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Long K, Townesmith A, Overmiller A, Applequist W, Scalzo A, Buchanan P, Bitter CC. Plant identification applications do not reliably identify toxic and edible plants in the American Midwest. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2023; 61:524-528. [PMID: 37535032 DOI: 10.1080/15563650.2023.2237282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Exposure to potentially toxic plants is a global problem, resulting in thousands of calls to poison centers and emergency department visits annually and occasional deaths. Persons with limited botanical knowledge may be tempted to rely on smartphone applications to determine if plants are safe to forage. This study evaluated the reliability of several popular smartphone applications to identify foraged foods and distinguish them from potentially toxic plants in the Midwestern United States. METHODS Sixteen plant species were selected based on local availability, attractiveness as foraged food, and potential for misidentification. Of the 16 species, five are edible, three are potentially toxic if improperly harvested or prepared, and eight are considered to be toxic. Plant specimens were identified by graduate-level botanists and photographed during multiple stages of their growth cycles. LeafSnap, PictureThis, Pl@ntNet and PlantSnap were used to identify the plants. RESULTS Overall accuracy of the applications in identifying plant genus was 76% (95% confidence interval: 73-79, range 96% for PictureThis to 53% for PlantSnap). Accuracy for identification of plant species was 58% (95% confidence interval 55-62%, range 94% for PictureThis to 34% for PlantSnap). Five of eleven potentially toxic species were identified as an edible species by at least one application. CONCLUSION Accuracy of the smartphone applications varies, with PictureThis outperforming other apps. At this time, apps cannot be used to safely identify edible plants. Foragers must have adequate botanical knowledge to ensure safe harvesting of wild plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevan Long
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- United States Air Force, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | | | | | | | - Anthony Scalzo
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, Section of Toxicology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Paula Buchanan
- Department of Health and Clinical Outcomes Research, Advanced HEAlth Data (AHEAD) Institute, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Cindy C Bitter
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Zhang Y. Ethnobotanical profiles of wild edible plants recorded from Mongolia by Yunatov during 1940-1951. Hist Philos Life Sci 2021; 43:100. [PMID: 34382157 PMCID: PMC8357754 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-021-00428-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Mongolian traditional botanical knowledge has been rarely researched concerning the ethnobotany theory and methodology in the last six decades (Pei in Acta Botanica Yunnanica 135-144, 1988, as reported (Martin in Ethnobotany: A methods manual, Chapman and Hall, 1995)). However, most of the known literature of indigenous knowledge and information regarding the use of local wild plants among Mongolian herders was first documented by several botanical research of Russian researchers in Mongolia through the 1940s and 1950s. One of the most comprehensive works was completed by A. A. Yunatov (1909-1967), which is known as "Fodder Plants of Pastures and Hayfields of the People's Republic of Mongolia" (FPM). Yunatov's research sampled forage plants in Mongolia from 1940 to 1951 and subsequently published a study in 1954. The original transcript of FPM was later translated into Chinese and Mongolian (Cyrillic alphabet) during 1958 and 1968. In addition to morphological characteristics, distribution, habitat, phenology, palatability, and nutrition of forage plants, Yunatov`s record collected local names, the folk understanding and evaluation of the forage, as well as other relevant cultural meanings and the use of local wild plants (collected from the wild as opposed to cultivated plants) in FPM through interviews. The book contains the most precious records created in the 1940s and 1950s on folk knowledge of the Mongolians' wild plants in Mongolia. It was composed of 8 chapters and 351 pages in total. The fifth chapter of FPM, entitled "The systematic overview of forage plants," making up 272 pages (77.49% of the total page counts). The order and content of the book-oriented along with profiles of specific plants. Yunatov collected detailed information on plants, such as the local name, morphology, distribution, habitats, ecological characteristics, and phenology. He also discussed the palatability of livestock, particular forage use, other usages, and chemical composition. Through careful reading and understanding of all three versions of the book (in Russian, Chinese, and Mongolian (Cyrillic alphabet)), the FPM-listed information of edible plants was categorized using ethnobotanical dependent analysis. The list of edible plants was ranked based on purposes and ethnobotanical inventories as per methodology and analysis used in the ethnobotany research. FPM listed 35 species are part of 15 families and 25 genera of wild edible plants. Most species belong to Liliaceae and Allium. Naturally grown grain and some food substitutes (plants that could be used as substitutions for typical food) come from the starchy organs, such as seeds, bulbs, roots, and rhizomes of 12, accounting for 34.28% of all species. Wild vegetables come from the parts of a young plant, tender leaves, young fruits, lower leg of stems, and bulbs of 9 species, accounting for 25.71% of all species. There are only three species of wild fruits, accounting for 8.57% of all edible plant species. Tea substitutes consist of leaves, roots, follicle, and aboveground parts of 8 wild plant species, accounting for 22.85% of all species. Seasonings from the wild were made of the elements such as seeds, rhizomes, tender leaves of 7 species, accounting for 20.00% of all species (Fig,8). Similarities and differences are noticeable in utilizing wild edible plants among Mongolian populations living in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia. Six species of wild edible plants listed in FPM have been proven to be collected and consumed by Mongolians from the Genghis Khan era in the twelfth century to the present day. This proved that the Mongolians have a tradition of recognizing and utilizing wild plants, demonstrating historical and theoretical value. Seven species of plants mentioned in this book were closely correlated to the locals' processing of traditional dairy products, meat, and milk food. Yunatov was not an ethnobotanist, but his accurate documentation of interviews and surveys with Mongolians represents valuable information about the collection and consumption of local wild plants during 1940-1951 in Mongolia. His research mission meant to focus on forage grass, the feed plant that sustained livestock, while he also recorded plants consumed by humans. His records on the edible parts and intake methods of some plants are incomplete. Still, it provided ethnobotanical materials of a remarkable scientific value and a living history of ethnobotany in Mongolian regions. Even by today`s standards, it will be challenging to obtain first-hand information of the richness and to the extent of Yunatov's research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanying Zhang
- Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022 People’s Republic of China
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Kim GS, Oh SH, Jang CS. Development of molecular markers to distinguish between morphologically similar edible plants and poisonous plants using a real-time PCR assay. J Sci Food Agric 2021; 101:1030-1037. [PMID: 32767363 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As a result of similar appearances between edible and poisonous plants, 42 patients have ingested poisonous plants from 2013 to 2017 in Korea. We have developed species-specific primer sets of three of edible and poisonous plants sets (Ligularia fischeri & Caltha palustris, Artemisia annua & Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Hemerocallis fulva & Veratrum maackii) for distinguishing both plants using a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS The efficiencies of the developed primer sets ranged from 87.8% to 102.0%. The developed primer sets have significant correlation coefficient values between the Ct values and the log DNA concentration for their target species (r2 > 0.99). The cut-off lines as the crossing point values of the limit of quantitation of the target species were determined, and all non-target species were amplified later than the cut-off cycles. Then, the effectiveness of the developed primer sets was evaluated using commercial food products and digested samples with simulated gastric juice. CONCLUSION All of the developed species-specific primer sets were able to detect target DNA successfully in commercial food products and the digested samples. Therefore, the developed species-specific primer sets in the present study would be useful tools for distinguishing between poisonous plants and edible plants. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geum Sol Kim
- Plant Genomics Laboratory, Department of Applied Plant Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Hong Oh
- Plant Genomics Laboratory, Department of Applied Plant Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheol Seong Jang
- Plant Genomics Laboratory, Department of Applied Plant Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
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Łuczaj Ł, Lamxay V, Tongchan K, Xayphakatsa K, Phimmakong K, Radavanh S, Kanyasone V, Pietras M, Karbarz M. Wild food plants and fungi sold in the markets of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2021; 17:6. [PMID: 33499871 PMCID: PMC7835671 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00423-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Open air markets hold an important position for ethnobiologists. In Southeast Asia, they are seriously understudied, in spite of their incredible biocultural diversity. In order to fill this gap we recorded plants and fungi sold in the open air markets of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. METHODS The markets were visited 38 times in four seasons: the dry season, early monsoon, mid-monsoon, and end-of-monsoon, at least 8 times per season. All items were photographed and voucher specimens were collected. Fungi were identified using DNA barcoding techniques. RESULTS We recorded 110 species of wild edible plants and 54 species of fungi, including 49 wild-collected species. The sold plants included 86 species of green vegetables, 18 species of fruits and 3 species of flowers. Products from woody species constitute around half of all taxa sold. These include the young shoots of tree leaves, which are used for salads-an interesting feature of Lao cuisine. A large number of extremely rare Russula, with no reference sequences represented in databases or even species unknown to science is present on sale in the markets. CONCLUSIONS Luang Prabang markets are some of the richest in species of wild edible plants and fungi in Asia, and indeed in the whole world. It is worth pointing out the exceptionally long list of wild edible mushrooms which are sold in Luang Prabang (and probably elsewhere in Laos). We view the Morning Market of Luang Prabang as a cultural treasure that unites the traditions of eating a large number of living species with very diverse flora and fauna. Measures should be taken to strike a balance between local foraging traditions and nature conservation priorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Łuczaj
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, ul. Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Vichith Lamxay
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, National University of Laos, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Khamphart Tongchan
- Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, Ban Wat That, PO Box 959, 06000 Luang Prabang, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Kosonh Xayphakatsa
- Biotechnology and Ecology Institute, Ministry of Science and Technology, Doon Teaw Village, Km 14 Office, Thangon Road, Xaythany District PO Box 2279, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Kongchay Phimmakong
- Department of Science, Ministry of Science and Technology, Doon Teaw, Km 14, Thangon Road, Xaythany District PO Box 2279, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Somphavanh Radavanh
- Biotechnology and Ecology Institute, Ministry of Science and Technology, Doon Teaw Village, Km 14 Office, Thangon Road, Xaythany District PO Box 2279, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Villapone Kanyasone
- Department of Science and Technology, Luang Prabang, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Marcin Pietras
- Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Parkowa 5, 62-035 Kórnik, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Karbarz
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, ul. Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
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Zhang Y, Li JW, San MM, Whitney CW, San TT, Yang XF, Mon AM, Hein PP. The secret of health in daily cuisine: typical healthy vegetables in local markets in central Myanmar. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:73. [PMID: 33239085 PMCID: PMC7687731 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00425-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Central Myanmar is located in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, and the Bamar people are the main ethnic group, which settled there over 1000 years ago. Despite being the core region of the country, central Myanmar has been ignored in previous ethnobotanical studies. Local healthy foods and knowledge are regarded as treasures for resource development and pharmaceutical drug discovery, and market surveys are a good strategy in ethnobotanical research. Thus, we collected and documented typical vegetables and local knowledge in local markets and then analysed the diversity and local knowledge of these vegetables. MATERIALS AND METHODS Observations and interviews were used in the field study, and 10 markets and fairs were selected in central Myanmar. A total of 277 vegetable stalls or shops were visited. We compared the local knowledge we collected with selected important and typical herbal books on traditional Myanmar medicine. Quantitative analysis, including frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and use value (UV), was used to assess the diversity and local knowledge of these vegetables. RESULTS A total of 132 plant taxa from 47 botanical families and 116 genera were collected. Most (106 taxa, 80.3%) of these vegetables were cited by the informants as functional foods that had health benefits, while others were regarded as merely "good for health". The main health function of the vegetables was treating digestive problems. Sixty-four species were recorded in selected herbal books on traditional Myanmar medicine, and forty-seven taxa were not recorded in these books but were nonetheless used as healthy vegetables by local people. Twenty-eight species of vegetables were collected from wild places. CONCLUSION The diversity and local knowledge of healthy vegetables in central Myanmar were rich. Nevertheless, the diversity of wild vegetables was seemingly relatively low. The possible reason was that we counted only the vegetables that were from entirely wild sources as "wild vegetables". The most frequently cited vegetables were commonly cultivated species, which reflects the fact that plants cultivated on a large scale comprise the major source of vegetables. Some lesser known vegetables could reflect the unique food culture of local people, but most of these were cited only a few times by the interviewees, which caused low UV and RFC rankings for them in the league table. In addition, future research should pay more attention to the food safety of these vegetables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Jian-Wen Li
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Myint Myint San
- Forest Research Institute, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | | | - Thae Thae San
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Fei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Aye Mya Mon
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Forest Research Institute, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pyae Phyo Hein
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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da Cunha MA, Paraguassú LAA, Assis JGDA, Silva ABDPC, Cardoso RDCV. Urban gardening and neglected and underutilized species in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:67. [PMID: 33121514 PMCID: PMC7596975 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00421-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urban agriculture has been evidenced as a food production and environmental sustainability strategy, although it faces many obstacles in Latin American countries. Additionally, in urban areas, low consumption of fruit and greenery is noticeable, along with loss in food diversity, including the neglected and underutilized species (NUS), which involve potential to strengthen local food systems. For this reason, this work has sought to map urban gardens in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, characterizing their gardeners, and to systematize information regarding food produced and the use of NUS. METHODS The municipality's urban gardens were mapped and data was collected from the gardeners. The study included two steps: (i) garden localization; (ii) on-site visits for interviews with gardeners and verification of cultivated food, destination of production, availability, and use of NUS. RESULTS Eighteen active food gardens were located, seventeen of which participated in the study: eight (8) communal (UCG) and nine (9) private (UPG). Respondents were on average 55.76 years old, mostly (52.9%) male, working at UPG (88.9%). Women predominated in the UCG (87.5%), with higher levels of education. For 52.9% of the interviewees, the garden was their main source of income. Food produced at the urban gardens was consumed by 82.4% of the gardeners and their families. In 70.6% of the gardens, production was also sold, while 47.1% donated. During the survey, 59 NUS were found and 76.5% of respondents reported consuming 19 of the species. NUS leaves, fruits, and seeds were found to be eaten raw, boiled, or sautéed in various preparations, especially Coleus amboinicus Lour. (76.5%), Eryngium foetidum L. (35.3%), Talinum fruticosum (L.) Juss., and Pereskia aculeata Mill (both 29.4%). Occurrence and utilization of NUS did not present significant associations with the gardens or gardeners (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Salvador urban gardens, even in small numbers and without government support, have produced affordable food for the local population, preserved food diversity, and the tradition of NUS cultivation and use. Thus, urban gardens are reaffirmed as relevant spaces that should be included in public policies in order to promote food and nutritional security, biodiversity, and urban environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Alves da Cunha
- Escola de Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Basílio Gama Street, Canela Campus, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-907, Brazil.
