scholarly journals Ethnomedicinal Plant Knowledge of the Karen in Thailand

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 813
Author(s):  
Methee Phumthum ◽  
Henrik Balslev ◽  
Rapeeporn Kantasrila ◽  
Sukhumaabhorn Kaewsangsai ◽  
Angkhana Inta
Keyword(s):  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Informant Consensus ◽  
Hill Tribe ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Cultural Importance Index ◽  
Medicinal Use ◽  
Plant Uses ◽  
Ethnomedicinal Plant ◽  
Plant Families

The Thai Karen, the largest hill-tribe in Thailand, guard substantial ethnomedicinal plant knowledge, as documented in several studies that targeted single villages. Here, we have compiled information from all the reliable and published sources to present a comprehensive overview of the Karen ethnomedicinal plant knowledge. Our dataset covers 31 Karen villages distributed over eight provinces in Thailand. We used the Cultural Importance Index (CI) to determine which species were the most valuable to the Karen and the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) to evaluate how well distributed the knowledge of ethnomedicinal plants was in various medicinal use categories. In the 31 Karen villages, we found 3188 reports of ethnomedicinal plant uses of 732 species in 150 plant families. Chromolaena odorata, Biancaea sappan, and Tinospora crispa were the most important medicinal plants, with the highest CI values. The Leguminosae, Asteraceae, Zingiberaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Acanthaceae, Apocynaceae, and Menispermaceae were the families with the highest CI values in the mentioned order. A high proportion of all the 3188 Karen use reports were used to treat digestive, general and unspecified, musculoskeletal, and skin disorders.

scholarly journals Ethnomycological Study of Wild Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms in District Jammu, J&K, India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roshi Sharma ◽  
Y. P Sharma ◽  
S. A.J. Hashmi ◽  
Sanjeev Kumar ◽  
R. K. Manhas
Keyword(s):  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Jammu And Kashmir ◽  
Medicinal Mushrooms ◽  
Informant Consensus ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Cultural Importance Index ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Union Territory

Abstract Background: Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has a rich tradition of usage of wild edible mushrooms (WEM) for culinary and medicinal purposes. But very few studies, restricted to some regions of the Union Territory, have been conducted to enlist the WEM. District Jammu has never been explored for WEM. Moreover, the quantification of the traditional knowledge of WEM has not been carried out as yet in J&K. Therefore, the present study was conducted in Jammu district with aims of; enlisting the WEM and its usage, finding the most used WEM, and enumerating the consensus of usage for a species and associated knowledge. Methods: Data of use reports was collected as per semi–structured questionnaire from 192 randomly selected informants. The cultural importance index (CI) and informant consensus factor (Fic) were calculated on the basis of use reports. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate the significance of differences in the usage of WEM among the different informant categories.Results: Results of the present study show that the locals were having the knowledge of fourteen fleshy fungi that are mainly utilized for culinary purposes. They also affirmed various medicinal values of some of these fungi. Termitomyces sp. (CI, 0.57) was the most important and diversely used species. Termitomyces heimii, Termitomyces clypeatus and Termitomyces striatus var. annulatus were the other frequently consumed species by the locals. More than 78.6% of these WEM were new records as culinary and medicinal for Jammu and Kashmir (UT). Agaricaceae and Lyophyllaceae were the largest families and Termitomyces (5 species) the most represented genera. Females, elders, and informants who have not attended schools were having significantly (P<0.05) higher information regarding WEM. The maximum consensus was recorded for the use of WEM as culinary with 596 citations and 0.98 Fic, and the minimum homogeneity was found for their use in skin diseases (42 citations and 0.76 Fic).Conclusion: The inhabitants of district Jammu had good knowledge of WEM, but no documentation, lying of most of the information with elders and uneducated people, and destruction of forests and other natural habitats of WEM pose serious threat of losing this valuable information in near future. An ardent need is to educate locals regarding regionally available WEM. Further studies are recommended for developing protocols of cultivation of these WEM so that their future availability is ascertained along with creating income resources for the local population.

