Ethnobotany of the Kiluhikturmiut Inuinnait of Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Canada

The disparity in floral diversity between tropical and arctic regions is reflected in a paucity of ethnobotanical research among arctic cultures. The Kiluhikturmiut Inuinnait are an Inuit subpopulation who inhabit the Kitikmeot Region of the Territory of Nunavut in Canada’s Arctic. We conducted an ethnobotanical survey in the Inuinnait hamlet of Kugluktuk to document the traditional uses of plants as food, materials, and medicine. Data were gathered through unstructured interviews, participant observation, purposive sampling, and voucher-specimen collection of all plants used. Uses were documented for 23 plant species/types contained in 14 families. Nine species/types were eaten, six species/types were used as materials, and 12 species were used for medicine. Villagers shared common knowledge of plants used for food and materials; however, knowledge of medicinal plants was restricted to a single healer. We argue that specialized knowledge such as the use of medicinal plants is important to document especially when the number individuals using this knowledge is dwindling.

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Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Management of Sickle Cell Disease by Traditional Medical Practitioners of Gbonyin Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria

Nigerian Journal of Natural Products and Medicine ◽

10.4314/njnpm.v19i0.8 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 78-84

Author(s):

TI Famojuro ◽

JO Moody

Keyword(s):

Sickle Cell Disease ◽

Local Government ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Plant Species ◽

Sickle Cell ◽

Mangifera Indica ◽

Local Government Area ◽

Herbal Remedies ◽

Cell Disease ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey

Ethnobotanical survey was conducted on plants used traditionally for the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) in Gbonyin Local Government Area (LGA) of Ekiti State, South Western Nigeria. The study was conducted to document some of the medicinal plants used in the management of SCD with the aim of identifying possible drug leads from the phytomedicine of the area. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on the use of herbal remedies for the management of SCD. A total of 32 respondents were interviewed in this study. twenty of them were males while twelve were females with the age range of 25 to 70 years. A total of 44 plant species belonging to 44 genera and 30 families were identified to be useful for the management of SCD. The most prominent among these plant families (genera) are Anacardiaceae (Anacardium occidentalis, Mangifera indica, Spondias mombin), Euphorbiaceae (Croton lobatus, Jatropha gossypifolia, Plukeneta conophora) and Fabaceae (Cajanus cajan, Pterocarpus osun, Cassia siamea) with three species each. Eighty percent (80%) of the 32 respondents interviewed said that their clients did not report any side effect and that the herbs were either collected from the forest (where available) or purchased from the herb markets. In all, the commonest plant species among the recipes given by the respondents according to their Use Mention Index (UMI) include: Elaeis guineense Jacq., Arecaceae (0.124); Khaya grandifoliola C.DC., Meliaceae (0.094); Carica papaya L., Caricaceae(0.094); Hymenocardia acida Tul., Phyllanthaceae (0.094); Mangifera indica L., Anacardiaceae (0.094); Parquetina nigrescens (Afzel.) Bullock, Asclepiadaceae (0.094) and Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich., Annonaceae (0.094).The main method of preparation is by decoction and in most cases, the preparation is taken orally twice to thrice daily. All the plants identified in this work have been used by most of the herbalists and adjudged to be efficacious in SCD management. The study concluded that the medicinal folklore of the Ekiti State LGA covered by this survey indicated high potential for drug discovery for the management of sickle cell disease.Keywords: Ethnobotany, Sickle Cell Disease, Traditional Medicine, Gbonyin LGA, Medicinal Plants

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An Ethnobotanical Survey of a Dryland Botanical Garden and Its Environs in Kenya: The Mutomo Hill Plant Sanctuary

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2020/1543831 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Fredrick Munyao Mutie ◽

Lun-Lun Gao ◽

Vivian Kathambi ◽

Peninah Cheptoo Rono ◽

Paul Mutuku Musili ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Plant Species ◽

Relative Frequency ◽

Digestive System ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Botanical Garden ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Plant Parts ◽

