scholarly journals Food and medicinal relevance of Cucurbitaceae species in Eastern and Southern Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olaoluwa Omoniyi Olarewaju ◽  
Olufunke Omowumi Fajinmi ◽  
Georgina Dede Arthur ◽  
Roger Murugas Coopoosamy ◽  
Kubendran Kista Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Main Body ◽  
African Culture ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa

Abstract Background The traditional use of medicinal plants is an integral part of African culture and plays a major role in African societies. For centuries, plants have been used to cure diseases and till date, a vast majority of the African people especially in rural communities depend on the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of various ailments. Main body The Cucurbitaceae family has a diversity of medicinally relevant species which also play significant roles in food security in Africa. While some are underutilised and are sourced from the wild, others are domesticated and cultivated for food. This review therefore highlights the significance of Cucurbitaceae species in Eastern and Southern African countries. The use of various species in the traditional food and medicine systems of these countries is documented. The review further discusses some poisonous species with close resemblance to edible plants. The fatal effect of consuming any part of such plant species like young or old leaves and unripe fruit is highlighted. Conclusion This review is thus a documentation of the crucial role of Cucurbitaceae species in food security, treatment of a variety of diseases and its negative effect on humanity and livestock.

scholarly journals Actualized inventory of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in Oaxaca, Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cruz-Pérez Alejandra Lucía ◽  
Barrera-Ramos Jacqueline ◽  
Bernal-Ramírez Luis Alberto ◽  
Bravo-Avilez David ◽  
Rendón-Aguilar Beatriz
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Risk Category ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
Almost All

Abstract Background Oaxaca is one of the most diverse states in Mexico from biological and cultural points of view. Different ethnic groups living there maintain deep and ancestral traditional knowledge of medicinal plants as well as traditional practices and beliefs about diseases/illnesses and cures. Previous ethnobotanical research in this state has helped document this knowledge, but with the addition of more studies, more records appear. We updated the inventory of medicinal knowledge between the different ethnic groups that inhabit the Oaxacan territory. Methods A database was constructed from two sources: (1) original data from a 3-year project in 84 municipalities of Oaxaca inhabited by eight ethnic groups and (2) different electronic databases. Results Records of 1032 medicinal plants were obtained; 164 families were registered, with Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Rubiaceae being the most commonly used. A total of 770 species were reported in 14 vegetation types; the most important species came from temperate forests. Only 144 species corresponded to introduced species, and 272 were listed in a risk category. Illnesses of the digestive and genitourinary systems as well as culture-bound syndromes were treated with high numbers of medicinal plants. The Mestizo, Mixe, Mixtec, and Zapotec ethnic groups exhibited the greatest number of recorded medicinal plants. The 17 species that were used among almost all ethnic groups in Oaxaca were also used to cure the highest number of diseases. Discussion Inventories of medicinal plants confirm the persistence of traditional knowledge and reflect the need to recognize and respect this cosmovision. Many species are gathered in wild environments. The most important illnesses or diseases recorded in the present inventory are also mentioned in different studies, suggesting that they are common health problems in the rural communities of Mexico. Conclusions Medicinal plants are essential for ethnic groups in Oaxaca. It is necessary to recognize and understand the complex ancestral processes involved in the human-nature interaction and the role of these processes in the conservation of biodiversity and in the survivorship of ethnic groups that have persisted for centuries. Finally, this study serves as a wake-up call to respect those worldviews.

Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
pp. 56-73
Author(s):  
Tolulope Kayode-Adedeji ◽  
Oyinkansola Ige ◽  
Thelma Ekanem
Keyword(s):  
Mass Media ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
African Culture ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Younger Women ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Mass Media

For ages, the African culture has limited the activities of women and conditioned, to a large extent, the mentality of most African countries about the place and positioning of women in the society. The mass media have been used as a tool in this. Promoting the abilities and achievements of women in the society is one of the important roles of the media in reducing the rate of gender discrimination. These achievements are becoming noticeable in politics and entrepreneurship; thus, setting a standard for other women in the society to build on. This chapter will explore the role of the media in promoting the woman entrepreneur in Nigeria. The study employed the survey research method for data gathering. Findings showed that women have equal opportunity to grow their businesses. Data shows that this growth is slow as there are no significant differences between respondents who agree or disagree with the availability of enabling environment for women to grow their business as compared to their male counterpart. The study recommends that the mass media need to give more voice to their businesses and activities to pave way and encourage the younger women in the society.

scholarly journals Forest Protection Unifies, Silviculture Divides: A Sociological Analysis of Local Stakeholders’ Voices after Coppicing in the Marganai Forest (Sardinia, Italy)