| | - Lidice Almeida Arlego Paraguassú
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia da Bahia, Emídio dos Santos Street, Barbalho Campus, Salvador, Bahia, 40301-015, Brazil
| | - José Geraldo de Aquino Assis
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 668, Barão de Jeremoabo Street, Ondina Campus, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-115, Brazil
| | | | - Ryzia de Cassia Vieira Cardoso
- Escola de Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Basílio Gama Street, Canela Campus, Salvador, Bahia, 40110-907, Brazil
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Cao Y, Li R, Zhou S, Song L, Quan R, Hu H. Ethnobotanical study on wild edible plants used by three trans-boundary ethnic groups in Jiangcheng County, Pu'er, Southwest China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:66. [PMID: 33109239 PMCID: PMC7590688 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00420-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dai, Hani, and Yao people, in the trans-boundary region between China, Laos, and Vietnam, have gathered plentiful traditional knowledge about wild edible plants during their long history of understanding and using natural resources. The ecologically rich environment and the multi-ethnic integration provide a valuable foundation and driving force for high biodiversity and cultural diversity in this region. However, little study has uncovered this unique and attractive culture to the world. METHODS We conducted ethnobotanical survey in 20 villages of Jiangcheng County from 2016 to 2020. Altogether 109 local Dai, Hani, and Yao people were interviewed, and their traditional knowledge about wild edible plants was recorded. Voucher specimens were identified by the authors and deposited in the herbarium of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (HITBC). The use value was used as a quantitative index to evaluate the consumption frequency and relative importance of the wild edible plants. The Jaccard index was calculated to assess the usage similarity of different areas. The relationship of age and recognized wild edible plants by different ethnic people was performed by R. RESULTS A total of 211 wild edible plants, belonging to 71 families and 151 genera, were recorded. These plants were consumed as wild edible vegetables, seasonal fruits, salads, spices, sour condiments, tonic soups, tea substitutes, liquor brewing, or dyeing materials. The use value (UV), current cultivation, market availability, and the quantitative traditional knowledge inheritance situation of these wild edible plants among different generations, were analyzed. Based on the data from the threatened species list of China's higher plants and the IUCN Red List, the food plant list for Asia Elephant, the Subject Database of China Plant, and the calculated UV score, the top 30 most important wild edible plants were selected for further cultivation in some local villages. CONCLUSION Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants, owned by Dai, Hani, and Yao people in Jiangcheng County, is rich but at risk of being lost among the young generation. Diversified cultivation of wild edible plants by the local communities could be a solution for the sustainable use of natural resources and to conserve the endangered species in this trans-boundary region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Cao
- Agriculture Service Center, Zhengdong Township, Pu'er City, 665903, Yunnan, China
| | - Ren Li
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Shishun Zhou
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China
| | - Liang Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology,Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, 666303, Yunnan, China
| | - Ruichang Quan
- Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China
| | - Huabin Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, Yunnan, China.
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Billong Fils PE, Afiong Nana N, Betti JL, Farick Njimbam O, Tientcheu Womeni S, Ávila Martin E, Ros Brull G, Okale R, Fa JE, Funk SM. Ethnobotanical survey of wild edible plants used by Baka people in southeastern Cameroon. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:64. [PMID: 33092623 PMCID: PMC7579891 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00413-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Forest inhabitants worldwide, and indigenous people especially, have depended for generations on plants and animals harvested in these ecosystems. A number of Baka hunter-gatherer populations in south-eastern Cameroon became sedentarised in the 1950s, but still rely on hunting and gathering to meet their basic needs. The use of wild edible plants (WEP) by these communities remains largely undocumented. In this study, we record the diversity of WEP used by Baka people in dense rainforests in the Mintom region. The area still contains relatively undisturbed forest expanses, just south of the Dja Biosphere Reserve, one of the most important protected areas in the Congo Basin. METHODS We conducted two ethnobotanical surveys in 2019 in four villages on the Mintom road. In the first survey, we interviewed a total of 73 individuals to determine WEP usage. In our second survey, we specifically quantified WEP harvested and consumed daily in a number of households over a 2-week period during the major rainy season, when use of forest products is highest. Specimens of all recorded plants were collected and identified at the National Herbarium of Cameroon. RESULTS We documented 88 plant species and 119 unique species/plant organ/recipes in 1519 different citations. A total of 61 genera and 43 families were noted. Excluding 14 unidentified wild yam species, 17 WEP species had not been reported in previous ethnobotanical surveys of the Baka. Our results showed that cultivated starchy plant foods make up a significant proportion of our study population's daily nutritional intake. CONCLUSIONS A high diversity of WEP is consumed by the studied Baka communities. The study area is likely to be significant in terms of WEP diversity since 18 out of the 30 "key" non-timber forest products, NTFP, in Cameroon were mentioned. Documentation of the use of WEP by indigenous communities is vital to ensure the continuity of traditional knowledge and future food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Eric Billong Fils
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Douala, BP, 24 157, Douala, Cameroon
| | - Natacha Afiong Nana
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Douala, BP, 24 157, Douala, Cameroon
| | - Jean Lagarde Betti
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Douala, BP, 24 157, Douala, Cameroon
| | - Oumar Farick Njimbam
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Douala, BP, 24 157, Douala, Cameroon
| | | | | | | | - Robert Okale
- Zerca y Lejos ONGD, c/Sambara 128, 28027, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia E Fa
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK
- Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), CIFOR Headquarters, Bogor, 16115, Indonesia
| | - Stephan M Funk
- Nature Heritage, St. Lawrence, Jersey, Channel Islands, UK.
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Zhang YY, Zhao H. Wild edible plants collected and consumed by the locals in Daqinggou, Inner Mongolia, China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:60. [PMID: 33036666 PMCID: PMC7547461 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00411-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge of wild edible plants is an important part of traditional knowledge. It is closely related to traditional human agriculture, as well as biodiversity. This study aimed to conduct a detailed investigation and evaluation of wild edible plants that are collected and consumed by the Mongolian and Han locals in Daqinggou and to provide valuable data for the development and utilization of plant resources. METHODS In the 9 site visits to the area of Daqinggou during the period of 2017-2019, the authors used key informant interviews, semistructured interviews, and questionnaires to collect utilization information regarding precollected species of local wild edible plants. By combining the data obtained from 101 key informants, the authors used the Cultural Food Significance Index (CFSI), a quantitative index to evaluate the relative importance of the wild edible plants that were discussed in the aforementioned interviews. RESULTS The investigation results show that the Mongolian people provided 67 folk names, corresponding to 57 wild plants, and the Han Chinese provided 58 folk names, corresponding to 49 wild plants. A total of 61 edible wild plant species belonging to 29 families and 52 genera were recorded as edible resources for the locals in Daqinggou. The uses include grains, oil and fat resources, vegetables, fruits, beverages, condiments, and snacks. The most commonly reported purpose of wild edible plants is using them as vegetables, followed by using them as beverages and fruits. The most widely used edible parts are fruits, leaves, and other aerial parts. Eating raw and cooked plants are the usual methods of consuming wild edible plants according to the locals. In addition, the CFSI of 61 wild edible plant species shows that 27 species have characteristics of medical food. CONCLUSIONS The knowledge and experience of naming and consuming wild plants by the Mongolian people and Han Chinese in Daqinggou are an important manifestation of the direct interaction between locals and plants. The CSFI evaluation of the wild edible plants consumed by the locals in Daqinggou establishes the utilization of some wild plants as part of the traditional knowledge of medical food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Ying Zhang
- Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Zhao
- College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, People's Republic of China
- Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, People's Republic of China
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Fontefrancesco MF, Pieroni A. Renegotiating situativity: transformations of local herbal knowledge in a Western Alpine valley during the past 40 years. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:58. [PMID: 32998765 PMCID: PMC7528274 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00402-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mountain environments are fragile socio-ecological systems and the conservation of their biological and cultural diversities- seen as co-evolving, strongly intertwined entities-represents a crucial issue for fostering their sustainability. Very few ethnobiological studies have assessed in the mountainous regions of Europe how local botanical knowledge, which represents a vital portion of the local environmental knowledge (LEK), changes over time, although this may be quintessential for a better understanding of the factors influencing how knowledge and practices are shaped, eroded, or even re-created. METHODS In the current study, we compared the gathering and use of local medicinal plants in the Upper Sangone Valley, Western Italian Alps, Piedmont (NW Italy) as described in a field study conducted in the mid-seventies and published in 1977 and those arising from field research that we conducted in the spring of 2015 and 2018, during which time ethnobotanical and ethnomycological information concerning both folk medicinal and wild food uses was obtained via 47 in-depth open and semi-structured interviews with community members. RESULTS In total, one hundred thirty folk taxa represent the past and present medicinal and wild food plant/mushroom heritage of the Sangone Valley: 26 herbal taxa were recorded 40 years ago only; 68 herbal and wild food taxa have been recorded in the current study only; and 36 herbal taxa have been continuously used during the last 40 years. There were no remarkable quantitative differences between the two diachronic medico-ethnobotanical datasets, but the qualitative differences were substantial. The gathering and use of some medicinal plants growing in meadows, forests and higher mountain environments (i.e. Arctostaphylos, Filipendula, Hepatica, Larix, Laserptium, Picea, Polygonatum, Primula, Tussilago and Veronica spp.) disappeared, whereas the collection of plant genera growing in more anthropogenic environments or possibly promoted via popular books and media has been newly introduced (i.e. Aloysia, Apium, Brassica, Crataegus, Epilobium, Fumaria, Geranium, Juniperus, Melissa, Rubus, Rumex, Sedum, Silybum, Taraxacum and Vaccinium spp.). CONCLUSION The findings show a renegotiation of the situativity that for centuries forged the embeddedness of local communities in their natural environments, probably heavily informed in the past by prevalent pastoralist and forest-centred activities and thus by a deeper knowledge of higher mountain and forest environments. The re-arrangement of a more domestic and more "globalized" herbal knowledge system was possibly inspired by new urban residents, who started to populate the valley at the end of the Seventies, when the original inhabitants abandoned their homes for the urban centres of the Piedmontese plain. The current study suggests that future directions of ethnobiological research should more carefully look at the adaptive capacity of LEK systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12060, Bra, Pollenzo, Italy.
- Department of Medical Analysis, Tishk International University, Qazi Muhammad, Erbil, Kurdistan, 44001, Iraq.
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Zhang Y, Yang LX, Li MX, Guo YJ, Li S, Wang YH. The best choices: the diversity and functions of the plants in the home gardens of the Tsang-la (Motuo Menba) communities in Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, Southwest China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:50. [PMID: 32867802 PMCID: PMC7457371 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00395-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Home garden is identified as a kind of small-scale land-use system which is used to manage and cultivate useful plants by local people, and home gardens can provide various plant products and services. Investigating home gardens was regarded as an effective way to understand the biodiversity-related local knowledge and culture of native people in Ethnobiology and Ethnoecology. Home garden is important in less developed and remote areas. The grand canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo is designed as one of the biodiversity hotspots of China, and it is one of the most remote regions of China, because of the rough traffic conditions. The aim of the present study is to collect, record, and document the plants and their local knowledge and functions in the local home gardens, then attempt to answer the question: "why local people selected these plants?" MATERIAL AND METHODS The study area was in Beibeng Township of Motuo County in the grand canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo. Observation and semi-structure interviews with informed consent were used to collect data in field study. All information was collected and organized, then documented based on "ethno-species" as a fundamental unit. All of the information of local use and knowledge were organized as the list of "use-report" for quantitative analysis, and the local uses of plants were merged into 14 use categories. Frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), cultural importance index (CI), and cultural value index (CV) were used in quantitative analysis. Besides, the Jaccard Index was used to compare the similarity in plant species selection among different communities. RESULTS A total of 78 home gardens in the 9 communities of Beibeng Township were visited, and 196 ethno-species were collected. These ethno-species were identified into 188 Botanical taxa. A total of 87 home garden owners as informants were interviewed in the present study, and they provided 625 use-reports to us. The top 5 important plants were Su-lan-tsao (Dendrobium nobile), Sa-ga (Zingiber officinale), Soe-lu (Capsicum annuum), Snying-pa (Citrus medica), and Kham-pu (Prunus persica), according to the quantitative analysis. The most citied use-category was "vegetable," followed by "ornamental plant," "medicine," and "fruit." The altitude might be the most important impact factor of the plant diversity and composition of home gardens, and the traffic conditions, local terrain, also impact the plant diversity and composition of home gardens. CONCLUSION In remote areas such as the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, the plants in home gardens are important sources of plant products such as foods, herbal medicines, and fibers to support daily lives. The local home gardens in Tsang-la communities had high diversity of plants, and these plants provided many functions and services to support daily lives of local people. Local plant knowledge, including the features, life forms, habits, habitats, and use values of plants, were the summary of the understanding of local people to their surrounding plant worlds. Local people selected appropriate plants to cultivate and manage in their home gardens under the guidance of the local plant knowledge. That is the answer to the question "why local people selected these plants?"
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Li-Xin Yang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Ming-Xiang Li
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Photochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yong-Jie Guo
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species of China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Shan Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Yu-Hua Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
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Sun J, Xiong Y, Li Y, Yang Q, Chen Y, Jiang M, Li Y, Li H, Bi Z, Huang X, Lu S. Medicinal dietary plants of the Yi in Mile, Yunnan, China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:48. [PMID: 32859223 PMCID: PMC7456026 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00400-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Yi is the largest ethnic group in Yunnan Province (China), with a population of five million. The Yi people tend to live in mountainous areas, and their culture includes a unique dietary system for treating and protecting people against illnesses. Medicinal plants occupy an essential place in the Yi diet because they play a key role in health and the prevention and treatment of diseases. However, few studies have addressed these medicinal dietary plants and their importance in the Yi's daily lives. The aim of this study was to (1) investigate the medicinal dietary plants used by the Yi in Mile City, (2) document the traditional knowledge held about these plants, (3) identify species with important cultural significance to the Yi in Mile City, and (4) analyze the special preparation methods and consumption habits of these plants. METHODS Field investigations were performed in six villages in Mile City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, from July 2017 to May 2018. Information was collected using direct observation, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, individual discussions, and focus group discussions. The use value (UV) and frequency of utilization index (FUI) of these plants were analyzed. Plant samples and voucher specimens were collected for taxonomic identification. RESULTS This study documented 124 species belonging to 62 families and 102 genera. These plants included angiosperms (117 spp.), gymnosperms (3), pteridophytes (2), lichen (1), and fungus (1). The 20 species with the highest UV were noted as being particularly important to the Yi people's daily life in Mile City. The primary medicinal preparation method for plants recorded in the study was decoction. The most commonly used plant parts were fruits and roots. The most frequently used edible parts were fruits, and the most frequently used medicinal parts were roots. The medicinal parts were used to treat diseases such as rheumatism, edemas, kidney deficiency, spleen deficiency, gastritis, parasites, and so on. CONCLUSION A wide variety of medicinal dietary plants are used by the Yi people in Mile City. Those plants, which have both rich nutritional and medicinal value, occupy an essential part of the Yi dietary and medicine culture. Ethnobotanical surveys of medicinal dietary plants provide a theoretical reference for the conservation and sustainable use of the plant resources and could contribute to the protection of the Yi food culture and traditional medicine in Mile City. In addition, this information provides a sound basis for developing and using Yi ethnic medicine and health products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxian Sun
- Institute of Ecology and Geobotany, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China
| | - Yong Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081, P. R. China
| | - Yanhong Li
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China
| | - Qingsong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China
| | - Yijian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China
| | - Mengyuan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China
| | - Yukui Li
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China
| | - Hongrui Li
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China
| | - Zizhen Bi
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China
| | - Xiangzhong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Chemistry in Ethnic Medicinal Resources, State Ethnic Affairs Commission & Ministry of Education, School of Ethnic Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming, 650500, P. R. China.
| | - Shugang Lu
- Institute of Ecology and Geobotany, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, P. R. China.