Plant Families ◽

Growth Habits

Mutomo hill plant sanctuary is a ten-hectare piece of land in Kenya listed as a botanical garden under the Botanical Gardens Conservation International, originally established in 1964 with the aim of conserving indigenous flora from destructive anthropogenic activities. This paper presents ethnobotanical documentation of medicinal plants of Mutomo hill plant sanctuary and its environs. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in Mutomo hill plant sanctuary and its environs with 48 herbalists aged between 32 and 96 years from July 2018 to February 2019 using a semistructured open-ended questionnaire. The plants were collected through random surveys with each herbalist in different ecotypes around the villages and within the Mutomo hill plant sanctuary. The Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) for each species reported was calculated to determine the plant species frequently collected. In total, 68 different plant species distributed in 28 families and 54 genera were reported. The frequently used plant families were Leguminosae (13 species), Lamiaceae (6 species), and Euphorbiaceae (6 species). Shrubs (37%) and trees (34%) were the dominant growth habits reported. The most cited plant species were Cassia abbreviata Oliv. (RFC = 0.63), Acacia nilotica (L.). Delile (RFC = 0.54), Strychnos heningsii Gilg (RFC = 0.46), and Aloe secundiflora Engl. (RFC = 0.31). Root (19 species) and bark (19 species) were the frequently collected plant parts. Infectious diseases (33) and digestive system disorders (24) were reported to be managed with the majority of the plant species. This study contributes to safeguarding the traditional knowledge on medicinal plants in the study area, which is useful in appreciating and acknowledging the cultural heritage of the Kamba people from the local perspective of Mutomo area in Kenya. It also adds to the knowledge base and documentation of medicinal plants, which is useful information as potential data for drug development.

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An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by traditional healers for the treatment of cancer in Hammanskraal and Winterveld, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa

African Health Sciences ◽

10.4314/ahs.v21i4.31 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 1746-53

Author(s):

Idris O Raimi ◽

Boikanyo G Kopaopa ◽

Liziwe L Mugivhisa ◽

Francis B Lewu ◽

Stephen O Amoo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Skin Cancer ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Plant Species ◽

Trifolium Pratense ◽

Traditional Healers ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Indigenous Plants ◽

Citation Frequency ◽

Traditional Practitioners

Background: Knowledge of medicinal plants used by the traditional healers are mostly confined among the locals and the adherents, hence, proper enquiry and documentation can help the ever dynamic scientific world to find permanent cure to the menace of such deadly diseases such as cancer. This study aimed at (1) specifically recording medicinal plants traditionally used for the treatment of cancer in Hammanskraal and Winterveld, South Africa, and (2) documenting the different methods of preparation and administration of those medicinal plants as recorded during the study. Method: An open-ended semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 90 willing traditional healers in Hammanskraal and Winterveld area, Tshwane Municipality, South Africa to document plants used for cancer treatments. The study was conducted over a period of six months (July – December, 2018). Descriptive statistics was used to present the obtained data. Results: The study recorded twenty-eight plant species belonging to 18 families for the treatment of different types of cancer. Plant species in the Fabaceae family particularly Lessertia frutescens (L.) Goldblatt and J.C. Manning, Senna italica Mill and Trifolium pratense L. were the most prominently mentioned (highest citation frequency) by the traditional healers for lung, and skin cancer treatment. Based on the citation frequency, the most treated cancer by the traditional healers is in the order: skin cancer > lung cancer > breast cancer > prostate cancer > cervical cancer. The method of preparation included decoction(32.3%), infusion (29%), paste (16.1%) and maceration (22.6%). Conclusion: In addition to the documentation of indigenous knowledge related to the use of medicinal plants in the traditional management of cancer in South Africa, this study opens a vista for investigations into the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of the documented plants. Keywords: Cancer; Indigenous plants; Medicinal plants; South Africa; Traditional practitioners.