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 708
Author(s):  
Giampiero Branca ◽  
Irene Piredda ◽  
Roberto Scotti ◽  
Laura Chessa ◽  
Ilenia Murgia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Multiple Scale ◽  
Social Actor ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Forest Protection ◽  
The Social ◽  
Local Stakeholders

Today, a forest is also understood as a real social actor with multiple-scale influences, capable of significantly conditioning the social, economic, and cultural system of a whole territory. The aim of this paper is to reconstruct and interpret the population’s perception of the silvicultural activities related to traditional use of forest resources of the southwestern Sardinian Marganai State Forest. The “Marganai case” has brought to the attention of the mass media the role of this forest and its silviculture. The research was carried out via semi-structured interviews with the main stakeholders in the area. The qualitative approach in the collection and analysis of the information gathered has allowed us to reconstruct the historical-cultural and social cohesion function that the forest plays in rural communities. The results highlight that the main risks concern the erosion of the cultural forest heritage due to the abandonment of the rural dimension (mainly by the new generations, but not only), with the consequent spread of deep distortions in the perception, interpretation, and necessity of forestry activities and policy.

scholarly journals Exploring the Resource Value of Transvaal Red Milk Wood (Mimusops zeyheri) for Food Security and Sustainability: An Appraisal of Existing Evidence

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1486
Author(s):  
Abiodun Olusola Omotayo ◽  
Enioluwa Jonathan Ijatuyi ◽  
Adebayo Isaiah Ogunniyi ◽  
Adeyemi Oladapo Aremu
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Food And Nutritional Security ◽  
Exotic Fruits

Many African countries are endowed with rich biodiversity with enormous nutritional and economic prospects, but the majority of these resources are not fully harnessed. Exploring these neglected resources, for example, the Transvaal red milkwood tree [(Mimusops zeyheri) Sond. family: Sapotaceae] is of paramount importance for food and nutritional security as well as economic prosperity. This review provides a critical appraisal of the nutritional and health benefits as well as the economic potential of Mimusops zeyheri. The plant is known for its diverse uses among rural communities. In folk medicine, the decoction from the bark and leaves of Mimusops zeyheri are used for treating wounds and ulcers, while the root is used as an infusion taken to treat candidiasis and other health issues. The nutritional profile of the fruit tree is similar to popular exotic fruits and richer in vitamin C when compared to guava and orange. Mimusops zeyheri is a rich source of vitamins, protein, and fatty acids. Based on the rich chemical pool, especially in the fruit and seeds, it has the potential to provide an accessible, readily available, and affordable enriched functional food with valuable health benefits. However, the successful exploration of Mimusopszeyheri for food security and sustainability requires multidisciplinary research. This will help achieve the envisaged food-nutrition security and poverty alleviation potential of the plant, especially among local communities.

scholarly journals Role of Medicinal Plants and Natural Products on Osteoporotic Fracture Healing

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Azri Abd Jalil ◽  
Ahmad Nazrun Shuid ◽  
Norliza Muhammad
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Fracture Healing ◽  
Bone Fractures ◽  
Bone Fracture Healing ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Eurycoma Longifolia ◽  
Hematoma Formation ◽  
Complex Process

Popularly known as “the silent disease” since early symptoms are usually absent, osteoporosis causes progressive bone loss, which renders the bones susceptible to fractures. Bone fracture healing is a complex process consisting of four overlapping phases—hematoma formation, inflammation, repair, and remodeling. The traditional use of natural products in bone fractures means that phytochemicals can be developed as potential therapy for reducing fracture healing period. Located closely near the equator, Malaysia has one of the world’s largest rainforests, which are homes to exotic herbs and medicinal plants.Eurycoma longifolia(Tongkat Ali),Labisia pumila(Kacip Fatimah), andPiper sarmentosum(Kaduk) are some examples of the popular ethnic herbs, which have been used in the Malay traditional medicine. This paper focuses on the use of natural products for treating fracture as a result of osteoporosis and expediting its healing.

The consumption of wild meat in Madagascar: drivers, popularity and food security

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
KIM E. REUTER ◽  
HALEY RANDELL ◽  
ABIGAIL R. WILLS ◽  
BRENT J. SEWALL
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Meat Consumption ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Luxury Good ◽  
Wild Pigs ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
Wild Meat

