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Milstein MS, Shaffer CA, Suse P, Marawanaru A, Heinrich DA, Larsen PA, Wolf TM. A mixed-methods approach to understanding domestic dog health and disease transmission risk in an indigenous reserve in Guyana, South America. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010469. [PMID: 35687596 PMCID: PMC9223617 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) can transmit a variety of pathogens due to their ubiquitousness in urban, rural and natural environments, and their close interactions with wildlife and humans. In this study, we used a mixed-methods approach to assess the role of domestic dogs as potential intermediaries of disease transmission from wildlife to humans among indigenous Waiwai in the Konashen Community Owned Conservation Area, Guyana. To address these objectives we 1) performed physical examinations and collected biological samples to assess Waiwai domestic dog health, and 2) administered questionnaires to characterize the role of dogs in the community and identify potential transmission pathways between wildlife, dogs, and humans. We observed ectoparasites on all dogs (n = 20), including: fleas (100%), ticks (15%), botflies (30%), and jigger flea lesions (Tunga penetrans) (80%). Ten percent of dogs were seropositive for Ehrlichia canis/ewingii, 10% were positive for Dirofilaria immitis, and one dog was seropositive for Leishmania infantum. All dogs (n = 20) were seronegative for: canine distemper virus, Brucella canis, Leptospira serovars, Trypanosoma cruzi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum/platys and Borrelia burgdorferi. Our questionnaire data revealed that the Waiwai remove ectoparasites from their dogs, clean up dog feces, and administer traditional and/or Western medicine to their dogs. White blood cell, strongyle-type ova, and eosinophil counts were lower in dogs that were not frequently used for hunting, dogs that did receive traditional and/or western medicine, and dogs that were frequently kept in elevated dog houses, although differences were not statistically significant. While our results suggest that the Waiwai have developed cultural practices that may promote dog health and/or prevent zoonotic disease transmission, more research is necessary to determine the efficacy of these practices. Our study provides important data on the health of dogs and the potential for disease transmission to humans in a zoonotic hotspot. Domestic dogs are found throughout the world and interact closely with both wildlife and humans. Dogs can harbor numerous diseases that can be transmitted to other domestic and wildlife species, and human populations. They can serve as bridges, moving diseases between unconnected populations. Additionally, dogs can help in the early detection of wildlife and human diseases. Therefore, understanding what pathogens domestic dogs harbor can inform both wildlife and human health. In this study, we performed physical examinations, collected biological samples, and administered questionnaires to assess dog health and understand the role of dogs as potential bridges of disease transmission from wildlife to humans among indigenous Waiwai in the Konashen Community Owned Conservation Area, Guyana. On physical exam, we observed ectoparasites on all dogs, however, few pathogens were detected with diagnostic screening. Our questionnaire data revealed that the Waiwai engage in husbandry practices that may promote Waiwai dog health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa S. Milstein
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christopher A. Shaffer
- Department of Anthropology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Phillip Suse
- Masakenari Village, Konashen Indigenous District, Region 9, Guyana
| | - Aron Marawanaru
- Masakenari Village, Konashen Indigenous District, Region 9, Guyana
| | - Daniel A. Heinrich
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Peter A. Larsen
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Tiffany M. Wolf
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
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Greene AM, Panyadee P, Inta A, Huffman MA. Asian elephant self-medication as a source of ethnoveterinary knowledge among Karen mahouts in northern Thailand. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2020; 259:112823. [PMID: 32387460 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.112823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Ethnoveterinary medicine is often assumed to be a subset of human medicinal knowledge. Here we investigate the possibility that some ethnoveterinary medicine rather originates from observations of animal self-medication. We document and analyze the ethnoveterinary medicine used by Karen mahouts for elephant care and attempt to determine whether this knowledge originated from humans or elephants. MATERIALS AND METHODS Elephant camp owners and mahouts in four communities in northern Thailand were interviewed about their knowledge and use of plants for ethnoveterinary elephant care. For each ethnoveterinary plant, data were collected on Karen human medicinal uses and whether elephants independently consume them. Based on overlaps between ethnoveterinary use, human medicinal use and elephant dietary use, plants were classified into three categories: those that originated from Karen human medicine, those that originated from Asian elephant self-medication, and those which were present in both human and elephant knowledge traditions. RESULTS The use of 34 plants (32 identified at least to genus) and two additional non-plant remedies (salt and human urine) were reported to be used in ethnoveterinary elephant medicine. A total of 44 treatments in 11 use categories were recorded: tonic, wounds, compress, eye problems, indigestion, broken bones, galactagogue, snakebite, fatigue, skin and musth regulation. Of the ethnoveterinary plants, 55% had the same use in human medicine, 43% had different uses and 2% had no use. Elephants consume 84% of the ethnoveterinary plants as part of their natural diet. DISCUSSION Analysis indicates that 32% of plant uses likely originated from Karen human medicine, 60% of plant uses likely existed independently in both human and elephant knowledge systems, and 8% of plant uses likely originated from elephant self-medicating behavior. The tonic use category shows the strongest evidence of influence from observations of elephant self-medication. The use of tonic medicines appears to be increasing as a way to mitigate the unnaturally limited diet of elephants in tourist camps. CONCLUSION Ethnoveterinary medicine for elephant care is influenced by both human medicinal knowledge and elephant knowledge of plants for self-medication. The ethnoveterinary knowledge domain appears to be the result of an interactive process linked to convergent evolution or co-evolution between humans and Asian elephants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Prateep Panyadee
- Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, The Botanical Garden Organization, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
| | - Angkhana Inta
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Bioresources for Agriculture, Industry and Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
| | - Michael A Huffman
- Department of Behavior and Ecology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan.
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Miara MD, Bendif H, Ouabed A, Rebbas K, Ait Hammou M, Amirat M, Greene A, Teixidor-Toneu I. Ethnoveterinary remedies used in the Algerian steppe: Exploring the relationship with traditional human herbal medicine. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2019; 244:112164. [PMID: 31419498 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2019.112164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Ethnoveterinary medicine is vastly under-documented, especially in North Africa, where livestock care is increasingly medicalised. Despite evidence of the interdependence of ethnoveterinary practices and ethnomedicine for human care, the overlap between these two systems and the possible drivers of similarity are rarely addressed in ethnopharmacological literature. Here, we present the first quantitative comparison of remedies used to treat human and animal health among a pastoral society. AIMS This study aims to document the plants and other materials used in ethnoveterinary medicine among nomadic herders in the Algerian steppe. We calculate the overlap with remedies used for human health and evaluate some of the possible drivers of similarities between the two interlinked medical systems. METHODS The field study was conducted in spring 2018 with 201 local knowledge holders in five provinces in the central part of the Algerian steppe. Forty-six camps and ten weekly animal markets were visited. After obtaining prior informed consent, data was collected through structured interviews. Anonymous sociodemographic information was collected along with veterinary use data. Plant specimens were acquired, identified and deposited in the Botanical Laboratory Herbarium of the University of Tiaret. Ethnobotanical information was structured in use reports and therapeutic applications organised into 13 simple categories. Plants used in ethnoveterinary medicine were compared to those used in human health care using a Chi square test, and ethnoveterinary use was predicted using a generalised linear model with use for human care and plant family as predictive variables. Logistic regressions were also used to test if any specific medicinal application predicts shared use in human and veterinary medicine. RESULTS Sixty-six plant species from 32 botanical families and ten non-vegetable remedies were documented. Plants from the Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Apiaceae families were most commonly used. The plants most often cited by interviewees are all harvested from the wild (Echinops spinosissimus Turra, Atriplex halimus L., Artemisia campestris L., Juniperus phoenicea L. and Peganum harmala L.). Leaves are the most commonly used plant part and decoction is the most common preparation method. There are important similarities between remedies used to treat humans and other animals: two thirds of the remedies used in ethnoveterinary medicine are also used in human health care, and these represent half of the human health treatments. Use for human health and plant family both predict the use of a medicinal plant in veterinary medicine, but no correlation is found regarding specific therapeutic applications. CONCLUSIONS Traditional veterinary knowledge is still key to sheep and goat herders in the Algerian steppe, but a knowledge transmission gap seems to exist between older and younger generations, and ethnoveterinary practices may disappear in the near future. Treatments for human and animal care overlap to a large extent, and a causal relationship possibly exists for, at least, some of them. However, overall a smaller number of remedies are used to treat animals than humans and for less therapeutic applications. This difference in the diversity of therapeutic applications and remedies should be the object of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Djamel Miara
- Department of Nature and Life Sciences, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University Ibn Khaldoun, Tiaret, Algeria; Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology and Nutrition Research in Semi-Arid Areas, University Ibn Khaldoun, Tiaret, Algeria.