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Documentation of Indigenous Knowledge on Folk Medicine in Doddakavalande Doddakavalande Hobli, Nanjangud Taluk of Mysore District, Karnataka

Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics ◽

10.22270/jddt.v10i1.3726 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 39-47

Author(s):

M Nagalakshmi ◽

S Rashmi

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Indigenous Knowledge ◽

Traditional Knowledge ◽

Plant Species ◽

Folk Medicine ◽

Traditional Healers ◽

Drug Formulation ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Traditional Medicines ◽

Herbal Formulations

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to collect information from traditional healers on the use of herbal medicine in Doddakavalande Hobli, Nanjangud taluk of Mysore District. The indigenous knowledge of local healers was documented through questionnaire and personal interviews. In the present study, about 19 respondents of age group between 50 to 89 yrs gave information of traditional medicines used to cure different ailments. Of about 35 plant species belonging to 26 families were used for the treatment of human ailments. In which family Fabaceae and Polygonaceae contained 3 plant species, followed by Acanthaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apocynaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Poaceae contained 2 species each, and the rest of the families Amaryllidaceae, Anacardiaceae, Apiaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Asteraceae, Cleastraceae, Crassulaceae, Lamiaceae, Lecythidaceae, Meliaceae, Olaceae, Phylanthaceae, Piperaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Poaceae, Polygonaceae, Rutaceae, Smilacaceae, Solanaceae, Styracaceae and Zingiberaceae. Habit wise analysis of medicinal plant species used indicated that herbs (19 species) were the most preferred life form followed by trees (8 species), shrubs (5 species) and climbers (3 species) for drug formulation. Herbal formulations were administrated either internally or applied externally depending on the type of ailment. Local people in the study area possess traditional knowledge of medicinal plants to treat various human ailments, therefore it is necessary to preserve the indigenous knowledge on traditional medicines by proper documentation, identification of plant species used, and herbal preparation. Keywords: Ethnobotany, Traditional knowledge, Medicinal plants, Mysore district.

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Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Imperatriz, State of Maranhão, Northeastern Brazil

Acta Amazonica ◽

10.1590/1809-4392201600584 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 345-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alexandre Batista PENIDO ◽

Selene Maia de MORAIS ◽

Alan Bezerra RIBEIRO ◽

Ana Zélia SILVA

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Plant Species ◽

Local Population ◽

New Drugs ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Ethnobotanical Study ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Administration Routes ◽

Plant Parts ◽

Lippia Alba

ABSTRACT The study of medicinal plants reveals locally important plant species often useful for the discovery of new drugs. The objective of this research was to conduct an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the population of the Imperatriz city, State of Maranhão, Northeastern Brazil. Two hundred and five interviews were conducted, resulting in the collection of 60 plant species from 31 plant families. The highest number of species belongs to Fabaceae, followed by Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Euphorbiaceae. The most reported species were Chenopodium ambrosioides, Myracrodruon urundeuva, Lippia alba, and Plectranthus barbatus. The main plant parts used were leaves (63.3%), bark (16.7%), fruits (6.7%), roots (6.7%), seeds (3.3), stems (1.7%) and latex (1.7%). Major administration routes were by oral (81.7%) or nasal via (1.6%) and topical application (16.7%) The plants were used to mitigate various health problems including pain, asthma, hypertension, gastritis, inflammation, influenza, and tuberculosis. The collected data shows that local population uses medicinal plants for treatment of several diseases and this study can serve as a basis for future chemical and pharmacological investigation, which can lead to the discovery of new therapeutic agents.

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Ethnobotany of Indigenous Saraguros: Medicinal Plants Used by Community Healers “Hampiyachakkuna” in the San Lucas Parish, Southern Ecuador

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2017/9343724 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

José M. Andrade ◽

Hernán Lucero Mosquera ◽

Chabaco Armijos

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Ethnic Group ◽

Plant Species ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Southern Ecuador

This paper reports the results of an ethnobotanical survey on the use of medicinal plants by community healers “Hampiyachakkuna” in the San Lucas Parish, province of Loja, Ecuador. A particular ethnic group, the indigenous Saraguros, inhabits this region. This study reports 183 plant species used in 75 different curative therapies by the Saraguro healers.

