Ethnobotany of the garífuna of Eastern Nicaragua

We report the diversity of plants used by the Garifuna focusing on medicinals. Garifuna plants documented in this study are distributed among 75 families, 193 genera, and 254 species. Included are 229 medicinals, 93 food plants, and 94 species for other uses. Garifuna medicinals treat more than 30 human ailments and most are native (74%) to eastern Nicaragua. About 70% of the medicinals have some bioactive principle, most are herbs (37%) or trees (34%), and leaves are the most frequently utilized plant part. Most are prepared as decoctions and are administered orally. Most food plants are domesticates, and only 14 of 51 domesticated food species are native to the NW tropics with only three to Mesoamerica. Garifuna culture is changing rapidly as a result of contact with immigrating mestizos from central Nicaragua. This study provides a written record of folk medicine and ethnobotany for the people of eastern Nicaragua.     

Ethnobotany of the Rama of Southeastern Nicaragua and Comparisons with Miskitu Plant Lore<Superscript>1</Superscript>

Ethnobotany of the Rama of Southeastern Nicaragua and Comparisons with Miskitu Plant Lore. The Rama are one of the three Amerindian groups of eastern Nicaragua. This is the first systematic study of Rama ethnobotany. A total of 249 plant species, in 190 genera and 78 families, were documented as useful. Included are 190 species used as medicinals, 80 as food plants, and 99 for other uses. The ethnobotanical lore of two distinct indigenous groups, the Rama and Miskitu, were compared. Out of 249 species used by the Rama, 171, or 69%, were used by both groups, and 78 unique species were used by the Rama. These results have important implications for the understanding of ethnobotany as they demonstrate how unrelated indigenous groups sharing the same ecosystem, though separated by some physical distance, can have significantly similar ethnobotanical lore.

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Resumen   Etnobotánica de los Ramas del Oriente Nicaragüense y Comparasiones con el Saber Etnobotánico de los Miskitus. Los Ramas constituyen uno de los tres grupos Amerindios del oriente Nicaragüense. Este es el primer studio sistemático de la etnobotánica Rama. Se documentó un total de 249 especies de plantas útiles en 190 géneros y 78 familias. Incluyendo 190 especies medicinales, 80 especies alimenticias y 99 especies para usos auxiliares. La erudición etnobotánica de los Ramas y los Miskitus fueron comparados. Un total de 171 de 249 especies documentadas son usados por ambos grupos y 78 especies solo por los Ramas. Estos resultados tienen implicaciones importantes para el entendimiento de la etnobotánica porque demuestran que grupos sin parentesco alguno que comparten el mismo ecosistema aunque separados por cierta distancia pueden tener una similitud significativa en la erudición etnobotánica.

     

Traditional medicinal plant use in Northern Peru: tracking two thousand years of healing culture

This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Northern Peru, with special focus on the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and San Martin. Northern Peru represents the center of the old Central Andean "Health Axis," stretching from Ecuador to Bolivia. The roots of traditional healing practices in this region go at least as far back as the Moche period (AC 100–800). Although about 50% of the plants in use reported in the colonial period have disappeared from the popular pharmacopoeia, the plant knowledge of the population is much more extensive than in other parts of the Andean region. 510 plant species used for medicinal purposes were collected, identified and their vernacular names, traditional uses and applications recorded. The families best represented were Asteraceae with 69 species, Fabaceae (35), Lamiaceae (25), and Solanaceae (21). Euphorbiaceae had twelve species, and Apiaceae and Poaceae 11 species. The highest number of species was used for the treatment of "magical/ritual" ailments (207 species), followed by respiratory disorders (95), problems of the urinary tract (85), infections of female organs (66), liver ailments (61), inflammations (59), stomach problems (51) and rheumatism (45). Most of the plants used (83%) were native to Peru. Fresh plants, often collected wild, were used in two thirds of all cases, and the most common applications included the ingestion of herb decoctions or the application of plant material as poultices.     

Rue (Ruta L., Rutaceae) in traditional Spain: Frequency and distribution of its medicinal and symbolic applications

Rue was one of the main medicinals in the European folk tradition, and it was also considered an important means of protection against supernatural evil in many parts of the world. All of the primary ethnobotanical sources from Spain were reviewed for information about the uses and importance of this plant. The data were analyzed for both content and geographical distribution. The most frequent applications relate to medicinal, veterinary, or protective virtues. The results show a high correspondence of the main medicinal uses to the pharmaceutically demonstrated properties of the plant: emenagogue and abortifacient; digestive; improve circulation; treat rheumatism; treat infections and inflammation; to relieve pain, and remove parasites among others. Most of the uses cited for Spain occur in several areas of the country, showing a high degree of homogeneity of the ethnobotanical knowledge of these species in Spain. The main recipes and applications are discussed.     

