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Pagnocca TS, Zank S, Hanazaki N. "The plants have axé": investigating the use of plants in Afro-Brazilian religions of Santa Catarina Island. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2020; 16:20. [PMID: 32334606 PMCID: PMC7183622 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00372-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cultural and religious practices of African origin have decisively influenced traditional health practices in the Americas since the African diaspora. Plants are core elements in the religions of African origin. Compared with other parts of Brazil where the Afro-Brazilian presence is widely recognized, in Southern Brazil, these cultural practices are often socially invisible. Yet, there are several terreiros of three Afro-Brazilian religions: Candomblé, Umbanda, and Ritual deAlmas e Angola. We hypothesize that the importance of plants in Afro-Brazilian religions is linked not only to spiritual and magical issues but also to the medicinal properties of these plants. We seek to answer the following questions: (a) Which plants are used in the terreiros and what are their indications for use?; (b) Are there plants that stand out culturally in these religious groups?; and (c) What is the importance of the adaptive maintenance and replacement process in the use of plants in these religions, considering the Neotropical and African plants? METHODS We performed a census of the existing terreiros on the Island of Santa Catarina to collect information on the knowledge and use of plants. In all terreiros that consented to participate in the research, we collected data through semi-structured interviews, guided tours for plant collection, and participant observation. We identified the botanical species through expert consultations and botanical literature. RESULTS We interviewed 27 spiritual leaders, who cited 93 plants belonging to 86 botanical species. We identified 14 categories of use, with emphasis on liturgical ritual use (59%), general and unspecified diseases (32%), and digestive diseases (27%). In most liturgics uses, direct contact between plant and patient occurs, as in the case of bathing and the cleansing use of smoke. Sixteen plants were cited in all terreiros, configuring a set of species that can be considered as culturally important plants for these religious groups. CONCLUSIONS These groups have extensive knowledge about a highly consensual set of therapeutic plants that should be further investigated pharmacologically to understand the effect of their external use. Also, we emphasize the importance of recognizing and valuing this ancestral Afro-Brazilian knowledge and learning also from these people about their broader vision of health which also adds more spirituality in health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago Santos Pagnocca
- Laboratory of Human Ecology and Ethnobotany (ECOHE), Department of Ecology and Zoology, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Campus Universitário Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, s/n, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Sofia Zank
- Laboratory of Human Ecology and Ethnobotany (ECOHE), Department of Ecology and Zoology, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Campus Universitário Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, s/n, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Natalia Hanazaki
- Laboratory of Human Ecology and Ethnobotany (ECOHE), Department of Ecology and Zoology, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Campus Universitário Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, s/n, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil.
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Appiah KS, Oppong CP, Mardani HK, Omari RA, Kpabitey S, Amoatey CA, Onwona-Agyeman S, Oikawa Y, Katsura K, Fujii Y. Medicinal Plants Used in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Southern Ghana: An Ethnobotanical Study. MEDICINES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2018; 6:medicines6010001. [PMID: 30577439 PMCID: PMC6473417 DOI: 10.3390/medicines6010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Background: The in-depth traditional knowledge of medicinal plants is at risk of extinction due to the dependency on oral transmission, and as such, there is an urgent need to document such knowledge. This study aimed to document indigenous uses of medicinal plants among community members in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality. Methods: Data was collected in 2016 from community members and local herbalists in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality through a semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical tools and ethnobotanical indices, i.e., informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), and use value (UV) were used to analyse the data. Results: One hundred and six medicinal plants belonging to 45 families were reported to cure 68 different human diseases. The most frequently used plant part in this study was the leaves (52%). Decoction (57.5%) and oral administration (58.3%) were the most utilised herbal preparation and administration route respectively. Cleistopholis patens had the highest UV (0.54) with pain & fevers and skin diseases having the highest ICF values (0.88 and 0.85 respectively). Furthermore, new medicinal uses of Hilleria latifolia and ten other species were recorded for the treatment of the traditional local disease, aseram. Conclusions: The current knowledge and uses of medicinal plants are still high in the study area based on the high degree of consensus among informants. This study could allow for the preservation of knowledge and biodiversity of medicinal plants, both of which are threatened with extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwame Sarpong Appiah
- United Graduate School, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Clement Peprah Oppong
- Department of International and Environmental Agriculture Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Hossein Korrani Mardani
- United Graduate School, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Richard Ansong Omari
- United Graduate School, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Sylvia Kpabitey
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 64 Legon, Accra, Ghana.
| | | | - Siaw Onwona-Agyeman
- Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Yosei Oikawa
- Department of International and Environmental Agriculture Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Keisuke Katsura
- United Graduate School, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
- Department of International and Environmental Agriculture Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
| | - Yoshiharu Fujii
- United Graduate School, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
- Department of International and Environmental Agriculture Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwaicho, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan.
