The ethnobotanical heritage of Lotkuh, a high-altitude tribal haven of Chitral, the Eastern Hindu Kush, Pakistan

BACKGROUND

In northwestern Pakistan, Lotkuh is a high-altitude terrain nestled within the eastern Hindu Kush region. Enclaved by towering peaks and harboring a unique culture, the region mirrors the geographical and cultural diversity of Pakistan. In this geographically isolated region, a treasure trove of ethnobotanical knowledge unfolds through generations of interaction between the inhabitants and indigenous plants, resulting in a profound understanding of the plant uses in nutritional, medicinal, cultural, and ritual contexts. Thus, the study seeks to gather, analyze, and document the indigenous knowledge of plant utilization of the distinct tribal culture.

METHODS

Through semi-structured questionnaires, inventory interviews, and participatory workshops, data were collected by engaging a cohort of 120 local respondents. The collected data were then classified into nine distinct use categories, following which quantitative indices were calculated.

RESULTS

The research identified a total of 150 plant species spanning across 59 different families and categorized them into 9 distinct usage groups. Among these, Astragalus oihorensis, Astragalus owirensis, Cicer nuristanicum, Geranium parmiricum, and Rochelia chitralensis stand out as novel species with distinctive applications. Notably, medicinal use garnered 600 reports, while animal feed, veterinary applications, human consumption, and toxicity recorded 500, 450, 425, and 104 reports, respectively. Informant consensus was high ranging between 0.8 and 0.9 with most agreement on human food and animal feed category. Platanus orientalis and Juglans regia, with RFC 0.91, were the most cited. The Family Importance Value (FIV) of Juglandaceae and Platanaceae, each with an FIV of 0.91, and Capparidaceae with an FIV of 0.83 indicate the intricate role the families play.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we explore 150 ethnobotanical species, uncovering novel entries within ethnobotanical literature. Among these, several species showcase unique uses previously undocumented in Pakistani literature. Our research sheds light on the intricate interaction between plants and the distinct cultural landscape of the Lotkuh region.

Ethnobotany and diversity of Citrus spp. (Rutaceae) as a source of "Kem-kem" traditional medicine used among the Karo sub-ethnic in North Sumatra, Indonesia

The Karo sub-ethnic is one of five Batak sub-ethnicities in the Karo Regency, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. They are famous for their local knowledge about the traditional use of medicinal plants to treat various diseases. The "Kem-kem" traditional medicine is one of the traditional healing practices that involve using plants passed down through generations from their ancestors. One of the plant genus group in the Rutaceae family utilized in the traditional "Kem-kem" healing practice is a citrus known as "Rimo". This study aims to document the local knowledge about the diversity of Citrus spp. as Kem-kem's herbal medicinal plant. This study was conducted from April to July 2023 in the Kabanjahe and Berastagi districts, Karo Regency, North Sumatra. Data was collected using interviews with traditional healers, herbal medicine vendors, and direct observations at traditional markets, involving a total of 8 Citrus spp. The Karo uses "Rimo" with different local names as sources of traditional medicinal ingredients in practicing "Kem-kem". There are 15 local names comprising eight species of Citrus. Four are hybrids, i.e., Citrus x aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle, Citrus × aurantium L, Citrus × junos Siebold ex Yu.Tanaka, and Citrus × taitensis Risso. Two of the remaining species are recognized in infraspecific rank, one variety (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis (Hoola van Nooten) Swingle) and one form (Citrus × aurantium f. deliciosa (Ten.) M.Hiroe). They were used as material sources for Kem-kem traditional medicine to treat at least nine health problems. There are two species with six local names included in the Least Concern (LC) category, namely C. medica (Rimo Gawang, Rimo Hantuantu, Rimo Kayu), C. medica var. sarcodactylis (Rimo Kuku Harimau), and C. medica (Rimo Telur Buaya), C. maxima (Burm.) Merr. (Rimo Malem). Nine local names are included in the Not Evaluated (NE) category, namely C. × junos (Rimo Kejaren), C. × taitensis (Rimo Jungga), C. × aurantium f. deliciosa (Rimo Keling), C. × aurantium (Rimo Kersik), Citrus hystrix DC. (Rimo Mukur), C. × taitensis (Rimo Puraga), C. × aurantium (Rimo Kalele), Citrus swinglei Burkill ex Harms (Rimo Pagar), and C. x aurantiifolia (Rimo Bunga). Rimo Kejaren (C. × junos) is a species that has the most benefits.

Ethnobotanical assessment of antidiabetic medicinal plants in District Karak, Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is a leading health disorder and is responsible for high mortality rates across the globe. Multiple treatment protocols are being applied to overcome this morbidity and mortality including plant-based traditional medicines. This study was designed to investigate the ethnomedicinal status of plant species used to treat diabetes in District Karak, Pakistan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A semi-structured survey was created to collect data about traditionally used medicinal plants for diabetes and other ailments. The convenience sampling method was applied for the selection of informants. The collected data was evaluated through quantitative tools like frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), informant consensus factor (FIC), fidelity level (FL), and use value (UV).

RESULTS

A total of 346 local informants were selected for this research. Out of them, 135 participants were men and 211 participants were women. Overall 38 plant species belonging to 29 plant families were used to treat diabetes. The most dominant plant family was Oleaceae having 11 species. Powder form (19%) was the most recommended mode of preparation for plant-based ethnomedicines. Leaves (68%) were the most frequently used parts followed by fruit (47%). The highest RFC was recorded for Apteranthes tuberculata (0.147). The maximum FL was reported for Apteranthes tuberculata (94.4) and Zygophyllum indicum (94.11) for diabetes, skin, and wounds. Similarly, the highest UV of (1) each was found for Brassica rapa, Melia azedarach, and Calotropis procera. Based on documented data, the reported ailments were grouped into 7 categories. The ICF values range between 0.89 (diabetes) to 0.33 (Cardiovascular disorders).

CONCLUSION

The study includes a variety of antidiabetic medicinal plants, which are used by the locals in various herbal preparations. The species Apteranthes tuberculata has been reported to be the most frequently used medicinal plant against diabetes. Therefore, it is recommended that such plants be further investigated in-vitro and in-vivo to determine their anti-diabetic effects.

Traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and ethnomedicinal use of plants in the Tropical Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Introduction

A wide range of floral resources are used in Ethiopia for primary healthcare. Unfortunately, due to inadequate documentation and the fact that they were verbally passed down from one generation to the next, these indigenous medicinal practices are being forgotten. The study's goal was to identify and record indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge of plant usage in the Abala Abaya District of Wolaita, Ethiopia.

Methods

The collection of ethnobotanical data used a cross-sectional research design involving focus group discussions and semistructured questionnaires between January 2021 and April 2022. From each selected kebele (ward; smallest administrative unit), 50 informants (a total of 200) were selected as representative sample using a systematic random sampling technique.

Results

More than 50 different human and animal illnesses have been documented to be treated by seventy-two species of plants grouped in thirty-two families. The most abundant families were Poaceae and Asteraceae (8 taxa in each). The two most often used plant parts were leaf (29%) and herbs (54%), respectively. Oral administration was the most typical mode of delivery (75%). For treating stomachache in the category of gastrointestinal illnesses, Hagenia abyssinica (Bruce) J.F.Gmel got the greatest fidelity level scores (FL = 100%).

Conclusions

In Abala Abaya District, there is broad access to traditional medicinal plants that can treat ailments in both humans and animals. This study, therefore, might be a baseline piece of information for further botanical related studies in the region. Plants with the highest FL values are highly recommended for novel drug discovery.

Ethnobotany of traditional cosmetics among the Oromo women in Madda Walabu District, Bale Zone, Southeastern Ethiopia

Traditional cosmetics play a significant role in the cultural practices and personal hygiene of many ethnic groups worldwide. The Oromo, an indigenous community in Ethiopia, has a rich history of utilizing local plants for cosmetic purposes. However, the use of plants as traditional cosmetics has only been poorly investigated as more emphasis was given to traditional medicines. The study thus aimed to identify and document plant species, and parts used in traditional cosmetics and associated knowledge, and practices among Oromo women in the Madda Walabu district, Southeastern Ethiopia. A total of 150 Oromo women were interviewed to gather ethnobotanical information including the plant species used for cosmetics, their preparation methods, and their applications. Ethnobotanical indices were computed to determine the most important species used by the women. A total of 48 plant species belonging to 31 families used as sources of traditional cosmetics were recorded. Most of these plants were trees. Leaves were the most commonly used plant part in traditional cosmetics, and maceration and decoction were the most common preparation methods applied to prepare traditional cosmetics. Topical application of traditional cosmetics was the most common, while oral infusions were rarely reported type of administration. All categories had high informant consensus factor (ICF) values, ranging from 0.80 to 0.98. The highest ICF value was found for skin treatment, followed by the hair, and face mask. Overall, Commiphora habessinica, Gnidia stenophylla, Kalanchoe lanceolata, Mimusops kummel, Sesamothamnus rivae, Terminalia brownii, T. laxiflora, Acacia drepanolobium, A. mellifera, and Aloe citrina were the most frequently cited and culturally important plants by Oromo women for traditional cosmetics in the area. The study highlights the importance of local plant resources for maintaining cultural practices and personal hygiene. However, the cultural heritage associated with traditional cosmetics is facing threats from various factors. Therefore, a continuous effort to document and disseminate knowledge about traditional cosmetics practices to ensure their preservation and transmission and awakening younger generations about the importance of traditional cosmetics and their role in cultural heritage is crucial.

