Abstract
BackgroundMajority of the people in rural areas depend on traditional fungi-based medicines to combat different illnesses. This ethnomycological survey was undertaken to document the traditional knowledge of mushrooms among the communities in the Kilum-Ijim mountain forest reserve. Although macrofungi are exploited for food and medicine, their ethnomycological knowledge has not been documented in this ecosystem.MethodsA field study was carried out between 2014 and 2015; 14 mushrooms used by the local communities were collected and identified using the polymorphism of the ribosomal ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 regions. Semi-structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, and pictorial method were used to collect information on edibility, local names, indigenous knowledge, and the role of macrofungi in ten communities.ResultsEthnomycological findings revealed that mushrooms were used as food and medicine, while the non-edible species were regarded as food from Satan. Eight species, Polyporus tenuiculus, Termitomyces striatus, Termitomyces microcarpus Auricularia polytricha, Laetiporus sulphureus, Termitomyces sp.1, Termitomyces sp.2, and Polyporus dictyopus, were reported as edible and Auricularia polytricha, Daldinia concentrica, Ganoderma applanatum, Lentinus squarrosulus, Polyporus dictyopus, Termitomyces microcarpus, Trametes versicolor, Vascellum pretense and Xylaria sp., were used as medicine in traditional health care. Local names were found to be a very important factor in distinguishing between edible, medicinal, and poisonous mushrooms. Edible mushrooms are called “awo’oh” in Belo and “Kiwoh” in Oku. Poisonous mushrooms were commonly referred to as “awo’oh Satan” in Belo and “Kiwohfiyini” in Oku. Mushrooms were highly valued as a source of protein and as a substitute for meat in their diets. It is worth noting that Polyporus dictyopus was reported here for the first time in literature as an edible mushroom species.ConclusionLocal knowledge of medicinal mushrooms in the treatment of different illness still exists in all ten villages surveyed. Elderly men and women appear to play an important role in primary health care services in these communities. This survey underscores the need to preserve and document traditional knowledge of the different medicinal mushrooms used in treating different illnesses and for more future scientific research on the mushrooms to determine their efficacy and their safety.
Highlights
Majority of the people in rural areas depend on traditional fungi-based medicines to combat different illnesses
Morphological and molecular identification of macrofungi species Based on morphological and molecular identification, the species used in ethnomycology were identified into 14 species: Auricularia polytricha, Daldinia concentrica, Ganoderma applanatum, Laetiporus sulphurous, Lentinus squarrosulus, Polyporus dictyopus, Polyporus tenuiculus, Termitomyces microcarpus, Termitomyces sp.1, Termitomyces sp.2, Termitomyces striatus, Trametes versicolor, Vascellum pretense and Xylaria sp. (Fig. 3)
Ethnomycological knowledge of mushrooms Information from this survey revealed that the inhabitants of Kilum-Ijim have a high mycophilic culture for mushrooms
Summary
Majority of the people in rural areas depend on traditional fungi-based medicines to combat different illnesses. Fungi represent the greatest eukaryotic diversity on earth and have been for a long time the primary decomposers of lignocellulolytic substrates [2] and the main keepers of great carbon storages in soil and dead organic material [3] They are key functional components of forest ecosystems [4] and have received less attention than animals and plants though ubiquitous and are highly diverse in nature [5]. Macrofungi inhabit all terrestrial ecosystems with most of them being saprobes or mycorrhizal symbionts, though some are pathogens of plants or fungi [6] They are extremely common in soil, dead organic matters, nectar, and sap flows. They appear in various morphotypes forming macroscopic fruiting bodies such as gilled fungi, jelly fungi, coral fungi, stinkhorns bracket fungi, puffballs, and bird’s nest fungi [7, 8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