SUMMARYThe role of wild meat for subsistence or as a luxury good is debated. We investigated the role of wild meat in food security in Madagascar, where consumption is poorly understood in urban areas and at regional scales. Using semi-structured interviews (n = 1339 heads-of-households, 21 towns), we aimed to: (1) quantify the amount and purpose of, (2) understand the drivers of, and (3) examine changes in wild meat consumption. Few respondents preferred wild meat (8 ± 3%) but most had eaten it at least once in their lifetime (78 ± 7%). Consumption occurred across ethnic groups, in urban and rural settings. More food insecure areas reported higher rates of wild meat consumption in the 6–8 months prior to interviews. Consumption was best explained by individual preferences and taboos. Less than 1% of respondents had increased consumption during their lifetimes. Wild meat prices showed no change from 2005–2013. Most consumption involved wild pigs and smaller-sized animals, though they were consumed less in the years following the 2009 coup. These data illustrate the differences between urban and rural communities, the occasions in which wild meat is used a source of food security, and provide evidence that some taxa are not hunted sustainably in Madagascar.

scholarly journals African culture and managerial behaviour: Clarifying the connections

2003 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Mufune
Keyword(s):  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
African Culture ◽  
Managerial Behavior ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Administrative Training

There is an increasing recognition that Management is a critical factor in the running of African organizations and in pulling African countries out of their economic crisis. Although efforts have been made to provide management and administrative training, the role of culture in management remains poorly understood. This paper evaluates studies that look at the role played by African culture in managerial behaviour. It examines how values and approaches derived from African culture may or may not be affecting managers and the functioning of organizations. It examines how African managers diverge from managers in other countries. It concludes by emphasizing that there are many shortcomings in research on the African culture-managerial behavior dynamic. It points to various suggestions that may help clarify the inconclusive results in this area of research.

Application of Technology in Music Education in Selected African Countries

2017 ◽  
pp. 580-586
Author(s):  
Benon Kigozi
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Educational Policy ◽  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Regular Classroom ◽  
Music Teaching ◽  
African Culture ◽  
African Music ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Computer Based

Culturally, many Africans feel that African music must be taught in context and through methods that are specific to Africa. Thus far, “African culture” and instructional practices in Africa have not succeeded in consistently incorporating computer-based technology for music education into regular classroom instruction, even at those few schools that can afford it. Computer-based technology must therefore prove to have a generic role of preservation and advancement of the culture if it is to be integrated in music education. Through discussion of music teaching in Namibia, Ghana, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Kenya, this chapter illustrates how governmental educational policy reflects and relates to expectations for technology in music education.

scholarly journals PLANTS OF GANDHAMARDAN IN MATERNAL CARE: AN ETHNOBOTANICAL APPROACH

2021 ◽  
pp. 70-73
Author(s):  
SONALIKA DAS ◽  
SULAGANA MOHATY ◽  
SHEETISWAPNA NAYAK ◽  
KALPITA BHATTA
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Maternal Care ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Synthetic Drugs ◽  
Photo Documentation

Objective: The traditional use of plants in herbal medicine has paved the way for drug discovery. With a view of this, the present study was carried out in Gandhamardan hills which are a rich source of medicinal plants. However, there are copious reports about the plants used in maternal care. Therefore, an attempt has been made to record and document the plants of these hills utilized in maternal care. Methods: The ethnobotanical information on applications of different plant species to cure diseases and ailments of pregnancy, birth (parturition), and postpartum (puerperium) were documented through personal discussions, interviews with focused groups combined with field visits, voice recordings, and photo documentation. Results: The study showed that 24 vascular plant species belonging to 24 genera and 22 families have been used in maternal care. Most of the species were herbs (50%) followed by trees (32.5%), climbers, and herbs (20%). It was observed that among all the parts, generally leaves were widely used. Conclusion: This ethnobotanical study documented the use of plants among the local community. It also revealed that the medicinal plants of the hills are a cheap source of herbal drugs for the rural communities. The information gathered can be used for further scientific investigation to develop new plant-based commercial drugs as they will be safer than synthetic drugs.

Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria

2018 ◽  
pp. 1401-1418
Author(s):  
Tolulope Kayode-Adedeji ◽  
Oyinkansola Ige ◽  
Thelma Ekanem
Keyword(s):  
Mass Media ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
African Culture ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Younger Women ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Mass Media

For ages, the African culture has limited the activities of women and conditioned, to a large extent, the mentality of most African countries about the place and positioning of women in the society. The mass media have been used as a tool in this. Promoting the abilities and achievements of women in the society is one of the important roles of the media in reducing the rate of gender discrimination. These achievements are becoming noticeable in politics and entrepreneurship; thus, setting a standard for other women in the society to build on. This chapter will explore the role of the media in promoting the woman entrepreneur in Nigeria. The study employed the survey research method for data gathering. Findings showed that women have equal opportunity to grow their businesses. Data shows that this growth is slow as there are no significant differences between respondents who agree or disagree with the availability of enabling environment for women to grow their business as compared to their male counterpart. The study recommends that the mass media need to give more voice to their businesses and activities to pave way and encourage the younger women in the society.

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