Quantifying Medicinal Plant Knowledge among Non–Specialist Antanosy Villagers in Southern Madagascar

Quantifying Medicinal Plant Knowledge among Non–Specialist Antanosy Villagers in Southern Madagascar. Medicinal plant knowledge among non–specialist Antanosy villagers of southeastern Madagascar was investigated in a two–stage study. First, free–listing was used to collect the names of medicinal plants most familiar to local people. Data were organized by habitat and frequency into a short list of the 42 most frequently listed plants by habitat. A second group of interviewees were asked to name health conditions that could be treated with plants on the short list. Age, gender, and dwelling proximity to the forest were tested across the general habitat in which medicinal plants were found: in or near the village, in disturbed buffer areas between the village and the forest, or in the forest itself. Neither age nor gender was significant in free–listing. Naming health conditions treated with specific plants showed that knowledge increases with age and that for all but the oldest age group, women knew more plant uses than men. Women knew more plants from the village and buffer areas, and fewer from the forest than men. The proximity of the home to the forest had no influence on medicinal plant knowledge. The non–specialists interviewed named an average of 14 medicinal plants and most knew an average of 37 uses for 9 of the 42 most common medicinal plants. The most common conditions for people knew of plant treatments were stomach ache, babies’ fevers, and several unlisted conditions. Both exotic and endemic plant species were known to the non–specialists indicating that medicinal plant knowledge is being sustained and adapted to changes affecting both the people and their environment.     

Yucatec Maya Medicinal Plants Versus Nonmedicinal Plants: Indigenous Characterization and Selection

Medicinal plants are an important part of the environment as it is perceived by Mexican indigenous groups. The aim of this study, which was conducted over a period of 18 months in three Yucatec Mayan communities, is to better understand the selection criteria for medicinal plants. An important group of selection criteria are the flavor and aroma of plants. The absence of smell or taste indicates that the taxon has no potential medical value. Medicinal plants are more often considered to be sweet or aromatic (to smell good) or astringent, while a similar percentage of medicinal and nonmedicinal plants are considered bitter, spicy, acidic, or bad smelling. The relationship between the ethnobotanical data obtained for the individual plants and the secondary plant products (natural products) prominent in each species is specifically addressed in this paper. It shows that an understanding of the indigenous concepts used to distinguish medicinal from nonmedicinal species has considerable heuristic value.     

Medicinal Plants of the Washambaa (Tanzania): Documentation and Ethnopharmacological Evaluation

Abstract: Medicinal plants are an important local resource for the Washambaa of the Western Usambara Mountains in Tanzania. In this study the Washambaa medicinal plants are inventoried. It is based on ethnobotanical fieldwork carried out over 15 months. This study presents for the first time an analysis of medicinal plants used in Africa with a ranking of these taxa by the frequency of their reported use. A total of 328 taxa were collected and yielded 2260 individual use reports. The most popular species are Myrica salicifolia and Toddalia asiatica. Subsequently, the use reports were arranged into 9 groups of medicinal uses based on the types of illness treated. The F actor of I nformant C onsensus (F_IC) is used in order to evaluate the ethnobotanical importance of the plants. The largest number of plants and of use reports are in the group of gastrointestinal disorders. For the most commonly used taxa, an ethnopharmacological evaluation was performed. Studies to evaluate the Washambaa therapeutic claims as well as toxicological data are still lacking for many of the species. This study will form the basis for pharmacological and phytochemical research on selected Washambaa medicinal 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.     