Ethnobotanical study of traditional medicinal plants used by the local Gamo people in Boreda Abaya District, Gamo Zone, southern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Medicinal plants have been used for centuries and are still relied upon by over 80% of the Ethiopian population. The people of Gamo, southern Ethiopia, have a rich cultural and traditional lifestyle with a long history of using plant resources for various uses including traditional herbal medicine. However, their traditional knowledge of traditional medicinal plants in Boreda Abaya District has not been explored Ethnobotanically yet, despite preserving diverse indigenous traditional medicinal plants. Hence, the study aimed to document and analyze traditional medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge and practices used by local people.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Quantitative ethnobotanical data were collected via semi-structured interviews, face-to-face conversations, group discussions, and guided field trips between September 2022 and February 2023. In total, 92 informants participated, of which 25 were key informants. Quantitative data indices (informant consensus factor-ICF-and use report-Ur) were computed by MS Excel spreadsheet software. Scientific names of medicinal plants were checked via World Flora Online.

RESULTS

In the present study, we recorded 188 traditional medicinal plant species belonging to 163 genera and 73 plant families. Lamiaceae (16 species), Asteraceae (16 species), Fabaceae (11 species), and Euphorbiaceae (8 species) contributed highest number of species and were found to be predominant family in the area. Leaves and seeds were most frequently used plant parts, and pounding (46%) was the main method to prepare remedies. The sudden sickness disease category scored the highest consensus (ICF: 0.35), followed by blood and circulatory-related disease categories (ICF: 0.33). The highest number of plant taxa (61 species) used to treat dermal disease has a 71-use report score, while fewer plant taxa (21 species) were utilized to treat genitourinary system-related disease category, having 25 use reports. Ocimum lamiifolium (Ur:56) and Moringa stenopetala (Ur:51) are widely used species and received highest use report value.

CONCLUSION

Gamo people possess extensive traditional knowledge of ethnomedicine. The region's vegetation hosts diverse medicinal species, but deforestation, agriculture, and droughts threaten them. Local conservation practices require scientific support, prioritizing species having higher use reports (Ur), and in-depth investigations of promising species for drug development are essential.

An appraisal of traditional knowledge of plant poisoning of livestock and its validation through acute toxicity assay in rats

Background: Kashmir Himalaya hosts the most diverse and rich flora in the world, which serves as grazing land for millions of small ruminants in the area. While most plant species are beneficial, some can be poisonous, causing economic losses and animal health issues for livestock. Consequently, this study is the first comprehensive report on the traditional phyto-toxicological knowledge in District Muzaffarabad and the assessment of its authenticity through experimental studies in rats. Methods: The data regarding traditional knowledge was gathered from 70 key respondents through semi-structured interviews, which was quantitatively analyzed and authenticated through plant extract testing on Wistar female rats and comparison with published resources. Results: A total of 46 poisonous plant species belonging to 23 families and 38 genera were reported to be poisonous in the study area. Results revealed that leaves were the most toxic plant parts (24 species, 52.1%), followed by the whole plant (18 species, 39.1%), stem (17 species, 36.9%), and seeds (10 species, 21.7%). At the organ level, liver as most susceptible affected by 13 species (28.2%), followed by the gastrointestinal tract (15 species, 32.6%), nervous system (13 species, 8.2%), dermis (8 species, 17.3%), renal (7 species, 15.2%), respiratory (4 species, 8.7%), cardiovascular system (3 species, 6.5%), and reproductive system (2 species, 4.3%). The poisonous plant species with high Relative frequency citation (RFC) and fidelity level (FL) were Nerium oleander (RFC, 0.6; FL, 100), Lantana camara (RFC, 0.6; FL, 100), and Ricinus communis (RFC, 0.6; FL, 100). Experimental assessment of acute toxicity assay in rats revealed that Nerium oleander was the most toxic plant with LD50 of (4,000 mg/kg), trailed by Ricinus communis (4,200 mg/kg), L. camara (4,500 mg/kg), and Datura stramonium (4,700 mg/kg); however, other plants showed moderate to mild toxicity. The major clinical observations were anorexia, piloerection, dyspnea, salivation, tachypnea, constipation, diarrhea, tremor, itchiness, and dullness. Conclusion: This study showed that numerous poisonous plants pose a significant risk to the livestock industry within Himalayan territory, leading to substantial economic losses. Consequently, it is of utmost importance to conduct further comprehensive studies on the phytotoxicity of plants.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the people of Mosop, Nandi County in Kenya

Background: Throughout the history, nature has provided mankind with most of their basic needs, which include food, shelter, medicine, clothes, flavours, scents as well as raw materials. Given that they are an integral part of cultural heritage, medicinal plants have played a significant role in human healthcare systems around the world. Investigating various biological resources for use as medicines requires ethnomedicinal studies. Methods: Data on utilization of ethnomedicinal plants from local healers in Kenya's Mosop Sub-County in Nandi County was documented through open-ended, semi-structured questionnaires. A number of quantitative indices, such as the Use Citation (UC), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV), Frequency of Citation (FoC) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) were used to convey the potential medical benefits, vitality and variety of the ethnomedicine. Results: 102 informants provided information on 253 ethnomedicinal plant species, classified into 74 families. There were 249 native plant species identified, along with few exotic species: Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton, Persea americana Mill, Carica papaya L. and Solanum betaceum Cav. Of all recorded species, 32% and 27% were herbs and trees, respectively. Among plant parts, leaves were most frequently utilized (27%) and roots (26%), while decoctions (21%) were the most widely used formulations. The dominant family was Asteraceae, with 28 species, followed by Lamiaceae, with 19 species. The highest ICF value was 0.778 for a number of parasitic and infectious illnesses, including ringworms, athlete's foot rot, tetanus, typhoid, intestinal parasites, abscesses, malaria, and amoebiasis. The study's data validates the region's widespread use of traditional medicinal plant remedies. Conclusion: The current study will lay a foundation of knowledge for future research investigations. The abundance of knowledge regarding ethnomedicinal species and their medicinal applications will stimulate further phytochemical and pharmacological research, which could lead to the discovery of potentially significant pharmaceuticals.

An Ethnobotanical Investigation into the Traditional Uses of Mediterranean Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: The Case of Troodos Mountains in Cyprus

The Troodos mountains in Cyprus are a hotspot of plant diversity and cultural heritage. However, the traditional uses of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), a significant aspect of local culture, have not been thoroughly studied. The aim of this research was to document and analyze the traditional uses of MAPs in Troodos. Data on MAPs and their traditional uses were collected through interviews. A database was constructed with categorized information on the uses of 160 taxa belonging to 63 families. The quantitative analysis included the calculation and comparison of six indices of ethnobotanical importance. The cultural value index was selected to reveal the most culturally significant MAPs taxa, while the informant consensus index was utilized to quantify the consensus in information obtained related to uses of MAPs. Furthermore, the 30 most popular MAPs taxa, exceptional and fading uses, and the plant parts used for different purposes are described and reported. The results reveal a deep connection between the people of Troodos and the plants of the area. Overall, the study provides the first ethnobotanical assessment for the Troodos mountains in Cyprus, contributing to a better understanding of the diverse uses of MAPs in mountain regions of the Mediterranean.

Identification of wild edible plants used by the Orang Asli, indigenous peoples of the Malay Peninsula

Background

This research focused on the different varieties of wild edible plants (WEPs) actively utilized by the Orang Asli of Malaysia and their medicinal values. The Orang Asli have been relying on these plants for their sustenance and wellbeing. However, with environmental degradation, many of these wild edibles are slowly becoming sparse, which then has a spillover effect and has resulted in the erasure of knowledge. Therefore, this research paper also aims to highlight the naming system utilized by the Orang Asli, the gender/age gap and the medicinal properties of these wild edible plants.

Methods

This research was conducted to identify the important wild edibles used among the Orang Asli, using both semi-structured and field interviews, as well as ethnobotanical appraisal methods. With the assistance of 24 informants, a total of nine wild edible plants were identified based on their importance as food and medicine for the Orang Asli groups in three different Semai settlements.

Results and discussion

From the results obtained, the wild edibles identified in the study have potential medicinal value and have been used by the Orang Asli for many generations. Also, based on my results, older Orang Asli can potentially serve as a repository of knowledge of wild edible plants within their settlements, as they were more informed than young people. However, there is little remaining knowledge of their medicinal uses in Telimau; elder women retain more knowledge than elder men in Bukit Terang, and the greatest knowledge retention for both young and old is seen in the more remote settlement of Kampung Sat.

Conclusion

This research documents the medicinal uses of these wild edibles, and may provide a starting point for further studies on these species and encourage conservation initiatives, in addition to helping safeguard the indigenous knowledge and the distinct cultural identities of the Orang Asli.

Medicinal Plants and Plant-Based Remedies in Grande-Terre: An Ethnopharmacological Approach

The island of Grande-Terre is a French overseas region that belongs to the Guadeloupean archipelago, a biodiversity hotspot with unique flora. Herbal medicine is widely used in the island for therapeutical purposes; however, there is a significant knowledge gap in the records relating to medicinal plants and their associated uses. Ethnobotanical survey methodology using quantitative parameters (informant consensus factor, species use value, relative frequency of citation, frequency use of a treatment and plant for an ailment) provided insights into the traditional medicinal use of a given plant. Ninety-six different plant species distributed among 56 families were identified and 523 remedies were documented in the survey. After data filtering, 22 plants species were associated with 182 remedies. The most frequent plant families were Poaceae, Myrtaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Rubiaceae. Aerial parts of these plants were the most common parts of the plant used for the remedies and the most frequent mode of administration was oral ingestion. This study highlights a valuable traditional knowledge of folklore medicine and helps to document and preserve the association of a plant with-and its use frequency for-a given ailment. These findings might be the starting point for the identification of biologically active phytocompounds to fight common health debilities.