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Mattalia G, Stryamets N, Pieroni A, Sõukand R. Knowledge transmission patterns at the border: ethnobotany of Hutsuls living in the Carpathian Mountains of Bukovina (SW Ukraine and NE Romania). J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:41. [PMID: 32650792 PMCID: PMC7350595 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00391-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cross-border research is a novel and important tool for detecting variability of ecological knowledge. This is especially evident in regions recently divided and annexed to different political regimes. Therefore, we conducted a study among Hutsuls, a cultural and linguistic minority group living in Northern and Southern Bukovina (Ukraine and Romania, respectively). Indeed, in the 1940s, a border was created: Northern Bukovina was annexed by the USSR while Southern Bukovina remained part of the Kingdom of Romania. In this research, we aim to document uses of plants for food and medicinal preparations, discussing the different dynamics of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) transmission among Hutsuls living in Ukraine and Romania. METHODS Field research was conducted using convenience and snowball sampling techniques to recruit 31 Hutsuls in Ukraine and 30 in Romania for participation in semi-structured interviews regarding the use of plants for medicinal and food preparation purposes and the sources of such knowledge. RESULTS The interviews revealed that, despite a common cultural and linguistic background, ethnobotanical knowledge transmission occurs in different ways on each side of the border. Family is a primary source of ethnobotanical knowledge transmission on both sides of the border; however, in Romania, knowledge from other sources is very limited, whereas in Ukraine interviewees reported several other sources including books, magazines, newspapers, the Internet and television. This is especially evident when analysing the wild plants used for medicinal purposes as we found 53 taxa that were common to both, 47 used only in Ukraine and 11 used only in Romania. While Romanian Hutsuls used almost exclusively locally available plants, Ukrainian Hutsuls often reported novel plants such as Aloe vera, Aronia melanocarpa and Elaeagnus rhamnoides. Knowledge related to these plants was transferred by sources of knowledge other than oral transmission among members of the same family. Therefore, this may imply hybridization of the local body of knowledge with foreign elements originating in the Soviet context which has enriched the corpus of ethnobotanical knowledge held by Ukrainian Hutsuls. CONCLUSIONS While ethnobotanical knowledge among Romanian Hutsuls is mainly traditional and vertically transmitted, among Ukrainian Hutsuls there is a considerable proportion of LEK that is transmitted from other (written and visual) sources of knowledge. This cross-border research reveals that despite a common cultural background, socio-political scenarios have impacted Hutsul ethnobotanical knowledge and its transmission patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Mattalia
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Mestre, Venezia, Italy.
- Autonomous University of Barcelona, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, 08193, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | - Nataliya Stryamets
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Mestre, Venezia, Italy
| | - Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042, Pollenzo/Bra, Italy
- Medical Analysis Department, TISHK International University, Qazi Muhammad, Erbil, Kurdistan, 44001, Iraq
| | - Renata Sõukand
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172, Mestre, Venezia, Italy
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Gras A, Vallès J, Garnatje T. Filling the gaps: ethnobotanical study of the Garrigues district, an arid zone in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula). J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:34. [PMID: 32517701 PMCID: PMC7285587 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00386-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study has focused on the Garrigues district, one of the most arid regions in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula), which, in general terms, has remained unexplored from the ethnobotanical point of view. This area, of 22,243 inhabitants, comprises 33 municipalities distributed across 1123.12 km2. The natural vegetation is dominated by holm oak forests and maquis called 'garriga', the latter giving its name to the district. During the last few decades, this landscape has been transformed by agricultural activities, nowadays in recession. The main aim of this work was to collect and analyse the ethnoflora of this area in order to fill a gap in the ethnobotanical knowledge in Catalonia. METHODS The followed methodology was based on semi-structured interviews. The obtained data have been qualitatively and quantitatively analysed and compared with other available ones. RESULTS Data were gathered from 68 interviews involving 101 informants, whose ages range from 24 to 94, the mean being 73.07. The number of taxa reported in this study was 420, belonging to 99 botanical families. The interviewed informants referred 4715 use reports (UR) of 346 useful taxa, 1741 (36.93) of them corresponding to medicinal uses, 1705 (36.16%) to food uses, and 1269 (26.91%) to other uses. This study has inventoried, apart from individual plant uses, 260 plant mixtures, of which 98 are medicinal and 162 food. In the present study, 849 vernacular names with 116 phonetic variants have been collected, as well, for 410 taxa. The informant consensus factor (FIC) obtained for our interviewees is 0.93, and the ethnobotanicity index is 23.47% for the studied area. Apart from plants belonging to the typical Catalan, Iberian or European ethnofloras, the present work contributes information on some plants from semiarid or arid regions, such as Artemisia herba-alba and Plantago albicans, much rarer in the ethnobotany of the quoted areas. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study reveal the persistence of ethnobotanical knowledge in the prospected area and the importance of filling the existing gaps in the ethnofloristic sampling of the Catalan territories. The almost complete dataset, now including some arid territories, will allow us to carry out a global analysis and to provide an accurate overview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airy Gras
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB; CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, 08038, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Laboratori de Botànica (UB) - Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat - IRBio, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Joan Vallès
- Laboratori de Botànica (UB) - Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l'Alimentació, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat - IRBio, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Institut d'Estudis Catalans, C. del Carme 47, 08001, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Teresa Garnatje
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB; CSIC-Ajuntament de Barcelona), Passeig del Migdia s.n., Parc de Montjuïc, 08038, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Nanagulyan S, Zakaryan N, Kartashyan N, Piwowarczyk R, Łuczaj Ł. Wild plants and fungi sold in the markets of Yerevan (Armenia). J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:26. [PMID: 32429968 PMCID: PMC7236950 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-00375-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to record wild plants and fungi sold in the capital of Armenia. This is the first large market survey in the Caucasus region. The area of the Caucasus is characterised by a very high diversity of climates, flora and languages which results in very rich traditions of plant use. METHODS Interviews were conducted and photos and voucher specimens were taken during multiple visits made over 4 years. We studied 37 locations and 136 people were interviewed. RESULTS As many as 163 plant species, belonging to 44 families and 110 genera, were recorded on Yerevan markets. This included 148 wild food species, 136 medicinal species, 45 species sold for decoration, 15 species of wood and 9 species of insect repellents. Also 14 wild species of fungi were sold, including 12 food species. CONCLUSIONS The list of plants sold in the markets of Yerevan is very extensive and diverse, and includes many species of wild fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants, some of them never listed in ethnobotanical directories before. A characteristic feature of this market is a large representation of lacto-fermented products. Some of the species sold in Yerevan have never been reported as human food either in wild edible plant word lists or in ethnobotanical publications, e.g. Angelica tatianae, Ferulago setifolia and Heracleum chorodanum. Fungi are also well represented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siranush Nanagulyan
- Department of Botany and Mycology, Yerevan State University, A. Manoogian, 1, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Narine Zakaryan
- Department of Botany and Mycology, Yerevan State University, A. Manoogian, 1, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Nune Kartashyan
- Department of Botany and Mycology, Yerevan State University, A. Manoogian, 1, 0025 Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Renata Piwowarczyk
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Institute of Biology, Jan Kochanowski University, Uniwersytecka 7, 25-406 Kielce, Poland
| | - Łukasz Łuczaj
- Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, Pigonia 1, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
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Vári Á, Arany I, Kalóczkai Á, Kelemen K, Papp J, Czúcz B. Berries, greens, and medicinal herbs-mapping and assessing wild plants as an ecosystem service in Transylvania (Romania). J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2020; 16:13. [PMID: 32131856 PMCID: PMC7057653 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-0360-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wild edible plants as well as medicinal herbs are still widely used natural resources in Eastern Europe that are frequently accessed by the local population. Ethnobotanical studies rarely give insight to the specific ecosystems in which wild food and medicinal plants grow in a spatially explicit way. The present work assesses the potential of different ecosystems to provide wild plants for food and medicinal use based on 37 selected plant species, gives an estimate on the actual use of wild plants, and allows insights into the motivation of local people to collect wild plants. METHODS A number of interdisciplinary methods were used: participatory stakeholder workshops with experts scoring the provisioning capacity of ecosystem types, GIS for representing results (capacity maps), basic data statistics for actual use assessment, and interviews for analysing motivations. RESULTS Capacity to provide wild edible plants was assessed highest in broad-leaved forests and wetlands, while for medicinal herbs, orchards were rated best. We could find a multitude of motivations for gathering that could be grouped along four main lines corresponding to major dimensions of well-being (health, habit/tradition, nutrition/income, pleasure/emotional), with health reasons dominating very clearly the range (59% of answers), which can be interpreted as a combination of modern "green" values with a traditional lifestyle. We detected some distinct patterns of motivations between the different social groups analysed with more fundamental needs associated with lower level socio-ecological background. CONCLUSION This case study provides an example on the importance of wild plants for locals from several points of view. We emphasize the relevance of these local stakeholder views to be included in decision-making and ecosystem management, which can be achieved by the presented workflow for mapping and assessment of ecosystem services which is also compatible with EU-suggested Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágnes Vári
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary.
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group, Tihany, Hungary.
| | - Ildikó Arany
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Kalóczkai
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Katalin Kelemen
- Milvus Group Association, Crinului Str. 22, 540343, Târgu Mureş, Romania
| | - Judith Papp
- Milvus Group Association, Crinului Str. 22, 540343, Târgu Mureş, Romania
| | - Bálint Czúcz
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
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Ma Y, Luo B, Zhu Q, Ma D, Wen Q, Feng J, Xue D. Changes in traditional ecological knowledge of forage plants in immigrant villages of Ningxia, China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2019; 15:65. [PMID: 31842902 PMCID: PMC6916113 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0333-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ecological migration serves as an important measure for poverty eradication as well as for the protection, inheritance, and utilization of traditional ecological knowledge. This study investigated and cataloged the traditional forage plant resources and recorded the associated traditional knowledge of immigrant villages in Hongsibu District of Ningxia, China. The diversity of traditional forage plant resources and the changes in associated traditional ecological knowledge were compared among ecological immigrant villages from different emigration areas, with a hope of providing a reference for forage development, the conservation of wild forage plant resources, and the development of regional animal husbandry. METHODS From March 2018 to May 2019, a field investigation was conducted in six villages in Ningxia. Through the snowball technique, a total of 315 immigrants were interviewed using various methods, including semistructured interviews and key person interviews, which included opportunities for free listing. The changes in the utilization of traditional forage plants were compared between the ecological migrants and the original inhabitants, and the causes underlying the changes were analyzed. In addition, the major forage plant species in the research area were investigated and evaluated. RESULTS (1) The six investigated villages reported 224 traditional forage plant species that belong to 42 families and 150 genera. Compared with their original living areas, the number of traditional forage plant species used in the immigrant villages decreased with the increase in the relocation distance. (2) The utilization of traditional forage plants varied among the immigrants who moved to Hongsibu District from forest areas, loess hilly areas, and semiarid desertified areas. The smaller the difference was in ecological environment between the immigration and emigration areas, the more the traditional forage plant knowledge had been retained. (3) The diversity and associated knowledge of traditional forage plants retained by ecological migrants are closely correlated to gender, age, education level, and occupation. CONCLUSION This study revealed that the diversity of traditional forage plants and associated knowledge retained after migration vary among ecological immigrants from different areas; generally, the immigrants that relocated from a closer place retained more ecological knowledge. In the immigrant villages with significantly different natural resources and a long distance from the migrants' original locations, the diversity of traditional forage plants decreased, and the traditional knowledge about forage plants showed signs of being forgotten and abandoned by the younger generation. Therefore, measures are urgently needed to document and protect the forage plant resources and preserve the traditional knowledge of ecological immigrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Ma
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 People’s Republic of China
| | - Binsheng Luo
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zhu
- Ningxia Forestry Research Institute, Yinchuan, 750021 Ningxia People’s Republic of China
| | - Dongxing Ma
- College of Mathematics and Information Science, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, 750021 Ningxia People’s Republic of China
| | - Qi Wen
- College of Resources and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021 Ningxia People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinchao Feng
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 People’s Republic of China
| | - Dayuan Xue
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 People’s Republic of China
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Luo B, Li F, Ahmed S, Long C. Diversity and use of medicinal plants for soup making in traditional diets of the Hakka in West Fujian, China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2019; 15:60. [PMID: 31779654 PMCID: PMC6883701 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0335-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wild edible and medicinal plants were an important component of traditional diets and continue to contribute to food security, nutrition, and health in many communities globally. For example, the preparation and consumption of soup made of medicinal plants for promoting health and preventing disease are a key component of the traditional diets of the Hakka socio-linguistic group of China's West Fujian Province. As environmental and socio-economic factors drive the shift away from traditional diets, there is a need for ethnobotanical documentation of the diversity of wild edible and medicinal plants as well as associated knowledge and practices. METHOD Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in Hakka communities in West Fujian Province between 2017 and 2018 to document plants used in medicinal soups as well as associated traditional ecological knowledge, practices, and conservation status. Surveys included semi-structural interviews, key informant interviews, participatory rural appraisal, and focus group discussions. Quantitative indices, including cultural food significance index (CFSI) and relative frequency of citation (RFC), were calculated to evaluate the importance of documented plants to Hakka communities. The species with the highest CFSI and RFC values were ranked by informants and further evaluated according to their individual properties and growth environment. RESULTS A total of 42 medicinal plant species, belonging to 25 families and 41 genera, were documented for making soup by the Hakka. The Asteraceae botanical family was the most prevalent, and their root or the entire plant is used for soup making. Informants incorporate different ingredients in soups for their flavors as well as medicinal properties on the basis of the local ethnonutrition system. The most prevalent medicinal uses of the documented plants for making soups were used for clearing inner heat (58.1% of the species), treating inflammation (37.2%), and counteracting cold in the body (20.9%). Informants perceived that the medicinal properties of soup-making plants are influenced by the time of harvest, the local environment, and the climate. CONCLUSION Efforts are needed to preserve the ecological knowledge associated with traditional diets towards supporting both environmental and human well-being in rapidly developing communities experiencing the nutrition transition and biodiversity loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binsheng Luo
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 China
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Feifei Li
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100081 China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012 China
| | - Selena Ahmed
- The Food and Health Lab, Department of Health and Human Development, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA
| | - Chunlin Long
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 China
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100081 China
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 China
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Pieroni A, Zahir H, Amin HIM, Sõukand R. Where tulips and crocuses are popular food snacks: Kurdish traditional foraging reveals traces of mobile pastoralism in Southern Iraqi Kurdistan. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2019; 15:59. [PMID: 31775812 PMCID: PMC6882212 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0341-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Iraqi Kurdistan is a special hotspot for bio-cultural diversity and for investigating patterns of traditional wild food plant foraging, considering that this area was the home of the first Neolithic communities and has been, over millennia, a crossroad of different civilizations and cultures. The aim of this ethnobotanical field study was to cross-culturally compare the wild food plants traditionally gathered by Kurdish Muslims and those gathered by the ancient Kurdish Kakai (Yarsan) religious group and to possibly better understand the human ecology behind these practices. METHODS Twelve villages were visited and 123 study participants (55 Kakai and 68 Muslim Kurds) were interviewed on the specific topic of the wild food plants they currently gather and consume. RESULTS The culinary use of 54 folk wild plant taxa (corresponding to 65 botanical taxa) and two folk wild mushroom taxa were documented. While Kakais and Muslims do share a majority of the quoted food plants and also their uses, among the plant ingredients exclusively and commonly quoted by Muslims non-weedy plants are slightly preponderant. Moreover, more than half of the overall recorded wild food plants are used raw as snacks, i.e. plant parts are consumed on the spot after their gathering and only sometimes do they enter into the domestic arena. Among them, it is worth mentioning the consumption of raw wild crocus corms, also still common in Turkish Kurdistan and that of wild tulip bulbs, which was documented to be popular until the beginning of the twentieth century in the Middle East. Comparison with other ethnobotanical field studies recently conducted among surrounding populations has shown that Kurds tend to gather and consume the largest number of non-weedy wild vegetables. CONCLUSION The collected data indicate robust traces of nomadic pastoralism in Kurdish traditional foraging. This finding confirms that studies on wild food plant gathering in the Fertile Crescent and Turco-Arabic-Iranic regions of the Middle East are crucial for understanding the possible evolution of wild food plant gathering through history within the post-Neolithic continuum between pastoralism and horticulturalism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, I-12042, Bra/Pollenzo, Italy.