湘西地区祛风除湿药用植物的资源调查及可持续利用建议

湘西地区祛风除湿的医药传统知识历史悠久,但相关药用植物的资源本底和传统知识现状还不够清楚。该文基于民族植物学调查方法,对湘西地区祛风除湿药用植物的组成、相关传统知识、定量评价、实际估价和在《湖南省中药材标准》(2009年版)收录情况等方面进行了系统梳理,并就该类资源的可持续利用提出了相关建议。结果表明:(1)湘西地区目前利用的祛风除湿药用植物共有48科65属71种,以毛茛科(Ranunculaceae)和五加科(Araliaceae)居多。(2)根、全株、茎(藤)为主要利用部位。(3)生活型主要是草本、藤本和灌木,乔木较少。(4)与药用植物相关的传统知识在代际传播方面存在不确定性。(5)寻骨风(Aristolochia mollissima)、威灵仙(Clematis chinensis)和广防风(Anisomeles indica)显示出最高的知识一致性水平,是本次调查中3种最常用的祛风除湿药用植物。(6)当地药用植物的本地价格受市场影响较小,总体维持在较为平稳的水平,且缺乏对药材消费需求的了解。(7)有25种祛风除湿药用植物在《湖南省中药材标准》(2009年版)收录的功能与主治为祛风除湿、关节痹痛、风湿等。随着现阶段我国资源立法的不断完善,建议对湘西地区祛风除湿药用植物相关传统知识加强保护,提高该类资源的生物多样性和可持续利用水平; 并充分利用多学科交叉知识和技术手段,加强区域内传统医药资源的发掘和创新,使湘西丰富的药用植物资源更好地为人类健康做出贡献。     

药用植物基因组及EST研究

以生物信息学数据库GenBank的生物信息为基础 ,对包括《中国药典》2 0 0 0年版一部、《新编中药志》第 1～ 3卷、《中国大百科全书》(中国传统医学分册 )、中国医学科学院药物研究所编写的《中草药现代研究》及《天然药物化学》第三版中所涉及的 2 30 0多种药用植物的基因组、蛋白质及表达序列标签 (EST)的注册情况进行了初步统计 ,就相关进展进行了综述。到 2 0 0 3年 9月底截止的数据分析表明 ,66%的药用植物没有核酸序列报道 ,77%的药用植物没有蛋白质序列注册。进行药用植物基因组研究的植物与国家十分有限 ,而进行药用植物EST研究的国家相对较多 ,涉及的植物也相对集中 。     

湖南蓝山县端午药市的瑶药调查

中国南方一些少数民族地区民间“端午药市”流传至今,体现了民族医药的独具特色及其深远影响。为了解瑶族端午药市交易现状和发掘民族医药传统知识,采用民族植物学等方法对湖南省蓝山县端午药市进行调查,完成包括基原、地方名、药用部位、用途和用法、出现频度等内容的药用植物编目。结果表明:蓝山县端午药市药用植物种类丰富,共收集鉴定103科 222属262种,药用植物种类广泛分布于各科和各属中,其中种类较多的科有五加科(11种)、茜草科(11种)、菊科(11种)、百合科(10种)、唇形科(9种)、蝶形花科(8种)、芸香科(7种)。药市药浴植物畅销且种类多样,达94种,占总数的35.9%,体现瑶族在治疗疾病上以预防保健为主的理念。经统计药市上均未被国家药典和地方标准收录的药用植物有131种,占总数的50.2%,成为发掘新药源、新用途的潜在资源。对端午药市售药者年龄的调查发现,售药者的年龄主要集中在50～59岁间,占总人数的67%,40岁以下的仅占总人数的3%,可见民族药用传统知识的传承存在传承人老龄化、潜在传承人数量锐减的现象。此外,还对药市交易药用植物的种类组成和民族药用特色进行分析,探讨了端午药市对药用传统知识保护与传承的影响,并对蓝山端午药市的可持续发展提出了建议。     

Operculina turpethum (convolvulaceae) as a medicinal plant in Asia

Medicinal uses ofOperculina turpethum by several groups of people are described, and linguistic evidence is used in connection with medicinal philosophies to reconstruct historic dispersal routes of the plants.     

Plants Used for Reproductive Health by Nahua Women in Northern Veracruz,Mexico

Plants Used for Reproductive Health by Nahua Women in Northern Veracruz, Mexico. This paper reports the use of medicinal plants by Nahua women in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. It documents the women’s plant knowledge for reproductive purposes, which includes uses such as conception, pregnancy, birth, contraception, menstruation, post-partum, and general reproductive health. The concept of equilibrium is very important in regaining health among the Nahua; consequently, many of the medicinal plants have this as their primary purpose. The introduction of biomedical clinics and hospitals in the region has had a significant effect on the loss of knowledge about medicinal plants. Additionally, the midwives are not taking any new apprentices and laywomen are not passing on their knowledge to future generations. This generational gap contributes to the loss of knowledge about medicinal plants. This research contributes to the study of indigenous ethnobotany by (a) creating a record of the plant knowledge possessed by indigenous women, (b) giving voice to some of their health concerns, (c) indicating how the introduction of biomedicine has affected their plant use, and (d) providing a framework for understanding how marginal peoples around the world respond to the impact that globalization and change has on their health needs and local ethnobotanical knowledge.     