An ethnozoological study of traditional medicinal animals and their products from Wolaita, Southern Ethiopia

Background

Ethiopia has a diverse set of floral and faunal resources that are used for primary health care in traditional or indigenous medicine. However, because they are passed down orally from one generation to the next, this indigenous medical practice is being ignored and is continuing to disappear. As a result, the goal of this ethnozoological study was to assess and document traditional healers' and indigenous people's knowledge in use of animal parts or products for medical purposes in the Diguna Fango District of Wolaita, Ethiopia.

Materials and methods

From March 2021 to June 2021, a field survey was conducted using personal interviews, semistructured questionnaires, and open group discussions utilizing a cross-sectional study approach. Totally, two hundred informants (125 men and 75 women) were provided information on the medicinal uses of various animals. Using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, the collected ethnozoological data were analyzed. The informant consensus factor, use value, and degree of fidelity were all determined.

Results

More than 50 different human ailments were treated using 39 different animal parts or products. Mammals had the highest use rate (N = 26, 66.67%). In the category of treating endocrine, metabolic, and nutritional diseases, Hystrix cristata had a high-fidelity level (FL = 95%). The highest use value (a maximum of 1.0) was for Bos taurus. The disease categories with the highest informant consensus factor (ICF) values were human immune deficiency disease, reproductive health, and genito-urinary ailment categories (ICF = 1.00). Wild animals (74%) outnumbered domestic animals (26%). The most common administration route (50%) was oral, and raw remedies had the highest use reports (58.9%).

Conclusions

The findings revealed that the study area contains a wealth of ethnozoological knowledge that could be useful in the formulation of novel drugs. The findings of the study should therefore be put to use in prospective ethnozoological, ethnopharmacological, and conservation-related studies in the region.

Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Treatment of COVID-19 and Related Respiratory Infections in Ogbomosho South and North Local Government Areas, Oyo State, Nigeria

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has extensively spread worldwide with high mortality. Besides vaccination, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved only one oral medication as a treatment. Medicinal plants with antiviral and immunomodulatory properties could be explored as complementary treatments for COVID-19. Ogbomosho is home to such plants traditionally used to treat infectious diseases in Nigeria, making it relevant in complementary medicine. An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used to treat COVID-19 and related ailments, including cough and flu in Ogbomosho South and North Local Government Areas, Nigeria, was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. Information was obtained from 56 participants, consisting of different groups of individuals with native knowledge of medicinal plants, and ethnobotanical indices, including the frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), and fidelity level (FL) were computed. Twenty-six medicinal plants (17 families) were used to treat COVID-19, 31 (20 families) for cough, and 29 (19 families) for flu. The most cited plant was Zingiber officinale (FC = 10; RFC = 0.18; FL = 18%) for treating COVID-19, Citrus limon (FC = 13; RFC = 0.23; FL = 23%) for cough, and Zingiber officinale (FC = 9; RFC = 0.16; FL = 16%) for flu. Leaves were the most used plant part for treating COVID-19 and flu, while the bark was the most used for cough. Trees and herbs were the most cited plant growth forms. The herbal remedies were mostly prepared by decoction and infusion and were mainly administered orally. Further research should be conducted on the identified species for the scientific validation of their antiviral and immunomodulatory efficacies and safety for use.

Conservation of Biocultural Diversity in the Huasteca Potosina Region, Mexico

The Huasteca Potosina region has a relevant landscape heritage of biocultural diversity, due to high biological diversity and the presence of the Teenek (Huastec Mayan), Nahua, and Xi’iuy (Pame) ethnic groups. The object of this study is to analyze, among the different cultural groups of the region, how the performances of the relevant Socioecological Systems (SESs) influence the conservation of biocultural diversity. Quantitative approaches are used to determine the expected trends of indices (Informant Consensus Factor, ICF; Cultural Importance Index, CII; Shannon–Wiener Biodiversity Index, SWI) commonly used in the ethnobotanical field. Data of the main domestic forest species used by the groups mentioned above were collected in 2021. We analyzed the SES profile for each of the ethnic groups and a mestizo group, as well as their relationship with the biome they mainly inhabit and the domestic functions fulfilled by the ethnobotanical species. As a result, we found that the low deciduous forest and the sub-evergreen tropical forest biomes, which co-evolved mainly with the Nahua and the Teenek SESs, present higher diversity and effective use of species so that offer better chances for conserving the landscape heritage of biocultural diversity. Otherwise, the results also show the critical nature regarding the biomes inhabited by the Pame and the mestizo’s SESs.

Ethnobotanical investigation of medicinal plants in Buska Mountain range, Hamar district, Southwestern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Despite the fact that ethnobotanical studies have been conducted in various parts of Ethiopia, compared with the existence of the multitude and diverse ethnic groups and their associated traditional knowledge, the studies are not comprehensive enough for all the localities and communities in the country. This is also true for the Hamar community of Southwestern Ethiopia, who are totally dependent on plants and plant products for their livelihood. Hence, this investigation was done to identify and record medicine plants and the native wisdom of the community in the area.

METHODS

Three hundred twenty six (326) informants were selected from the 12 lowest governmental units (Kebeles) applying Cochran's formula through stratified random sampling technique. From the total informants, 74 (48 males and 26 females) were purposively selected for in-depth discussion. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, guided field walks as well as market surveys were used for data collection. Standard ethnobotanical analytical tools comprising ranking and comparison were used for the analysis. Preference ranking, pair-wise comparison, informant consensus factor, direct matrix ranking, Cultural Significance Index (CSI) and Jaccard's similarity coefficient (JCS) as well as Analysis of Variances (ANOVA), applying SPSS (version 20) were computed.

RESULTS

A total of 145 species practical to cure about 72 ailments of livestock and humans were recorded. Families Fabaceae (with 22% of species), Asteraceae (11%), and Lamiaceae (9%) were discovered as the most dominant families in the area. Shrubs contributed the most (40%) to the growth forms followed by herbs (26.5%). Fresh leaves of the plants were parts that are used most frequently in the area. The highest ICF value (0.94) was recorded for reproductive problem categories. There was a relatively very high dependence of the community on plants and plant products together with a hoarded indigenous knowledge in the area that positively correlated with age (r = 0.82).

CONCLUSION

The study's findings revealed that Buska Mountain range is a home for highly diverse and most dependable plant species and associated indigenous knowledge. However, because of the realized environmental threats in the area, the conservation efforts of the community should be invigorated and supported in order to sustain the biodiversity in general and the medicinal plant species in particular.

Major Production Constraints and Spider Plant [Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq.] Traits Preferences Amongst Smallholder Farmers of Northern Namibia and Central Malawi

Spider plant (Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq.) is among the most important African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs) as a source of essential nutrients with the potential of contributing significantly to household food and nutritional security and mitigation of hidden hunger. Nevertheless, the vegetable is considered an orphan crop and its production is challenged by inadequate research to identify and improve traits preferred by smallholder farmers. The research was conducted to identify the main challenges impacting the production of spider plants and identify traits preferred by smallholder farmers in northern Namibia and central Malawi for use in demand-led crop improvement. Semi-structured interviews involving a random selection of 197 farming households from five regions of northern Namibia and three districts of central Malawi were conducted. In addition, six key informant interviews and four focus group discussions were conducted to triangulate the findings. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Fischer's exact test was used to test for independence in the ranking of production constraints and agronomic traits, while Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance (W) was used to measure agreement levels in the ranking across the countries. Farmers indicated lack of seed, poor soil fertility, poor seed germination and drought as the main production challenges across the two countries. Production constraints were ranked differently (p < 0.001) across the study sites suggesting the influence of biophysical and socio-economic factors associated with production. High yield and drought tolerance were considered the most important agronomic traits among the smallholder farmers in both countries. The findings of this study are useful for designing demand-driven pre-breeding trials that prioritize the needs of the end-users. Demand-led breeding has the potential to stimulate the production and utilization of spider plant, hence contributing to household food and nutritional security.

Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers in Algeria: A Multiregional Ethnobotanical Study

Traditional medicine is the cornerstone that boosts scientific research to explore new therapeutic approaches. The study aimed to assess the traditional knowledge and use of medicinal plants to treat various ailments by Algerian traditional healers. Forty traditional healers were face-to-face interviewed in three different Algerian areas (West, Kabylia, and Sahara). The data collected were analyzed using quantitative indices such as fidelity level (FL) and informant consensus factor (F_IC). A total of 167 species belonging to 70 families were recorded. Lamiaceae (13%), Asteraceae (13%), Apiaceae (7%), and Rosaceae and Fabaceae (5% each) were the most cited families. The survey revealed that leaves were the most used parts of the plants (29%). Furthermore, decoction (35%), raw (24%), and infusion (19%) were the common modes for the remedies’ preparation. Here, 15% of the total species were newly reported as medicinal plants. Besides, it was reported for the first time a total of 47 new therapeutic uses for 20 known plant species. Of 17 ailments categories, cancer was presented by 44 species, showing the highest F_IC of 0.46. Marrubium vulgare L., Artemisia herba-alba Asso., Zingiber officinale Roscoe., and Juniperus phoenicea L. recorded the maximum fidelity value of 100%. Therefore, our study reveals strong ethnomedicinal knowledge shared by local populations living in the three regions studied. The medicinal species with a high FL could be promising candidates for identifying new bioactive molecules.

Cultural belief and medicinal plants in treating COVID 19 patients of Western Colombia

The main background of this study is that corona virus (COVID-19) has caused a global chaos where there was a complete lockdown of the whole planet as well as the collapse of the health system in many developed, developing and under-developed countries. This situation has caused a public health system and till date no decisive treatment is being confirmed so far. The present study from western Colombia focuses on the importance of traditional, cultural and generations history with reference to the use of importance and significance of medicinal plants, especially to find out a strategy to fight the new virus. The study was designed based on three major novel ethno-environmental strategies based on infusion, hot drinks, fresh baths and jelly types were identified. Based on the generated results, the calculated highest used species in the present pandemia indicates Zingiber officinale Roscoe (1.0), Eucalyptus globulus Labiil. (0.86), Citrus x limon (L.) Osbeck (0.80), Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp (0.56) and Matricaria recutita L. (0.52) were the species with the highest use. No significant difference was observed between men and women for the level of knowledge on these traditional medicinal plants. Moreover, many of the scientific information demonstrate their effectiveness in treating the respiratory infections caused due to the corona virus. The results infer the importance of traditional medicine, knowledge which needs more attention and research to counter attack the outbreak especially in medically weak health systems.