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Teixidor-Toneu I, Jordan FM, Hawkins JA. Comparative phylogenetic methods and the cultural evolution of medicinal plant use. NATURE PLANTS 2018; 4:754-761. [PMID: 30202108 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-018-0226-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Human life depends on plant biodiversity and the ways in which plants are used are culturally determined. Whilst anthropologists have used phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) to gain an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the evolution of political, religious, social and material culture, plant use has been almost entirely neglected. Medicinal plants are of special interest because of their role in maintaining people's health across the world. PCMs in particular, and cultural evolutionary theory in general, provide a framework in which to study the diversity of medicinal plant applications cross-culturally, and to infer changes in plant use over time. These methods can be applied to single medicinal plants as well as the entire set of plants used by a culture for medicine, and they account for the non-independence of data when testing for floristic, cultural or other drivers of plant use. With cultural, biological and linguistic diversity under threat, gaining a deeper and broader understanding of the variation of medicinal plant use through time and space is pressing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Teixidor-Toneu
- University of Reading, School of Biological Sciences, Reading, Berkshire, UK
- Universitetet i Oslo, Naturhistorisk Museum, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fiona M Jordan
- University of Bristol, Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, Bristol, UK
| | - Julie A Hawkins
- University of Reading, School of Biological Sciences, Reading, Berkshire, UK.
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van 't Klooster CIEA, Haabo V, Ruysschaert S, Vossen T, van Andel TR. Herbal bathing: an analysis of variation in plant use among Saramaccan and Aucan Maroons in Suriname. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2018; 14:20. [PMID: 29544521 PMCID: PMC5856216 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-018-0216-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Herbal baths play an important role in the traditional health care of Maroons living in the interior of Suriname. However, little is known on the differences in plant ingredients used among and within the Maroon groups. We compared plant use in herbal baths documented for Saramaccan and Aucan Maroons, to see whether similarity in species was related to bath type, ethnic group, or geographical location. We hypothesized that because of their dissimilar cultural background, they used different species for the same type of bath. We assumed, however, that plants used in genital baths were more similar, as certain plant ingredients (e.g., essential oils), are preferred in these baths. METHODS We compiled a database from published and unpublished sources on herbal bath ingredients and constructed a presence/absence matrix per bath type and study site. To assess similarity in plant use among and within Saramaccan and Aucan communities, we performed three Detrended Correspondence Analyses on species level and the Jaccard Similarity Index to quantify similarity in bath ingredients. RESULTS We recorded 349 plants used in six commonly used bath types: baby strength, adult strength, skin diseases, respiratory ailments, genital steam baths, and spiritual issues. Our results showed a large variation in plant ingredients among the Saramaccan and Aucans and little similarity between Saramaccans and Aucans, even for the same type of baths. Plant ingredients for baby baths and genital baths shared more species than the others. Even within the Saramaccan community, plant ingredients were stronger associated with location than with bath type. CONCLUSIONS Plant use in bathing was strongly influenced by study site and then by ethnicity, but less by bath type. As Maroons escaped from different plantations and developed their ethnomedicinal practices in isolation, there has been little exchange in ethnobotanical knowledge after the seventeenth century between ethnic groups. Care should be taken in extrapolating plant use data collected from one location to a whole ethnic community. Maroon plant use deserves more scientific attention, especially now as there are indications that traditional knowledge is disappearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte I E A van 't Klooster
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Vinije Haabo
- Saramaka Project, Kennedyweg 92, 6708 HB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sofie Ruysschaert
- World Wildlife Fund Guianas, Henk Arronstraat 63, Suite E, Paramaribo, Suriname
| | - Tessa Vossen
- ICLON, University Leiden, Willem Einthoven Building, Wassenaarseweg 62a, 2333 AL, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tinde R van Andel
- Department of Plant sciences, Subdivision Biosystematics, Wageningen University and Research (WUR), PO Box 16, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Vondellaan 55, 2332 AA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Odonne G, Houël E, Bourdy G, Stien D. Treating leishmaniasis in Amazonia: A review of ethnomedicinal concepts and pharmaco-chemical analysis of traditional treatments to inspire modern phytotherapies. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2017; 199:211-230. [PMID: 28131912 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis are neglected tropical diseases that occur in all intertropical regions of the world. Amazonian populations have developed an abundant knowledge of the disease and its remedies. Therefore, we undertook to review traditional antileishmanial plants in Amazonia and have developed new tools to analyze this somewhat dispersed information. MATERIAL AND METHODS A literature review of traditional remedies for cutaneous/mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in the Amazon was conducted and the data obtained was used to calculate distribution indexes designed to highlight the most relevant uses in Amazonia. The cultural distribution index represents the distribution rate of a given taxon among different cultural groups and was calculated as the ratio of the number of groups using the taxon to the total number of groups cited. The geographical distribution index allowed us to quantify spatial distribution of