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Ramirez-Santos AG, Ravera F, Rivera-Ferre MG, Calvet-Nogués M. Gendered traditional agroecological knowledge in agri-food systems: a systematic review. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2023; 19:11. [PMID: 37024903 PMCID: PMC10080974 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-023-00576-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Traditional agroecological knowledge (i.e. TAeK) is gaining recognition for its potential contribution to climate change adaptation in food systems, ecosystems restoration and food insecurity. Despite the existing literature on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and its nexus with food security, how gender critically influences the distribution of such knowledge within agri-food systems has not yet been systematically analysed. In this regard, this systematic review attempts to answer four questions: 1) How does the literature on gender and TAeK in agri-food systems evolved temporally, geographically and in different agroecosystems? 2) How are gender and intersectionality mainly approached by such literature? 3) How do the articles address gendered dimensions in TAeK within the agri-food system activities? 4) What are the main drivers of change that influence TAeK and adaptive responses? The results show the gendered nature of TAeK in relation to food production, processing, and conservation activities, and how these activities are linked to tasks and activities, gender-specific knowledge, and spaces where gender discrimination is reproduced. The review also identifies elements that delimit and/or take part of the development of TAeK, such as gendered access to resources, gendered institutions, and the identification of the main drivers of change and impacts of TAeK erosion and biodiversity loss. These results are discussed in terms of power relations that interact with sociocultural norms and practices according to the specific geographical context and agroecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana G Ramirez-Santos
- UNESCO Chair of Sustainability, Polytechnic University of Catalonia, C/ Colom, 1 - Edificio TR1, 08222, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Federica Ravera
- Department of Geography, University of Girona, Pl. Ferrater i Mora, 1, 17004, Girona, Spain.
| | - Marta G Rivera-Ferre
- INGENIO (CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València), Edifici 8E, 4ª planta, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera, s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mar Calvet-Nogués
- INGENIO (CSIC-Universitat Politècnica de València), Edifici 8E, 4ª planta, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera, s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
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Lugo-Morin DR, Bhat R. Restoring the values of traditional foods. FUTURE FOODS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-91001-9.00010-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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Bussmann RW, Paniagua Zambrana NY, Ur Rahman I, Kikvidze Z, Sikharulidze S, Kikodze D, Tchelidze D, Khutsishvili M, Batsatsashvili K. Unity in diversity-food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2021; 17:72. [PMID: 34972527 PMCID: PMC8719402 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-021-00490-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Republic of Georgia is part of the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot, and human agricultural plant use dates back at least 6000 years. Over the last years, lots of ethnobotanical research on the area has been published. In this paper, we analyze the use of food plants in the 80% of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces. We hypothesized that (1) given the long tradition of plant use, and the isolation under Soviet rule, plant use both based on home gardens and wild harvesting would be more pronounced in Georgia than in the wider region, (2) food plant use knowledge would be widely and equally spread in most of Georgia, (3) there would still be incidence of knowledge loss despite wide plant use, especially in climatically favored agricultural regions in Western and Eastern Georgia. METHODS From 2013 to 2019, we interviewed over 380 participants in all regions of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces and recorded over 19,800 mentions of food plants. All interviews were carried out in the participants' homes and gardens by native speakers of Georgian and its dialects (Imeretian, Rachian, Lechkhumian, Tush, Khevsurian, Psavian, Kakhetian), other Kartvelian languages (Megrelian, Svan) and minority languages (Ossetian, Ude, Azeri, Armenian, Greek). RESULTS The regional division was based primarily on historic provinces of Georgia, which often coincides with the current administrative borders. The total number of taxa, mostly identified to species, including their varieties, was 527. Taxonomically, the difference between two food plant groups-garden versus wild-was strongly pronounced even at family level. The richness of plant families was 65 versus 97 families in garden versus wild plants, respectively, and the difference was highly significant. Other diversity indices also unequivocally pointed to considerably more diverse family composition of wild collected versus garden plants as the differences between all the tested diversity indices appeared to be highly significant. The wide use of leaves for herb pies and lactofermented is of particular interest. Some of the ingredients are toxic in larger quantities, and the participants pointed out that careful preparation was needed. The authors explicitly decided to not give any recipes, given that many of the species are widespread, and compound composition-and with it possible toxic effects-might vary across the distribution range, so that a preparation method that sufficiently reduces toxicity in the Caucasus might not necessary be applicable in other areas. CONCLUSIONS Relationships among the regions in the case of wild food plants show a different and clearer pattern. Adjacent regions cluster together (Kvemo Zemo Racha, and Zemo Imereti; Samegrelo, Guria, Adjara, Lechkhumi and Kvemo and Zemo Svaneti; Meskheti, Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli; Mtianeti, Kakheti, Khevsureti, Tusheti. Like in the case of the garden food plants, species diversity of wild food plants mentioned varied strongly. Climate severity and traditions of the use of wild food plants might play role in this variation. Overall food plant knowledge is widely spread all-across Georgia, and broadly maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer W. Bussmann