Cultural significance of medicinal plants in healing human ailments among Guji semi-pastoralist people, Suro Barguda District, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Traditional medicine has remained the most affordable and easily accessible source of treatment in the primary healthcare system among communities unable to get modern medication. Ethiopian indigenous people have a long history of traditional plant utilization for treating ailments. The objectives of this study were to identify, document, and analyze the cultural significances of medicinal plants and their associated indigenous knowledge among Guji Semi-Pastoralist People, in Suro Barguda District, West Guji Zone, southern Ethiopia.

METHODS

Semi-structured interview, focus group discussions, participant observation, and walk-in-the-woods methods were used to gather medicinal plants data. The informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (FL) values were calculated using quantitative approaches to check the level of informants' agreement on plant use and the healing potential of medicinal plant species, respectively. Indigenous knowledge of the use of medicinal plants for medicinal purposes among different informant groups was compared using t tests with R software.

RESULTS

A total of 98 medicinal plant species belonging to 87 genera and 48 families were reported to be used for treating human ailments such as gastrointestinal diseases, breathing system diseases, dermatological diseases, and febrile diseases. Family Fabaceae was represented by 10 species followed by Lamiaceae (7 species). Four of the medicinal plants (Bothriocline schimperi Oliver & Hiern ex Bentham, Erythrina brucei Schweinf. emend. Gillett, Lippia adoensis Hochst. ex Walp. var. adoensis, and Millettia ferruginea (Hochst.) Hochst. ex Baker) were found endemic to Ethiopia and shrubs were more dominant (36 species). Ninety-one medicinal plant species were used for remedy preparation as soon as they were collected in their fresh form; 35.6% herbal medicine preparation was through crushing the plant parts and homogenizing them with cold and clean water; 159 (70.4%) traditional medicinal preparations were reported to be taken in their drinking form (orally).

CONCLUSION

The study indicated that the district is rich in different species of medicinal plants used to treat human ailments and indigenous knowledge about using these resources. Species with the recorded highest consensus for curative purposes are useful sources for further phytochemical and pharmacological validation for better utilization. Declining wild medicinal flora of the area calls for conservation priority.

Inventory of Medicinal Plants Used Traditionally to Manage Kidney Diseases in North-Eastern Morocco: Ethnobotanical Fieldwork and Pharmacological Evidence

Kidney disease is one of the most common health problems and kidney failure can be fatal. It is one of the health disorders associated with extreme pain and discomfort in patients. In developing countries, such as Morocco where socioeconomic and sanitary conditions are precarious, medicinal plants are considered the primary source of medication. In the present work an ethnobotanical survey was conducted in a remote area of North-Eastern Morocco and we focused on (1) establishing a record of medicinal plants used traditionally by local people to treat kidney diseases and (2) correlate the obtained ethnomedical use with well-studied pharmacological evidence. From February 2018 to January2020, information was gathered from 488 informants using semi-structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using three quantitative indices: The use value (UV), family use value (FUV), and informant consensus factor (ICF). A total of 121 plant species belonging to 57 botanical families were identified to treat kidney diseases. The families most represented were Asteraceae (14 species), followed by Lamiaceae (12 species) and Apiaceae (10 species). The most commonly used plant parts were leaves, followed by the whole plant and they were most commonly prepared by decoction and infusion. The highest value of the (UV) index was attributed to Herniaria hirsuta L. (UV = 0.16), and the highest family use value (FUV) was assigned to Caryophyllaceae with (FUV = 0.163). Regarding the informant consensus factor (ICF), this index's highest values were recorded for kidney stones (ICF = 0.72). The use of 45% of the selected plants were validated based on literature review. This study helped document and preserve crucial traditional plant knowledge of 121 plant species used to treat kidney problems that can be used in the search for new biologically active compounds through more upcoming pharmacological studies.

Medicinal Animals and Plants as Alternative and Complementary Medicine in Southern Regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Background: Local communities use animals and plants as common traditional therapies for various diseases. The study aimed to document animals and animal-plant mixture recipes that are used as alternative and complementary medicine in southern regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Methods: The data were collected (2017–2018) in three remote areas (Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, and Lakki Marwat) through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with local inhabitants. Data on ethnomedicinal uses and cultural values of animal products or parts and their mixture with plants were analyzed using various indices such as frequency of citation (FC), informant consensus (FIC), and fidelity level (FL) to find the highly preferred species in the area.

Results: A total of 185 informants (117 females and 68 males) were interviewed. The study documented 32 animal species, vertebrates (n = 24) and invertebrates (n = 8), for curing 37 types of diseases. Mammals (n = 13) were among the most commonly utilized species followed by birds (n = 8), arthropods (n = 7), reptiles (n = 2), and fishes and annelids (n = 1 each). Among the reported animals, Herpestes edwardsi (mongoose), Macaca mulatta (monkey), Labeo rohita (rohu), Oryctolagus cuniculus (rabbit), and Streptopelia decaocto (dove) were the newly reported species used as alternative medicine. The meat of Capra hircus (goat), monkey, and rabbit was used to treat chronic diseases such as hepatitis C, cancer, epilepsy, and asthma. A total of 17 plants belonging to 15 botanical families were used in combination with animal parts/products. The commonly used families were Piperaceae (31%) followed by Apiaceae (27%). The notable plant species in combination with animal products were Curcuma longa, Piper nigrum, Coriandrum sativum, Brassica rapa, and Phoenix dactylifera. Seeds were the highest used part in animal-plant mixture recipes. Gallus gallus (chicken) and Columba livia (pigeon) secured the highest (FC = 28) and (FL = 80%), respectively. FIC results had shown the highest degree of consensus for general body weakness (FIC = 0.88) and pyrexia (FIC = 0.86).

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that local communities in the southern regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have substantial knowledge about the formulation of ethnomedicines from both flora and fauna that need urgent documentation to avoid eroding and for conservational purposes. The newly reported phytozootherapeutic recipes and animal species can potentially be a source of pharmacologically active constituents and should be checked experimentally for further confirmation.

Ethnopharmacological Survey on Medicinal Plants Used for Cosmetic Treatments in Traditional and Ayurveda Systems of Medicine in Sri Lanka

Medicinal plants have been used for therapeutic and beauty applications in Sri Lanka with documented history of over 2,500 years. This inherited knowledge, which has been handed down from generation to generation, provides a largely unexplored source for the potential development of active ingredients for cosmetic formulations. Therefore, the present comprehensive survey was conducted to identify cosmetic potential medicinal plants species in Sri Lanka. Personal interviews were conducted via a semistructured questionnaire with randomly selected 30 traditional practitioners and 90 Ayurveda physicians in Sri Lanka. Data were collected on plants and specific plant parts used for the treatment of skin care, hair care, and oral care topically. The acquired data were verified using the Ayurveda authentic books and quantitatively analyzed using relative frequency of citation (RFC), use value (UV), relative importance (RI), and factor informant consensus (FIC). Results revealed about the usage of 133 different plant species belonging to 64 families in cosmetic treatments under the categories of skin care, hair care, and oral care. Majority of medicinal plants were used in skin care treatments (39%) followed by hair care (20%) and oral care (17%). Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. reported the highest RFC value (0.83) and UV (3.66). The highest RI value was reported from Asparagus racemosus Willd. and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (1.67). The dominant plant family was reported as family Fabaceae. The most utilized plant part was stated as leaves (34%) followed by bark (14%). The survey further revealed about treatments for 17 skin-related, 9 hair-related, and 2 oral-related beauty issues. All RFC values were comparatively high for identified different beauty issues. Many herbal preparations were prepared using water as the medium whilst most common mode of application was reported as paste (37%). In conclusion, acquired information could ultimately be utilized for the development of the herbal cosmetic industry through the isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds from the documented plants while preserving the traditional knowledge.

New trends in the use of medicinal plants by Algerian diabetic patients, considerations of herb-drug interactions

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder, with a large prevalence in low- and middle-income countries. Numerous studies highlighted the use of medicinal plants for diabetes in Algeria. This use is influenced by cultural considerations. The industrialization of the country leads to the transformation of the trend of the utilization of plants, and the increase of polymedication. In this context, there is no information about the profile of diabetic patients using plants and the potential of herb-drug interactions.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The objective was to evaluate the use of plants by diabetic patients and to search the drug interactions with the most cited species.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Descriptive and comparative studies were carried out among diabetic patients and traditional healers, in the west of Algeria, to inventory the plants used in diabetes. Bivariate and multivariate analysis by logistic regression were performed to evaluate the associated factors with the use, to determine the profile of users. Bibliometric research in PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTirals was conducted to look for herb-drug interactions.

RESULTS

Results show a decrease in the use of medicinal plants by diabetic patients, in comparison of previous findings, some of which have not been cited by traditional healers. The patients under oral anti-diabetic agents (ODA) have twice the risk to use plants in concomitant with drugs. Olea europea leaves and Trigonella feanum greacum seeds were the most cited herbals. Metformin was the most used drug. Several clinical trials revealed that the anti-diabetic plants had a synergistic effect with ODA, which can increase the hypoglycemia of diabetics. Non-important adverse reactions were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

New trends of the use of medicinal plants by diabetic patients were noted, this is due to the diversification of information sources. Patients under ODA must be educated about the use and the risk of herb-drug interactions.