Prioritization of medicinal plants on the basis of available knowledge, existing practices and use value status in Uttaranchal, India

In order to understand the pattern of indigenous uses of medicinal plants available in the Uttaranchal state of the Indian Himalaya, this study was undertaken through literature survey and fieldwork in various parts of the state. A list of all the major and most of the lesser categories of ailments was prepared and categorized with the help of medical practitioners. A total of 300 plant species used in curing 114 ailments prevailing in various ethnic and non-ethnic communities of Uttaranchal were documented. These 114 ailments were further grouped into 12 broad classes of diseases in order to project the indigenous uses of medicinal plants for various ailments. It was found that herbs contributed the highest number of medicinal plants (65%), followed by shrubs (19%) and trees (16%). The maximum number of plant species were used to cure generalized body aches and colic, followed by gastrointestinal and dermatological problems. Vitex negundo was the most important species, used for the treatment of more than 48 ailments. Azadirachta indica, Woodfordia fruticosa, Centella asiatica, Aegle marmelos, Cuscuta reflexa, Butea monosperma, Phyllanthus emblica, and Euphorbia hirta were among other important medicinal plants based on their high use values. The underground parts of the plant were used in the majority of cases. Of 300 medicinal plants, 35 were rare and endangered species, of which about 80% was restricted to the high altitude alpine region of Uttaranchal Himalaya. A priority list of 17 medicinal plant species was prepared on the basis of endemism, use value, mode of harvesting and rarity status. Strategies for long-term conservation of these valuable medicinal plants are discussed.     

An ethnobotanical survey of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants used by the traditional healers of the Lwamondo area,Limpopo province,South Africa

The use of medicinal plants in the treatment and prevention of diseases is attracting the attention of scientists worldwide. Approximately 3000 plant species are currently used by an estimated 200,000 indigenous traditional healers in South Africa. The specific part of the plant used for medicinal applications varies from species to species, and from one traditional healer to another. This study was carried out to explore and record those plants and plant parts used for treating various human ailments by the traditional healers of the Lwamondo area in the Limpopo province, South Africa for medicinal purposes. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 30 traditional healers (24 females and 6 males) in the Lwamondo area of Venda, by means of a data capture questionnaire focusing on the local names of the medicinal plants, their medicinal uses, the plant parts used, and methods of preparation and of administering treatments to patients. The survey identified 16 medicinal plants from 7 families, with 14 genera, used to treat a range of ailments in the Lwamondo area. The Fabaceae family was the most commonly used plant family representing 43.8% of all the medicinal plants species recorded by this study, followed by the Varbenaceae family at 18.8%. The plant parts most frequently used were the roots (44.5%), followed by the leaves (25.9%), bark (14.8%), the whole plant (11%), and flowers (3.7%). Most of the traditional healers obtained their extracts by boiling the medicinal plants. The most often recurring ailment treated by healers was stomach problems, using 31.3% of all the medicinal plants reported in this study for preparing such treatments. The following medicinal plants were covered by this study: Annona senegalensis, Schkuhria pinnata, Diospyros mespiliformis, Piliostigma thonningii, Senna obtusifolia, Bauhinia galpinii. The rural communities of the Lwamondo area possess a wealth of information on medicinal plants and their applications. This ethnobotanical survey can help scientists identify for further research those plants whose medicinal properties may be useful in the development of new drugs.     

Diversity of plant uses in two Caiçara communities from the Atlantic Forest coast, Brazil

Caiçaras are native inhabitants of the Atlantic coast on southeastern Brazil, whose subsistence is based especially on agriculture and artisanal fishing. Because of their knowledge about the environment acquired through generations, Caiçara people can play an important role in Atlantic Forest conservation. An ethnobotanical study was conducted within two Caiçara communities (Ponta do Almada and Camburí beach, São Paulo State, Brazil), focusing on plant uses. In 102 interviews, 227 plant ethnospecies were quoted, mainly for food, medicine, handicraft and construction of houses and canoes. People from studied communities depend on the native vegetation for more than a half of the species known and used. Using diversity indices, plant uses are compared between studied communities and between gender and age categories within each community. We found quantitative differences in the knowledge about plants between gender categories for each kind of use (medicinal, food and handicrafts). Older and younger informants also have different knowledge about plants for handicraft and medicine, but not for edible plants.     