| | - Hawre Zahir
- Department of Biology, University of Raparin, Ranya, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
| | - Hawraz Ibrahim M Amin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont, Largo Donegani 2, I-28100, Novara, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Salahaddin University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
| | - Renata Sõukand
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics, and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy
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Yeşil Y, Çelik M, Yılmaz B. Wild edible plants in Yeşilli (Mardin-Turkey), a multicultural area. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2019; 15:52. [PMID: 31690334 PMCID: PMC6833206 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0327-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Yeşilli district (Mardin) is located in the southeastern of Turkey and hosts different cultures. The objective of this study was to record the traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used by indigenous people in Yeşilli, where no ethnobotanical studies have been conducted previously. METHODS An ethnobotanical study was carried out in Yeşilli district in March 2017-March 2019 to document the traditional knowledge of wild edible plants. The data were collected by interviewing 62 informants. Additionally, the data were analysed based on the cultural importance index (CI) and factor informant consensus (FİC) to determine the cultural significance of wild edible plants and knowledge of wild edible plants among the informants. RESULTS We documented 74 wild edible taxa belonging to 31 families and 57 genera in the present study. The richness of the wild edible taxa was highest for vegetables (46 taxa), followed by medicinal plants (17 taxa) and fruit (14 taxa). The most important families were Asteraceae (ten taxa), Rosaceae (seven taxa) and Fabaceae (six taxa). The most culturally important taxa (based on the CI index) were Ficus carica subsp. carica, Lepidium draba, Anchusa strigosa, Rhus coriaria, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Sinapis alba, Gundelia tournefortii, Notobasis syriaca, Onopordum carduchorum, Malva neglecta, Mentha longifolia, Juglans regia and Urtica dioica. The maximum number of use reports was recorded for vegetables (1011). The factor informant consensus index (Fic) varied between 0.95 and 0.98 for preserved vegetables, beverages and spices and processed fruits have the highest Fic (0.99). We reported for the first time the ethnobotanical usage of 12 taxa as food. We also recorded the use of Allium wendelboanum, an endemic species in the study area. CONCLUSION The obtained data were compared with data from other wild edible and ethnobotanical studies conducted in Turkey and particularly those conducted in eastern Turkey. Furthermore, the data were compared with data from studies conducted in the bordering countries of Iraq and Armenia. The present study reflects the cultural diversity of the region, and it is necessary to conduct more studies since it is thought that this diversity will contribute to the economy. This study will enable the traditional use of wild plants as food sources to be passed on to future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeter Yeşil
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Istanbul University, Fatih, 34116 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mahmut Çelik
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Istanbul University, Fatih, 34116 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bahattin Yılmaz
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Istanbul University, Fatih, 34116 Istanbul, Turkey
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He J, Zhang R, Lei Q, Chen G, Li K, Ahmed S, Long C. Diversity, knowledge, and valuation of plants used as fermentation starters for traditional glutinous rice wine by Dong communities in Southeast Guizhou, China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2019; 15:20. [PMID: 31029145 PMCID: PMC6486954 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0299-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Beverages prepared by fermenting plants have a long history of use for medicinal, social, and ritualistic purposes around the world. Socio-linguistic groups throughout China have traditionally used plants as fermentation starters (or koji) for brewing traditional rice wine. The objective of this study was to evaluate traditional knowledge, diversity, and values regarding plants used as starters for brewing glutinous rice wine in the Dong communities in the Guizhou Province of China, an area of rich biological and cultural diversity. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were administered for collecting ethnobotanical data on plants used as starters for brewing glutinous rice wine in Dong communities. Field work was carried out in three communities in Guizhou Province from September 2017 to July 2018. A total of 217 informants were interviewed from the villages. RESULTS A total of 60 plant species were identified to be used as starters for brewing glutinous rice wine, belonging to 58 genera in 36 families. Asteraceae and Rosaceae are the most represented botanical families for use as a fermentation starter for rice wine with 6 species respectively, followed by Lamiaceae (4 species); Asparagaceae, Menispermaceae, and Polygonaceae (3 species respectively); and Lardizabalaceae, Leguminosae, Moraceae, Poaceae, and Rubiaceae (2 species, respectively). The other botanical families were represented by one species each. The species used for fermentation starters consist of herbs (60.0%), shrubs (23.3%), climbers (10.0%), and trees (6.7%). The parts used include the root (21.7%), leaf (20.0%), and the whole plant (16.7%). Findings indicate a significant relationship between knowledge of plants used as fermentation starters with age (P value < 0.001) and educational status (P value = 0.004) but not with gender (P value = 0.179) and occupation (P value = 0.059). The species that are most used by informants include Pueraria lobata var. montana (Lour.) van der Maesen (UV = 1.74; Leguminosae), Actinidia eriantha Benth. (UV = 1.51; Actinidiaceae), Oryza sativa L. var. glutinosa Matsum (UV = 1.5; Poaceae). CONCLUSION This study highlights that while most of the Dong informants continue to use a diverse range of plants as a fermentation starter for brewing glutinous rice wine, knowledge of these plants is being lost by the younger generations. Documentation of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and outreach is thus needed to conserve biocultural diversity in the rural Dong communities in southern China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwu He
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 China
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100081 China
- National and Local United Engineering Laboratory of Integrative Utilization Technology of Eucommia ulmoides, Jishou University, Jishou, 416000 Hunan China
| | - Ruifei Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 China
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Qiyi Lei
- School of Health Science, Kaili University, Kaili, 556011 Guizhou China
| | - Gongxi Chen
- National and Local United Engineering Laboratory of Integrative Utilization Technology of Eucommia ulmoides, Jishou University, Jishou, 416000 Hunan China
| | - Kegang Li
- National and Local United Engineering Laboratory of Integrative Utilization Technology of Eucommia ulmoides, Jishou University, Jishou, 416000 Hunan China
| | - Selena Ahmed
- The Food and Health Lab, Department of Health and Human Development, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA
| | - Chunlin Long
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 China
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100081 China
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 China
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Kumari SASM, Nakandala NDUS, Nawanjana PWI, Rathnayake RMSK, Senavirathna HMTN, Senevirathna RWKM, Wijesundara WMDA, Ranaweera LT, Mannanayake MADK, Weebadde CK, Sooriyapathirana SDSS. The establishment of the species-delimits and varietal-identities of the cultivated germplasm of Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca in Sri Lanka using morphometric, organoleptic and phylogenetic approaches. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0215176. [PMID: 30964918 PMCID: PMC6456250 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Luffa acutangula and L. aegyptiaca are two vegetable species commonly found in South and South East Asia. L. acutangula is widely grown; however, L. aegyptiaca is considered as an underutilized crop. The species delimits, phylogenetic positions, and the varietal identities of L. acutangula and L. aegyptiaca in Sri Lanka are not known. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to establish the species delimits and varietal identities of L. acutangula and L. aegyptiaca varieties grown in Sri Lanka using morphometric, phylogenetic and organoleptic assessments. We assessed five varieties of L. acutangula and three varieties of L. aegyptiaca. The vegetative and reproductive data were collected for the morphometric analysis and DNA sequence polymorphism of the makers rbcL, trnH-psbA and ITS for the phylogenetic analysis. We also conducted an organoleptic assessment based on taste parameters; aroma, bitterness, color, texture, and overall preference using the dishes prepared according to the most common Sri Lankan recipe for Luffa. The variation of the vegetative and reproductive traits grouped L. acutangula varieties into two distinct clusters. The trnH-psbA polymorphism provided the basis for the species delimits of L. acutangula and L. aegyptiaca. The rbcL and ITS polymorphisms provided the basis for the identities of the varieties of L. aegyptiaca and L. acutangula respectively. In the phylogeny, the L. acutangula varieties of Sri Lanka formed a unique clade and the L. aegyptiaca varieties formed a reciprocal monophyletic group in comparison to worldwide L. aegyptiaca reported. The taste parameters aroma, texture, color, and overall preference were significantly different among the Luffa varieties. The L. aegyptiaca varieties received lower preference in the organoleptic assessment. The present study sets the species delimits, phylogenetic positions and the varietal identities of the cultivated germplasm of Luffa and revealed the distinct morphological and organoleptic properties of each variety.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. A. S. M. Kumari
- Regional Agriculture Research and Development Centre, Makandura, Gonawila, North Western Province, Sri Lanka
- Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - N. D. U. S. Nakandala
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - P. W. I. Nawanjana
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - R. M. S. K. Rathnayake
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - H. M. T. N. Senavirathna
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - R. W. K. M. Senevirathna
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - W. M. D. A. Wijesundara
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - L. T. Ranaweera
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - M. A. D. K. Mannanayake
- Regional Agriculture Research and Development Centre, Makandura, Gonawila, North Western Province, Sri Lanka
| | - C. K. Weebadde
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - S. D. S. S. Sooriyapathirana
- Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
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Gras A, Serrasolses G, Vallès J, Garnatje T. Traditional knowledge in semi-rural close to industrial areas: ethnobotanical studies in western Gironès (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula). J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2019; 15:19. [PMID: 30940210 PMCID: PMC6444684 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0295-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [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: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The western Gironès is a district located in NE Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula). This area comprising 186.55 km2 and 10,659 inhabitants is composed of 5 municipalities encompassing 29 villages, located in the hydrographic basins of the Ter and Llémena rivers. METHODS Following the methodology based on the semi-structured interviews, we carried out 40 interviews with 57 informants, 31 were women and the remaining 26 were men, with an average age of 78.6 years. RESULTS In the present study, data from 316 taxa (301 angiosperms, 8 gymnosperms, and 7 pteridophytes) belonging to 89 botanical families were collected. The interviewed informants referred 3776 UR of 298 taxa, 1933 (51.19%) of them corresponding to the food category, 949 (25.13%) to the medicinal ones, and 894 (23.68%) to other uses. In addition, 581 vernacular names for 306 species, subspecies, and varieties have also been collected. CONCLUSIONS These results reveal the validity of traditional knowledge in the studied area, which can be seriously threatened by the loss of its rural condition and its proximity to industrialized areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airy Gras
- Laboratori de Botànica (UB) – Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-ICUB), Passeig del Migdia s/n, Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Ginesta Serrasolses
- Laboratori de Botànica (UB) – Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Joan Vallès
- Laboratori de Botànica (UB) – Unitat associada al CSIC, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Joan XXIII 27-31, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
- Secció de Ciències Biològiques, Institut d’Estudis Catalans, Carrer del Carme 47, 08001 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Teresa Garnatje
- Institut Botànic de Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-ICUB), Passeig del Migdia s/n, Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
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Farfán-Heredia B, Casas A, Rangel-Landa S. Cultural, economic, and ecological factors influencing management of wild plants and mushrooms interchanged in Purépecha markets of Mexico. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2018; 14:68. [PMID: 30454000 PMCID: PMC6245724 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-018-0269-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traditional markets outstandingly contribute to conservation of biocultural diversity, social relations, and cultural values. These markets reflect life strategies and forms people of a region interact with their biodiversity and territories, as well as traditional ecological knowledge and management practices. To understand the factors motivating plant and mushroom management, we analyzed the resources cultural and economic values, their role in people's subsistence, and the relation of these values with the resources spatial and temporal availability. Our study based on the supposition that traditional markets are settings of interchange of resources with the highest importance for people's life in a region. Also, that the cultural, economic, and ecological factors influence values of the resources, and the demand on them determine pressures on the most valuable resources which, when scarce, motivate management innovation, otherwise become extinct. METHODS We documented cultural, economic, and ecological aspects, as well as management techniques of wild and weedy plants and mushrooms interchanged in three traditional markets of the Pátzcuaro Lake region, in central-western Mexico. For doing that, from February 2015 to March 2018, we conducted 175 visits to markets and 89 semi-structured interviews to producers, gatherers, and sellers of wild and weedy plants and mushrooms. Based on participant observation and interviews, we identified variables related to culture, economic, and ecological aspects, as well as management regimes of resources and management systems, which were documented and used as indicators for quantitative analyses. Through principal components analyses (PCA), we determined the indexes of cultural and economic importance (ICEI), management intensity (IMI), and ecological risk (IR) of the resources studied. For conducting that, we classified plant and mushroom species according to their cultural, economic, ecological, and technological indicators, respectively. The score of the first principal component was considered as the index for each group of variables, respectively. To identify relations between cultural importance and risk, we performed linear regression analyses between ICEI and IR indexes. RESULTS We recorded 57 species of wild and weedy plants used as food, medicine, and ornamental, and 17 species of edible mushrooms. The variables with the highest weight in the ICEI are related to the need of a resource according to people, its recognizing, the number of communities and markets offering it in markets, its explicit preference expressed by people, the effort invested in obtaining it, and the form it is interchanged. Gathering is practiced in all mushrooms and wild and weedy plants from forests and agricultural areas; 11 species in addition receive 1 or more forms of management (enhancing, selective let standing, propagation through seeds or vegetative parts, transplantation, and/or protection). The management intensity and complexity are explained by variables related to management practices and systems. Plants receiving selective management have the higher management intensity. Silvicultural management (in situ management in forests) was recorded in all species of mushrooms, as well as in more than 80% of medicinal, ceremonial and ornamental plants, and in more than 50% of the edible plants. In agricultural systems, people manage more than 90% of the edible plants recorded to be under a management regime, 25% of the managed medicinal plants, and 30.7% of the managed ceremonial and ornamental plants. In homegardens, people manage 41.6% of the medicinal plants recorded and 26.6% of the edible plants, to have them available near home. Nearly 63% of the species interchanged in the markets studied are gathered in forests without any other management form. In this group are included all mushroom species, 61.5% of ceremonial/ornamental plants, 50% of medicinal, and 33.3% of edible plants. The linear regression between ICEI an IER is significantly negative for edible species with high management intensity R2 = 0.505 (p = 0.0316), because of their management. But in medicinal and ornamental plants, the risk is high if the cultural importance increases, even when management practices like transplanting and propagation in homegardens are carried out. CONCLUSIONS Traditional markets are settings of interchange of products, knowledge, and experiences, where the ongoing factors and processes motivating management innovation can be identified and documented. This approach allows documenting processes occurring at regional level but would be benefited from deeper studies at local level in communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berenice Farfán-Heredia