Assessment of the Diversity of Medico-Magic Knowledge on Four Herbaceous Species in Benin

Background

Ethnobotanical knowledge on four herbaceous species, Acmella uliginosa (Sw.) Cass., Momordica charantia L., Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn., and Scoparia dulcis L., in Benin was investigated.

Methods

Herbal medicine traders in six different markets were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The linear regression test was performed to check for the influence of respondent's age on ethnobotanical uses they hold. Relative frequency citation, fidelity level, use value, and Rahman similarity index were calculated to assess the diversity of medico-magic knowledge. The Informant Consensus Factor is not applicable in this study since we are dealing neither with the diversity of medicinal plants used by a community of people nor with a great number of plant species used for medicinal purposes, nor the diversity of plant species used in the treatment of a specific or group of ailments.

Results

The respondent's age did not influence the ethnobotanical uses they hold on the species. All thirty-six informants surveyed traded Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn., Momordica charantia L., and Scoparia dulcis L., and the majority traded Acmella uliginosa (Sw.) Cass. The respondent's age does not influence the diversity of ethnobotanical uses they hold on the study species. Purchase in traders' own markets was the predominant source of Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn., Momordica charantia L., and Scoparia dulcis L. while Acmella uliginosa (Sw.) Cass. was mostly purchased in other more distant markets. A noticeable proportion of traders also collect Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn. and Momordica charantia L. from wild populations. Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn. was the species most demanded by customers followed by Momordica charantia L. Traders confirmed the scarcity of all species in recent years and climate change and destruction of natural habitats for logging were the most cited causes. The entire plant of Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn. was used mainly to treat malaria, diabetes, and constipation, and decoction with oral administration was the most frequent preparation for malaria treatment. To treat diabetes, informants mixed Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn. with Momordica charantia L. used as a decoction with oral administration. Momordica charantia L. was also used to treat measles and chicken pox. Acmella uliginosa (Sw.) Cass. and Scoparia dulcis L. were mostly used for their spiritual use for luck, predominantly by chewing fresh leaves or flowers, and by bathing with the ground plant mixed with soap, respectively. Overall, Momordica charantia L. had the greatest use value followed by Phyllanthus amarus Schumach. & Thonn. The majority of traders do not plant the species.

Conclusions

The harvesting and trade of the species threaten their natural populations and urgent tools, including in situ and ex situ conservation, are needed to ensure their long-term sustainable exploitation.

Methodological advances for hypothesis-driven ethnobiology

Ethnobiology as a discipline has evolved increasingly to embrace theory-inspired and hypothesis-driven approaches to study why and how local people choose plants and animals they interact with and use for their livelihood. However, testing complex hypotheses or a network of ethnobiological hypotheses is challenging, particularly for data sets with non-independent observations due to species phylogenetic relatedness or socio-relational links between participants. Further, to account fully for the dynamics of local ecological knowledge, it is important to include the spatially explicit distribution of knowledge, changes in knowledge, and knowledge transmission and use. To promote the use of advanced statistical modelling approaches that address these limitations, we synthesize methodological advances for hypothesis-driven research in ethnobiology while highlighting the need for more figures than tables and more tables than text in ethnobiological literature. We present the ethnobiological motivations for conducting generalized linear mixed-effect modelling, structural equation modelling, phylogenetic generalized least squares, social network analysis, species distribution modelling, and predictive modelling. For each element of the proposed ethnobiologists quantitative toolbox, we present practical applications along with scripts for a widespread implementation. Because these statistical modelling approaches are rarely taught in most ethnobiological programs but are essential for careers in academia or industry, it is critical to promote workshops and short courses focused on these advanced methods. By embracing these quantitative modelling techniques without sacrificing qualitative approaches which provide essential context, ethnobiology will progress further towards an expansive interaction with other disciplines.

Human-Wildlife Conflicts in the Southern Yungas: What Role do Raptors Play for Local Settlers?

Wildlife persecution due to human-wildlife conflict has become a serious concern for biodiversity conservation, especially for many endangered species. In this context, conservation approaches need to consider the socio-ecological dimensions of each particular situation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the existence, extent and social characteristics of Human-Raptor Conflicts (HRC) in the Southern Yungas region in northwestern Argentina. We conducted 115 semi-structured interviews in 21 sites and analyzed attitudes and associations between sociodemographic variables and the existence of HRC. Forty percent of interviewees showed negative attitudes towards raptors, mainly with those species considered livestock predators rather than poultry predators. A total of 11 species were regarded as conflictive because of predation on domestic animals, of which Andean condors showed the highest conflict. The only socio-demographic factor affecting conflicts was livestock and poultry rearing, independently of age, gender and occupation of interviewees. The fact that only 8.7% of interviewees reported taking direct actions towards conflictive species indicates a relatively peaceful coexistence of people with raptors. Nevertheless, negative attitudes towards Andean condor together with their extreme susceptibility to any increase in non-natural mortality indicate the need of an integral conservation approach to tackle future threats for this species' conservation in the area.

Ethnochemometric of plants traditionally utilised as local detergents in the forest dependent culture

The purpose of this study is to access the existing awareness of nearly forgotten Thai detergent plants by the use of chemometrics tool. A Northern Thai forest dependent community was chosen as it played vital role on knowledge retaining of plant utilisations. For initial perception, ethnobotanical survey was conducted to determine usage of plants by the community. Then the utilised plant parts were screened for phytochemicals and their relationships with the defined cleansing terms (viz., shampoo, scrub, detergent, soap, scent and spiritual) were analysed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). From the results, the most cited plants as known, used and found were Acacia concinna, Clitoria ternetea, Oryza sativa and Citrus hystrix. Biometric analyses advised that knowledge of detergent plant utilisation was well preserved at all age ranges and it was not variable with genders. Cluster analysis described that term 'spiritual' was not narrated with cleansing properties. For phytochemical analysis, plant extracts showed positive variable of bioactive ingredients and the main compounds in the extracts was saponins. These findings confirmed that the knowledge of indigenous plant utilisation was reserved by the forest dependent community and the information is beneficial toward local plant conservation movement.

Indian Diaspora Gastronomy: On the Changing Use of Herbs and Spices Among Southern California's Indian Immigrant Women

Southern California has witnessed a burgeoning Indian immigrant population in recent decades. And among the cultural features that most distinguishes Indians is their cuisine. Their use of herbs and spices in food and medicine, in particular, is tightly bound to language, religion, gender, and overall cultural identity. Identifying how Indian immigrants' culinary choices adapt to southern California's varied and often fast-food based gastronomy, particularly impacts on the inter-generational transmission of traditional culinary knowledge, is important in terms of understanding the role of cultural retention and assimilation, as well as culturally-defined notions of food in physical and psychological well-being. We explored these questions by means of interviews with 31 Indian immigrant women in southern California. Participants were selected by means of snowball sampling. Our working hypothesis was that problems with sourcing and cultural assimilation pressures would have eroded the use of traditional herbs and spices. A total of 66 herbs and spices (and associated seasonings) were reported. Of these, the highest frequency of use was recorded for turmeric (100% of respondents) followed by cilantro, cinnamon, clove, cumin, curry leaves, and ginger (all 97%). The highest Species Medicinal Use Values were recorded, in descending order, for turmeric, ginger, fenugreek seeds, clove, cinnamon, curry leaves, and Tulsi. Contrary to expectations, there was no significant association between years resident in the United States and decreasing use of herbs and spices. Indeed, in some cases the confluence of northern and southern Indian immigrant women with a new identity simply as “Indian” resulted in an increase in the knowledge and use of herbs and spices. Spices are nearly all locally sourced, and where specific herbs are not readily accessible, they are cultivated in homegardens or brought directly from India. Many Indian immigrants are relatively prosperous and able to travel frequently to and from India, thus maintaining close cultural ties with their homeland. Indian immigrant women are fully aware of the health benefits associated with the use of traditional herbs and spices, and all participants reported that Indian food is a healthier choice than American cuisine. Knowledge is passed via vertical transmission, primarily through mothers and grandmothers to daughters. Overall, there is little concern among female Indian immigrants to southern California that knowledge and use of their traditional herbs and spices are in a state of decline.

Assessment of biodiversity goods for the sustainable development of the chagra in an indigenous community of the Colombian Amazon: local values of crops

BACKGROUND

The chagra is the agroforestry system adapted to the characteristics of the Amazon region. Recently, there has been a reported loss of biodiversity and traditional knowledge associated with the chagras. This paper characterizes the cultivators, exploring knowledge and expressed value perception in the context of the Amazonian chagra of an indigenous community; also, this prioritizes species, under the optics of commercial opportunity.

METHODS

A semi-structured instrument was applied to 14 volunteers, asking about marketing preferences and use values of the species; later, a floristic inventory and prioritization workshop was developed.

RESULTS

Sixty-two percent of the participants were 50 years or older at the time of the interview. Open conversations showed that traditional knowledge is a matter of practice; and is maintained mainly by the older "grandfathers". Thirty-eight species, belonging to 28 different families, were reported, showing considerable diversity. Seventy-nine percent of the participants consider the Leticia market and sales to tourists as the main marketing scenarios.

CONCLUSIONS

The Ziora-Amena community centralizes the handling of chagras in the community's older adults, who transmit their traditional knowledge to new generations through oral tradition. Indicators of preference, use, and abundance highlight the food species. The perception of the trade stakeholder encourages research and development of endemic species, with health properties or ingredients for industry, which represent an opportunity of high added value for the region.