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Narel Y. Paniagua Zambrana
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
- Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, Instituto de Ecología-UMSA, Campus Universitario, Cota Cota Calle 27, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Inayat Ur Rahman
- Department of Botany, Hazara University, Mansehra, 21300 KP Pakistan
| | - Zaal Kikvidze
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Shalva Sikharulidze
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - David Kikodze
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - David Tchelidze
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Manana Khutsishvili
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Ketevan Batsatsashvili
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
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Ding XY, Zhang Y, Wang L, Zhuang HF, Chen WY, Wang YH. Collection calendar: the diversity and local knowledge of wild edible plants used by Chenthang Sherpa people to treat seasonal food shortages in Tibet, China. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2021; 17:40. [PMID: 34112198 PMCID: PMC8190990 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-021-00464-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wild edible plants (WEPs) are non-cultivated and non-domesticated plants used for food. WEPs provided food, nutrition, herbs and other plant products for people in underdeveloped areas, such as the Everest region, to maintain their daily lives. Chenthang Town is the only Sherpa ethnic township in Tibet, China. The core purpose of this research is to investigate, collect and record the WEPs and related local knowledge and functions within the Sherpa community. The ultimate goal is to answer the question of why Sherpa people choose these particular plants. MATERIALS AND METHODS The field study was carried out in the six Sherpa communities of Chenthang Township from September 2019 to August 2020. The WEPs and related local knowledge were collected through semistructured interviews and direct observations. The field work was performed with the assistance of local guides. During the field survey, we collected plant specimens based on the principle of one plant with one vernacular name. In this study, we utilised a use report (UR) and cultural importance index (CI) to evaluate the comprehensive utilization value of WEPs in the daily diet of Sherpa people. RESULTS We interviewed 78 people individually who provided us with 1199 use reports. In total, we collected 84 WEPs belonging to 65 genera in 41 families. These species were identified as 78 distinct ethno-species by local people, and the vernacular name of each ethno-species was recorded. Then, these use reports were classified into six use categories. All these plants were native wild plants. In these plants, Arisaema utile, Sorbus cuspidata and Elaeagnus umbellata have been introduced into home gardens by local people. Following the description of the Sherpa people, we articulated a collection calendar for WEPs. The Sherpa collect WEPs throughout nearly the entire year, January and February being the exceptions. CONCLUSION The collection calendar of wild edible plants reflects the wisdom of the Sherpa in terms of survival. The Sherpa cleverly survive the food shortage periods by harnessing the phenology of different species. In general, WEPs can provide the Sherpa with seasonal carbohydrates, nutrition, healthcare supplements and other products and services necessary for survival, which is likely why the Sherpa choose these plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yong Ding
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Hui-Fu Zhuang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Wen-Yun Chen
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yu-Hua Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
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Wild Plants Used as Herbs and Spices in Italy: An Ethnobotanical Review. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10030563. [PMID: 33809800 PMCID: PMC8002413 DOI: 10.3390/plants10030563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Wild edible plants are an essential component of people's diets in the Mediterranean basin. In Italy, ethnobotanical surveys have received increasing attention in the past two centuries, with some of these studies focusing on wild edible plants. In this regard, the literature in Italy lacks the coverage of some major issues focusing on plants used as herbs and spices. I searched national journals for articles on the use of wild food plants in Italy, published from 1963 to 2020. Aims of the present review were to document plant lore regarding wild herbs and spices in Italy, identify the wild plants most frequently used as spices, analyze the distribution of wild herbs and spices used at a national scale, and finally, to describe the most common phytochemical compounds present in wild plant species. Based on the 34 studies reviewed, I documented 78 wild taxa as being used in Italy as herbs or spices. The studies I included in this systematic review demonstrate that wild species used as herbs and spices enrich Italian folk cuisine and can represent an important resource for profitable, integrated local small-scale activities.