DIACAN: Integrated Database for Antidiabetic and Anticancer Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants and plant derived molecules are widely used in traditional cultures all over the world and they are becoming large popular among biomedical researchers and pharmaceutical companies as a natural alternative to synthetic medicine. Information related to medicinal plants and herbal drugs accumulated over the ages are scattered and unstructured which make it prudent to develop a curated database for medicinal plants. The Antidiabetic and Anticancer Medicinal Plants Database (DIACAN) aims to collect and provide an integrated platform for plants and phytochemiclas having antidiabetic or anticancer activity.

Availability

http://www.kaubic.in/diacan     

Use of Medicinal Plants Among Thai Ethnic Groups: A Comparison

Economic Botany - Use of Medicinal Plants Among Thai Ethnic Groups: A Comparison. Thailand has a large rural population that uses traditional medicinal plants extensively. The country is also the...     

Medicinal Plant Knowledge Among Lay People in Five Eastern Tibet Villages

Tibetans in five villages in the Mount Khawa Karpo area of the Menri (Meili Xueshan in Chinese) range, Northwest Yunnan, People’s Republic of China, were interviewed about their knowledge of a number of medicinal plants and their uses. There was large variation in people’s knowledge with significant differences among the villages and between men and women. Most of the reported knowledge focused on a small number of commercial plants and their uses. In comparison with Tibetan doctors, villagers generally knew fewer applications and focused on general health remedies. Many people collected medicinal plants for their own use as well as for sale, but also obtained medicinal plant remedies from markets and Tibetan doctors, and often used traditional Tibetan healthcare in conjunction with biomedical treatment.     

Traditional usage of medicinal plants among the local communities of Peshawar valley,Pakistan

Peshawar has a miscellaneous range of population that consequently brought their traditional knowledge of plants to the valley. Aims of the study were to report and document the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants resources of the Peshawar valley. The main objective of the study was to assess and document the ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants in the study area. Data collection was carried out from March 2017 to December 2017. About 250 informants of different ages were interviewed; most of them were aged people between 60 and 70 years. The interviews were conducted using structured questioner composed of various questions about the ethnomedicinal uses of plants. The data was quantitatively analyzed using quantitative indices like frequency citation FC, use value (UV), use report (UR), relative frequency citation (RFC) Fidelity level (FL) and Jaccard index (JI). A comparison with previous ethnomedicinal studies in order to report some novel uses. A total of 71 plants species belonging to 59 genera and 31 families were being used for various ailment treatments. Out of 31 families, Asteraceae and Amaranthaceae (7 species each) were found the dominant families. Regarding plant habit, herbs 63% were the leading growth form. Leaves were the most frequently used part of the plant in the preparation of medicines. The most frequent mode of preparation was decoction while the oral route of administration was the preferred mode of administration. A review of the active compounds of the reported plants was also documented to authenticate the data. Medicinal plants for high ranked diseases to be to screen for further ethnopharmacological and phytochemical studies. The medicinal flora of the valley is facing improper collection, overgrazing, browsing, deforestation, industrialization, construction of roads and buildings. Therefore proper conservation strategies may be adapted to promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants.     

Potential significance of medicinal plants in forensic analysis: A review

Medicinal plants are a two-edged sword that might be exploited as a treatment specific dosage, and as deadly poisonous substances to commit murder or suicide when administered in high doses. Forensic experts can collect traces and residual materials from these toxic medicinal plants at a crime scene as forensic evidence. Further, more investigations need to be deeply implemented to in the future to understand the significance of medicinal plants in forensic investigations to detect these criminal offenses. Additionally, to provides a deep understanding of chemical substances that can impact human life positively or negatively with different doses as well as identifying the optimal or overdose concentrations for either treatments or poisonous effects using recent biotechnological approaches. This review aims to illustrate different contributions and the significance of medicinal plants in the field and further employment in the context of forensic science, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.     

