS The methods applied were as follows: forest walks and semi-structured interviews with adult inhabitants of Shiri village, participant and non-participant observation. During the walks herbarium specimens were collected, and visual recording of plant collecting process was conducted. This article is based on fieldwork done in Shiri, Daghestan, between 2012 and 2014, over the course of 3 field trips that took place in 3 seasons. RESULTS We collected and identified twenty-two local (24 botanical) species of wild leafy vegetables. Fourteen local species were used as snacks, eight for cooked dishes and three of them were also dried in order to be transported to kin living in the lowlands. It is significant that 70 % of taxa collected in Shiri are used as snacks. While snacks were collected by both sexes, greens for cooking and drying were part of the women's knowledge. The analysis of people-plant relations showed that care practices constitute an important part of these relations. Through the giving of wild greens, Shiri people express care for co-villagers and migrants and show their respect for elders. In the narratives about wild greens, their nutritional and taste value as well as perceived exceptionality were emphasized. CONCLUSIONS 1) Wild leafy vegetables are a significant element of everyday social life in Shiri in regard to mutual care, respect for elders and local identity. 2) Gender has a greater influence on practical skills than on declarative plant knowledge. 3) Names of plants are publicly discussed with elders and are not always fixed. 4) The moral value ascribed to giving in the local culture is expressed through wild leafy vegetables. 5) Care expressed through sending wild leafy vegetables helps to sustain social ties between migrants and Shiri inhabitants. 6) Identity, health and naturalness discourses are adding value to the local knowledge about wild leafy vegetables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Kaliszewska
- Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Warsaw, Ul. Żurawia 4, 00-503, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Iwona Kołodziejska-Degórska
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw Botanic Garden, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478, Warsaw, Poland.
- Faculty of "Artes Liberales", University of Warsaw, Ul. Nowy Świat 69, 00-046, Warsaw, Poland.
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Review of Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Study of Thymus serpyllum L. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2015; 2015:101978. [PMID: 26265920 PMCID: PMC4525464 DOI: 10.1155/2015/101978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Thymus serpyllum L. (wild thyme) is a perennial shrub, native to areas of northern and central Europe. Its aerial parts are most frequently used in ethnomedicine (mainly for treating illnesses and problems related to the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems), although recently its essential oils are becoming more popular as an important plant-derived product. The composition of these oils is affected by geographic region, the development stage of the plant, the harvest season, habitat, and climatic conditions. Wild thyme essential oil has an ever-growing number of uses in contemporary medicine due to its pharmacological properties: antioxidative, antimicrobial, and anticancerogenic activities. The antioxidative and antimicrobial properties of the essential oil are related to the synergistic and cumulative effect of its components. In terms of antitumor and cytotoxic activity, further research into the effects of essential oil is necessary, aimed at improving its cytotoxic effects, on the basis of which appropriate medicines can be formulated. Due to its pharmacological properties, the essential oil of wild thyme, a plant used in traditional medicine, represents an important natural resource for the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, it can be a source of natural antioxidants, nutritional supplements, or components of functional foods in the food industry.
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Piwowarski JP, Granica S, Kiss AK. Lythrum salicaria L.-Underestimated medicinal plant from European traditional medicine. A review. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2015; 170:226-50. [PMID: 25985768 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Purple loosestrife-Lythrum salicaria L. is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the Lythraceae family. It has been used for centuries in European traditional medicine. Despite Lythri herba being a pharmacopoeial plant material (Ph. Eur.), L. salicaria popularity as a medicinal plant has recently declined. The aim of the paper is to recall a traditional and historical use of L. salicaria and juxtapose it with comprehensive view on the current knowledge about its chemical composition and documented biological activities in order to bring back the interest into this valuable plant and indicate reasonable directions of future research and possible applications. MATERIALS AND METHODS Systematic survey of historical and ethnopharmacological literature was carried out using sources of European and American libraries. Pharmacological and phytochemical literature research was performed using Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science and Reaxys databases. RESULTS The review of historical sources from ancient times till 20th century revealed an outstanding position of L. salicaria in