Folk medicines of Bafra (Samsun-Turkey)

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elif Karcı ◽  
İlhan Gürbüz ◽  
Galip Akaydın ◽  
Tuğba Günbatan
Keyword(s):  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Use Value ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Gradual Reduction ◽  
Quantitative Indices ◽  
Cultural Importance ◽  
Informant Consensus ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Cultural Importance Index

AbstractObjective:In this study, determination and documentation of folk medicines that are being used by indigenous people in Bafra was aimed.Materials and methods:Scientific trips were organised to the region and folk medicines were identified by interviewing individuals which have knowledge of folk medicine. One hundred and fifty-five plant samples were collected during the study. Obtained data were statistically analysed by using four quantitative indices; “informant consensus factor”, “use value”, “relative frequency of citation” and “cultural importance index”.Results:Fifty-three genera and 62 taxa belonging 33 families were recorded to be used in the treatment of different diseases. The usage of five species (Conclusion:Once again, the present investigation has highlighted the gradual reduction in the use of folk medicines, and ethnobotanical knowledge has been falling into oblivion rapidly. Therefore, ethnobotanical inventory surveys should be undertaken throughout Turkey before this important cultural heritage becomes lost.

scholarly journals Using ICPC-2 Standard to Identify Thai Zingiberaceae of Pharmacological Interest

Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 906
Author(s):  
Methee Phumthum ◽  
Henrik Balslev
Keyword(s):  
Digestive System ◽  
Curcuma Longa ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Informant Consensus ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Cultural Importance Index ◽  
Pharmacological Interest ◽  
Pharmacological Potential ◽  
Ethnomedicinal Uses

The Economic Botany Data Collection Standard (EBDCS) is a widely used standard among ethnobotanists. However, this standard classifies ethnomedicinal uses into categories based on local peoples’ perception. It is difficult to apply in pharmacological research. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC), now updated to ICPC-2, is more related to medical terms, but is rarely used among ethnobotanists. This study aims to apply the ICPC-2 to classify metadata of the ethnomedicinal uses of Zingiberaceae plants in Thailand, in order to identify important medicinal taxa for future research. Data on the ethnomedicinal uses of Thai gingers were collected from 62 theses, journal articles, scientific reports and a book, published between 1990 and 2019. Scientific plant names were updated using The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) website. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) was used to identify the medicinal issues commonly treated with gingers, and the Cultural Importance Index (CI) was used to identify species that might have pharmacological potential. We found records of 76 ginger species with ethnomedicinal uses, and together they had 771 use reports. The gingers were commonly used for treatments related to digestive system conditions, particularly abdominal pain and flatulence. Gingers remain exceedingly important in Thai ethnomedicine, with a high number of useful species. They are used to treat a variety of health conditions, but most commonly such ones that are related to the digestive system. Apart from the popular studied ginger, Curcuma longa, we identified a number of other useful gingers in Thailand.

scholarly journals High-Value Plant Species Used for the Treatment of “Fever” by the Karen Hill Tribe People

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Methee Phumthum ◽  
Nicholas J. Sadgrove
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Terminal Condition ◽  
World Population ◽  
Hill Tribe ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Cultural Importance Index ◽  
Karen People ◽  
Hill Tribes ◽  
The Hill

The symptom “fever” is generally not itself a terminal condition. However, it does occur with common mild to severe ailments afflicting the world population. Several allopathic medicines are available to attenuate fever by targeting the pathogen or the symptom itself. However, many people in marginal civilizations are obligated to use locally grown medicinal plants due to limited access to common pharmaceuticals. The Karen ethnic group is the biggest ethnic minority group in the hill-tribes of Thailand. They utilise a vast repertoire of medicinal plant species. Since many modern drugs were discovered out of traditional therapies, it is possible to discover new allopathic drugs in the treatment of fever and associated pathogens from the Karen people. Thus, this study aims to identify and record the ethnomedicinal plants they used for the treatment of “fever”. The names of plants used by the Thai Karen people for the treatment of fever were mined from publications on ethnomedicinal uses. Useful plant species and families were identified using the Cultural Importance Index (CI). With the mined data, 125 plant species from 52 families were identified, distributed across 25 Karen villages. A chemical cross-examination of these species provided valuable insights into chemical classes worthy of further investigation in the context of fever and associated pathogens.

scholarly journals An ethnobotanical study on the Chuanqing People of China based on an herbal market survey at the Dragon Boat Festival

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinghe Wang ◽  
Ling Zhao ◽  
Chi Gao ◽  
Jiawen Zhao ◽  
Zixuan Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Guizhou Province ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Medicinal Plant Knowledge ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Cultural Importance Index ◽  
Dragon Boat