| | - Hamdi Bendif
- Natural and Life Sciences Department, Mohamed Boudiaf University, M'sila, Algeria.
| | - Asmahane Ouabed
- Department of Nature and Life Sciences, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University Ibn Khaldoun, Tiaret, Algeria.
| | - Khellaf Rebbas
- Natural and Life Sciences Department, Mohamed Boudiaf University, M'sila, Algeria.
| | - Mohammed Ait Hammou
- Department of Nature and Life Sciences, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, University Ibn Khaldoun, Tiaret, Algeria; Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology and Nutrition Research in Semi-Arid Areas, University Ibn Khaldoun, Tiaret, Algeria.
| | - Mokhtar Amirat
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University Ibn Khaldoun, Tiaret, Algeria.
| | - Alex Greene
- Centre for Biocultural Diversity, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.
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González JA, Amich F, Postigo-Mota S, Vallejo JR. The use of wild vertebrates in contemporary Spanish ethnoveterinary medicine. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2016; 191:135-151. [PMID: 27288756 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE This review documents the wide and varied repertoire of traditional practices based on the use of wild vertebrates in Spanish ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) from the early 20th century to the present. Empirical practices, both ritual and magical, are recorded, and these EVM data are compared with those of other countries in the Mediterranean Region and Latin America. The data collected here could form a scientific foundation for future inventories of traditional knowledge and help in the discovery of new drugs for livestock. MATERIALS AND METHODS A qualitative systematic review of international and national databases in the fields of ethnobiology, ethnoveterinary medicine, folklore and ethnography was made. Information was obtained from more than 60 documentary sources. RESULTS We recorded the use of 30 wild vertebrates and a total of 84 empirical remedies based on the use of a single species. The two most relevant zoological groups are reptiles and mammals. A wide diversity of body parts or products have been and are used. The meat and skin of snakes are the animal products most commonly used. These zootherapeutic resources have been and are used to treat or prevent ca. 50 animal diseases or conditions, in particular digestive and reproductive ailments, together with some infectious diseases. Sheep, cattle and equines form the group of domestic animals in which the greatest number of useful species are employed. In addition, many remedies and practices of the magical type are documented. In comparison with other culturally related areas, this is a rich heritage. CONCLUSIONS Contemporary Spanish EVM practices amass a great richness of wild animal-based remedies. A diversity of animal parts or products have been used, offering a cultural heritage that could be a fundamental step in the discovery of new and low-cost drugs for treating livestock and alternative materials for pharmaceutical purposes. This overview contributes to the inventory of some uses and rituals seriously threatened by the progressive loss of local veterinary knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A González
- Grupo de Investigación de Recursos Etnobiológicos del Duero-Douro (GRIRED), Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca E-37071, Spain.
| | - Francisco Amich
- Grupo de Investigación de Recursos Etnobiológicos del Duero-Douro (GRIRED), Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca E-37071, Spain.
| | - Salvador Postigo-Mota
- Equipo de Antropología Social y Cultural, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz E-06006, Spain.
| | - José Ramón Vallejo
- Departamento de Terapéutica Médico-Quirúrgica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz E-06006, Spain.