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, UNAM, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán Mexico
| | - Alejandro Casas
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, UNAM, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán Mexico
| | - Selene Rangel-Landa
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, UNAM, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán Mexico
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Garvin EM, Bridge CF, Garvin MS. Edible wild plants growing in contaminated floodplains: implications for the issuance of tribal consumption advisories within the Grand Lake watershed of northeastern Oklahoma, USA. Environ Geochem Health 2018; 40:999-1025. [PMID: 28466201 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-017-9960-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [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: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Metal releases from the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD) that is located in southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma, have contaminated floodplain soils within the Neosho and Spring river watersheds of the Grand Lake watershed. Since the Oklahoma portion of the watershed lies within ten tribal jurisdictions, the potential accumulation of metals within plant species that are gathered and consumed by tribal members, as well as the resulting metal exposure risks to tribal human health, was a warranted concern for further investigation. Within this study, a total of 36 plant species that are commonly consumed by tribes were collected from floodplain areas that were previously demonstrated to have elevated soil metal concentrations relative to reference sites. A significant, positive correlation was shown for metal concentrations in plant tissues versus soil (n = 258; Cd: R = 0.72, p = 0.00; Pb: R = 0.52, p = 0.00; and Zn: R = 0.70, p = 0.00). Additionally, a significant difference in metal concentration distributions existed between reference and impacted plant samples (n = 210, p = 0.00 for all metals). These results proved that floodplain soils are a major contamination pathway for metal accumulation within plants, and the source of metal contamination is the result of mining releases from the TSMD. Metal accumulation within plants was found to vary according to specific metal and plant species. The lowest dietary exposure out of all plant organs sampled were associated with fruit, whereas the highest was associated with roots, stem/leaves, and low-lying leafy greens. Metals in plants were compared to weekly dietary intake limits established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. Based on specific serving sizes established within this study for tribal children and adults, many plant species had sufficient concentrations to warrant tribal consumption restrictions within the floodplains of Elm Creek, Grand Lake, Lost Creek, Spring River, and Tar Creek. Importantly, these results highlighted the necessity for the issuance of plant consumption advisories for tribal communities in the watershed. A consumption restriction guide on the number of allowable servings of each species per week at specific streams was developed within this study for tribal children and adults. Results also demonstrated that soil metal concentrations do not need to be exceptionally elevated relative to reference sites in order for plants to accumulate sufficient metal concentrations to exceed dietary limits for one serving. Therefore, the exposure risk associated with the consumption of plants cannot be accurately predicted solely from metal concentrations within soils, but must be based on metal concentrations within specific plant tissues on a site-by-site basis. A weekly consumption scenario was created within this study in order to better understand the potential metal dietary exposures to child and adult tribal members who consume multiple servings of multiple plant species per day, as well as benthic invertebrates and fish from the watershed. These findings demonstrated that plants pose a greater consumption exposure risk for tribal members than benthic invertebrates or fish. Therefore, without the consideration of exposure risks associated with the consumption of plants within future human health risk assessments, tribal health risks will be severely underestimated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ean M Garvin
- University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa, 74104, OK, USA.
| | - Cas F Bridge
- University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa, 74104, OK, USA
| | - Meredith S Garvin
- Tribal Environmental Management Services, P.O. Box 335, Miami, 74355, OK, USA
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López-Pérez O, Picon A, Nuñez M. Volatile compounds and odour characteristics of seven species of dehydrated edible seaweeds. Food Res Int 2017; 99:1002-1010. [PMID: 28865610 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2016.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The volatile fraction of dehydrated edible seaweeds belonging to seven species (Himanthalia elongata, Laminaria ochroleuca, Palmaria palmata, Porphyra umbilicalis, Saccharina latissima, Ulva lactuca and Undaria pinnatifida) was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, after solid-phase microextraction of samples. Thirty-six hydrocarbons, 34 ketones, 28 aldehydes, 23 alcohols, 8 carboxylic acids, 6 halogenated compounds, 4 furans, 3 esters, 2 sulphur compounds, 2 pyrazines, 1 pyridine and 1 amine were detected among the 151 volatile compounds found in seaweeds. There were significant differences between seaweed species for all the volatile compounds. Hydrocarbons reached their highest levels in U. pinnatifida, ketones in P. umbilicalis, aldehydes in P. palmata and P. umbilicalis, alcohols in P. umbilicalis, carboxylic acids in S. latissima, and halogenated compounds in L. ochroleuca and S. latissima. Sensory analysis revealed that P. palmata, U. lactuca and H. elongata were the seaweeds showing the most potent seafood odour and seaweed odour characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- O López-Pérez
- Departamento de Tecnología de Alimentos, INIA, Carretera de la Coruña, km 7, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - A Picon
- Departamento de Tecnología de Alimentos, INIA, Carretera de la Coruña, km 7, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - M Nuñez
- Departamento de Tecnología de Alimentos, INIA, Carretera de la Coruña, km 7, Madrid 28040, Spain.
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Kujawska M, Jiménez-Escobar ND, Nolan JM, Arias-Mutis D. Cognition, culture and utility: plant classification by Paraguayan immigrant farmers in Misiones, Argentina. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2017; 13:42. [PMID: 28743302 PMCID: PMC5526315 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-017-0169-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study was conducted in three rural communities of small farmers of Paraguayan origin living in the province of Misiones, Argentina. These Criollos (Mestizos) hail chiefly from departments located in the east of Paraguay, where the climate and flora have similar characteristics as those in Misiones. These ecological features contribute to the continuation and maintenance of knowledge and practices related to the use of plants. METHODS Fieldwork was conducted between September 2014 and August 2015. Forty five informants from three rural localities situated along the Parana River participated in an ethno-classification task. For the classification event, photographs of 30 medicinal and edible plants were chosen, specifically those yielding the highest frequency of mention among the members of that community (based on data obtained in the first stage of research in 2014). Variation in local plant classifications was examined and compared using principal component analysis and cluster analysis. RESULTS We found that people classify plants according to application or use (primarily medicinal, to a lesser extent as edible). Morphology is rarely taken into account, even for very similar and closely-related species such as varieties of palms. In light of our findings, we highlight a dominant functionality model at work in the process of plant cognition and classification among farmers of Paraguayan origin. Salient cultural beliefs and practices associated with rural Paraguayan plant-based medicine are described. Additionally, the manner by which residents' concepts of plants articulate with local folk epistemology is discussed. CONCLUSIONS Culturally constructed use patterns ultimately override morphological variables in rural Paraguayans' ethnobotanical classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Kujawska
- Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, Lodz University, Lindleya 3/5, 90-131, Lodz, Poland
| | - N. David Jiménez-Escobar
- CONICET- IDACOR, Museo de Antropología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Hipólito Yrigoyen 174, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Justin M. Nolan
- Department of Anthropology, Old Main 330, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 USA
| | - Daniel Arias-Mutis
- Artificial Intelligence, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands, Carrera 50 Bis # 44A-32, Bogotá, Colombia
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Bacchetta L, Visioli F, Cappelli G, Caruso E, Martin G, Nemeth E, Bacchetta G, Bedini G, Wezel A, van Asseldonk T, van Raamsdonk L, Mariani F. A manifesto for the valorization of wild edible plants. J Ethnopharmacol 2016; 191:180-187. [PMID: 27321281 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.05.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [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: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2016] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Wild foods constitute an essential component of people's diets around the world, but despite their widespread use and their cultural importance, wild edible plants (WEPs) lack recognition as significant contributors to the human diet in developed countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS We stimulate national and international bodies dealing with food and agriculture, to increase their attention and investments on WEPs, leveraging the results of scientific investigation, enhancing the link between in situ conservation strategies and sustainable use of plant genetic diversity. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS WEPs should be reconsidered throughout their value chain, capturing their important socio-cultural, health, and economic benefits to indigenous and local communities and family farmers who are engaged in their production and wild-harvesting.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesco Visioli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Italy; IMDEA-Food, CEI UAM+CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Giulia Cappelli
- Institute Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council, Monterotondo, RM, Italy
| | | | | | - Eva Nemeth
- Szent István University Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Francesca Mariani
- Institute Cell Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council, Monterotondo, RM, Italy
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Gebremedhin B, Flagstad Ø, Bekele A, Chala D, Bakkestuen V, Boessenkool S, Popp M, Gussarova G, Schrøder-Nielsen A, Nemomissa S, Brochmann C, Stenseth NC, Epp LS. DNA Metabarcoding Reveals Diet Overlap between the Endangered Walia Ibex and Domestic Goats - Implications for Conservation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159133. [PMID: 27416020 PMCID: PMC4945080 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human population expansion and associated degradation of the habitat of many wildlife species cause loss of biodiversity and species extinctions. The small Simen Mountains National Park in Ethiopia is one of the last strongholds for the preservation of a number of afro-alpine mammals, plants and birds, and it is home to the rare endemic Walia ibex, Capra walie. The narrow distribution range of this species as well as potential competition for resources with livestock, especially with domestic goat, Capra hircus, may compromise its future survival. Based on a curated afro-alpine taxonomic reference library constructed for plant taxon identification, we investigated the diet of the Walia ibex and addressed the dietary overlap with domestic goat using DNA metabarcoding of faecal samples. Faeces of both species were collected from different localities in the National Park. We show that both species are browsers, with forbs, shrubs and trees comprising the largest proportion of their diet, supplemented by grasses. There was a considerable overlap in dietary preferences. Several of the preferred diet items of the Walia ibex (Alchemilla sp., Hypericum revolutum, Erica arborea and Rumex sp.) were also among the most preferred diet items of the domestic goat. These results indicate that there is potential for competition between the two species, especially during the dry season, when resources are limited. Our findings, in combination with the expected increase in domestic herbivores, suggest that management plans should consider the potential threat posed by domestic goats to ensure future survival of the endangered Walia ibex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berihun Gebremedhin
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Øystein Flagstad
- Norwegian Institute of Nature Research, Sluppen, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Afework Bekele
- Department of Zoological Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Desalegn Chala
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Vegar Bakkestuen
- Norwegian Institute of Nature Research, Sluppen, Trondheim, Norway
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sanne Boessenkool
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Magnus Popp
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | - Sileshi Nemomissa
- Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Nils Chr. Stenseth
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Laura S. Epp
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Periglacial Research, Potsdam, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Guarrera PM, Savo V. Wild food plants used in traditional vegetable mixtures in Italy. J Ethnopharmacol 2016; 185:202-34. [PMID: 26944238 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.02.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [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: 11/08/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Mixtures of wild food plants, part of the Mediterranean diet, have potential benefits for their content in bioactive compounds, minerals and fibers. In Italy, wild plants are still consumed in various ways, for their taste, effects on health and nutritional value. In this paper, we provide a list of wild plants used in vegetable mixtures, indicating their phytochemical and nutritional profile, highlighting those not yet studied. AIM OF THE STUDY We provide a first complete review of traditional uses of wild food plants used as vegetables and their preparations (e.g., salads, soups, rustic pies). We also highlight their phytochemical constituents. MATERIALS AND METHODS We carried out an extensive literature review of ethnobotanical publications from 1894 to date for finding plants used in traditional vegetable mixtures. We also performed an online search for scientific papers providing the phytochemical profile of plants that were cited at least twice in recipes found in the literature. RESULTS We list a total of 276 wild taxa used in traditional vegetable mixtures, belonging to 40 families. Among these, the most represented are Asteraceae (88), Brassicaceae (33), Apiaceae (21), Amaranthaceae (12). Many plants are cited in many recipes across several Italian regions. Among the most cited plant we note: Reichardia picroides (L.) Roth, Sanguisorba minor Scop., Taraxacum campylodes G. E. Haglund, Urtica dioica L. Tuscany is the region with the highest number of food recipes that incorporate wild plants used as vegetables. We also list the phytochemical constituents and some pharmacological activities of the plants cited at least twice. Finally, we discuss topics such as the taste of plants used in the recipes. CONCLUSIONS Nineteen edible wild plants, such as Asparagus albus L., Campanula trachelium L., Hypochaeris laevigata (L.) Benth. & Hook f., Phyteuma spicatum L., Scolymus grandiflorus Desf., are not yet studied as regards their phytochemical and nutritional profile. Some plants should be avoided due to the presence of toxic compounds such as Adenostyles alliariae (Gouan) A. Kern or Ranunculus repens L.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Guarrera
- Istituto Centrale per la Demoetnoantropologia, MIBACt, Piazza Marconi, 8-10, 00144 Rome, Italy.