a taxon's uses in Amazonia and was calculated geometrically by measuring the average distance between the points where uses have been reported and the barycenter of those points. The general distribution index was defined as an arithmetic combination of the previous two and provides information on both cultural and spatial criteria. RESULTS 475 use reports, concerning 291 botanical species belonging to 83 families have been gathered depicted from 29 sources. Uses concern 34 cultural groups. While the use of some taxa appears to be Pan-Amazonian, some others are clearly restricted to small geographical regions. Particular attention has been paid to the recipes and beliefs surrounding treatments. Topical application of the remedies dominated the other means of administration and this deserves particular attention as the main treatments against Neotropical leishmaniasis are painful systemic injections. The data set was analyzed using the previously defined distribution indexes and the most relevant taxa were further discussed from a phytochemical and pharmacological point of view. CONCLUSIONS The Amazonian biodiversity and cultural heritage host a fantastic amount of data whose systematic investigation should allow a better large-scale understanding of the dynamics of traditional therapies and the consequent discovery of therapeutic solutions for neglected diseases. Distribution indices are indeed powerful tools for emphasizing the most relevant treatments against a given disease and should be very useful in the meta-analysis of other regional pharmacopeia. This focus on renowned remedies that have not yet benefitted from extended laboratory studies, could stimulate future research on new treatments of natural origin for leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Odonne
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes Amazoniens (LEEISA), CNRS, Université de Guyane, IFREMER, 97300 Cayenne, France.
| | - Emeline Houël
- CNRS, UMR EcoFoG, AgroParisTech, Cirad, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, 97300 Cayenne, France
| | | | - Didier Stien
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Biotechnologies Microbiennes (LBBM), Observatoire Océanologique, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
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Brito CDCD, Silva TCD, Albuquerque UP, Ramos MA, Ferreira Júnior WS, Barros FN, Costa Neto EM, Medeiros PMD. The use of different indicators for interpreting the local knowledge loss on medical plants. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE FARMACOGNOSIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bjp.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Van't Klooster C, van Andel T, Reis R. Patterns in medicinal plant knowledge and use in a Maroon village in Suriname. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2016; 189:319-30. [PMID: 27215681 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.05.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Traditional medicine plays an important role in the primary health care practices of Maroons living in the interior of Suriname. Large numbers of medicinal plants are employed to maintain general health and cure illnesses. Little is known, however, on how knowledge of herbal medicine varies within the community and whether plant use remains important when modern health care becomes available. AIM OF THE STUDY To document the diversity in medicinal plant knowledge and use in a remote Saramaccan Maroon community and to assess the importance of medicinal plants vis a vis locally available modern healthcare. We hypothesized that ailments which could be treated by the village health center would be less salient in herbal medicine reports. METHODS During three months fieldwork in the Saramaccan village of Pikin Slee, ethnobotanical data were collected by means of participant observations, voucher collections and 27 semi-structured interviews and informal discussions with 20 respondents. To test whether knowledge of medicinal plant species was kept within families, we performed a Detrended Correspondence Analysis. RESULTS In total, 110 medicinal plant species were recorded, with 302 health use reports and 72 uses, mostly related to general health concerns (42%), diseases of the digestive system (10%), musculoskeletal system and fever (each 7%). Bathing was the most important mode of application. Most health use reports related to cure (58%) and health promotion (39%), while disease prevention played a minor role. Traditional medicine not only treated cultural illnesses, but also health concerns that could be treated with locally available modern medicines. Knowledge of medicinal plant species is not strictly kept within families, but also shared with friends. Certain recipes and applications, however, may be specific family knowledge. CONCLUSION Medicinal plants play a very important role in the daily lives of the Pikin Slee villagers. Plant use reflects actual health concerns, but as modern medicines are available for most of these concerns, the use of herbal medicines seems to be a deep rooted cultural preference, especially when concerned with cultural illnesses and health promotion. Locally provided healthcare could be enriched if traditional knowledge, illness concepts, and medicinal plant uses could fit into a larger, community-oriented framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Van't Klooster
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Tinde van Andel
- Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Biosystematics Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Ria Reis
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 15718, 1001 NE, The Netherlands; The Children's Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