Investigation of some bioactive Thai medicinal plants

It has been estimated that plants are the most important source of medicine for more than 80% of the world’s population. Medicinal plants are a vital source of medication in developing countries. Despite the wealth of human experience and folklore concerning the medicinal uses of plants, proper scientific investigation has only been applied to a small fraction of the world’s plants. This is a cause of grave concern as plant species continue to disappear. A rapid response to this situation is urgently needed to prevent the disappearance of the plant species and the ethnopharmacological knowledge that accompanies them. In this review, recent work on the investigation of selected bioactive Thai medicinal plants is presented. Their biological activities against infectious diseases including antimalarial and anti-HIV, are highlighted, as well as their anticancer, antiulcer and anti-inflammatory properties. The chemical transformations of some selected compounds are discussed. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Tilapia (Teleostei: Cichlidae) status in Nicaraguan natural waters

We surveyed the watersheds covering more than 80% of the surface area of Nicaragua, and review the history of deliberate introductions and unintentional invasion of tilapias, Oreochromis spp., into the freshwater of Nicaragua. The species have become widely established, with a range of negative consequences for the rich natural fish fauna of this Central American country. Tilapias compete directly with native cichlids in a number of ways, and have also supplanted native species as food fish in local markets. We suggest that introduced tilapias may have been responsible for the outbreak of blindness in native cichlids. We make recommendations on the management of these exotic species and on further introductions. An erratum to this article can be found at     

无量山国家级自然保护区药用维管植物资源多样性研究

以景东无量山国家级自然保护区为对象,通过样地调查、标本鉴定和查阅资料,对保护区内药用维管植物的种类和生存状况进行研究。结果显示,保护区内药用维管植物共有80科168属218种,占该区维管植物总数的57.37%。药用维管植物生长型分析表明,草本植物占绝对优势。药用部位分析表明,以根和全草入药是其主要利用形式。对药用维管植物的功效分析显示,该地区以清热类、活血化淤类和祛风湿类药物为主。对保护区内药用维管植物濒危等级的评估显示,无危种类占总数的82.11%,说明保护状况良好。保护区不同功能区内维管植物物种丰富度为:核心区缓冲区实验区,其中药用维管植物所占的比例为:核心区缓冲区实验区。对不同功能区药用维管植物相似性分析结果表明,核心区和实验区物种为极不相似;核心区和缓冲区物种为轻度相似。本研究表明保护区的建立对药用植物多样性保护起到了重要作用,明确了保护区药用维管植物的种类及生存状况,为进一步开展药用植物资源的保护和利用研究提供了参考。     

Comparative use patterns of plant resources in rural areas of South Africa and Zimbabwe

Documentation of use patterns of plants across national boundaries is of relevance in understanding the importance of plant resources to livelihood strategies of different ethnic groups. Plant resources have gained prominence as a natural asset through which families derive food, firewood, income, medicines and timber, enabling particularly poor communities to achieve self-sufficiency. The objective of this study was to investigate the trends in plant usage in South Africa and Zimbabwe. An ethnobotanical investigation was conducted between January 2012 and January 2013 in the Limpopo Province, South Africa and the Midlands Province, Zimbabwe. The study used questionnaire surveys and interviews with a total of 143 participants to explore plant use patterns in South Africa and Zimbabwe. A total of 98 plant species were identified, with Zimbabwe contributing 70 species and 47 species from South Africa. The uses were classified into 15 categories, major use categories were firewood, food plants, medicine and timber. Food plant was a major plant use category in Zimbabwe, contributing 55.1%, followed by medicinal plants (36.8%), firewood (35.7%) and timber (31.6%). In contrast, firewood was the major plant use category in South Africa, contributing 18.4%, followed by food plants (17.3%), medicinal (14.3%) and timber (1.0%). Comparison of the two countries demonstrated remarkable differences in plant use patterns. The results showed that rural households in Zimbabwe were more reliant on plant resources than their counterparts in South Africa. Such a trend could be attributed to a close relationship between the local people, and their natural and agricultural environment leading to a rich knowledge base on plants, plant use and related practices. This comparative analysis strengthens the firm belief that utilization of plant resources represents an important shared heritage, preserved over the centuries, which must be exploited in order to provide further new and useful body of ethnobotanical knowledge.     