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Gras A, Garnatje T, Marín J, Parada M, Sala E, Talavera M, Vallès J. The Power of Wild Plants in Feeding Humanity: A Meta-Analytic Ethnobotanical Approach in the Catalan Linguistic Area. Foods 2020; 10:foods10010061. [PMID: 33383896 PMCID: PMC7824323 DOI: 10.3390/foods10010061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild food plants (WFP) have always been present in our kitchen, although they have not always been given the same importance as crops. In the Catalan linguistic area (CLA), covered in this paper, WFP were of great importance as a subsistence food not only during the years of the Spanish civil war (1936–1939) and World War II (1939–1945), but also long before these periods and in the years thereafter. The CLA has been well studied at the level of traditional knowledge on plant biodiversity, and much of this information is collected in a database by the EtnoBioFiC research group. The aim of this work is to carry out a meta-analysis of the WFP dataset of the CLA (only regarding edible uses, drinks excluded) and to identify the most quoted plants, and the information associated with them. With data from 1659 informants, we recorded 10,078 use reports of 291 taxa (278 of which at specific or subspecific levels and 13 only determined at generic level) belonging to 67 families. The most reported taxa, also with highest cultural importance indexes, are Thymus vulgaris, Foeniculum vulgare subsp. piperitum, Laurus nobilis, Rubus ulmifolius and Mentha spicata. The ethnobotanicity index for food plants is 6.62% and the informant consensus factor, also for food uses, is a very high 0.97, supporting the robustness of the information. The results provided and discussed in this work concern a significant part of the edible resources in the territory considered, which is, often and mainly, underestimated and underutilised. Its consideration could be an opportunity to promote closer and more sustainable agriculture. From the state-of-the-art of this question, it is possible to propose old, in some cases forgotten foods that could be newly introduced onto the market, first, but not only, at a local level, which could be interesting for new crop development in the frame of a valorisation of territorial identity.
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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;
- Correspondence: (A.G.); (J.V.)
| | - Teresa Garnatje
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain;
| | - Jon Marín
- Laboratori de Botànica—Unitat associada CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació—Institut de la Biodiversitat IRBio, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; (J.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.)
| | - Montse Parada
- Laboratori de Botànica—Unitat associada CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació—Institut de la Biodiversitat IRBio, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; (J.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.)
| | - Ester Sala
- Laboratori de Botànica—Unitat associada CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació—Institut de la Biodiversitat IRBio, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; (J.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.)
| | - Marc Talavera
- Col·lectiu Eixarcolant, 08700 Igualada, Catalonia, Spain;
- Secció de Botànica i Micologia, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Vallès
- Laboratori de Botànica—Unitat associada CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació—Institut de la Biodiversitat IRBio, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; (J.M.); (M.P.); (E.S.)
- 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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da Cunha MA, Paraguassú LAA, Assis JGDA, Silva ABDPC, Cardoso RDCV. Urban gardening and neglected and underutilized species in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2020; 16:67. [PMID: 33121514 PMCID: PMC7596975 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00421-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urban agriculture has been evidenced as a food production and environmental sustainability strategy, although it faces many obstacles in Latin American countries. Additionally, in urban areas, low consumption of fruit and greenery is noticeable, along with loss in food diversity, including the neglected and underutilized species (NUS), which involve potential to strengthen local food systems. For this reason, this work has sought to map urban gardens in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, characterizing their gardeners, and to systematize information regarding food produced and the use of NUS. METHODS The municipality's urban gardens were mapped and data was collected from the gardeners. The study included two steps: (i) garden localization; (ii) on-site visits for interviews with gardeners and verification of cultivated food, destination of production, availability, and use of NUS. RESULTS Eighteen active food gardens were located, seventeen of which participated in the study: eight (8) communal (UCG) and nine (9) private (UPG). Respondents were on average 55.76 years old, mostly (52.9%) male, working at UPG (88.9%). Women predominated in the UCG (87.5%), with higher levels of education. For 52.9% of the interviewees, the garden was their main source of income. Food produced at the urban gardens was consumed by 82.4% of the gardeners and their families. In 70.6% of the gardens, production was also sold, while 47.1% donated. During the survey, 59 NUS were found and 76.5% of respondents reported consuming 19 of the species. NUS leaves, fruits, and seeds were found to be eaten raw, boiled, or sautéed in various preparations, especially Coleus amboinicus Lour. (76.5%), Eryngium foetidum L. (35.3%), Talinum fruticosum (L.) Juss., and Pereskia aculeata Mill (both 29.4%). Occurrence and utilization of NUS did not present significant associations with the gardens or gardeners (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Salvador urban gardens, even in small numbers and without government support, have produced affordable food for the local population, preserved food diversity, and the tradition of NUS cultivation and use. Thus, urban gardens are reaffirmed as relevant spaces that should be included in public policies in order to promote food and nutritional security, biodiversity, and urban environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Alves da Cunha
- Escola de Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Basílio Gama Street, Canela Campus, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-907, Brazil.