traditional medicine. The main applications indicated were gastrointestinal tract ailments (mainly dysentery and diarrhea) as well as different skin and mucosa affections. The current phytochemical studies have shown that polyphenols (C-glucosidic ellagitannins and C-glucosidic flavonoids) as well as heteropolysaccharides are dominating constituents, which probably determine the observed pharmacological effects. The extracts and some isolated compounds were shown to possess antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities. CONCLUSIONS The intrinsic literature overview conclusively demonstrates that L. salicaria L. used to be considered as an exceptionally effective remedy in European traditional medicine. Despite its unquestionable important position from unknown reasons its popularity has been weakened during the past few decades. Unfortunately the contemporary pharmacological research is still insufficient to support its thoroughly described traditional uses. The necessity of complex studies regarding modes of action, which would directly refer to L. salicaria main traditional applications-gastrointestinal tract ailments, is strongly underlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub P Piwowarski
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy, Medical University of Warsaw, Faculty of Pharmacy, ul. Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Sebastian Granica
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy, Medical University of Warsaw, Faculty of Pharmacy, ul. Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna K Kiss
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Molecular Basis of Phytotherapy, Medical University of Warsaw, Faculty of Pharmacy, ul. Banacha 1, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
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Stryamets N, Elbakidze M, Ceuterick M, Angelstam P, Axelsson R. From economic survival to recreation: contemporary uses of wild food and medicine in rural Sweden, Ukraine and NW Russia. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2015; 11:53. [PMID: 26077671 PMCID: PMC4474580 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0036-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are many ethnobotanical studies on the use of wild plants and mushrooms for food and medicinal treatment in Europe. However, there is a lack of comparative ethnobotanical research on the role of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) as wild food and medicine in local livelihoods in countries with different socio-economic conditions. The aim of this study was to compare the present use of wild food and medicine in three places representing different stages of socio-economic development in Europe. Specifically we explore which plant and fungi species people use for food and medicine in three selected rural regions of Sweden, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. METHODS We studied the current use of NWFPs for food and medicine in three rural areas that represent a gradient in economic development (as indicated by the World Bank), i.e., Småland high plain (south Sweden), Roztochya (western Ukraine), and Kortkeros (Komi Republic in North West Russia). All areas were characterised by (a) predominating rural residency, (b) high forest coverage, and (c) free access to NWFPs. A total of 205 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with local residents in the three study areas. The collected NWFPs data included (1) the species that are used; (2) the amount harvested, (3) uses and practices (4) changes over time, (5) sources of knowledge regarding the use of NWFPs as wild food and medicine and (6) traditional recipes. RESULTS In Sweden 11 species of wild plant and fungi species were used as food, and no plant species were used for medicinal purposes. In Ukraine the present use of NWFPs included 26 wild foods and 60 medicinal species, while in Russia 36 food and 44 medicinal species were reported. CONCLUSIONS In the economically less developed rural areas of Ukraine and Russia, the use of NWFPs continues to be an important part of livelihoods, both as a source of income and for domestic use as food and medicine. In Sweden the collection of wild food has become mainly a recreational activity and the use of medicinal plants is no longer prevalent among our respondents. This leads us to suggest that the consumption of wild food and medicine is influenced by the socio-economic situation in a country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Stryamets
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Forest-Landscape-Society Research Group, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, Skinnskatteberg, SE 73921, Sweden.
- Nature reserve "Roztochya", Sitchovuh Strilciv 7, Ivano-Frankove, 81070, Ukraine.
| | - Marine Elbakidze
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Forest-Landscape-Society Research Group, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, Skinnskatteberg, SE 73921, Sweden.
| | - Melissa Ceuterick
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Kliniekstraat 25, Brussels, 1070, Belgium.
| | - Per Angelstam
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Forest-Landscape-Society Research Group, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, Skinnskatteberg, SE 73921, Sweden.
| | - Robert Axelsson
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Forest-Landscape-Society Research Group, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, Skinnskatteberg, SE 73921, Sweden.