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Ethnobotany applied to the selection of medicinal plants for agroecological crops in rural communities in the Southern End of Bahia, Brazil

Revista Fitos ◽

10.32712/2446-4775.2021.1091 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 40-57

Author(s):

Marcelo Neto Galvão ◽

Glauco Villas Bôas ◽

Marilza Machado ◽

Marcus Felipe Silva ◽

Odara Boscolo

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Participant Observation ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Therapeutic Alternative ◽

Vulnerable Communities ◽

A Value ◽

Euterpe Edulis ◽

Cariniana Legalis ◽

Selection Of

The present work targeted the ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants for introduction to agroecological crops in 9 rural communities in the southern end of the state of Bahia, Brazil, as an economic and therapeutic alternative for the local populations. Prior agreement from the communities was requested and the research was submitted to the ethics committee; the registration of access to genetic heritage and associated traditional knowledge was performed. The following methodologies were used: participant observation, "snowball", "walking in the woods"; semi-structured questionnaires and calculation of the Main Uses Concordance index (CUPc). The species were evaluated according to their origin and degree of threat. 233 species, distributed in 73 families, were cited, with emphasis on Asteraceae (27spp.), Fabaceae (18 spp.) and Lamiaceae (16 spp.). Among these, 48% are native, 52% are naturalized and/or exotic and one vulnerable species was found (Euterpe edulis Mart.) and one endangered (Cariniana legalis (Mart.) Kuntze). The CUPc revealed 25 spp. with a value equal to or greater than 50% in at least one community. These results are expected to contribute to the selection of medicinal plants that serve as an economic and therapeutic alternative for vulnerable communities, as well as in stimulating the preservation of sociobiodiversity.

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Ethnobotanical Survey of Plants’ Stem Barks used in Kaduna State of Nigeria

International Journal of Pharmacology Phytochemistry and Ethnomedicine ◽

10.18052/www.scipress.com/ijppe.12.23 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 23-34

Author(s):

Modupe J. Ayeni ◽

Joshua Kayode

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Plant Species ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Chemical Constituents ◽

Structure Questionnaire ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Forest Reserves ◽

Plant Medicine ◽

Ready Availability

Inventory of plant species whose barks were sold in markets located in two local government areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria was carried out in this study. Three markets were selected randomly from each of the two Local Government Areas of the study area. In each market, 10 medicinal plant vendors and 10 respondents were randomly selected and interviewed with the aid of semi structure questionnaire matrix. Plants whose stem barks were of medicinal values were identified; their mode of preparations and utilizations were documented. The respondents were diverse and cut across socioeconomic classification. Respondents’ consciousness was linked to oral transfer of the indigenous knowledge on plants and the recent realization of their economic values thus trading and the act of apprenticing in trading in medicinal plants is now a viable entrepreneurial venture. 54 plant species, belonging to 28 families, have their barks valued for medicine and were sold in the study area. The species were rich in diverse chemical constituents. The sales and patronage of the identified barks, in the study area, transcend gender but skewed to the males due to religious belief thus suggesting that gender specific roles in medicinal plants could be faith-based. Dependence on plant barks was borne out of the age long tradition and confidence of the people on plant medicine. This was complimented by their affordability and ready availability especially in the markets in the study area. Most of the identified barks were sourced outside the study area though forest reserves abound in all parts of the state, yet importation dominated the supply chain as the reserves were highly depleted due to anthropogenic activities. This study tends to support the previous clamour for biodiversity conservation through cultivation of the identified plant species in the study area.