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Bennett BC, Alarcón R. Hunting and hallucinogens: The use psychoactive and other plants to improve the hunting ability of dogs. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2015; 171:171-83. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
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A comparative analysis of ethnomedicinal practices for treating gastrointestinal disorders used by communities living in three national parks (Korea). EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2014; 2014:108037. [PMID: 25202330 PMCID: PMC4150413 DOI: 10.1155/2014/108037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to comparatively analyze the ethnomedicinal practices on gastrointestinal disorders within communities in Jirisan National Park, Gayasan National Park, and Hallasan National Park of Korea. Data was collected through participant observations and indepth interviews with semistructured questionnaires. Methods for comparative analysis were accomplished using the informant consensus factor, fidelity level, and internetwork analysis. A total of 490 ethnomedicinal practices recorded from the communities were classified into 110 families, 176 genera, and 220 species that included plants, animals, fungi, and alga. The informant consensus factor values in the disorder categories were enteritis, and gastralgia (1.0), followed by indigestion (0.94), constipation (0.93), and abdominal pain and gastroenteric trouble (0.92). In terms of fidelity levels, 71 plant species showed fidelity levels of 100%. The internetwork analysis between disorders and all medicinal species are grouped in the center by the four categories of indigestion, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and gastroenteric trouble, respectively. Regarding the research method of this study, the comparative analysis methods will contribute to the availability of orally transmitted ethnomedicinal knowledge. Among the methods of analysis, the use of internetwork analysis as a tool for analysis in this study provides imperative internetwork maps between gastrointestinal disorders and medicinal species.
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Benítez G, González-Tejero MR, Molero-Mesa J. Knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicine in the Province of Granada, Andalusia, Spain. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2012; 139:429-39. [PMID: 22155471 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.11.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2011] [Revised: 11/16/2011] [Accepted: 11/17/2011] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE This paper constitutes an important contribution to the knowledge of biological resources used in ethnoveterinary practices (EVPs) in southern Europe, a territory with a clear lack of information on the subject. AIM OF THE STUDY To catalogue, analyze, and disseminate the knowledge of plant and animal use in ethnoveterinary practices in the province of Granada. Data have been analyzed to highlight the similarities between ethnoveterinary practices and human ethnopharmacology for the same study area. METHODOLOGY Information was gathered through open and semi-structured interviews with local people, mainly elderly shepherds and farmers, in the western part of the province. The primary data have been supplemented with information on EVPs from previous ethnobotanical works for the province. Data were gathered using the same field methods. RESULTS A total of 88 ethnoveterinary uses are documented for the treatment of 24 animal conditions. Of these, 82 uses involve 60 different plant species. Over three-quarters of these plants are also used for some human conditions in the same study area. Moreover, 6 animal species were catalogued for 6 other ethnoveterinary uses; four of these species were also used for similar conditions in humans. Ritual and health-prevention practices are also discussed. CONCLUSIONS EVPs in southern Spain involve a high number of species and conditions and are strongly linked to folk tradition (i.e. how local people understand certain conditions and their treatment, sometimes in a ritual manner). Unfortunately, some evidence of their slow disappearance has been found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Benítez
- European University of Madrid, Biomedical Sciences Department, Madrid, Spain.
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Jernigan KA. Dietary restrictions in healing among speakers of Iquito, an endangered language of the Peruvian Amazon. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2011; 7:20. [PMID: 21745400 PMCID: PMC3148960 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-7-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2011] [Accepted: 07/11/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethno botanical research was carried out with speakers of Iquitos, a critically endangered Amazonian language of the Zaparoan family. The study focused on the concept of "dieting" (siyan++ni in Iquitos), a practice involving prohibitions considered necessary to the healing process. These restrictions include: 1) foods and activities that can exacerbate illness, 2) environmental influences that conflict with some methods of healing (e.g. steam baths or enemas) and 3) foods and activities forbidden by the spirits of certain powerful medicinal plants. The study tested the following hypotheses: H1--Each restriction will correlate with specific elements in illness explanatory models and H2--Illnesses whose explanatory models have personality elements will show a greater number and variety of restrictions than those based on naturalistic reasoning. METHODS The work was carried out in 2009 and 2010 in the Alto Nanay region of Peru. In structured interviews, informants gave explanatory models for illness categories, including etiologies, pathophysiologies, treatments and dietary restrictions necessary for 49 illnesses. Seventeen botanical vouchers for species said to have powerful spirits that require diets were also collected. RESULTS All restrictions found correspond to some aspect of illness explanatory models. Thirty-five percent match up with specific illness etiologies, 53% correspond to particular pathophysiologies, 18% correspond with overall seriousness of the illness and 18% are only found with particular forms of treatment. Diets based on personalistic reasoning have a significantly higher average number of restrictions than those based on naturalistic reasoning. CONCLUSIONS Dieting plays a central role in healing among Iquitos speakers. Specific prohibitions can be explained in terms of specific aspects of illness etiologies, pathophysiologies and treatments. Although the Amazonian literature contains few studies focusing on dietary proscriptions over a wide range of illnesses, some specific restrictions reported here do correspond with trends seen in other Amazonian societies, particularly those related to sympathetic reasoning and for magical and spiritual uses of plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A Jernigan
- Department of Ethnobotany, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Kuskokwim Campus, 201 Akiak Dr, Bethel, AK, USA.