An ethnopharmacological survey and comparative analysis of plants from the Sudhnoti District, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

BACKGROUND

This is the first comprehensive report on the traditional and novel uses of medicinal plants practiced by the indigenous communities of the Sudhnoti district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. The area is rich in folklore and indigenous medicinal knowledge due to a unique tribal composition and socioeconomic conditions. This study aimed to document traditional knowledge of native plant use by the local communities, particularly those used for therapeutic purposes.

METHODS

Field surveys were conducted from September 2015 to March 2017. Interviews with 125 local inhabitants of different tribes, age groups, genders, and occupations were conducted using structured and semi-structured questions along with group discussions. Data gathered on plant uses, local names, and modes of application of each plant species were organized in tables. Ethnobotanical indices such as use value (UV) and cultural significance index (CSI) were used to produce quantitative information on the plant use category, frequency, and cultural preference of species. Reports on therapeutic uses of medicinal plants were compared with previous studies.

RESULTS

In all, 88 plant species from 45 families were reported, out of which 67 (77%) were used in ethnomedical applications. Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae were the dominant families. Berberis lycium was the most valued plant species, followed by Zanthoxylum armatum and Taraxacum officinale. Mentha arvensis had the highest cultural significance, followed by Mentha longifolia, Punica granatum, and Zanthoxylum armatum. Leaves were the most preferred plant parts in the preparation of medicine exclusively or mixed with other parts. The most frequently used process of crude preparation of medicinal plants was cooking. Oral intake was the predominant route of administration.

CONCLUSIONS

Our comparative analysis confirmed that most of the plants documented have uses that match those previously reported for the region and other parts of the world, with the exception of novel medicinal uses for 11 plant species, including Verbascum thapsus for earache, Elaeagnus umbellata for hepatitis, Achillea millefolium for oral care, Dicliptera roxburghiana to prevent sunstroke in cattle, Rumex hastatus for allergy antidote, Pyrus pashia for hepatitis, and Nerium oleander for diabetes.

An overview on ethnobotanico-pharmacological studies carried out in Morocco, from 1991 to 2015: Systematic review (part 1)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The full bibliometric records of data retrieved from ethnobotanical field studies carried out in Morocco (1991-2015) was quali-quantitatively analysed. Despite the importance of traditional medicinal uses in Morocco, any comments about the methodologies and approaches adopted by reviewed studies have been undertaken. Include more data about the importance of traditional medicinal uses in Morocco.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Three key points were targeted in this review: (i) to contribute to original compilation of medicinal plants traditionally used by people at whole Morocco, by gathering and documenting the current status of these ancestral medical practices, (ii) to provide a novel insight into the relationship between local and biomedical disease concepts in Moroccan society, taking into account health-related beliefs, and their influences on medicinal plant uses, (iii) to figurout the weaknesses and the strengths of the conceptual approches and methods adopted by researchers in ethnobotanical field works.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

With the help of a computerized database querying, we conducted an extensive literature search respecting our integration criteria. We performed this bibliographic research by using the following search engines available over the Web: Google Scholar, PUBMED, Sciencedirect, Current Content Connect, SCOPUS, SPRINGER LINK, GLOBAL PLANTS, Cochrane Library and SCIRUS. The scientific names listed in the present paper have been validated according to the "The Plant List" and the African Plants Database in order to standardize ethnobotanical data on an international level. For the analysis of data gathered, quali-quantitative analyses have been performed.

RESULTS

A total of 905 medicinal plant species belonging to 116 families and 726 genera have been selected from 63 published articles. The dominant families were ASTERACEAE (111 species) followed by the FABACEAE (77 species), LAMIACEAE (75 species) and APIACEAE (46 species). The plant species listed are used to cure several public ailments. The digestive ailments represented the most important category (494 species) followed by dermatological diseases (407 species), diabetes (315 species) and urinary diseases (277 species). We assigned the importance of the plant species by several measures (including Frequency Cited (FC), Number of Uses (NU), Number of Respondents (NR) and Index of Performance (IP). The ICF (Informant Consensus Factor) calculated was important in all categories of diseases averaging 47%.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained, which cover the whole country, delineate the profile of rich wealth of indigenous knowledge on traditional uses of medicinal plants heald by Moroccan society. The total number of 905 plant species listed in this paper, are currently being utilized as medicines and the number is expected to grow as infrastructure allows greater access to unexplored parts of the country. Furthermore, the know how, regarding the plants used, is consistent because the ICF has recorded important values for most diseases treated. Furthermore, in the present paper, we suggested, for authors, some useful recommendations for ethnobotanical field works such as the respect of ethnobotanical standards including checklist of plants with international data base, the deposited voucher specimens, sampling and collection methods.

Cultural keystone species revisited: are we asking the right questions?

The cultural keystone species theory predicts plant species that are culturally important, play a role in resource acquisition, fulfil a psycho-socio-cultural function within a given culture, have high use-value, have an associated naming and terminology in a native language, and a high level of species irreplaceability qualify for cultural keystone species designation. This theory was proposed as a framework for understanding relationships between human societies and species that are integral to their culture. A greater understanding of the dynamic roles of cultural keystones in both ecosystem processes and cultural societies is a foundation for facilitating biocultural conservation. Given such important direct conservation implications of the cultural keystone species theory, we reviewed the use of this theoretical framework across the literature to identify new directions for research. Most studies often emphasized the role of cultural keystones species in human societies but failed to provide a robust and reproducible measure of cultural keystone species status or direct test of the predictions of the theory and underemphasized their potential roles in ecosystem processes. To date, no studies that mentioned cultural keystone species tested the predictions of the theory. Only 4.4% provided a measure for cultural keystone status and 47.4% have cited or applied keystone designation to a given species without providing a reproducible measure for cultural keystone species. Studies that provided a measure for cultural keystone species primarily occurred in North America while few of these studies occurred in Australia and Europe with none occurring in Africa. As such, most cultural keystone species have been designated as such qualitatively based on researcher subjectivity while other studies have designated keystone species with quantitative indices of cultural importance, often incorporating researcher biases or measuring a few of the cultural keystone status predictors rather than all of them, indicating a lack of consensus in identifying cultural keystone species. Thus, we pose the need for a paradigm shift toward the development of serious and systematic approaches for keystone designation.

Richness of non-timber forest products in Himalayan communities-diversity, distribution, use pattern and conservation status

BACKGROUND

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are important resources for sustenance of rural communities; a systematic planning to manage diverse NTFPs may immensely contribute to food and livelihood security of forest dwellers. Considering this, the present study has been undertaken in the Himachal Pradesh state in north India. It aims to provide detailed information on diversity, distribution, use pattern, and conservation status of selected NTFPs that have market potential, and suggest a possible way for their sustained management and possible role in livelihood upgradation of dependent communities.

METHODOLOGY

An inventory of NTFP species was prepared by collecting secondary information from published scientific studies in journals, books, and other periodicals as well as species being traded as per Forest department records. Search on various online databases were also used (Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, ISI Web of Science) using specific search terms such as "non-timber forest products," "NTFPs," "medicinal plants," "wild edible plants," and "Himachal Pradesh," "Western Himalaya," and "Northwest Himalaya." A list of potential NTFPs was prepared having market value. To evaluate the relative usefulness of different species, a quantitative valuation was also used by calculating various indices, such as use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), relative importance index (RI), cultural importance index (CI), and cultural value (CV).

RESULTS

A total of 811 species have been screened that has significant potential for the State, and categorized in 18 groups as per their use. The family use value was highest for Asteraceae (FUV = 76.75). Among plant parts used, whole plants, roots (including rhizomes and tubers), leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, stems, and barks were used by the forest dwellers. Maximum NTFPs were collected from the warm temperate zone, followed by the temperate, sub-alpine, sub-tropical, and alpine zones. Sixty-one percent of species had medicinal importance, followed by species used for food and fodder purposes. Although species richness of medicinal plants decreased with altitude, however, most plants extracted from high altitudes were high-value species fetching better income. As many as 125 NTFPs were identified under the diverse level of threats according to IUCN criteria and as per the local stakeholders' perceptions.

CONCLUSION

High dependence on NTFPs by poor and marginal communities for domestic needs as well as market demand of selected species leads to create excessive pressure on them. Unfortunately, the state agencies are not having any robust conservation plan for NTFPs. For long-term management of NTFPs sector, a species-specific conservation strategy, proper harvesting protocol, cultivation practices, the supply of quality planting material, product development and diversification, value chain development, and ensured market is greatly desired. This will not only lead to conserving NTFPs resources in their natural habitats but also lead a sustainable livelihood generation for forest dwellers.

The uses of fig (Ficus) by five ethnic minority communities in Southern Shan State, Myanmar

BACKGROUND

Most regions of Myanmar fall within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot and are threatened with biodiversity loss. Development of a comprehensive framework for sustainable development is crucial. Figs are ecological keystone species within these regions and are also important for traditional spiritual food and health uses, which often have accompanying conservation practices. The traditional use and management of figs may offer clues to help guide the development of national policies for sustainable development. In this study, we showcase the rich ethnobotanical knowledge as well as the variety of collection and conservation practices of figs among five ethnic groups in Southern Shan State.

METHODS

We performed both key informant and semi-structured interviews with 114 informants from five ethnic groups. Their uses for figs were categorized according to local practices and recipes. Informants were asked about trends in conservation status over the past 10 years and any conservation-related customs and practices. Data were analyzed quantitatively with common quantitative ethnobotany indices, the use report (UR) and use value (UV).

RESULTS

Informants reported the uses of eight fig species (Ficus auricularta, F. concinna, F. geniculata, F. hispida, F. racemosa, F. religiosa, F. semicordata, and F. virens). F. geniculata and F. virens were most useful (UR = 228) and were used by all five ethnic groups, corresponding to a high use value (UV = 2). Treatments for 16 diseases were reported from seven species. Household consumption, economic and sacred uses were accompanied by sustainable practices of harvest and protection. Traditional taboos, in situ and ex situ conservation were common especially for highly demanded species (F. geniculata and F. virens) and the sacred fig F. religiosa.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that figs are useful for food (all informants) and medicine (13.16% of the informants) in the study area. Traditional taboos, in situ and ex situ conservation practices help to maintain sustainable utilization of locally important figs. This is an early contribution to the traditional knowledge of edible figs. Although similar uses have been reported in neighboring countries for seven of the fig species, the ethnobotanical use of F. concinna is novel.