| | - Lidice Almeida Arlego Paraguassú
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia da Bahia, Emídio dos Santos Street, Barbalho Campus, Salvador, Bahia, 40301-015, Brazil
| | - José Geraldo de Aquino Assis
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 668, Barão de Jeremoabo Street, Ondina Campus, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-115, Brazil
| | | | - Ryzia de Cassia Vieira Cardoso
- Escola de Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Basílio Gama Street, Canela Campus, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-907, Brazil
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Identification and frequency of consumption of wild edible plants over a year in central Tunisia: a mixed-methods approach. Public Health Nutr 2019; 23:782-794. [PMID: 31858933 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980019003409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify wild plants used as food and assess their frequency of consumption over a year in a region of Tunisia where agriculture is undergoing a major transformation from smallholder farming to an intensive high-input agricultural system. DESIGN Qualitative ethnobotanical study followed by a survey of women's frequency of consumption of wild plants conducted using FFQ at quarterly intervals. SETTING Sidi Bouzid governorate of central Tunisia. PARTICIPANTS Mixed-gender group of key informants (n 14) and focus group participants (n 43). Survey sample of women aged 20-49 years, representative at governorate level (n 584). RESULTS Ethnobotanical study: thirty folk species of wild edible plants corresponding to thirty-five taxa were identified by key informants, while twenty folk species (twenty-five taxa) were described by focus groups as commonly eaten. Population-based survey: 98 % of women had consumed a wild plant over the year, with a median frequency of 2 d/month. Wild and semi-domesticated fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Anethum graveolens) was the most frequently consumed folk species. Women in the upper tertile of wild plant consumption frequency were more likely to be in their 30s, to live in an urban area, to have non-monetary access to foods from their extended family and to belong to wealthier households. CONCLUSIONS In this population, wild edible plants, predominantly leafy vegetables, are appreciated but consumed infrequently. Their favourable perception, however, offers an opportunity for promoting their consumption which could play a role in providing healthy diets and mitigating the obesity epidemic that is affecting the Tunisian population.
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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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Geraci A, Amato F, Di Noto G, Bazan G, Schicchi R. The wild taxa utilized as vegetables in Sicily (Italy): a traditional component of the Mediterranean diet. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2018; 14:14. [PMID: 29444678 PMCID: PMC5813353 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-018-0215-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wild vegetables in the Mediterranean Basin are still often consumed as a part of the diet and, in particular, there is a great tradition regarding their use in Sicily. In this study, an ethnobotanical field investigation was carried out to (a) identify the wild native taxa traditionally gathered and consumed as vegetables in Sicily, comparing the collected ethnobotanical data with those of other countries that have nominated the Mediterranean diet for inclusion in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and (b) highlight new culinary uses of these plants. METHODS Interviews were carried out in 187 towns and villages in Sicily between 2005 and 2015. A total of 980 people over the age of 50 were interviewed (mainly farmers, shepherds, and experts on local traditions). Plants recorded were usually collected in collaboration with the informants to confirm the correct identification of the plants. The frequencies of citation were calculated. RESULTS Two hundred fifty-three taxa (specific and intraspecific) belonging to 39 families, and 128 genera were recorded (26 were cited for the first time). The most represented families were Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Apiaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Malvaceae, and Polygonaceae. Only 14 taxa were cited by 75% of the people interviewed. The aerial parts of wild plants, including leaves, tender shoots, and basal rosettes, are the main portions collected, while the subterranean parts are used to a lesser extent. For some vegetables, more parts are utilized. Most of the reported vegetables are consumed cooked. In addition to the widely known vegetables (Borago officinalis, Beta spp., Cichorium spp., Brassica spp., Carduus spp., etc.), the so-called ancient vegetables are included (Onopordum illyricum, Centaurea calcitrapa, Nasturtium officinale, Scolymus spp., Smyrnium rotundifolium), and some unique uses were described. Comparing the Sicilian findings to those from other countries, a very high number of vegetable taxa were detected, 72 of which are eaten only in Sicily, while 12 are consumed in all the Mediterranean countries examined. CONCLUSIONS The research shows a high level of Sicilian knowledge about using wild plants as a traditional food source. Wild vegetables are healthy and authentic ingredients for local and ancient recipes, which are fundamental to the revitalization of quality food strictly connected to traditional agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Geraci
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Botanica ed Ecologia Vegetale, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 38, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Filippo Amato
- ARPA Sicilia ST Palermo UO Monitoraggi Ambientali, Via Nairobi, 4, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Di Noto
- Dipartimento Regionale dello Sviluppo Rurale e Territoriale, Via regione siciliana, 4600 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Bazan
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Botanica ed Ecologia Vegetale, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 38, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Rosario Schicchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 4, I-90128 Palermo, Italy
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