| | - V Savo
- Hakai Institute, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5A1S6
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Sõukand R, Pieroni A. The importance of a border: Medical, veterinary, and wild food ethnobotany of the Hutsuls living on the Romanian and Ukrainian sides of Bukovina. J Ethnopharmacol 2016; 185:17-40. [PMID: 26965364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [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: 01/08/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Recent studies have shown that groups sharing the same or very similar environments, but with diverse cultural backgrounds (e.g. different ethnos and/or religion) have considerably different knowledge of folk (medicinal) plant uses. Yet, it is not clear to what extent various factors (such as culture, economy, isolation, and especially social and political situations) contribute to such differences in the utilization of the same natural resources. AIM OF THE STUDY This paper addresses the effect of border created in 1940 and subsequent separation of a single ethnic group on changes in their folk use of medicinal and wild food plants. The Hutsuls of Bukovina had been homogenous for centuries, but were separated in 1940 as a result of the formation of state borders between Romania and the former Soviet Union (now Ukraine). The aim of the study is to analyse if the belonging to this different states for 75 years have induced different changes in local plant use within communities that share a common historical legacy and environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS In depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 people in May 2015. Collected data were analysed, and comparisons were made between the data gathered on the two sides of the border for different use categories: medicinal, wild food and veterinary plants, as well as other remedies. Recently collected data were also compared with historical data obtained for the region, medicinal plant folk uses in Romania and medicinal plant uses of The State Pharmacopeia of the Soviet Union. RESULTS Divergences in current medicinal plant use are much greater than in the use of wild food plants. The majority of the wild food taxa, including those used for making recreational teas, are also used for medicinal purposes and hence contribute to the food-medicine continuum, representing emergency foods in the past and serving as memory markers for possible future food shortages. Compared with the historical data, considerable changes have occurred within specific medicinal applications and less in the taxa used. The influence of the Soviet State Pharmacopeia on present ethnomedicine on the Ukrainian side is minimal. CONCLUSIONS Hutsul herbal ethnomedicine on the Ukrainian side of the border has continued to evolve (the abandonment of some uses and the adoption of others), whereas on the Romanian side it has undergone significant erosion with a proportionally smaller adoption of new uses and the leaving behind of possibly more "traditional" uses than on the Ukrainian side. In sum, current ethnomedicinal practices of Hutsuls living on both sides of the border are more extensive than those reported in historical sources. Yet the unknown sampling method employed to collect the historical data and possible skipping of "ordinary" uses by folklorists and ethnographers does not allow for definitive conclusions to be drawn. Cross-cultural and cross-border ethnobotany represents one of the most powerful means for addressing the issue of change and variability of medicinal plant uses and heritage, and further studies in other areas of Eastern Europe and beyond need to address the trajectory proposed by the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Sõukand
- Estonian Literary Museum, Vanemuise 42, Tartu 51003, Estonia.
| | - Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, I-12060 Pollenzo, Italy.
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Urso V, Signorini MA, Tonini M, Bruschi P. Wild medicinal and food plants used by communities living in Mopane woodlands of southern Angola: Results of an ethnobotanical field investigation. J Ethnopharmacol 2016; 177:126-39. [PMID: 26639153 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.11.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Mopane woodlands play an important role in the livelihood strategies of local populations; however, they have been scarcely investigated by ethnobiologists and very little is currently known about plants traditionally used by local communities, especially about medicinal plants. AIM OF THE STUDY Our investigation was aimed to document ethnobotanical knowledge in seven communities living in conditions of extreme poverty in a Mopane area of southern Angola (Namibe province). We focused on plants used as medicines and/or food, in order to highlight the role of wild plants in the livelihood of local communities, and possibly to find out plants with potential pharmacological interest. METHODS Ethnobotanical data were recorded through semi-structured interviews, filed in a database and quantitatively analyzed. The following synthetic indexes were used: Cultural Importance index (CI), Informant Consensus Factor (FIC), Fidelity Level (FL). RESULTS Sixty-six informants (26 males, 40 females) were interviewed. A total of 1247 citations were recorded, concerning 132 ethnospecies (folk taxonomic units not necessarily corresponding to single botanical species); 104 were identified at different taxonomic levels. For medicinal purposes, 116 ethnospecies and 20 different uses (650 citations) were reported; for food purposes, 33 ethnospecies and 8 different uses (597 citations). The main used parts resulted to be fruit (471 citations; 21 ethnospecies), followed by underground organs (288, 82) and leaves (175, 41). According to CI values, Berchemia discolor, Ximenia americana var. americana and Adansonia digitata have the highest cultural value in the investigated communities. All of them are woody plants, as well as most of the identified ethnospecies (trees 34.6%, shrubs 32.7%, perennials 21.2%, annuals 8.7%, others 2.8%). Medicinal plants are especially used to treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (52 ethnospecies, 205 citations), obstetric/gynecological troubles (27, 40) and colds and respiratory tract diseases (25, 54). The highest values of FIC were recorded for body care (FIC=1.0), circulatory diseases (FIC=0.91), malaria (FIC=0.81) and digestive disorders (FIC=0.55). The plants showing the highest informants' consensus (FL) were Myrothamnus flabellifolia used to treat colds and respiratory diseases (FL=100%), Terminalia prunioides for digestive diseases (93%) and Euphorbia subsalsa for backache (86%). For five plants cited as medicinal by the informants, no reports were found in the consulted ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological literature; many uses of several already known medicinal plants were also unrecorded. Food products obtained from wild plants include fresh fruit (20 ethnospecies, 287 citations), alcoholic (11, 107) and non-alcoholic (10, 44) beverages, massa, i.e. a kind of mash, (4, 65), vegetables (10, 40), and others. CONCLUSIONS Results show that people living in Mopane communities of southern Angola hold a valuable knowledge of the uses of plant resources and that some of the plants cited by the informants represent an important component of the local livelihood strategies. We also found some plants worthy of more in-depth investigations on their possible pharmacological activity, including: (i) those used to treat diseases which reached the highest FIC, like malaria and various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract; (ii) plants with a high FL; (iii) plants not previously reported in ethnomedical literature, especially those cited by different informants; (iv) plants with possible nutraceutical or pharma-food properties, i.e. plants with considerable contents in vitamins and/or micronutrients and plants whose food and medicinal uses are closely related. CLASSIFICATIONS Anthropological and historical studies in ethnopharmacology, quality traditional medicines. GIVEN KEYWORDS Botany, Traditional medicine, Africa, Diarrhea, Malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Urso
- Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy
| | | | | | - Piero Bruschi
- Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
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Ochoa JJ, Ladio AH. Current use of wild plants with edible underground storage organs in a rural population of Patagonia: between tradition and change. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2015; 11:70. [PMID: 26407590 PMCID: PMC4582829 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0053-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Edible plants with underground storage organs (USOs) are neglected resources. We studied the local ecological knowledge edible plants with (USOs) in rural populations of North-Patagonia in order to establish how people are utilizing these plants. Some aspect of corpus-praxis-cosmos complex associated to the local ecological knowledge was documented and discussed. In addition, variation in this ecological knowledge due to age, gender, family structure, ethnic self-determination was also evaluated. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 51 inhabitants in order to study the relationship between the current use of plants with USOs and the age, sex, family group composition and ethnic self-identification of interviewees. In addition, the Cultural Importance Index for each species was calculated. RESULTS The current richness of known species in these populations is a total of 9 plants. Plants with USOs tend to be used more frequently as the age of the interviewee increases. Women and men showed no differences in the average richness of species cited. The interviewees who share their homes with other generations use these plants more frequently than those who live alone. Our results indicate that the interviewees who identified themselves as belonging to the Mapuche people use these plants more frequently. CONCLUSION For the Mapuche people, wild plants have constituted material and symbolic resources of great importance in their historical subsistence. In addition, they are currently being redefined as elements which present a connection with ancestral practices, produce a strong relationship with the 'land', and become markers which identify the 'natural' (historical) ways of their people; these are key elements in the current political processes of identity revaluation. This research is valuable to stimulate cultural revival and health promotion programs in the communities with their own local, cultural food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Ochoa
- Instituto de investigaciones en Diversidad Cultural y Procesos de Cambio, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina.
| | - Ana Haydee Ladio
- Instituto de Investigaciones de Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina.
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Kaliszewska I, Kołodziejska-Degórska I. The social context of wild leafy vegetables uses in Shiri, Daghestan. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2015; 11:63. [PMID: 26260575 PMCID: PMC4542102 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0047-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Shiri is a small mountainous village in the Republic of Daghestan, in the North Caucasus. Daghestan is Russia's southernmost and most ethnically and linguistically diverse republic, a considerable part of which belongs to the Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot. Various species of wild leafy vegetables are collected in Shiri and there are still many social and cultural practices connected with plant collection in the village. Yet due to migration processes, local knowledge about wild greens and their uses is being slowly forgotten or not passed on. The Shiri language is highly endangered and so are the local plant terminologies and classifications. The unstable political situation hinders local and international research, therefore we find it highly important to explore both what wild leafy vegetables are collected in this mountainous part of Daghestan and how the relation between plants and people is shaped in this linguistically and culturally diverse context. We answer the following questions: what wild leafy vegetables are collected in Shiri? Why are they important to the local people? What is the social aspect of wild leafy vegetable uses? METHODS The methods applied were as follows: forest walks and semi-structured interviews with adult inhabitants of Shiri village, participant and non-participant observation. During the walks herbarium specimens were collected, and visual recording of plant collecting process was conducted. This article is based on fieldwork done in Shiri, Daghestan, between 2012 and 2014, over the course of 3 field trips that took place in 3 seasons. RESULTS We collected and identified twenty-two local (24 botanical) species of wild leafy vegetables. Fourteen local species were used as snacks, eight for cooked dishes and three of them were also dried in order to be transported to kin living in the lowlands. It is significant that 70 % of taxa collected in Shiri are used as snacks. While snacks were collected by both sexes, greens for cooking and drying were part of the women's knowledge. The analysis of people-plant relations showed that care practices constitute an important part of these relations. Through the giving of wild greens, Shiri people express care for co-villagers and migrants and show their respect for elders. In the narratives about wild greens, their nutritional and taste value as well as perceived exceptionality were emphasized. CONCLUSIONS 1) Wild leafy vegetables are a significant element of everyday social life in Shiri in regard to mutual care, respect for elders and local identity. 2) Gender has a greater influence on practical skills than on declarative plant knowledge. 3) Names of plants are publicly discussed with elders and are not always fixed. 4) The moral value ascribed to giving in the local culture is expressed through wild leafy vegetables. 5) Care expressed through sending wild leafy vegetables helps to sustain social ties between migrants and Shiri inhabitants. 6) Identity, health and naturalness discourses are adding value to the local knowledge about wild leafy vegetables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Kaliszewska
- Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Warsaw, Ul. Żurawia 4, 00-503, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Iwona Kołodziejska-Degórska
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw Botanic Garden, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478, Warsaw, Poland.
- Faculty of "Artes Liberales", University of Warsaw, Ul. Nowy Świat 69, 00-046, Warsaw, Poland.
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Savo V, Joy R, Caneva G, McClatchey WC. Plant selection for ethnobotanical uses on the Amalfi Coast (Southern Italy). J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2015; 11:58. [PMID: 26173678 PMCID: PMC4508904 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0038-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many ethnobotanical studies have investigated selection criteria for medicinal and non-medicinal plants. In this paper we test several statistical methods using different ethnobotanical datasets in order to 1) define to which extent the nature of the datasets can affect the interpretation of results; 2) determine if the selection for different plant uses is based on phylogeny, or other selection criteria. METHODS We considered three different ethnobotanical datasets: two datasets of medicinal plants and a dataset of non-medicinal plants (handicraft production, domestic and agro-pastoral practices) and two floras of the Amalfi Coast. We performed residual analysis from linear regression, the binomial test and the Bayesian approach for calculating under-used and over-used plant families within ethnobotanical datasets. Percentages of agreement were calculated to compare the results of the analyses. We also analyzed the relationship between plant selection and phylogeny, chorology, life form and habitat using the chi-square test. Pearson's residuals for each of the significant chi-square analyses were examined for investigating alternative hypotheses of plant selection criteria. RESULTS The three statistical analysis methods differed within the same dataset, and between different datasets and floras, but with some similarities. In the two medicinal datasets, only Lamiaceae was identified in both floras as an over-used family by all three statistical methods. All statistical methods in one flora agreed that Malvaceae was over-used and Poaceae under-used, but this was not found to be consistent with results of the second flora in which one statistical result was non-significant. All other families had some discrepancy in significance across methods, or floras. Significant over- or under-use was observed in only a minority of cases. The chi-square analyses were significant for phylogeny, life form and habitat. Pearson's residuals indicated a non-random selection of woody species for non-medicinal uses and an under-use of plants of temperate forests for medicinal uses. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed that selection criteria for plant uses (including medicinal) are not always based on phylogeny. The comparison of different statistical methods (regression, binomial and Bayesian) under different conditions led to the conclusion that the most conservative results are obtained using regression analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Savo
- Hakai Institute, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Viale Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy.
| | - R Joy
- Hakai Institute, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - G Caneva
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Viale Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy.
| | - W C McClatchey
- Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 1700 N. University Drive, Fort Worth, TX, 76107-3400, USA.