Ethnomycological Knowledge of Three Ethnic Groups in Ethiopia

Ethnomycological information was gathered by conducting semi-structured interviews with members of the Amhara, Agew, and Sidama ethnic groups in Ethiopia. A total of 300 individuals were involved in this study. Forest excursions were also undertaken to investigate the habitat and to identify useful wild mushroom species present in the study areas. A total of 24 useful wild mushroom species were identified. Among the three ethnic groups, the Sidama have the most extensive ethnomycological knowledge and over seven vernacular names for useful fungal species were recorded for this group. Collecting mushrooms is common practice among the Sidama and usually carried out by women and children during the main rainy season from June to September. Useful mushrooms are collected in natural forests, plantation forests, grazing areas, home gardens, and swampy areas. In terms of medicinal uses, Lycoperdon perlatum Pers. and Calvatia rubroflava (Cragin) Lloyd. are well-known treatments for wounds and skin disease. Harvest storage of wild mushroom species is unknown. Respondents in the Amhara and Agew ethnic groups were similar in terms of their use and knowledge of mushrooms. Both ethnic groups reported that although wild mushroom species were consumed by their grandparents, they do not eat mushrooms themselves, which could eventually represent a loss of mycological knowledge in these two ethnic groups. Such inconsistency between ethnic groups in terms of their knowledge may also be linked to the social valuation of mushroom resources, which could easily be mitigated by raising awareness. Thus, the baseline information obtained in this study could be useful for further investigations and documentation, and to promote ethnomycological benefits to different ethnic groups in countries with similar settings.

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Tengger tribe in Ngadisari village, Indonesia

The people of Tengger, Indonesia have used plants as traditional medicine for a long time. However, this local knowledge has not been well documented until recently. Our study aims to understand the utilization of plants in traditional medicine by the people of Tengger, who inhabit the Ngadisari village, Sukapura District, Probolinggo Regency, Indonesia. We conducted semi-structured and structured interviews with a total of 52 informants that represented 10% of the total family units in the village. The parameters observed in this study include species use value (SUV), family use value (FUV), plant part use (PPU), and the relative frequency of citation that was calculated based on fidelity level (FL). We successfully identified 30 species belonging to 28 genera and 20 families that have been used as a traditional medicine to treat 20 diseases. We clustered all the diseases into seven distinct categories. Among the recorded plant families, Poaceae and Zingiberaceae were the most abundant. Plant species within those families were used to treat internal medical diseases, respiratory-nose, ear, oral/dental, and throat problems. The plant species with the highest SUV was Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (1.01), whereas the Aloaceae family (0.86) had the highest FUV. Acorus calamus L. (80%) had the highest FL percentage. The leaves were identified as the most used plant part and decoction was the dominant mode of a medicinal preparation. Out of the plants and their uses documented in our study, 26.7% of the medicinal plants and 71.8% of the uses were novel. In conclusion, the diversity of medicinal plant uses in the Ngadisari village could contribute to the development of new plant-based drugs and improve the collective revenue of the local society.

Food Identities, Biocultural Knowledge and Gender Differences in the Protected Area "Sierra Grande de Hornachos" (Extremadura, Spain)

A food tradition not only corresponds to the vital need to be nourished every day, but is part of the particularity of a territory as a consequence of its history, traditions, natural heritage, and capacity for ecological and social resilience. In the search for culinary identity, a valorization of a rural territory of high identity potential is carried out, such as in the environmental protection area "Sierra Grande de Hornachos" (Extremadura, Spain), and specifically the town of Hornachos. For this purpose, a series of workshops and interviews were held for men and women who had lived most of their lives in Hornachos and who were older than 70. Information on the food uses of wild and cultivated plants, as determined by the Cultural Significance Index (CSI) for 79 species, was extracted from the interpretation of the data collected. In addition, new uses were collected in Extremadura for 16 plants and in Spain for 3, with some of these data being of particular significance in the culinary culture of Hornachega. We conclude that the area "Sierra Grande de Hornachos" forms an environment of great culinary identity that must be preserved, not only for its heritage interests but also for its agroecological ones, which could be translated into measures of wealth creation and development.

An ethnobotanical survey of wild edible plants used by the Yi people of Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China

BACKGROUND

Due to historical perceptions of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture (Sichuan Province, China) as being a violent place, and due to its rugged terrain, cultural differences, and relative inaccessibility, few researchers have conducted in-depth ethnobotanical investigations in Liangshan. But wild edible plants (WEPs) are widely consumed by the Yi people of Liangshan, and their associated ethnobotanical knowledge remains relatively unknown, especially outside of China. This study aimed to (1) investigate the WEPs used by the Liangshan Yi, (2) document the traditional knowledge held about these plants, (3) analyze their special preparation methods and consumption habits, and (4) identify species with important cultural significance to the Liangshan Yi.

METHODS

During 2016-2017, 396 Yi individuals were interviewed in 1 county-level city and 6 counties across Liangshan. Prior informed consent was obtained, and multiple ethnographic methods were utilized, including direct observation, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, informal discussions, and field visits. Market surveys were conducted in April, July, and August 2017 by interviewing 38 Yi merchants selling WEPs in 6 Liangshan traditional markets. We collected information about the parts consumed, preparation methods, consumption habits, growth pattern of species, collection months, market prices, and other uses of WEPs. Use values (UVs) were calculated to analyze the relative cultural importance of each WEP.

RESULTS

In total, 105 plant species belonging to 97 genera and 62 families were recorded. Rosaceae was the family with the largest number of species (14), and herbs (58 species) were the dominant growth form reported. Fruits (34 species), roots (21 species), and tender shoots (20 species) were the primary plant parts used for snacking and cooking. There were 6 main preparation and consumption methods of WEPs reported, ranging from primary food, famine food, snack, spice, culinary coagulant, and medicine, among a few other uses. The Liangshan Yi mainly collect WEPs from March to October, seldom collecting from November to February. There were 35 species of WEPs sold in the markets we visited in Liangshan. The price of medicinal plants was much higher than the price of food and fruits. In total, we documented 49 species of edible medicinal plants in Liangshan, accounting for 44.7% of all WEPs. They can be used for treating 27 medical conditions, including cough, diarrhea, injury, and headaches. The plants with the highest UVs were Berberis jamesiana (1.92), Pyracantha fortuneana (1.87), and Artemisia capillaris (1.44) indicating that these species are the most commonly used and important to the Liangshan Yi's traditional life and culture.

CONCLUSIONS

The traditional knowledge of WEPs from the accumulated experience of the Yi people's long period residing in Liangshan reflects the cultural richness of the Yi and the plant diversity of the region. Future research on the nutrition, chemical composition, and bioactivity of the WEPs are needed. Some species with high medicinal value but with sharp wild population decline should be surveyed for resource assessment, conservation, and domestication potential.

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Sheka Zone of Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

People's classification, management, and use of plants represent attempt to attracting people from different academic disciplines. Many countries use traditional medicine for their primary healthcare system. Medicinal plants have been important components of healthcare systems since the time immemorial. The objective of this research was to document and analyze traditional medicinal plants used by the Sheka people and associated ethnobotanical knowledge.

METHODS

Data was collected by administering pre-prepared semi-structured interview items to 414 informants. Market surveys, group discussion, and guided field walk were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics; determination of informant consensus factor, fidelity level, as well as ranking and scoring.

RESULTS

A total of 266 plant species belonging to 192 genera and 74 families were identified. About 204 (77%) of the medicinal plants were used to treat human health problems. Only ten (4%) were used to treat livestock health problems and 52 (19%) of them were used to treat both human and livestock health problems. Croton macrostachyus, Prunus africana, Peperomia retusa, Lobelia giberroa, and Celosia schweinfurthiana were found to be high ranking medicinal plants against gastrointestinal problems based on simple preference ranking.

CONCLUSION

Very high number of medicinal plant species recorded from the study area indicates that vegetation of Sheka is reservoir of medicinal plants. Hence, the area needs attention for medicinal plant conservation priorities. Plant parts used as medicines also play vital role in the entire medicinal plant life cycle. Therefore, it is useful to consider harvesting impacts. Except well-experienced traditional healers, people of the study area use the medicinal plants haphazardly. There may be high risk of being victims of dosage and improper usage. High ranking medicinal plants are candidates for further phytochemical profiling, drug research, and development.

Plant Biodiversity Knowledge Varies by Gender in Sustainable Amazonian Agricultural Systems Called Chacras

Chacras, which are Amazonian agricultural systems, are examples of traditional agricultural management that are sustainable. They are also characteristic of the identities of different ethnographic groups in tropical America. However, information regarding the botanical characterization of chacras is scant. In tropical rural communities, there is a gender bias hypothesis that makes women potential reservoirs of traditional chacras plant knowledge. We present an experimental study in order to demonstrate if this knowledge difference really exists and to plan accordingly. We performed workshops in an isolated Kichwa community from Amazonian Ecuador. We calculated the cultural signififcance index (CSI) for 97 local flora plants. Our results revealed statistically significant differences. They were coherent with the Kichwa worldview and the structure of their society. We concluded that gender perspective must be taken into account in biodiversity conservation programs, such as, for example, those to implement the resilient agricultural practices of tropical contexts promoted by The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SGD2).