Plant knowledge of the Shuhi in the Hengduan Mountains, Southwest China

The Shuhi are a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group of around 1,500 people living exclusively in the Shuiluo Valley, southwest China. We documented their plant knowledge concerning wild collected species, and analyzed food, medicine, and ritual uses. Overall, uses, collection sites, and use frequencies of 136 plant species were documented. The plants were divided in fodder (46 spp.), food (43 spp.), medicine (27 spp.), ritual plants (20 spp.), fuelwood (17 spp.), plants used for construction (8 spp.), ornamentals (2 spp.), and "others" (34 spp.). Food plants mainly consist of fruits and leafy vegetables, and the uses are comparable with those of other ethnic groups in the area. Knowledge about medicinal plants is relatively limited, since traditional Shuhi healers use ritual and other healing methods instead of medicinal plants. Ritual plants play an important role relative to human well-being. Villagers and ritualists use them to keep the environment clean of malevolent spirits and to maintain a good relationship with the deities. All habitats, from the dry shrub vegetation at the valley bottom up to the alpine shrub, are used for plant collection, but 87% of all species are collected in the near vicinity of the villages around the fields and in the dry shrub vegetation. Finally, we postulate two main factors influencing wild plant use among the Shuhi: cultural values and accessibility.     

Ethnobotany of the Fort Yukon Region,Alaska

Native plants of the Fort Yukon region, Alaska, were identified as to their medicinal, edible and material uses by the Gwich'in Athabaskan and Caucasian residents. Forty eight species or groups of native plants were identified as having some use predominantly as medicines (40%) and as food or beverage (56%). Their value in past and present Gwich ’in culture is discussed.     

Knowledge and use of medicinal plants by local specialists in an region of Atlantic Forest in the state of Pernambuco (Northeastern Brazil)

This paper investigates the wealth of medicinal plants used by the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. Apatani have traditionally settled in seven villages in the Ziro valley of Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayan region of India. The present study has resulted in the documentation of 158 medicinal plant species used by the Apatani group of villages. These medicinal plant species were distributed across 73 families and 124 genera. Asteraceae was the most dominant family (19 species, 11 genera) of medicinal plants, followed by Zingiberaceae, Solanaceae, Lamiaceae and Araceae. For curing ailments, the use of aboveground plant parts was higher (80%) than the belowground plant parts in the Apatani group of villages. Of the aboveground plant parts, leaf was used in the majority of cases (56 species), followed by fruit. Different belowground plant forms such as root, tuber, rhizome, bulb and pseudo-bulb were used by Apatani as a medicine. About 52 types of ailments were cured by using these 158 medicinal plant species. The results of this study are further discussed in the changing socio-economic contexts.     

Are native and non‐native pollinator friendly plants equally valuable for native wild bee communities?

Bees rely on floral pollen and nectar for food. Therefore, pollinator friendly plantings are often used to enrich habitats in bee conservation efforts. As part of these plantings, non‐native plants may provide valuable floral resources, but their effects on native bee communities have not been assessed in direct comparison with native pollinator friendly plantings. In this study, we performed a common garden experiment by seeding mixes of 20 native and 20 non‐native pollinator friendly plant species at separate neighboring plots at three sites in Maryland, USA, and recorded flower visitors for 2 years. A total of 3,744 bees (120 species) were collected. Bee abundance and species richness were either similar across plant types (midseason and for abundance also late season) or lower at native than at non‐native plots (early season and for richness also late season). The overall bee community composition differed significantly between native and non‐native plots, with 11 and 23 bee species being found exclusively at one plot type or the other, respectively. Additionally, some species were more abundant at native plant plots, while others were more abundant at non‐natives. Native plants hosted more specialized plant–bee visitation networks than non‐native plants. Three species out of the five most abundant bee species were more specialized when foraging on native plants than on non‐native plants. Overall, visitation networks were more specialized in the early season than in late seasons. Our findings suggest that non‐native plants can benefit native pollinators, but may alter foraging patterns, bee community assemblage, and bee–plant network structures.     