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Turreira-García N, Theilade I, Meilby H, Sørensen M. Wild edible plant knowledge, distribution and transmission: a case study of the Achí Mayans of Guatemala. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2015; 11:52. [PMID: 26077151 PMCID: PMC4474567 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0024-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [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: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge about wild edible plants (WEPs) has a high direct-use value. Yet, little is known about factors shaping the distribution and transfer of knowledge of WEPs at global level and there is concern that use of and knowledge about WEPs is decreasing. This study aimed to investigate the distribution, transmission and loss of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) concerning WEPs used by a Mayan community of Guatemala and to enumerate such plants. METHODS The case study was carried out in a semi-isolated community where part of the population took refuge in the mountains in 1982-1985 with WEPs as the main source of food. Major variables possibly determining knowledge and therefore investigated were socio-demographic characteristics, distance to and abundance of natural resources and main source of knowledge transmission. A reference list of species was prepared with the help of three key informants. Information about the theoretical dimension of knowledge was gathered through free listing and a questionnaire survey, while practical skills were assessed using a plant identification test with photographs. All villagers older than 7 years participated in the research (n = 62 including key informants). RESULTS A total of 44 WEPs were recorded. Theoretical knowledge was unevenly distributed among the population, and a small group including very few informants (n = 3) mentioned, on average, three times more plants than the rest of the population during the free listing. Practical knowledge was more homogeneously distributed, key informants recognising 23 plants on average and the rest of the population 17. Theoretical and practical knowledge increased with age, the latter decreasing in the late phases of life. Knowledge about WEPs was transmitted through relatives in 76% of the cases, which led to increased knowledge of plants and ability to recognise them. CONCLUSIONS The WEP survey may serve as a reference point and as a useful compilation of knowledge for the community for their current and future generations. This study shows that the elder and the refugees living in the area for longer time know more than others about WEPs. It also shows the important role of knowledge transmission through relatives to preserve TEK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Turreira-García
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 25, Frederiksberg, C 1958, Denmark.
| | - Ida Theilade
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 25, Frederiksberg, C 1958, Denmark.
| | - Henrik Meilby
- Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 25, Frederiksberg, C 1958, Denmark.
| | - Marten Sørensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, Frederiksberg, C 1871, Denmark.
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Stryamets N, Elbakidze M, Ceuterick M, Angelstam P, Axelsson R. From economic survival to recreation: contemporary uses of wild food and medicine in rural Sweden, Ukraine and NW Russia. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2015; 11:53. [PMID: 26077671 PMCID: PMC4474580 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0036-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are many ethnobotanical studies on the use of wild plants and mushrooms for food and medicinal treatment in Europe. However, there is a lack of comparative ethnobotanical research on the role of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) as wild food and medicine in local livelihoods in countries with different socio-economic conditions. The aim of this study was to compare the present use of wild food and medicine in three places representing different stages of socio-economic development in Europe. Specifically we explore which plant and fungi species people use for food and medicine in three selected rural regions of Sweden, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. METHODS We studied the current use of NWFPs for food and medicine in three rural areas that represent a gradient in economic development (as indicated by the World Bank), i.e., Småland high plain (south Sweden), Roztochya (western Ukraine), and Kortkeros (Komi Republic in North West Russia). All areas were characterised by (a) predominating rural residency, (b) high forest coverage, and (c) free access to NWFPs. A total of 205 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with local residents in the three study areas. The collected NWFPs data included (1) the species that are used; (2) the amount harvested, (3) uses and practices (4) changes over time, (5) sources of knowledge regarding the use of NWFPs as wild food and medicine and (6) traditional recipes. RESULTS In Sweden 11 species of wild plant and fungi species were used as food, and no plant species were used for medicinal purposes. In Ukraine the present use of NWFPs included 26 wild foods and 60 medicinal species, while in Russia 36 food and 44 medicinal species were reported. CONCLUSIONS In the economically less developed rural areas of Ukraine and Russia, the use of NWFPs continues to be an important part of livelihoods, both as a source of income and for domestic use as food and medicine. In Sweden the collection of wild food has become mainly a recreational activity and the use of medicinal plants is no longer prevalent among our respondents. This leads us to suggest that the consumption of wild food and medicine is influenced by the socio-economic situation in a country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Stryamets
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Forest-Landscape-Society Research Group, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, Skinnskatteberg, SE 73921, Sweden.
- Nature reserve "Roztochya", Sitchovuh Strilciv 7, Ivano-Frankove, 81070, Ukraine.
| | - Marine Elbakidze
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Forest-Landscape-Society Research Group, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, Skinnskatteberg, SE 73921, Sweden.
| | - Melissa Ceuterick
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Kliniekstraat 25, Brussels, 1070, Belgium.
| | - Per Angelstam
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Forest-Landscape-Society Research Group, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, Skinnskatteberg, SE 73921, Sweden.
| | - Robert Axelsson
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Forest-Landscape-Society Research Group, Faculty of Forest Sciences, School for Forest Management, PO Box 43, Skinnskatteberg, SE 73921, Sweden.
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Bortolotto IM, Amorozo MCDM, Neto GG, Oldeland J, Damasceno-Junior GA. Knowledge and use of wild edible plants in rural communities along Paraguay River, Pantanal, Brazil. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2015; 11:46. [PMID: 26025294 PMCID: PMC4469002 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0026-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [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: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/26/2015] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wild plants are used as food for human populations where people still depend on natural resources to survive. This study aimed at identifying wild plants and edible uses known in four rural communities of the Pantanal-Brazil, estimating the use value and understanding how distance to the urban areas, gender, age and number of different environments available in the vicinity can influence the knowledge and use of these plants by local people. METHODS Data on edible plants with known uses by communities were obtained through semi-structured interviews. A form with standardized information was used for all communities in order to obtain comparable data for analysis. For the quantitative analysis of the factors that could influence the number of species known by the population, a generalized linear model (GLM) was conducted using a negative binomial distribution as the data consisted of counts (number of citations). RESULTS A total of 54 wild species were identified with food uses, included in 44 genera and 30 families of angiosperms. Besides food use, the species are also known as medicine, bait, construction, technology and other. The species with the highest use value was Acrocomia aculeata. Older people, aged more than 60 years, and those living in more remote communities farther from cities know more wild edible plants. Statistical analysis showed no difference regarding gender or number of vegetation types available in the vicinity and the number of plants known by locals. CONCLUSION This study indicated more knowledge retained in communities more distant from the urban area, indifference in distribution of knowledge between genders and the higher cultural competence of elderly people in respect to knowledge of wild edible botanicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ieda Maria Bortolotto
- Laboratory of Botany, Center of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), C.P. 549, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, 79070-900, Brazil.
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany.
| | | | - Germano Guarim Neto
- Department of Botany and Ecology, Bioscience Institute, Federal University of Mato Grosso, 78 060-900, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.
| | - Jens Oldeland
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Geraldo Alves Damasceno-Junior
- Laboratory of Botany, Center of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), C.P. 549, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, 79070-900, Brazil.
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology of Plants, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609, Hamburg, Germany.
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Bellia G, Pieroni A. Isolated, but transnational: the glocal nature of Waldensian ethnobotany, Western Alps, NW Italy. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2015; 11:37. [PMID: 25948116 PMCID: PMC4495842 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0027-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [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: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/26/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An ethnobotanical field study on the traditional uses of wild plants for food as well as medicinal and veterinary plants was conducted in four Waldensian valleys (Chisone, Germanasca, Angrogna, and Pellice) in the Western Alps, Piedmont, NW Italy. Waldensians represent a religious Protestant Christian minority that originated in France and spread around 1,170 AD to the Italian side of Western Alps, where, although persecuted for centuries, approximately 20,000 believers still survive today, increasingly mixing with their Catholic neighbours. METHODS Interviews with a total of 47 elderly informants, belonging to both Waldensian and Catholic religious groups, were undertaken in ten Western Alpine villages, using standard ethnobotanical methods. RESULTS The uses of 85 wild and semi-domesticated food folk taxa, 96 medicinal folk taxa, and 45 veterinary folk taxa were recorded. Comparison of the collected data within the two religious communities shows that Waldensians had, or have retained, a more extensive ethnobotanical knowledge, and that approximately only half of the wild food and medicinal plants are known and used by both communities. Moreover, this convergence is greater for the wild food plant domain. Comparison of the collected data with ethnobotanical surveys conducted at the end of the 19th Century and the 1980s in one of studied valleys (Germanasca) shows that the majority of the plants recorded in the present study are used in the same or similar ways as they were decades ago. Idiosyncratic plant uses among Waldensians included both archaic uses, such as the fern Botrychium lunaria for skin problems, as well as uses that may be the result of local adaptions of Central and Northern European customs, including Veronica allionii and V. officinalis as recreational teas and Cetraria islandica in infusions to treat coughs. CONCLUSIONS The great resilience of plant knowledge among Waldensians may be the result of the long isolation and history of marginalisation that this group has faced during the last few centuries, although their ethnobotany present trans-national elements. Cross-cultural and ethno-historical approaches in ethnobotany may offer crucial data for understanding the trajectory of change of plant knowledge across time and space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giada Bellia
- , Via del Pino 108, Pinerolo (Torino), I-10064, Italy.
| | - Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, Bra/Pollenzo, I-12060, Italy.
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Poncet A, Vogl CR, Weckerle CS. Folkbotanical classification: morphological, ecological and utilitarian characterization of plants in the Napf region, Switzerland. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2015; 11:13. [PMID: 25971246 PMCID: PMC4429483 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-11-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [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: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/31/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discussions surrounding ethnobiological classification have been broad and diverse. One of the recurring questions is whether classification is mainly based on the "inherent structure of biological reality" or on cultural, especially utilitarian needs. So far, studies about ethnobotanical classification have mainly been done in indigenous societies. Comparable data from industrialized countries are scarce. In this paper, folkbotanical classification data from the Napf region in central Switzerland is analysed and cross-culturally compared. METHODS Structured and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 60 adults and children chosen by random sampling. Descriptive statistics, t-tests and cultural domain analysis were used to analyze the data. RESULTS Close to 500 folk taxa have been documented during field work. As life-form taxa appeared tree, bush, grass, herb, flower, and mushroom. Intermediate taxa mentioned regularly were sub-categories of the life form tree and bush, i.e. conifer, deciduous tree, fruit tree, stone fruits, pomaceous fruits, and berry bush. The rank of the folk generic was by far the largest with 316 taxa (85.4% monotypical). The specific rank contained 145 taxa, the varietal 14 taxa. The 475 generic, specific and varietal folk taxa could be assigned to 298 wild growing plant species, which make up 28.13% of the local flora, and to 213 cultivated plant species, subspecies and cultivars. Morphology, mainly life-form, fruits, leaves, and flowers, was the most important criterion for classifying plants. Other important criteria were their use (mainly edibility) and habitat (mainly meadow, forest and garden). The three criteria emerged spontaneously out of open questioning. CONCLUSION The classification system of the Napf region is comparable to classification systems of indigenous societies, both in its shallow hierarchical structure and in the amount of recognized taxa. The classification of plants was mainly guided by morphology, habitat and use. The three aspects seem to be mutually linked for certain plant groups, which results in always the same groups, independent from the different sorting criteria. Sensory perception allows for a broader explanation of the known coincidence of morphology and use groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Poncet
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, A-1180, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Christian R Vogl
- Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, (BOKU), Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, A-1180, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Caroline S Weckerle
- Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zürich, CH-8008, Switzerland.