Traditional medicinal animal use by Xhosa and Sotho communities in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

BACKGROUND

The use of animals and animal-derived materials in traditional medicine constitutes an important part of the belief systems of indigenous African cultures. It is believed to be rapidly expanding in South Africa, where traditional healers are estimated to outnumber western doctors by 2000:1 in some areas, with an overall clientele consisting of 60-80% of South African citizens. Despite concerns about the impact of the trade in traditional medicine on biodiversity, there has been only limited research on this topic in South Africa.

METHODS

Traditional Xhosa and Sotho healers operating from impoverished, rural communities in the Boland Region of the Western Cape Province were consulted to provide a comprehensive inventory of the number and frequency of animals used and sold. Species richness estimators, diversity indices, and a relative cultural importance (RCI) index were used to highlight species of concern and assess market dynamics.

RESULTS

A total of 26 broad use categories for 12 types of animal parts or products from 71 species or morphospecies were recorded. The most commonly sold items were skin pieces, oil or fat, and bones. Results showed that leopard, chacma baboon, Cape porcupine, monitor lizard species, puff adder, African rock python, and black-backed jackal were the species most used in the traditional medicinal trade.

CONCLUSIONS

This study extends existing knowledge on the trade of animals in South African healing practices and provides the first attempt in the Western Cape to quantify wildlife use for cultural traditions. The results have relevance for setting conservation priorities and may assist in effective policy development inclusive of ecological sustainability priorities, as well as cultural demands.

Herbal medicine for epilepsy seizures in Asia, Africa and Latin America: A systematic review

RELEVANCE

More than 70 million people suffer epilepsy worldwide. Low availability of anti-epileptic drugs, side-effects and drug-resistant epilepsy affect the quality of life of persons with epilepsy in countries with a poorly developed health system. Herbal medicine is frequently used for this neurological condition.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective was to provide a detailed analysis of Herbal Medicine used for neurological conditions related with epilepsy in Asia, Africa and Latin America. More broadly, this study aims to highlight species with assessed efficacy (cross-cultural use, pharmacological effects on models of epileptic seizures) and safety (toxicological data in laboratory) information, in order to point out species of interest for further studies. A critical assessment of models used in pharmacological evaluations was done.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The systematic search for Herbal Medicine treatments for epilepsy was performed considering all the articles published until February 2017 through three scientific databases. It was made with MeSH terms and free text defining the epilepsy seizures and plant species. We included studies carried out in Asia, Africa and Latin America. All articles reporting the use of Herbal Medicine to treat epilepsy seizures and/or their pharmacological evaluation were retained for further analysis.

RESULTS

The search yielded 1886 articles, from 30 countries. Hundred and six articles published between 1982 and 2017 were included, corresponding to a total of 497 use reports for 351 plant species belonging to 106 families. Three hundred and seventy seven use reports corresponding to 264 species in ethnopharmacological surveys and 120 evaluation reports corresponding to 107 species were noted. Twenty-nine reports, for 29 species, combined both ethnopharmacological and pharmacological evaluation. Fifty eight studies originated from Africa, 35 studies from Asia and 18 from Latin America. Highest use report was noted for rhizomes of Acorus calamus L. (12 use report in 1 country) and leaves of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. (8 use report in 2 countries). Therefore these species display the highest use convergence. Regarding pharmacological evaluation most studied species were: Leonotis leonurus (L.) R.Br. (4 evaluation reports in 1 country), Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Miq. ex Havil. (3 evaluation reports in 2 countries) and Calotropis gigantea (L.) Dryand. (3 evaluation reports in 1 country). In vivo models of chronic epilepsy were more relevant than in vitro models or chemical models inducing acute seizures for pharmacological assessment.

CONCLUSION

Species with the highest use report were not those with pharmacological evaluation. It will be pertinent to assess the pharmacological effects and safety of medicinal plants used mostly by traditional healers on predictive models of seizures.

Ethnomedicinal plant diversity in Thailand

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Plants have provided medicine to humans for thousands of years, and in most parts of the world people still use traditional plant-derived medicine. Knowledge related to traditional use provides an important alternative to unavailable or expensive western medicine in many rural communities. At the same time, ethnomedicinal discoveries are valuable for the development of modern medicine. Unfortunately, globalization and urbanization causes the disappearance of much traditional medicinal plant knowledge.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To review available ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants in Thailand and to estimate its diversity.

METHODS

Information about ethnomedicinal uses of plants in Thailand was extracted from 64 scientific reports, books, and theses produced between 1990 and 2014. Plant identifications in the primary sources were updated to currently accepted names following The Plant List website and the species were assigned to family following the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Use Values (UV) were calculated to estimate the importance of medicinal plant species (UV_s) and families (UV_f). Medicinal use categories, plant parts used, preparations of the medicine, and their applications were noted for each use report.

RESULTS

We found 16,789 use reports for 2187 plant species in 206 families. These data came from 19 ethnic groups living in 121 villages throughout Thailand. The health conditions most commonly treated with medicinal plants were in the categories digestive system disorders, infections/infestations, nutritional disorders, muscular-skeletal system disorders, and genitourinary system disorders. Plant families with very high use values were Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Acanthaceae, Lamiaceae, and Zingiberaceae and species with very high use values were Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M.King & H.Rob., Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC., and Cheilocostus speciosus (J.Koenig) C.D.Specht. Stems and leaves were the most used plant parts, but also other parts of the plants were used in medicinal recipes. The most common way of using the medicinal plants was as a decoction in water.

CONCLUSION

We found 2187 plant species that were used in traditional medicine in Thailand. Of these a few hundred had high use values, suggesting that they may produce bioactive compounds with strong physiological effects.

Uses and importance of wild fungi: traditional knowledge from the Tshopo province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

BACKGROUND

Wild mushrooms constitute an important non-timber forest product that provides diverse substances and services, especially food and income for local communities from many parts of the world. This study presents original ethnomycological documentation from the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

METHODS

Ethnomycological surveys were made within local communities near the biosphere reserve of Yangambi and the Yoko forest reserve. The interviews involved 160 informants from six different ethnic communities (Bakumu, Turumbu, Topoke, Lokele, Ngelema, and Ngando). Specific reported use (RU), the relative importance (RI), and the cultural significance (CS) of wild edible fungi were calculated using quantitative data from enquiries.

RESULTS

The people from Tshopo use 73 species of wild mushrooms either for food (68 species), as medicine (9 species), in a recreational context (2 species), or related to myths and beliefs (7 species). Women are more involved in harvesting and are the main holders of cultural aspects related to fungi. The results show that knowledge of useful mushrooms differs between ethnic groups. The Ngando people have the highest ethnomycological expertise, which is expressed in their extensive cultural and practical use of fungi. Pleurotus tuber-regium is the most important species (MCSI = 1.9 and p value < 2.2e^-16) as it is being used for food, as a medicine, and more. Daldinia eschscholtzii is the most important (MUI = 0.86 and p value < 2.2e^-16) for medicinal applications, while Schizophyllum commune, Auricularia cornea, A. delicata, Marasmius buzungolo, and Lentinus squarrosulus are mostly appreciated for food. The latter five species are all wood-decaying saprotrophs.

CONCLUSION

Despite the presence of edible ectomycorrhizal taxa in the dense rainforests of Tshopo, local people only seem to have an interest in saprotrophic taxa. Some mushroom pickers deliberately cut down host trees to promote the development of saprotrophic taxa. Inducing forest degradation is considered beneficial as it promotes the development of saprotrophic taxa. The domestication of locally appreciated saprotrophic lignicolous fungi is proposed as a mitigating measure against fellings.

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants practiced by traditional healers and herbalists for treatment of some urological diseases in the West Bank/Palestine

BACKGROUND

Throughout history, every civilization in the world used plants or their derivatives for treatment or prevention of diseases. In Palestine as in many other countries, herbal medicines are broadly used in the treatment of wide range of diseases including urological diseases. The main objective of this research is to study the use of herbal remedies by herbalists and traditional healers for treatment of various urological diseases in the West Bank regions of Palestine and to assess their efficacy and safety through the literature review of the most cited plants.

METHOD

The study included a survey part, plant identification and a review study. The first part was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Face to face questionnaires were distributed to 150 traditional healers and herbalist in all regions of the West Bank of Palestine. The literature review part was to assess the most cited plants for their efficacy and toxicity.

RESULTS

One hundred forty four herbalists and traditional healers accepted to participate in this study which was conducted between March and April, 2016. The results showed that 57 plant species belonging to 30 families were used by herbalists and traditional healers for treatment of various urinary tract diseases in Palestine. Of these, Apiaceae family was the most prevalent. Paronychia argentea, Plantago ovata, Punica granatum, Taraxacum syriacum, Morus alba and Foeniculum vulgare were the most commonly used plant species in the treatment of kidney stones, while Capsella bursa-pastoris, Ammi visnaga and Ammi majus were the most recommended species for treatment of urinary tract infections and Portulaca oleracea used for renal failure. In addition Curcuma longa and Crocus sativus were used for enuresis while Juglans regia, Quercus infectoria, Sambucus ebulus and Zea mays were used for treatment symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia. Fruits were the most common parts used, and a decoction was the most commonly used method of preparation. Through literature review, it was found that Paronychia argentea has a low hemolytic effect and contains oxalic acid and nitrate. Therefore, it could be harmful to renal failure patients, also Juglans regia, Quercus infectoria and, Sambucus ebulus are harmful plants and cannot be used for treatment of any disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data provided that ethnopharmacological flora in the West Bank regions of Palestine can be quite wealthy and diverse in the treatments of urinary tract diseases. Clinical trials and pharmacological tests are required evaluate safety and efficacy of these herbal remedies.

Treating leishmaniasis in Amazonia: A review of ethnomedicinal concepts and pharmaco-chemical analysis of traditional treatments to inspire modern phytotherapies

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.