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Marín J, Garnatje T, Vallès J. Traditional knowledge 10 min far from Barcelona: ethnobotanical study in the Llobregat river delta (Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula), a heavily anthropized agricultural area. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2023; 19:41. [PMID: 37752549 PMCID: PMC10523798 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-023-00615-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The right floodplain at the Llobregat river delta (Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula) constitutes an agricultural periurban area adjacent to Barcelona, which has remained ethnobotanically unexplored until now. This area comprises a very heavily anthropized mosaic of soil uses-urban, industrial, natural, agricultural-including the Agricultural Park of Baix Llobregat. The main aim of this work has been to collect and analyze the ethnoflora of this area in order to fill a gap in the ethnobotanical knowledge in industrialized areas. METHODS The followed methodology has been based on semi-structured interviews. The obtained data have been qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed and compared with other studies. RESULTS Data have been gathered from 83 informants. The interviewed informants referred 1965 use reports from 292 taxa, including both non-cultivated and cultivated species, from 85 botanical families. Among those, 451 were referred to medicinal uses, 1247 to food uses and 267 to other uses. In the present study, 779 vernacular names have been reported for 287 taxa. In addition to medicinal and food uses, this study significantly enhances our understanding of some agrosilvopastoral uses of plants, artistic use of plants and insights into folk functional foods. In this regard, we propose a novel quantitative ethnobotany index (the folk functional food index) to assess the relative significance of taxa employed as folk functional foods. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study highlight the enduring presence of ethnobotanical knowledge in this periurban agricultural region and underscore the significance of its preservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Marín
- Laboratori de Botànica - Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Teresa Garnatje
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB), CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona, Passeig del Migdia S/N, 08038, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Vallès
- Laboratori de Botànica - Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Secció de Ciències Biològiques, Institut d'Estudis Catalans, Carrer del Carme 47, 08001, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Abduraimov OS, Li W, Shomurodov HF, Feng Y. The Main Medicinal Plants in Arid Regions of Uzbekistan and Their Traditional Use in Folk Medicine. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2950. [PMID: 37631161 PMCID: PMC10458710 DOI: 10.3390/plants12162950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Seventy percent of the territory of Uzbekistan consists of arid regions. This situation is considered very favorable for plants adapted to a desert climate. Medicinal plants distributed in the arid regions of Uzbekistan have not been studied much. Medicinal plants are considered inexpensive, yet are vital for the lives of local residents. They play a very important role in the traditional healing of ailments. To determine the current state of medicinal plants and enhance their subsequent protection and sustainable use, it is necessary to obtain annual information on the state of their distribution, their population size, and the impact of negative factors on their populations. Based on our field studies, which were conducted during the period from 2012 to 2022 in the arid regions of Uzbekistan, we updated the checklists of the main medicinal plants used in these regions. A total of 529 medicinal species belonging to 70 families and 269 genera were identified in the study region. Several species, including Peganum harmala L., Capparis spinosa L., Ferula foetida (Bunge) Regel, Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Alhagi pseudalhagi (M. Bieb.) Desv. ex Wangerin, Lagochilus inebrians Bunge, Xanthium strumarium L., Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn., Onopordum acanthium L., Ziziphora tenuior L., and Cichorium intybus L., are spread over large areas and have been used regularly by the locals since ancient times. These species are common in saline and degraded soils in arid regions of Uzbekistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with tabibs (traditional doctors), elders, herders, and residents with experience in traditional healing using medicinal plants. The medicinal value of most plants was based on the interviews with representatives of the local population, which were useful for understanding traditional healing skills and customer service skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozodbek S. Abduraimov
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- Institute of Botany, Academy Science Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent 100126, Uzbekistan
- The Specimen Museum of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Wenjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- The Specimen Museum of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
| | | | - Ying Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
- The Specimen Museum of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
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Pinke G, Kapcsándi V, Czúcz B. Iconic Arable Weeds: The Significance of Corn Poppy ( Papaver rhoeas), Cornflower ( Centaurea cyanus), and Field Larkspur ( Delphinium consolida) in Hungarian Ethnobotanical and Cultural Heritage. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:plants12010084. [PMID: 36616213 PMCID: PMC9824376 DOI: 10.3390/plants12010084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There are an increasing number of initiatives that recognize arable weed species as an important component of agricultural biodiversity. Such initiatives often focus on declining species that were once abundant and are still well known, but the ethnographic relevance of such species receives little recognition. We carried out an extensive literature review on the medicinal, ornamental, and cultural applications of three selected species, Papaver rhoeas, Centaurea cyanus, and Delphinium consolida, in the relevant Hungarian literature published between 1578 and 2021. We found a great diversity of medicinal usages. While P. rhoeas stands out with its sedative influence, D. consolida was mainly employed to stop bleeding, and C. cyanus was most frequently used to cure eye inflammation. The buds of P. rhoeas were sporadically eaten and its petals were used as a food dye. All species fulfilled ornamental purposes, either as garden plants or gathered in the wild for bouquets. They were essential elements of harvest festivals and religious festivities, particularly in Corpus Christi processions. P. rhoeas was also a part of several children's games. These wildflowers were regularly depicted in traditional Hungarian folk art. In poetry, P. rhoeas was used as a symbol of burning love or impermanence; C. cyanus was frequently associated with tenderness and faithfulness; while D. consolida regularly emerged as a nostalgic remembrance of the disappearing rural lifestyle. These plants were also used as patriotic symbols in illustrations for faithfulness, loyalty, or homesickness. Our results highlight the deep and prevalent embeddedness of the three iconic weed species studied in the folk culture of the Carpathian Basin. The ethnobotanical and cultural embeddedness of arable weed species should also be considered when efforts and instruments for the conservation of arable weed communities are designed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyula Pinke
- Albert Kázmér Faculty of Mosomagyaróvár, Széchenyi István University, Vár 2., H-9200 Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
| | - Viktória Kapcsándi
- Albert Kázmér Faculty of Mosomagyaróvár, Széchenyi István University, Vár 2., H-9200 Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
| | - Bálint Czúcz
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Via Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy
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Bučar M, Šegota V, Rimac A, Koletić N, Marić T, Alegro A. Green Christmas: bryophytes as ornamentals in Croatian traditional nativity scenes. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2022; 18:15. [PMID: 35272668 PMCID: PMC8908650 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-022-00516-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The bryophytes are a plant group that is smaller than and not as well known as the vascular plants. They are less used and are almost completely neglected in ethnobotanical studies. Traditional nativity scenes depicting the birth of Christ are commonly decorated with both vascular plants and bryophytes. The aim of this study was to document the diversity of decorative bryophytes sold during the Advent season at farmers' markets in Croatia (Southeastern Europe, Balkan Peninsula). METHODS Twenty-eight farmers' markets in the two largest Croatian cities (Zagreb in the continental part and Split in the Mediterranean part) were studied in the search for local vendors selling bryophytes during the pre-Christmas season. The bryophytes collected were identified and analysed with respect to families, growth type, life forms and threat status. RESULTS Among 275 collected specimens, 43 moss and four liverwort species were identified. The mean number of species per vendor was 3.5. The most frequent species were Hypnum cupressiforme, Homalothecium sericeum and Ctenidium molluscum. Mats, wefts and tufts were the most common life-forms, while pleurocarpous prevailed over acrocarpous mosses, as they are usually pinnately branched and form large carpets, suitable for decorations. The overall selection of bryophytes and the decorations made of them were more diverse and abundant in inland Croatia, where 49 vendors at 15 farmers' markets sold goods containing 43 species. In Mediterranean Croatia, at six farmers' markets only 29 vendors sold goods, which contained 18 species. A considerable number of species that are less attractive to harvesters were collected non-intentionally, entangled in carpets of other, more frequent species. Among them, Rhodobryum ontariense and Loeskeobryum brevirostre are rare and insufficiently recorded in Croatia so far. CONCLUSIONS The present study provided a first perspective on the use of bryophytes in traditional nativity scenes in Croatia and Southeastern Europe, contributing to scarce ethnobotanical documentation of the decorative use of bryophytes in Christmas festivities in Europe and globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Bučar
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vedran Šegota
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anja Rimac
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Nikola Koletić
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tihana Marić
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Schrottova 39, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Antun Alegro
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
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Gras A, Hidalgo O, D’Ambrosio U, Parada M, Garnatje T, Vallès J. The Role of Botanical Families in Medicinal Ethnobotany: A Phylogenetic Perspective. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10010163. [PMID: 33467763 PMCID: PMC7830233 DOI: 10.3390/plants10010163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Studies suggesting that medicinal plants are not chosen at random are becoming more common. The goal of this work is to shed light on the role of botanical families in ethnobotany, depicting in a molecular phylogenetic frame the relationships between families and medicinal uses of vascular plants in several Catalan-speaking territories. The simple quantitative analyses for ailments categories and the construction of families and disorders matrix were carried out in this study. A Bayesian approach was used to estimate the over- and underused families in the medicinal flora. Phylogenetically informed analyses were carried out to identify lineages in which there is an overrepresentation of families in a given category of use, i.e., hot nodes. The ethnobotanicity index, at a specific level, was calculated and also adapted to the family level. Two diversity indices to measure the richness of reported taxa within each family were calculated. A total of 47,630 use reports were analysed. These uses are grouped in 120 botanical families. The ethnobotanicity index for this area is 14.44% and the ethnobotanicity index at the family level is 68.21%. The most-reported families are Lamiaceae and Asteraceae and the most reported troubles are disorders of the digestive and nutritional system. Based on the meta-analytic results, indicating hot nodes of useful plants at the phylogenetic level, specific ethnopharmacological research may be suggested, including a phytochemical approach of particularly interesting taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airy Gras
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; (O.H.); (T.G.)