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Ethnomedicinal Study of Plants in Begumgonj, Noakhali, Bangladesh

10.21203/rs.3.rs-490592/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Akter Kazi-Marjahan ◽

Noor Hasan Sajib ◽

Dong-Min Kang ◽

Mi-Jeong Ahn ◽

Sheik Bokhtear Uddin

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Plant Species ◽

Skin Diseases ◽

Traditional Healers ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Traditional Use ◽

Informant Consensus ◽

Field Interview ◽

Ethnomedicinal Knowledge ◽

Area Data

Abstract Backgraound: The aim of this study was to document and preserve the ethnomedicinal knowledge used by traditional healers of Begumganj upazila, Bangladesh, to treat human diseases and evaluate the relative efficacy of the medicinal plants.Methods: The uses of medicinal plants were documented as an ethnomedicinal data sheet using direct observation, field interview, plant interview and group interview techniques from December 2012 to January 2014 in the study area. Data were collected from 98 traditional healers through a questionnaire survey and analyzed through informant consensus factor and fidelity level.Results: Overall, 75 plant species under 71 genera of 47 families were documented, which are used to treat 41 diseases. Data analysis revealed that 41.33%, 14.67%, 36% and 8% of the medicinal plant species were herbs, shrubs, trees, and climbers, respectively. Leaves were the most used parts, followed by stem, root, fruit, bark, latex and rhizome. The most frequently treated diseases were dysentery, rheumatism and skin diseases.Conclusions: This is the first ethnobotanical survey, which recorded the importance of medicinal plants in Begumgonj upazila, Bangladesh. This study can contribute to preserving the indigenous knowledge on the traditional use of medicinal plants in this region and attract future generations towards traditional healing practice.

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An Ethnobotanical Survey and Quantitative Study of Indigenous Medicinal Plants Used in the Algerian Semi-arid Region

Phytothérapie ◽

10.3166/phyto-2018-0077 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (3-4) ◽

pp. 204-219

Author(s):

A. Kefifa ◽

A. Saidi ◽

K. Hachem ◽

O. Mehalhal

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Plant Species ◽

Arid Region ◽

Local Population ◽

Ethnobotanical Study ◽

Fidelity Level ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Semi Arid Region ◽

Medicinal Flora ◽

Semi Arid

This paper presents the first quantitative ethnobotanical study of the flora in the semi-arid region in the southwest part of Algeria. The aim of this ethnobotanical survey in the region of El Bayadh situated in the semi-arid part of Algeria was to identify the main medicinal plants used by the local inhabitants to treat different diseases and to collect all the data on their therapeutic characteristics. One hundred informants of different ages were interviewed for this study (69 women and 31 men). Both quantitative and qualitative information were collected through open semi-structured face-to-face interviews with the local people. Data were organized and analyzed by descriptive statistics. The ethnobotanical data were analyzed using various important quantitative indices calculated for each of the recorded medicinal plant species like use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), relative importance index (RII), informants’ agreement ratio (IAR), informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), and family importance value index (FIV). In addition, a correlation analysis was performed to check the level of association between RFC and both UV and RII. It was reported that 44 useful plant species, belonging to 26 botanical families were used in the treatment of various diseases. The Asteraceae family was the most common family (6 species, 13.64%, FIV = 0.94) of all the medicinal plants recorded in this study. Leaves were the most commonly used plant part, accounting for 50.77% of the plants reported. Eighty-three diseases were identified and grouped into eleven categories, dominated by diseases of the nervous system and sensory organs (ICF = 0.94), which were treated with local medicinal plants. There is a clear dominance of Artemisia herba alba Asso. (Chih) in the three important ethnobotanical indices (UV, RFC, and RII).We found in this study five plant species having maximum fidelity level (100%) where they were used to treat only one disease. The Pearson correlation coefficient between RFC and UV (0.986**), and between RFC and RII (0.713**) showed highly positive significant association between RFC and both UV and RI of plant use in the study area. We deduce that herbal medicine is used in selfmedication of the local population; however, we also draw attention to the fact that the incoherent and limitless use of the medicinal flora constitutes a potential risk contributing to the degradation of the plant biodiversity of the area of study. These results may complement the database of the national medicinal flora and support research in phytochemistry and pharmacology to discover new drugs and approve ethnomedicinal knowledge.

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