药用植物微生物组及其与药用植物次生代谢产物的关系

药用植物是中药的原料,是中药产业的源头,其生长发育受遗传和环境等诸多因素的影响。以往研究强调植物基因型及生态因子对药用植物产量和品质的影响。近几年,随着人类微生物组研究的推进,植物微生物组作为植物整体的重要组成部分在药用植物的生长发育、品质形成甚至药效等方面的作用也日益受到重视,有关植物微生物组的多样性,微生物组在植物生长发育中的作用已有较详细的综述,而有关药用植物微生物组及其与药用植物次生代谢产物间关系的综述较少。本文重点总结了自2010年以来药用植物微生物组的研究进展,包括药用植物微生物组物种组成、功能及其与药用植物次生代谢产物产生的关系等,并对其在药用植物提质增效及其生态种植中的潜在应用进行了展望。     

Patterns of Knowledge and Use of Medicinal Plants in Santiago Camotlán,Oaxaca, Mexico

Medicinal plants continue to play an important role in healthcare, both in Mexico and around the world. We investigated the relationship between various sociodemographic factors, such as age, economic activity, years of schooling, socioeconomic levels, gender, and language proficiency, and the knowledge and frequency of medicinal plant use in Santiago Camotlán, Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, with a mainly Zapotec population. In a first stage, we interviewed specialists in depth and collected and identified plants for a catalogue of the medicinal plant flora (90 species). With this catalogue, we then interviewed a sample of the general population and the specialists on knowledge and frequency of use. The relationship between the sociodemographic variables and knowledge was analyzed by multiple regression. To explore differences of knowledge within the population, we identified three groups with a two-step cluster analysis; the results were compared statistically with a Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test and then a post hoc Dunn’s test to see if all the differences between groups were significant. Age and occupation explained 54% of the variation of knowledge. Medicinal plant knowledge in the region persists mainly because of the necessity to treat the diseases that the “doctor does not cure,” the culture-bound syndromes, and the most common ailments, malfunctions of the digestive system.     

Exploration and local utilization of medicinal vegetation naturally grown in the Deusai plateau of Gilgit,Pakistan

In the study area, the traditional knowledge regarding the uses of local wild medicinal plants for the health care of human and domestic animals is totally in hold of old people. The young ones are unaware about such an indispensable practices. The objective of the current study was to transfer this sort of precious knowledge from old members of the community to young generations in documented form.     

Small ruminant feed systems: perceptions and practices in the transitional zone of Ghana

Background

Medicinal plants are used by 80% of people from developing countries to fulfill their primary health needs, occupying a key position on plant research and medicine. Taking into account that, besides their pharmaceutical importance, these plants contribute greatly to ecosystems' stability, a continuous documentation and preservation of traditional knowledge is a priority. The objective of this study was to organize a database of medicinal plants including their applications and associated procedures in Canhane village, district of Massingir, province of Gaza, Mozambique.

Methods

In order to gather information about indigenous medicinal plants and to maximize the collection of local knowledge, eleven informants were selected taking into account the dimension of the site and the fact that the vegetation presents a great homogeneity. The data were collected through intensive structured and semi-structured interviews performed during field research. Taxonomical identification of plant species was based on field observations and herbarium collections.

Results

A total of 53 plant species have been reported, which were used to treat 50 different human health problems. More than half of the species were used for stomach and intestine related disturbances (including major diseases such as diarrhea and dysentery). Additionally, four species with therapeutic applications were reported for the first time, whose potential can further be exploited. The great majority of the identified species was also associated with beliefs and myths and/or used as food. In general, the community was conscientious and motivated about conservational issues and has adopted measures for the rational use of medicinal plants.

Conclusions

The ethnomedicinal use of plant species was documented in the Canhane village. The local community had a rich ethnobotanical knowledge and adopted sound management conservation practices. The data compiled in this study show the social importance of the surveyed plants being a contribution to the documentation of PGR at the national and regional level.