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Menendez-Baceta G, Aceituno-Mata L, Reyes-García V, Tardío J, Salpeteur M, Pardo-de-Santayana M. The importance of cultural factors in the distribution of medicinal plant knowledge: a case study in four Basque regions. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2015; 161:116-27. [PMID: 25499311 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2014.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Revised: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOBOTANICAL RELEVANCE Previous research suggests that the use of medicinal plants by a given group is mainly driven by biological variables such as the chemical composition or the ecological distribution of plants. However, other studies highlight the importance of cultural aspects such as the curative meaning given to a plant, beliefs, religion or the historical context. Such aspects could play an important role in the use, diffusion or even in the effectiveness of a plant remedy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fieldwork consisted of 233 orally consented semi-structured interviews with 178 informants about medicinal uses of plants. Interviews were conducted in four historically and geographycally delimited regions of Alava and Biscay with similar environmental conditions but different sociolinguistic backgrounds: two regions were Basque- and two Spanish-speaking. Data were structured in use-reports. A Between Class Analysis was conducted to assess the intercultural and intracultural variability of medicinal plants knowledge. RESULTS The results show the existence of four clearly different medicinal ethnofloras. While the four ethnofloras share remedies widely distributed through the territory, each of them also includes remedies that are only shared among closely related communities. The ecological availability and chemical composition of the plants may explain why there are widely used plant remedies. On the contrary, the distribution of the locally shared remedies matches up with the cultural heterogeneity of the territory, so cultural factors, such as, language, social networks or the meaning response of the plants seem to explain the use of many traditional plant remedies. In Addition, we also found that Basque speaking territories show higher knowledge levels than Spanish speaking territories. In this sense, the development and reinforcement of Basque identity by Basque nationalism seems to have contributed to maintain the traditional knowledge in the Basque speaking regions. CONCLUSIONS Despite the fact that pharmacological effectiveness and ecological availability are usually considered as the main variables that shape the traditional use of medicinal plants, our results suggest that cultural factors can be at least as important as ecological and chemical factors. In fact, differences in language, in the cultural meaning of the plants, in the context related to cultural identities, and in social networks seem to play a fundamental role in the use and diffusion and maintenance or erosion of traditional knowledge about medicinal plants in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gorka Menendez-Baceta
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin 2, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Aceituno-Mata
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin 2, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, Apdo. 127, 28800 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victoria Reyes-García
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Tardío
- Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, Apdo. 127, 28800 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthieu Salpeteur
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin 2, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
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Mayer M, Vogl CR, Amorena M, Hamburger M, Walkenhorst M. Treatment of Organic Livestock with Medicinal Plants: A Systematic Review of European Ethnoveterinary Research. Complement Med Res 2014; 21:375-86. [DOI: 10.1159/000370216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Scutia buxifolia Reiss inhibit platelet aggregation and alters the activities of enzymes that hydrolyze adenine nucleotides in lymphocytes and platelets. J Appl Biomed 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jab.2014.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Menendez-Baceta G, Aceituno-Mata L, Molina M, Reyes-García V, Tardío J, Pardo-de-Santayana M. Medicinal plants traditionally used in the northwest of the Basque Country (Biscay and Alava), Iberian Peninsula. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2014; 152:113-34. [PMID: 24389558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gorka Menendez-Baceta
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin 2, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Aceituno-Mata
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin 2, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, Apdo. 127, 28800 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Molina
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin 2, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, Apdo. 127, 28800 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victoria Reyes-García
- ICREA and Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Tardío
- Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, Apdo. 127, 28800 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana
- Departamento de Biología (Botánica), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/Darwin 2, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
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Jiang S, Quave CL. A comparison of traditional food and health strategies among Taiwanese and Chinese immigrants in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2013; 9:61. [PMID: 23981857 PMCID: PMC3846646 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-9-61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethnobotanical studies on the use of plants amongst migrant populations are of great relevance to public health. Traditional health strategies, which incorporate plants as medicines, foods, or both - can play an important role in individual well-being. However, at the same time, migrant populations' traditional knowledge of such practices may be under a state of greater threat of decline due to factors such as limited access to the plant materials and physical isolation from the homeland, which serves as the primary living reservoir for this knowledge. METHODS In this study, we conducted a medical ethnobotanical survey focusing on a comparison of local medicinal food and health strategies with members of two Asian immigrant populations in metro-Atlanta: Chinese and Taiwanese. Snowball sampling techniques were employed to recruit 83 study participants, 57 of which were included in the final analysis. Semi-structured interview techniques were used to question participants about their beliefs and usage of the yin yang system, usage of Chinese herbs and medicinal foods, preference and usage of Eastern and Western medicines, and gardening for medicinal foods. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Comparison of the two groups demonstrated a remarkable difference in health strategies concerning medicinal plant use, including statistically significant differences in beliefs concerning yin and yang, uses of Eastern versus Western medicine, and gardening for medicinal foods. Domestic health strategies in the form of medicinal foods play an important role in local health practices, especially among the Taiwanese participants. The collective desire for the use of both Eastern and Western medicine by both groups highlights the important role that cultural competency training will play in preparing allopathic health practitioners to serve increasingly diverse patient populations in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Jiang
- Center for the Study of Human Health, Emory University, 550 Asbury Circle, Candler Library 107, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Cassandra L Quave
- Center for the Study of Human Health, Emory University, 550 Asbury Circle, Candler Library 107, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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