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Rios M, Tinitana F, Jarrín-V P, Donoso N, Romero-Benavides JC. "Horchata" drink in Southern Ecuador: medicinal plants and people's wellbeing. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2017; 13:18. [PMID: 28279218 PMCID: PMC5345160 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-017-0145-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The "horchata" is a herbal mixture infusion consumed in Southern Ecuador. It remains unknown how vendors group the plant species to sell them at traditional markets. This research documented the following: 1) a list of medicinal plant species sold for the drink; 2) the culturally important medicinal plant species; 3) the agreement among vendors regarding the medicinal plants species and their therapeutic use; and 4) the groups of medicinal plants sold for the preparation of "horchata." METHODS Interviews were made to 185 vendors at 31 traditional markets in Loja province. Bunches of medicinal plants were purchased to identify the species and to prepare voucher specimens. Culturally important medicinal plants species were established with the Fidelity Level (FL) index. Agreement among vendors on the therapeutic use of medicinal plants was measured with the Factor of Informant Consensus (FIC) index. A cluster analysis was made to determine the groups of medicinal plants sold by market vendors to prepare the "horchata" drink. RESULTS In Loja province, the "horchata" drink is consumed for its therapeutic uses. This study registered 33 families with 58 genera and 71 medicinal plant species, 50 of which are herbs and three are endemic to the Andean highlands of Ecuador. The FL index (46.1-96.3) determined 20 culturally important medicinal plant species. The highest FIC value (1.00) among vendors corresponds to four plant species employed each for a different therapeutic use. The cluster analysis identified a core group of 16 plant species which are essential to the drink and which likely interact to provide wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS The "horchata" is a heritage drink in Loja province. The 71 medicinal plants species registered for this drink is the largest number reported to date, and they have a total of 32 therapeutic uses. The combined results of the FL and FIC indices, the cluster analysis, and the field observations reveal an agreement among vendors on 16 medicinal plant species and their therapeutic use. This core group of plants requires bioactivity and bioassays analyses to determine biomedicine benefits that would be based on their pharmacological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montserrat Rios
- Departamento de Química y Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, Ecuador
- Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0430 USA
| | - Fani Tinitana
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | | | - Natalia Donoso
- Departamento de Química y Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Juan Carlos Romero-Benavides
- Departamento de Química y Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Loja, Ecuador
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Alonso-Castro AJ, Domínguez F, Maldonado-Miranda JJ, Castillo-Pérez LJ, Carranza-Álvarez C, Solano E, Isiordia-Espinoza MA, Del Carmen Juárez-Vázquez M, Zapata-Morales JR, Argueta-Fuertes MA, Ruiz-Padilla AJ, Solorio-Alvarado CR, Rangel-Velázquez JE, Ortiz-Andrade R, González-Sánchez I, Cruz-Jiménez G, Orozco-Castellanos LM. Use of medicinal plants by health professionals in Mexico. J Ethnopharmacol 2017; 198:81-86. [PMID: 28025163 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The use of medicinal plants in Mexico has been documented since pre-Hispanic times. Nevertheless, the level of use of medicinal plants by health professionals in Mexico remains to be explored. AIM OF THE STUDY To evaluate the use, acceptance and prescription of medicinal plants by health professionals in 9 of the states of Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS Direct and indirect interviews, regarding the use and acceptance of medicinal plants, with health professionals (n=1614), including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and odontologists from nine states in Mexico were performed from January 2015 to July 2016. The interviews were analyzed with the factor the informant consensus (FIC). RESULTS The information obtained indicated that 46% of those interviewed feel patients should not use medicinal plants as an alternative therapy. Moreover, 54% of health professionals, and 49% of the physicians have used medicinal plants as an alternative therapy for several diseases. Twenty eight percent of health professionals, and 26% of the physicians, have recommended or prescribed medicinal plants to their patients, whereas 73% of health professionals were in agreement with receiving academic information regarding the use and prescription of medicinal plants. A total of 77 plant species used for medicinal purposes, belonging to 40 botanical families were reported by the interviewed. The results of the FIC showed that the categories of diseases of the digestive system (FIC=0.901) and diseases of the respiratory system (FIC=0.898) had the greatest agreement. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that medicinal plants are used for primary health care in Mexico by health professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabiola Domínguez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Oriente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Metepec, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Juan José Maldonado-Miranda
- Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria de la Zona Huasteca, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Luis Jesús Castillo-Pérez
- Programa Multidisciplinario de Posgrado en Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Candy Carranza-Álvarez
- Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria de la Zona Huasteca, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Eloy Solano
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Mario Alberto Isiordia-Espinoza
- Departamento de Investigación, Escuela de Odontología, Universidad Cuauhtémoc plantel San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - María Del Carmen Juárez-Vázquez
- Departamento de Productos Naturales, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ignacio González-Sánchez
- Departamento de Sistemas Biológicos, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana unidad Xochimilco, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Gustavo Cruz-Jiménez
- División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
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