Abstract Background: The Chuanqing People (穿青人) are an ethnic group native to Guizhou Province of China, with a unique culture and rich knowledge of traditional medicinal plants. The herbal market at the Dragon Boat Festival plays an important role in the inheritance of traditional medicinal knowledge among the Chuanqing People. This study aims to record the characteristics, current situation, and problems of medicinal plant usage by the Chuanqing People of China. Such information is important for the inheritance and protection of the Chuanqing People’s traditional medical knowledge. Methods: Data were collected through key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews, and taxonomic identification. The results were compared with those of traditional Chinese medicine and other ethnic medicines in Guizhou Province. Data were analyzed with use-value (UV) and cultural importance index (CI) values. Results: A total of 102 species from 53 families and 92 genera were recorded, with Orchidaceae and Asparagaceae (6 species each), Berberidaceae and Compositae (5 species each), and Apocynaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, and Polygonaceae (4 species each) as the predominant families. The most frequently used taxon was Hedera nepalensis var. sinensis (Tobler) Rehder (UV and CI=0.29). Moreover, 71 investigated human ailments were grouped into 12 categories. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (34 mentions) were the most frequently mentioned in this study. Conclusions: The traditional herbal market during the Dragon Boat Festival is a hotspot of traditional medicinal plant knowledge of the Chuanqing People. However, urbanization threatens the inheritance of local medicinal plant knowledge. This study highlights the traditional medicinal knowledge of the Chuanqing People, providing basic data for further research on and protection of minority medicine.

scholarly journals Variability between socio-cultural groups and generations of traditional knowledge of the use of Euphorbia poissonii Pax in Benin

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gbodja Houéhanou François GBESSO ◽  
Jhonn Logbo ◽  
Jacques Evrard Charles Aguia Daho
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Scorpion Sting ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Cultural Importance ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Cultural Importance Index ◽  
Medicinal Use ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Derivatives Of

This study was conducted in the Municipality of Savalou to assess endogenous knowledge related to the use of Euphorbia poissonii in the Mahi and Nago ethnic groups. The survey was conducted through individual interviews with 112 people. The Relative Frequency, the Use Value, Fidelity and Cultural Importance index were used to assess the importance of each use. Correspondence analysis (CA) was used to describe the relationship between the categories of use and ethnicities and between the parts used of the plant and the ethnics groups. The analysis showed that the plant, Euphorbia poissonii, falls under three levels of major medicinal use, including: medicinal use of the stem, sap and leaf, which is the most common practice of the Mahi sociocultural group (UV=1.58) like Nago (UV=1.35). It helps to effectively treat measles (FL=23.08), incurable wounds (FL=22.30) and scorpion sting (FL=22.30). Powder, infusion and decoction are the forms of preparation of the products most used by the skin. The two socio-cultural groups all hold and effectively various knowledge of the use of different derivatives of the plant. The importance and increasing use of Euphorbia poissonii puts this plant under various pressures and threats from the population and it has no conservation measures to this day. Finally, this study not only alerts but also provides a scientific basis to define strategies for the conservation and protection of this neglected species.

scholarly journals Medicinal Ethnobotany of Wild Woody Plants: a Cross-cultural Comparison Around Georgia-turkey Border, the Western Lesser Caucasus

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ceren Kazancı ◽  
Soner Oruç ◽  
Marine Mosulishvili
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Knowledge Use ◽  
Separate Species ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Cross Cultural Comparison ◽  
Informant Consensus ◽  
Medicinal Use ◽  
Lesser Caucasus

Abstract Background: The Mountains of the Western Lesser Caucasus with its rich plant diversity, multicultural and multilingual nature, host diverse ethnobotanical knowledge related to medicinal plants. However, medicinal ethnobotany and the factors shaping the patterns of plant knowledge/use in the region have not been investigated broadly yet. Doing so could show the variations between communities and highlight the acknowledged salient medicinal plant species. We aimed to determine and discuss the similarities and differences of medicinal ethnobotany among people living in highland pastures on both sides of Georgia-Turkey border. Methods: During 2017 and 2018 summer transhumance period, we interviewed 119 participants, 74 in Turkey, 45 in Georgia, with semi-structured. We structured our data in use-reports (URs) following ICPC classification. We used Cultural Importance (CI) Index, Informant Consensus Factor (FIC), shared/separate species-use combinations, as well as literature data for comparison. Results:We documented 63 native wild woody plant species nearly half of which are in common on both side of the border. 267 distinct species-use combinations are reported.Only 7% of themare shared.Around 63% of the reports have not been mentioned specifically in the literature. The species having similar/same use reports in both countries are Picea orientalis, Pinus sylvestris var. hamata, Berberis vulgaris, Sambucus nigra, Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Vaccinium myrtillus, Tilia rubra subsp. caucasica, Crataegus monogyna, Rosa canina, Rosa hirtissima and Sorbus aucaparia. For 40% of the species in both countries, more than one plant part is used medicinally.The most common way of using shrubs and trees as medicine in Georgia is drinking the water infusion of fruits and leaves, while in Turkey drinking the water decoction of fruits and roots. 60% of the top 20 genera in both countries have use reports for at least three medicinal use categories. The most cited reports with high agreement arerelated with the treatment of digestive disorders in both countries. It seems that patterns of medicinal knowledge is connected with more than one cultural factors in particular etnolinguistic diversity, cultural background, and access to multilingual written folk and scientific literature,even combination of various factors.Conclusion: Considering their floral similarity, common historical/cultural contact along with similar livelihood strategies, shared ethnomedicinal knowledge across the border is quite low. Even though the effects of accessing multilingual written folk and scientific literature is likely to be significantly relevant, the factors that shape the medicinal knowledgepatterns of the communities seem complex and dynamic which needs further assessments considering intracultural diversity, socio-economical conditions, as well as political history across the border.