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van Andel T, van Onselen S, Myren B, Towns A, Quiroz D. "The medicine from behind": The frequent use of enemas in western African traditional medicine. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2015; 174:637-43. [PMID: 26133063 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Purgative enemas form an integral part of African traditional medicine. Besides possible benefits, serious health risks of rectal herbal therapy have been described in literature. To design appropriate health education programs, it is essential to understand traditional herbal practices and local perceptions of health and illness. Little is known about the herbal ingredients of enemas in Sub-Saharan Africa and consumers' personal reasons to use them. AIM OF THE STUDY To analyze the importance of enema use with regard to plant species used and illnesses treated in West and Central Africa, to understand the local health beliefs that underlie frequent enema use and to evaluate which recipes and practices could be beneficial or harmful. MATERIALS AND METHODS We extracted data from 266 ethnobotanical questionnaires on medicinal (in particular women's health and childcare) and ritual plant use in Ghana, Benin and Gabon. Plants mentioned during interviews were vouchered and identified in herbaria. Health issues treated by means of enemas were ranked according to the number of plant species used for a specific illness. We compared our results with findings of medical research on benefits and risks of enema use in Sub-Saharan Africa. RESULTS We recorded ca. 213 different plant species used in hundreds of recipes for rectal insertions, mostly in Ghana and Gabon. Stomachache, abdominal pain, female infertility and birth facilitation were treated with the highest number of plants species. Cleansing the intestines of young children to promote their health by getting rid of 'dirt', instead of treating constipation, was an important cultural practice that required the rectal application of herbal medicine, as well as other cultural bound health issues like stimulating children to walk at an early age. Tradition, the bitter taste of herbal medicine and the rapid effect of enemas were frequently mentioned reasons for enema use. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Literature indicates that although enemas can help to improve the hygienic conditions of a household with young infants, frequent enema use can pose serious risks like direct toxicity caused by harmful ingredients, mechanical injury and infections. In Africa, enemas containing herbal medicine are common methods of administering herbal medicine for a variety of diseases, rather than just medicinal treatments for constipation as previously thought. Health professionals should be aware of the extent of, and motivation behind enema use to develop culturally appropriate education programs, especially targeted at vulnerable groups such as elderly people, parents of young infants and pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tinde van Andel
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Wageningen University, Department of Biosystematics, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | | | - Britt Myren
- Leiden University, P.O. Box 9500, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Alexandra Towns
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden University, P.O. Box 9500, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Diana Quiroz
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands; Wageningen University, Department of Biosystematics, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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Gruca M, Blach-Overgaard A, Balslev H. African palm ethno-medicine. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2015; 165:227-37. [PMID: 25749399 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.02.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Revised: 02/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE This study is the first to demonstrate the breadth and patterns of the medicinal applications of African palms. It sheds light on species with the potential to provide new therapeutic agents for use in biomedicine; and links the gap between traditional use of palms and pharmacological evaluation for the beneficial effects of palm products on human health. Last but not least, the study provides recommendations for the areas that should be targeted in future ethno-botanical surveys. AIM OF THE STUDY The primary objective of this survey was to assemble all available ethno-medicinal data on African palms, and investigate patterns of palm uses in traditional medicine; and highlight possible under-investigated areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS References were found through bibliographic searches using several sources including PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar and search engines of the State and University Libraries of Aarhus, National Library of Denmark and Copenhagen University Libraries, Harvard University Libraries, and the Mertz Library. Information about ethno-medicinal uses of palms was extracted and digitized in a database. Additionally, we used an African palm distribution database to compute the proportion of palm species that have been used for medicinal purposes in each country. RESULTS We found 782 medicinal uses mentioned in 156 references. At least 23 different palm species (some remained unidentified) were used medicinally in 35 out of Africa's 48 countries. The most commonly used species were Elaeis guineensis, Phoenix dactylifera, Cocos nucifera, and Borassus aethiopum. Medicinal uses were in 25 different use categories of which the most common ones were Infections/Infestations and Digestive System Disorders. Twenty-four different parts of the palms were used in traditional medicine, with most of the uses related to fruit (and palm oil), root, seed and leaf. Palms were used in traditional medicine mostly without being mixed with other plants, and less commonly in mixtures, sometimes in mixture with products of animal origin. Future ethno-botanical surveys should be directed at the central African region, because palm species richness (and plant species richness in general) is particularly high in this area, and only few ethno-botanical studies available have focused on this region. CONCLUSION The wide time span covered by our database (3500 years) shows that African palms have been used medicinally by many societies across the continent from time immemorial until today. Most medicinal use records for African palms were found in two categories that relate to most prevailing diseases and disorders in the region. By analyzing ethno-medicinal studies in one database we were able to demonstrate the value of palms in traditional medicine, and provide recommendations for the areas that should be targeted in future ethno-botanical surveys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gruca
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Anne Blach-Overgaard
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Henrik Balslev
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 114, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
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