- Correspondence: (A.G.); (J.V.)
| | - Oriane Hidalgo
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; (O.H.); (T.G.)
| | - Ugo D’Ambrosio
- Mediterranean Ethnobiology Programme Director, Global Diversity Foundation, 37 St. Margarets Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2TU, UK;
| | - Montse 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, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain;
| | - Teresa Garnatje
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; (O.H.); (T.G.)
| | - Joan Vallès
- 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, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain;
- Secció de Ciències Biològiques, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Carrer del Carme 47, 08001 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Correspondence: (A.G.); (J.V.)
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Das G, Lim KJ, Tantengco OAG, Carag HM, Gonçalves S, Romano A, Das SK, Coy-Barrera E, Shin HS, Gutiérrez-Grijalva EP, Heredia JB, Patra JK. Cactus: Chemical, nutraceutical composition and potential bio-pharmacological properties. Phytother Res 2020; 35:1248-1283. [PMID: 33025610 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Cactus species are plants that grow in the arid and semiarid regions of the world. They have long fascinated the attention of the scientific community due to their unusual biology. Cactus species are used for a variety of purposes, such as food, fodder, ornamental, and as medicinal plants. In the last regard, they have been used in traditional medicine for eras by the ancient people to cure several diseases. Recent scientific investigations suggest that cactus materials may be used as a source of naturally-occurring products, such as mucilage, fiber, pigments, and antioxidants. For this reason, numerous species under this family are becoming endangered and extinct. This review provides an overview of the habitat, classification, phytochemistry, chemical constituents, extraction and isolation of bioactive compounds, nutritional and pharmacological potential with pre-clinical and clinical studies of different Cactus species. Furthermore, conservation strategies for the ornamental and endangered species have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gitishree Das
- Research Institute of Biotechnology & Medical Converged Science, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyangsi, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Jik Lim
- Department of Food Science & Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyangsi, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Harold M Carag
- Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Sandra Gonçalves
- MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Anabela Romano
- MED - Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Universidade do Algarve, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Swagat Kumar Das
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering and Technology, Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Kalinga Nagar, Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Ericsson Coy-Barrera
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Cajicá, Colombia
| | - Han-Seung Shin
- Department of Food Science & Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyangsi, Republic of Korea
| | - Erick Paul Gutiérrez-Grijalva
- Department of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Cátedras CONACYT-Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Culiacán, Mexico
| | - J Basilio Heredia
- Department of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, Culiacán, Mexico
| | - Jayanta Kumar Patra
- Research Institute of Biotechnology & Medical Converged Science, Dongguk University-Seoul, Goyangsi, Republic of Korea
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Gras A, Vallès J, Garnatje T. Filling the gaps: ethnobotanical study of the Garrigues district, an arid zone in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula). JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2020; 16:34. [PMID: 32517701 PMCID: PMC7285587 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00386-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study has focused on the Garrigues district, one of the most arid regions in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula), which, in general terms, has remained unexplored from the ethnobotanical point of view. This area, of 22,243 inhabitants, comprises 33 municipalities distributed across 1123.12 km2. The natural vegetation is dominated by holm oak forests and maquis called 'garriga', the latter giving its name to the district. During the last few decades, this landscape has been transformed by agricultural activities, nowadays in recession. The main aim of this work was to collect and analyse the ethnoflora of this area in order to fill a gap in the ethnobotanical knowledge in Catalonia. METHODS The followed methodology was based on semi-structured interviews. The obtained data have been qualitatively and quantitatively analysed and compared with other available ones. RESULTS Data were gathered from 68 interviews involving 101 informants, whose ages range from 24 to 94, the mean being 73.07. The number of taxa reported in this study was 420, belonging to 99 botanical families. The interviewed informants referred 4715 use reports (UR) of 346 useful taxa, 1741 (36.93) of them corresponding to medicinal uses, 1705 (36.16%) to food uses, and 1269 (26.91%) to other uses. This study has inventoried, apart from individual plant uses, 260 plant mixtures, of which 98 are medicinal and 162 food. In the present study, 849 vernacular names with 116 phonetic variants have been collected, as well, for 410 taxa. The informant consensus factor (FIC) obtained for our interviewees is 0.93, and the ethnobotanicity index is 23.47% for the studied area. Apart from plants belonging to the typical Catalan, Iberian or European ethnofloras, the present work contributes information on some plants from semiarid or arid regions, such as Artemisia herba-alba and Plantago albicans, much rarer in the ethnobotany of the quoted areas. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study reveal the persistence of ethnobotanical knowledge in the prospected area and the importance of filling the existing gaps in the ethnofloristic sampling of the Catalan territories. The almost complete dataset, now including some arid territories, will allow us to carry out a global analysis and to provide an accurate overview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airy Gras