The ability of Nature Reserves to conserve medicinal plant resources: A case study in northeast China

Medicinal plants are important resources and are under serious threat due to human interference and climate change. We used species richness maps to find hotspots of medicinal plant localities and then modeled the environmental variables with a large effect on their distribution. We began by using a combination of species distribution models (SDMs) and geographic information system (GIS) tools to generate species richness maps of medicinal plants in northeast China. First, we conducted a detailed investigation of 2884 study plots in northeast China and selected 49 medicinal plant species for further analysis. The field surveys performed for this study spanned four years and identified a large number of new populations of medicinal plants in the forests of northeast China. We modeled and mapped the potential distributions of these 49 species and found that species richness hotspots are concentrated in the eastern and northeastern areas of the study region. We then analyzed the results of jackknife tests and found that the most important environmental variables on medicinal plant distribution are related to precipitation. Finally, we used the geographic distribution of medicinal plant richness to evaluate the ability of existing Nature Reserves to conserve these plants. By acquiring model data and using SDM and GIS to evaluate the current distribution and richness of medicinal plants, we are able to evaluate their current protection status and make recommendations about their utilization. This analysis could be expanded to assess medicinal plant populations in other regions where there are adequate records of the current distribution of medicinal plants.     

A Preliminary Study of Traditional,Wild Medicinal,Edible Plants in Xishuangbanna,Yunnan, China

An ethnobotanical study was conducted through interview and field work during 20103-20117 to determine the wild medicine food plants used by the local people of Xishuangbanna, southwest Yunnan, China. All information provided on the uses of medicine food plants by local communities was documented. In addition, the disk diffusion method was used to test the antibacterial activities of some plants. A total of 95 plant species belonging to 43 families were reported as medicine food plants, with Solanaceae (6 species) and Lamiaceae (6 species) being the most represented families. Most plants used were herbs (495%), of which 20 were screened for antibacterial activities. Baphicacanthus cusia and Solanum spirale showed moderate antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus. Our interviews revealed that in the study area wild plants are still commonly used for food and medicinal purposes by people in their daily lives. However, there is a gradual loss of traditional knowledge about these plants due to a decline in inter generational transmission of knowledge. Loss of this precious knowledge is a major concern.     

西双版纳传统利用的野生药食两用植物

2010年3月至2011年7月对西双版纳少数民族传统利用的药食两用植物进行民族植物学调查,通过访谈和野外调查工作, 收集并记录了关于当地社区传统利用药食两用植物的传统知识以及其他相关信息,并选择了其中20种植物进行抗菌活性的筛选。共调查统计了43科95种西双版纳传统利用的药食两用植物,从分类学角度来看,以茄科（6种）和唇形科（6种）最多,其中草本植物占了最大比例,为495%。对其中20种植物的抗菌活性筛选结果显示,只有马蓝（Baphicacanthus cusia）和旋花茄（Solanum spirale）对金黄色葡萄球菌有抑菌活性。从调查中可以看出：药食两用植物的利用在当地人的日常生活中仍占有相当重要的分量。但随着近年来经济快速发展导致的传统知识的急剧流失和森林的大面积砍伐,很多植物已经逐渐从人们的生活中淡出,如何保护这些传统知识并使其能够可持续发展下去是一个值得思考的问题。     

A review on ethno-medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The traditional medicine based on medicinal plants in the Kingdom of Arabia Saudia presents a strong relationship belonging to natural remedies, health, diet, and folk healing practice recognized by a specific culture. The aim of the current study is to carry out an ethnobotanical review on medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in the Kingdom of Arabia Saudia including information on plant species, used parts, preparation method as well as medical uses. Earlier published data in journals, textbooks, periodicals, websites, and databases written in pharmacological evidence of Suadi medicinal plants were based on gathering information. The present review work reported that 96 species belonging to 47 families have been used in Saudi Pharmacopeia. Amaranthaceae has the highest number of plant species (7) Followed by Asteraceae, Apocynaceae, and Fabaceae with 5 plant species in each. The inventoried plant species in the current work are frequently used for the treatment of various illnesses and to ensure the medication safety of Saudi people. The biological analysis of plant form used in Saudi natural remedies showed the dominance of herb and subshrub form with a percentage of 43% and 30% respectively. The most used preparation method of plant drugs, which used in Saudi Alternative medicine was decoction and infusion. The whole plant, leaves, seeds, and aerial parts were the most useful plant parts in natural preparation in Saudi traditional medicine with a percentage of 29%, 28%, 7%, and 5% respectively as reported in the present review work. The present review work gives big data about medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including data about plant species, used parts, preparation method as well as medical uses.