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Segnon AC, Achigan-Dako EG. Comparative analysis of diversity and utilization of edible plants in arid and semi-arid areas in Benin. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2014; 10:80. [PMID: 25539993 PMCID: PMC4290139 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-10-80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Agrobiodiversity is said to contribute to the sustainability of agricultural systems and food security. However, how this is achieved especially in smallholder farming systems in arid and semi-arid areas is rarely documented. In this study, we explored two contrasting regions in Benin to investigate how agroecological and socioeconomic contexts shape the diversity and utilization of edible plants in these regions. METHODS Data were collected through focus group discussions in 12 villages with four in Bassila (semi-arid Sudano-Guinean region) and eight in Boukoumbé (arid Sudanian region). Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 180 farmers (90 in each region). Species richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity index were estimated based on presence-absence data obtained from the focus group discussions using species accumulation curves. RESULTS Our results indicated that 115 species belonging to 48 families and 92 genera were used to address food security. Overall, wild species represent 61% of edible plants collected (60% in the semi-arid area and 54% in the arid area). About 25% of wild edible plants were under domestication. Edible species richness and diversity in the semi-arid area were significantly higher than in the arid area. However, farmers in the arid area have developed advanced resource-conserving practices compared to their counterparts in the semi-arid area where slash-and-burn cultivation is still ongoing, resulting in natural resources degradation and loss of biodiversity. There is no significant difference between the two areas for cultivated species richness. The interplay of socio-cultural attributes and agroecological conditions explains the diversity of food plants selected by communities. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that if food security has to be addressed, the production and consumption policies must be re-oriented toward the recognition of the place of wild edible plants. For this to happen we suggest a number of policy and strategic decisions as well as research and development actions such as a thorough documentation of wild edible plants and their contribution to household diet, promotion of the ''bringing into cultivation" practices, strengthening of livestock-crop integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alcade C Segnon
- Horticulture and Genetics Unit, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526, Cotonou, Republic of Benin
| | - Enoch G Achigan-Dako
- Horticulture and Genetics Unit, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526, Cotonou, Republic of Benin
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Zhang Y, Xu H, Chen H, Wang F, Huai H. Diversity of wetland plants used traditionally in China: a literature review. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2014; 10:72. [PMID: 25318542 PMCID: PMC4210556 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-10-72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In comparison with terrestrial plants, those growing in wetlands have been rarely studied ethnobotanically, including in China, yet people living in or near wetlands can accumulate much knowledge of the uses of local wetland plants. A characteristic of wetlands, cutting across climatic zones, is that many species are widely distributed, providing opportunities for studying general patterns of knowledge of the uses of plants across extensive areas, in the present case China. There is urgency in undertaking such studies, given the rapid rates of loss of traditional knowledge of wetland plants as is now occurring. METHODS There have been very few studies specifically on the traditional knowledge of wetland plants in China. However, much information on such knowledge does exist, but dispersed through a wide body of literature that is not specifically ethnobotanical, such as regional Floras. We have undertaken an extensive study of such literature to determine which species of wetland plants have been used traditionally and the main factors influencing patterns shown by such knowledge. Quantitative techniques have been used to evaluate the relative usefulness of different types of wetland plants and regression analyses to determine the extent to which different quantitative indices give similar results. RESULTS 350 wetland plant species, belonging to 66 families and 187 genera, were found to have been used traditionally in China for a wide range of purposes. The top ten families used, in terms of numbers of species, were Poaceae, Polygonaceae, Cyperaceae, Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Ranunculaceae, Hydrocharitaceae, Potamogetonaceae, Fabaceae, and Brassicaceae, in total accounting for 58.6% of all species used. These families often dominate wetland vegetation in China. The three most widely used genera were Polygonum, Potamogeton and Cyperus. The main uses of wetlands plants, in terms of numbers of species, were for medicine, food, and forage. Three different ways of assigning an importance value to species (Relative Frequency of Citation RFC; Cultural Importance CI; Cultural Value Index CV) all gave similar results. CONCLUSIONS A diverse range of wetland plants, in terms of both taxonomic affiliation and type of use, have been used traditionally in China. Medicine, forage and food are the three most important categories of use, the plants providing basic resources used by local people in their everyday lives. Local availability is the main factor influencing which species are used. Quantitative indexes, especially Cultural Value Index, proved very useful for evaluating the usefulness of plants as recorded in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Zhang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009 China
| | - Hualin Xu
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009 China
| | - Hui Chen
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009 China
| | - Fei Wang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009 China
| | - Huyin Huai
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009 China
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Abbet C, Mayor R, Roguet D, Spichiger R, Hamburger M, Potterat O. Ethnobotanical survey on wild alpine food plants in Lower and Central Valais (Switzerland). J Ethnopharmacol 2014; 151:624-34. [PMID: 24269246 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [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: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/03/2013] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Swiss Alps have an ancestral tradition with regard to the use of wild plants as medicines and food. However, this knowledge is falling into oblivion, and is nowadays confined to village areas. Aim of the study was to identify wild edible plants used today and during the last two centuries by the alpine population of Valais (Switzerland). MATERIAL AND METHODS Data were collected by means of semi-directed interviews made in four different lateral valleys of Valais (Val d'Anniviers, Val d'Entremont, Val d'Hérens, and Val d'Illiez). Wild food plants were classified according to their uses (salads, cooked vegetables, spices, raw snacks, teas, alcoholic drinks, sirups, and jams). Books and reports written in the XIXth century were consulted to identify uses of wild plants which have fallen in oblivion meanwhile. RESULTS A total of 98 edible wild plants, distributed into 38 botanical families, were identified during the interviews. Several plants were highly cited (e.g. Taraxacum officinale, Chenopodium bonus-henricus). The most frequent usage was as tea (18%), followed by uses as cooked vegetables (16%), jams (16%), and raw snacks (16%). A strong association was observed between food and medicinal uses of plants. Wild food plants were of critical importance in times of food scarcity. Meanwhile, they have lost their relevance as vital components of the diet and are nowadays rather perceived and appreciated as delicacies. CONCLUSIONS This study provides for the first time comprehensive data on present day and historical uses of wild plants as food in Lower and Central Valais. Besides being of historical interest, this ethnobotanical information can be used to identify species which may provide interesting opportunities for diversification of mountain agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Abbet
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Romain Mayor
- Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, City of Geneva, 1 Chemin de l'Impératrice, Chambésy, CH-1292 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Didier Roguet
- Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, City of Geneva, 1 Chemin de l'Impératrice, Chambésy, CH-1292 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rodolphe Spichiger
- Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, City of Geneva, 1 Chemin de l'Impératrice, Chambésy, CH-1292 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Hamburger
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Potterat
- Division of Pharmaceutical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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Abbasi AM, Khan MA, Shah MH, Shah MM, Pervez A, Ahmad M. Ethnobotanical appraisal and cultural values of medicinally important wild edible vegetables of Lesser Himalayas-Pakistan. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2013; 9:66. [PMID: 24034131 PMCID: PMC3853161 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-9-66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [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: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 09/13/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association among food and health is momentous as consumers now demand healthy, tasty and natural functional foods. Knowledge of such food is mainly transmitted through the contribution of individuals of households. Throughout the world the traditions of using wild edible plants as food and medicine are at risk of disappearing, hence present appraisal was conducted to explore ethnomedicinal and cultural importance of wild edible vegetables used by the populace of Lesser Himalayas-Pakistan. METHODS Data was collected through informed consent semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, market survey and focus group conversation with key respondents of the study sites including 45 female, 30 children and 25 males. Cultural significance of each species was calculated based on use report. RESULTS A total of 45 wild edible vegetables belonging to 38 genera and 24 families were used for the treatment of various diseases and consumed. Asteraceae and Papilionoideae were found dominating families with (6 spp. each), followed by Amaranthaceae and Polygonaceae. Vegetables were cooked in water (51%) followed by diluted milk (42%) and both in water and diluted milk (7%). Leaves were among highly utilized plant parts (70%) in medicines followed by seeds (10%), roots (6%), latex (4%), bark, bulb, flowers, tubers and rhizomes (2% each). Modes of preparation fall into seven categories like paste (29%), decoction (24%), powder (14%), eaten fresh (12%), extract (10%), cooked vegetable (8%) and juice (4%). Ficus carica was found most cited species with in top ten vegetables followed by Ficus palmata, Bauhinia variegata, Solanum nigrum, Amaranthus viridis, Medicago polymorpha, Chenopodium album, Cichorium intybus, Amaranthus hybridus and Vicia faba. CONCLUSIONS Patterns of wild edible plant usage depend mainly on socio-economic factors compare to climatic conditions or wealth of flora but during past few decades have harshly eroded due to change in the life style of the inhabitants. Use reports verified common cultural heritage and cultural worth of quoted taxa is analogous. Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant activities, pharmacological applications; skill training in farming and biotechnological techniques to improve the yield are important feature prospective regarding of wild edible vegetables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshad Mehmood Abbasi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbaottabad, Pakistan
| | - Mir Ajab Khan
- Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Munir H Shah
- Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Mohammad Maroof Shah
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbaottabad, Pakistan
| | - Arshad Pervez
- Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbaottabad, Pakistan
| | - Mushtaq Ahmad
- Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
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Lara-Cortés E, Osorio-Díaz P, Jiménez-Aparicio A, Bautista-Bañios S. [Nutritional content, functional properties and conservation of edible flowers. Review]. Arch Latinoam Nutr 2013; 63:197-208. [PMID: 25362819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The floriphagia that is the consumption of flowers as a food, is an old practice not widespread among consumers until some decades ago. Edible flowers contribute to increasing the appearance of food. They can provide biologically active substances including vitamin A, C, riboflavins, niacin, minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, iron and potassium that are eventually beneficial to consumers' health. This review includes some examples of edible flowers including roses, violets and nasturtium among others, uses and applications, sensorial characteristics and nutritional values that lead them to be considered as functional food: An important factor that affects the quality of edible flowers is the form in which they are preserved since it may affect their sensorial and nutritional characteristics. However, not all flowers can be eaten as food since there are some of them that can be toxic or even mortal. Finally, although the consumption of flowers is an ancient practice, there is little regulation in this regard. Of the review on edible flowers, it is concluded that there are still numerous aspects about them to evaluate such as nutritional and functional characteristics, conservation and regulation with the aim to extend its consumption.
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Guarrera PM, Savo V. Perceived health properties of wild and cultivated food plants in local and popular traditions of Italy: A review. J Ethnopharmacol 2013; 146:659-680. [PMID: 23395624 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Revised: 01/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Many wild and cultivated plants are rich in mineral elements and bioactive compounds and are consumed for health purposes. Studies have demonstrated the curative properties of many of these food plants. In this paper, we discuss the properties of several plants with potential health benefits that have previously received little attention. AIM OF THE STUDY This review provides an overview and critical discussion of food plants perceived by informants (emic view) as healthy or used as 'food medicine' in Italy. Pharmacological activity of these plants is explored, based upon published scientific research (etic view). Preparation methods, taste perception, toxicity and various potentialities of some food plants are also discussed. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present review includes literature available from 1877 to 2012. The information was collected from books, scientific papers, and abstracts that reported any plants used as food medicine in Italy. The perceived health properties were analyzed in the framework of recent international phytochemical and phytopharmacological literature. RESULTS A total of 67 edible wild plants and 18 cultivated vegetables, distributed into 20 families, were reported by informants (in literature). Several plants were highly cited (e.g., Taraxacum officinale Webb., Crepis vesicaria L., Allium cepa L., Allium sativum L.). The most frequent health properties attributed to edible plants by the informants were: laxative (22 species), diuretic (15), digestive (11), galactagogue (8), antitussive (cough) (8), hypotensive (7), tonic (7), sedative (7), hypoglycemic (6). CONCLUSIONS Some edible plants are promising for their potential health properties, such as Crepis vesicaria L., Sanguisorba minor Scop. and Sonchus oleraceus L. Several wild species were perceived by informants to maintain health but have never been studied from a phytochemical or pharmacological point of view: e.g., Asparagus albus L., Crepis leontodontoides All., Hyoseris radiata L. subsp. radiata, Phyteuma spicatum L.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Guarrera
- Istituto Centrale per la Demoetnoantropologia, Ministero Beni e Attività Culturali, Piazza Marconi 8-10, I-00144 Rome, Italy.
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Vitalini S, Iriti M, Puricelli C, Ciuchi D, Segale A, Fico G. Traditional knowledge on medicinal and food plants used in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio, Italy)--an alpine ethnobotanical study. J Ethnopharmacol 2013; 145:517-29. [PMID: 23220197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2012] [Revised: 11/13/2012] [Accepted: 11/18/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE This work increases the ethnobotanical data from Northern Italy and, in particular, the Lombardy region, till now poorly documented, safeguarding the local folk knowledge, and provides information on new or scarcely reported properties of medicinal plants, whose traditional use needs to be validated experimentally. AIM OF THE STUDY The present study aimed to gather, analyse and evaluate the ethnobotanical information on the species used for medicinal and food purposes by the native people of Val San Giacomo. MATERIALS AND METHODS The plant use was documented by speaking with more than 100 people, mainly over 60 years old, born and resident in Val San Giacomo. Information was collected using semi-structured interviews and then analysed by indices such as Ethnophytonomic Index (EPI), Ethnobotanicity Index (EI), relative frequency of citation (RFC), use value (UV), relative importance (RI) and factor informant consensus (FIC). RESULTS Information on 66 plants belonging to 35 families (Asteraceae, Rosaceae and Lamiaceae, mainly) was gathered. The preference ranking placed Achillea moschata Wulfen at first place, both for the citation number and for RFC and UV. Arnica montana L., Thymus pulegioides L. and Artemisia genipi Stechm. were also in relevant use. Sixty species were wild and six were cultivated. Leaves, flowers, complete aerial parts and fruits were the plant parts most commonly used for remedy preparation (infusion, especially). The interviewees collected local flora for medicinal purposes, specifically. About 51.5% of the plant species were used to treat gastrointestinal tract of humans as digestive, depurative, appetiser, laxative, astringent and carminative remedies. About 56% of the plants were used in cookery, 24.2% in veterinary field, and 3% as cosmetics. The calculated indices demonstrated that in the studied area there is a small retention of plant knowledge. Only 6.2% of the autochthonous plants proved useful in folk tradition. Despite this, the uses of Sempervivum montanum L., Rhododendron ferrugineum L. and Panicum miliaceum L. were never documented by other ethnobotanical investigations conducted in the alpine area. CONCLUSIONS This survey was an extension of the ethnobotanical investigations performed in the Italian Alps. A study like this, though performed in a small area with a reduced traditional knowledge, could be the basis for subsequent research on the species that are interesting from a phytochemical point of view and on the potential use of their active metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Vitalini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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Song L, Liu YP. [Comparative study of HPLC fingerprint between Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium]. Zhong Yao Cai 2012; 35:39-42. [PMID: 22734408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To establish the HPLC fingerprint of Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium for finding the difference. METHODS Samples were extracted with 50% methanol 25 mL by ultrasonic wave and then separated on Hypersil BDS C18 (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) column. Gradient elution was carried out with a mobile phase of methanol-water. The detection wavelength was 268 nm, the column temperature was set at 35 degrees C, the flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and the analytic time was 130 min. The software "Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of TCMs" (Version 2004A) was employed to generate the mean chromatogram and carry out the similarity analysis of the samples. SPSS 17.0 was employed to carry out the cluster analysis. RESULTS Similarity of Z. bungeanum was 0.909 - 0.992 and that of Z. schinifolium was 0.930 - 0.999. There were 27 common peaks in HPLC Fingerprints of Z. bungeanum and 24 in that of Z. schinifolium. Their HPLC standard fingerprints were obvious difference. They belonged to different categories in cluster analysis. CONCLUSION The method is simple, accurate and rapid. It could obviously distinguish Z. bungeanum from Z. schinifolium. So it suggests that HPLC fingerprints should be one of the quality control indexes of Zanthoxyli Pericarpium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Song
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu College of Medicine, Chengdu 610083, China.
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Ozkutlu F, Sekeroglu N, Koca U, Yazici G. Selenium concentrations of selected medicinal and aromatic plants in Turkey. Nat Prod Commun 2011; 6:1469-1472. [PMID: 22164785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent scientific studies have proven the importance of trace elements on human health. The main food supplies are plants and animals, which are significant sources of these minerals. Studies on determining mineral compositions of herbs, spices and some other crops have increased all over the world. Published works revealed that spices, herbs and medicinal plants should be consumed to obtain beneficial trace elements. Selenium (Se), one of the most vital trace elements, has a significant role in human diet acting as a preventative agent against some serious illnesses. Despite numerous scientific works on mineral compositions of medicinal and aromatic plants, investigations of selenium content in these foods could not be successfully studied until recently due to the lack of suitable analytical methods for selenium analysis. Thus, publications on selenium concentrations of foods are recent. In this regard, selenium contents of some medicinal and aromatic plants commonly used as spices, herbal teas and traditional medicines in Turkey were studied in the present research. Selenium contents of the most used parts of these plants were analyzed by ICP-OES (Varian Vista-Pro, Australia). Of the analyzed 26 medicinal and aromatic plants, the highest Se concentration (1133 microg kg-1) was found in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and the lowest in sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) fruits (11 microg kg(-1)).
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Affiliation(s)
- Faruk Ozkutlu
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural, Ordu University, 52200, Ordu, Turkey.
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Chen Y, Wu Y. [Application of gene detection technology in food species identification]. Se Pu 2011; 29:594-600. [PMID: 22097783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
It is critical to determine the biological identity of all ingredients in food to ensure its safety and quality. Modern gene detection technology makes species identification in food more accurate, sensitive and rapid. A comprehensive review on its current applications in the last decade and the future perspective in food species identification is presented, including a brief introduction of gene detection methods, and their applications in plant-originated food, animal-originated food, high value-added food and highly processed food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Chen
- Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, Beijing 100123, China.
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