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Meghvansi MK, Siddiqui S, Khan MH, Gupta VK, Vairale MG, Gogoi HK, Singh L. Naga chilli: a potential source of capsaicinoids with broad-spectrum ethnopharmacological applications. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2010; 132:1-14. [PMID: 20728519 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2010] [Revised: 08/13/2010] [Accepted: 08/14/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Capsicum species are not only cultivated as vegetable and condiment crops but are also incorporated into a number of medicinal preparations in the ancient literature around the world. 'Naga chilli' or 'Bhoot Jolokia' (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is a chilli variety indigenous to the northeast region of India and has been recognized as the hottest chilli in the world. It has also been used conventionally in treating various human ailments since time immemorial by the indigenous people of the northeast India. Despite being an important crop of the northeast India, the information on the biology and cultivation of Naga chilli is very scanty and scattered. The present article reviews the scientific literature on above aspects with particular emphasis on identifying the key regional issues which need to be addressed urgently by the policy makers in order to harness its potential as an important source of capsaicinoids. Further, an attempt has been made to collate the potential of capsaicinoids in various ethnopharmacological applications such as pain therapy, body temperature regulation, anti-obesity treatments, anticancer therapy and as antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. We anticipate that this literature analysis of traditional medicinal uses and experimental trials of Capsicum using modern scientific approaches shall provide a basis for suggesting important areas where sincere research efforts are warranted to bridge the gap between traditional medicinal knowledge and modern biomedical knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- M K Meghvansi
- Defence Research Laboratory, Post Bag 2, Tezpur 784001, Assam, India. mk
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Chinsembu KC, Hedimbi M. An ethnobotanical survey of plants used to manage HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections in Katima Mulilo, Caprivi region, Namibia. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2010; 6:25. [PMID: 20831821 PMCID: PMC2944155 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-6-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2010] [Accepted: 09/11/2010] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Katima Mulilo has the highest burden of HIV/AIDS in Namibia. Due to several constraints of the antiretroviral therapy programme, HIV-infected persons still use ethnomedicines to manage AIDS-related opportunistic infections. Despite the reliance on plants to manage HIV/AIDS in Katima Mulilo, there have been no empirical studies to document the specific plant species used by traditional healers to treat AIDS-related opportunistic infections. In this study, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted to record the various plant families, species, and plant parts used to manage different HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections in Katima Mulilo, Caprivi region, Namibia. The results showed that a total of 71 plant species from 28 families, mostly the Combretaceae (14%), Anacardiaceae (8%), Mimosaceae (8%), and Ebanaceae (7%), were used to treat conditions such as herpes zoster, diarrhoea, coughing, malaria, meningitis, and tuberculosis. The most plant parts used were leaves (33%), bark (32%), and roots (28%) while the least used plant parts were fruits/seeds (4%). Further research is needed to isolate the plants' active chemical compounds and understand their modes of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazhila C Chinsembu
- University of Namibia, Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, P/B 13301, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Marius Hedimbi
- University of Namibia, Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, P/B 13301, Windhoek, Namibia
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