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB; CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, 08038, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- 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, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Joan Vallès
- 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, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institut d'Estudis Catalans, C. del Carme 47, 08001, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Teresa Garnatje
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB; CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, 08038, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), University of Helsinki, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Dana Lepofsky
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Canada
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Gras A, Serrasolses G, Vallès J, Garnatje T. Traditional knowledge in semi-rural close to industrial areas: ethnobotanical studies in western Gironès (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula). JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2019; 15:19. [PMID: 30940210 PMCID: PMC6444684 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0295-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The western Gironès is a district located in NE Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula). This area comprising 186.55 km2 and 10,659 inhabitants is composed of 5 municipalities encompassing 29 villages, located in the hydrographic basins of the Ter and Llémena rivers. METHODS Following the methodology based on the semi-structured interviews, we carried out 40 interviews with 57 informants, 31 were women and the remaining 26 were men, with an average age of 78.6 years. RESULTS In the present study, data from 316 taxa (301 angiosperms, 8 gymnosperms, and 7 pteridophytes) belonging to 89 botanical families were collected. The interviewed informants referred 3776 UR of 298 taxa, 1933 (51.19%) of them corresponding to the food category, 949 (25.13%) to the medicinal ones, and 894 (23.68%) to other uses. In addition, 581 vernacular names for 306 species, subspecies, and varieties have also been collected. CONCLUSIONS These results reveal the validity of traditional knowledge in the studied area, which can be seriously threatened by the loss of its rural condition and its proximity to industrialized areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airy Gras
- Laboratori de Botànica (UB) – Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-ICUB), Passeig del Migdia s/n, Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Ginesta Serrasolses
- Laboratori de Botànica (UB) – Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Joan Vallès
- Laboratori de Botànica (UB) – Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
- Secció de Ciències Biològiques, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Carrer del Carme 47, 08001 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Teresa Garnatje
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-ICUB), Passeig del Migdia s/n, Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
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Chabra A, Monadi T, Azadbakht M, Haerizadeh SI. Ethnopharmacology of Cuscuta epithymum: A comprehensive review on ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicity. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2019; 231:555-569. [PMID: 30522939 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2018.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Cuscuta epithymum (L.) L. (C. epithymum; Convolvulaceae) is a parasitic plant that has long been used locally and traditionally in Asia, Europe and other regions. AIM OF THE REVIEW The study intends to reflect the significance of the C. epithymum in traditional medicine. This review aims to grant insight into the species' botany, pharmacological activities and phytochemistry with distinctive emphasis on its ethnomedicinal and traditional applications in all over the world. The review endeavors to rule out any inconsistency between the species' traditional application and its pharmacological activity, and presenting any coherence existing. MATERIALS AND METHODS The books on ethnomedicine and the main medieval Persian medicine textbooks including Makhzan Al- Advieh, The canon of medicine, Zakhireh kharazmshahi and etc were explored for C. epithymum. Additionally, information on the ethnobotany, phytochemistry, morphology, taxonomy, modern medicinal uses, and pharmacological activities were collected in electronic databases including Google Scholar, Science Direct, Scopus, and PubMed using the keywords "Cuscuta epithymum," "traditional medicine," "ethnomedicine," "phytochemistry," "pharmacology" and "activity." Then, the available articles from 1975 to 2017 were employed for this study. RESULTS C. epithymum is a rootless plant, widely