scholarly journals Traditional Therapies Used to Manage Diabetes and Related Complications in Mauritius: A Comparative Ethnoreligious Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fawzi Mahomoodally ◽  
A. Mootoosamy ◽  
S. Wambugu
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Information ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Morinda Citrifolia ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Religious Groups ◽  
Active Metabolites ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Cultural Importance Index ◽  
Traditional Therapies ◽  
Pharmacologically Active

Religious communities from Mauritius still rely on traditional therapies (TT) for primary healthcare. Nonetheless, there is still a dearth of scientific information on TT used by the different religious groups to manage diabetes and related complications (DRC). This study aimed to gather ethnomedicinal knowledge on TT used by the different religious groups against DRC. Diabetic patients (n=95) and traditional healers (n=5) were interviewed. Fifty-two plant species belonging to 33 families and 26 polyherbal formulations were documented to manage DRC. The most reported DRC was hypertension (n=36). Leaves (45.2%) and juice (36%) were the most cited mode of preparation of herbal recipes. Plants which scored high relative frequency of citation wereCitrus aurantifolia(0.55) andMorinda citrifolia(0.54). The cultural importance index showed thatOcimum tenuiflorum,Cardiospermum halicacabum,Camellia sinensis,andOphiopogon japonicaswere the most culturally important plants among Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist community, respectively. Hindu and Muslim community showed the highest similarity of medicinal plants usage (Jaccard index = 95.8). Seven animal species distributed over 4 classes were recorded for the management of DRC. Plants and animals recorded as TT should be submitted to scientific studies to confirm safety and efficacy in clinical practice and to identify pharmacologically active metabolites.

scholarly journals An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used in Zacatecas state, Mexico

2018 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Alberto Lara Reimers ◽  
Eloy Fernández Cusimamani ◽  
Eduardo Antonio Lara Rodríguez ◽  
Juan Manuel Zepeda del Valle ◽  
Zbynek Polesny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Importance Value ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Plant Families ◽  
L 62

Despite the fact that Mexico has vast biocultural biodiversity, there are numerous regions where the traditional medicinal use of plants has not yet been studied. We aimed to document, analyze quantitatively, and preserve medicinal plant knowledge among local people living in over 40 communities in the state of Zacatecas. Ethnobotanical information was collected by semistructured interviews with 132 informants. Data were analyzed using standard quantitative indices such as relative frequency of citation, family importance value, cultural importance index, and informant consensus factor. We recorded 168 medicinal plant taxa belonging to 151 genera and 69 botanical families and used to treat 99 health disorders. The most medicinally important plant families were Asteraceae (20 species), followed by Fabaceae and Lamiaceae (12 species) and Cactaceae (five species). The most culturally important species was <em>Matricaria chamomilla</em> L., mentioned 140 times, followed by <em>Arnica montana</em> L. (62 times) and <em>Artemisia ludoviciana</em> Nutt (48 times). The highest consensus for use was for diseases of the reproductive system. The type of disorder for which there was the highest number of references for use (389; 25% of all uses) and plant species (67) were diseases of the digestive and gastrointestinal system. The present study represents the first quantitative medical-ethnobotanical documentation and analysis of the traditional use of medicinal plants in Zacatecas state. Despite the semiarid climate, this region is botanically highly diverse, and its flora have versatile medicinal uses.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document