Study on medicinal food plants in the Gaoligongshan Biosphere Reserve, the richest biocultural diversity center in China

BACKGROUND

Traditional knowledge associated with medicinal food plants (MFPs) plays a vital role in fighting hidden hunger and safeguarding the health of local people. MFPs resources are abundant in the Gaoligongshan area, a biosphere reserve with the richest biocultural diversity in China. Local people of different linguistic groups also have rich traditional botanical knowledge. However, there are still few comprehensive and systematic studies on MFPs there.

METHODS

Ethnobotanical investigation including market survey, semi-structured interviews, free listing and key informant interviews was conducted in the Gaoligongshan area, Western Yunnan, Southwest China. A total of 13 local farmers' markets were selected and information about medicinal food plants, including food categories, medicinal and edible parts, modes of consumption, medicinal effects, and distribution were collected. The relative occurrence frequency (RFO) and cultural food significance index (CFSI) were calculated to identify the culturally significant MFPs.

RESULTS

A total of 184 species of MFPs, belonging to 83 families, were collected in the Gaoligongshan area, including vegetables (77), medicinal diets (26), fruits (25), spices (18), herbal tea (13), tea substitutes (11), substitutes for staple food (8), nuts (5), oils and fats (4), and dye material (1). The most frequently used families were Fabaceae, Asteraceae and Apiaceae, with 11, 10, and 9 species, respectively. The most frequently used plant parts were the stems, followed by fruits and leaves. Based on the evaluation results of the CFSI and RFO indices, 18 species of MFPs with magnificent local cultural importance have been screened out, such as Houttuynia cordata, Eryngium foetidum, Sechium edule, Centella asiatica and Pseudocydonia sinensis.

CONCLUSION

These findings have guiding significance for conservation of traditional knowledge associated with MFPs and facilitation of scientific utilization of MFPs to meet local people's needs for a healthy life.

Hearty recipes for health: the Hakka medicinal soup in Guangdong, China

BACKGROUND

The Hakka are a subgroup of the Han Chinese, originally from northern China and mainly living in southern China now. Over hundreds of years, the Hakka have developed their own medical practices to prevent and cure diseases, such as medicinal soup, an important characteristic of Hakka cuisine. This study aims at documenting plant taxa used to make Hakka medicinal soup, along with their associated ethnomedical knowledge.

METHODS

Data on Hakka soup-making plants were collected through key-informant interviews, semi-structured interviews, participatory field collection, and direct observation. The choosing of participants has followed the snowball sampling method. Herbs used for preparing medicinal soup were purchased on the local market or collected from the wild, and voucher specimens were collected and identified. The study result was also compared with published studies on soup-making plants in other parts of Guangdong province and the Hakka areas in Fujian Province of China.

RESULTS

Eighty-three taxa belonging to 70 genera within 38 families were listed by our informants as being used to treat 55 kinds of health problems. Most documented plants are herbaceous species, followed by shrubs and woody liana. Roots were the most frequently used plant parts for medicinal purposes, followed, in descending order, by the whole plant, rhizomes, and flowers. Most plants used to prepare medicinal soup are wild-harvested (56 species), 4 cultivated, and 23 wild harvested or cultivated. According to the comparison, 18 Hakka medicinal soup species are shown both in Fujian Province and Guangdong Province. The Hakka soup-making plants in both provinces share very similar therapeutic functions. This study helps to extend the Hakka menu in both provinces. The study comparison also showed a big difference in the herb ingredients between Guangdong Hakka medicinal soup and Cantonese slow-cooked soup.

CONCLUSION

Hakka medicinal soup is an important feature of the Hakka dietary culture. More studies are needed to be undertaken, especially on the efficacy and safety of this medicinal soup. Moreover, cultivation and conservation efforts are required to ensure the sustainability of the species that are used as ingredients in the soup. Consequently, further commercial development of medicinal soup should be promoted.