distributed and available in every continent except Antarctica. It was used traditionally in formularies or by rural people and as geriatric drug, detergent, purgative, disorders in the melancholic humor, joint, kidney, urinary tract, gastrointestinal system, nervous system, etc. In modern medicine, the extract of C. epithymum showed anti-microbial, cytotoxic, anticonvulsant, anti-urease, immune stimulatory, hepatoprotective effect, and antioxidant activity. The main phytochemical constituents are alkaloids; saponins; tannins; triterpenoids; steroids; carbohydrates; aromatic compounds; flavonoids and the hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives. CONCLUSION The modern pharmacological studies have validated the traditional and ethnobotanical uses of C. epithymum. However, many aspects of this herb have not been studied yet. In addition, information about the phytochemistry and toxicological profile is insufficient. Owing to the extensive traditional uses of C. epithymum. Hence further studies on pharmacological activities, phytochemistry, and toxicity and adverse effects seem to be necessary to appraise the medicinal values of C. epithymum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aroona Chabra
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran; Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Taha Monadi
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Mohammad Azadbakht
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Seyed Iman Haerizadeh
- Student Research Committee, Ramsar International Branch, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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Gras A, Parada M, Rigat M, Vallès J, Garnatje T. Folk medicinal plant mixtures: Establishing a protocol for further studies. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2018; 214:244-273. [PMID: 29253612 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Most ethnobotanical research bases its analyses on individual taxa catalogues and their uses, rather than on mixtures. However, mixtures constitute an important chapter of our different lines of research and they represent a large volume of information. The relevance of these data in folk medicine could be explained as a response to the cure of multicausal etiology diseases or by a possible polyvalent effect of the mixture as opposed to the effect of each taxon alone. AIMS OF THE STUDY The main goals are: i) to perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of these mixtures; ii) to carry out a comparison among the mixtures in two Catalan territories and their floristic composition; iii) to assess the worth of families association; and, iv) to evaluate whether the plants claimed to be used in mixtures have contraindications or possible negative interactions according to phytopharmaceutical literature. The ultimate goal is to test a protocol that can be implemented in similar studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS We have used data on medicinal plant mixtures obtained from two extensive ethnobotanical field studies carried out in two Catalan districts, Alt Empordà and Ripollès. The quantitative analyses by means of descriptive statistics were carried out with Excel. New contributions like the implementation of the Shannon index to quantify the diversity of families in plant combinations, the creation of a new index to calculate the taxon importance in mixtures, or the use of a social network analysis to study the connection between botanical families have been employed in this work. RESULTS In total, a set of 484 mixtures from Alt Empordà and Ripollès (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula) have been analysed: 462 for human use and 22 for veterinary. Thymus vulgaris and Rosmarinus officinalis are among the most commonly used species in mixtures. The aerial part of the plant is the most used, and the anticatarrhal usage is the most frequent in both territories. A wide diversity of families has been observed in mixtures and reflects a strong bond between the number of taxa and the number of families in each mixture, being almost equal to one. The Shannon diversity index applied to mixtures has the maximum value at 0.86. No exclusive plants are used in mixtures, as reflected on the index of taxon usefulness in mixtures (ITUM), proposed in the present work. The association of families is strong between Lamiaceae (12.12%) and Asteraceae with Lamiaceae (11.69%). Finally, the informant consensus factor (0.85) reflects the strong consistency of data reported by the interviewees. CONCLUSIONS The present analysis has confirmed that it is possible to study the data of plants in mixtures as thoroughly as when they are considered in isolation in an ethnofloristic catalogue, and maybe this kind of ethnobotanical investigation could be a first step for future pharmacological studies that may result in a relevant complement to the current phytotherapy market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airy Gras
- 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, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Montse 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, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Montse Rigat
- 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, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Vallès
- 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, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Secció de Ciències Biològiques, Institut d'Estudis Catalans, Carrer del Carme 47, 08001 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Teresa Garnatje
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-ICUB), Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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