Abstract
BackgroundModern ethnopharmaceutical studies are still quite unusual in Northern Europe. Data regarding the medicinal use of plants, animals, and fungi and also of spiritual rituals of healing is obtained mostly from ethnographic and folkloric sources in Lithuania. The aim of this study was to assess the ethnopharmaceutical knowledge regarding traditional use of natural substances for medicinal purposes in the Samogitia region and compare with prior research conducted 10 years prior in the same region.MethodsThe study was performed during 2016–2017 in the Samogitia region (Lithuania) using the conventional technique of ethnobotanical studies. Twenty-eight respondents aged between 50 and 92 years were selected for the study using snowball techniques. Information was collected using semi-structured and structured interviews. The obtained information was recorded indicating local names of plants, their preparation techniques, parts used, modes of administration, and application for therapeutic purposes.ResultsDuring the research, 125 records of raw materials of herbal origin belonging to 55 families were made. The Asteraceae family had the highest number of references, 147 (16.6%). It was stated that the most commonly used medicinal plants were the raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) (100%), marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) (96.4%), camomile (Matricaria recutita L.) (92.9%), and small linden tree (Tilia cordata Mill.) (92.9%). The most commonly used material of animal origin was the toad (Bufo bufo) (89%). The most commonly used kind of fungi was the common stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus) (71%), and the material of the mineral origin was sand (50%). Comparative analysis of the two surveys in this region showed similar results and produced a large amount of ethnopharmaceutical information.ConclusionsLithuania belongs to the countries known for urban ethnobotany where old traditions overlap with modern healing methods. Also, because modern medical assistance is quite expensive, self-medication with home-made medicines is still popular in Lithuania. It is important to collect and systematize this information as soon as possible, to save it as a traditional Lithuanian heritage and also use it for scientific investigations.
Highlights
Modern ethnopharmaceutical studies are still quite unusual in Northern Europe
Modern medico-ethnobotanical studies are still quite rare in Northern Europe, and data regarding the use of plants and people’s perceptions of plants has mostly been studied based on ethnographic and folkloric sources of Lithuania [9]
Ethnomedicinal expeditions were organized with the aim of preserving local knowledge about traditional uses of medicinal plants, animals, and fungi and spiritual rituals of healing
Summary
Data regarding the medicinal use of plants, animals, and fungi and of spiritual rituals of healing is obtained mostly from ethnographic and folkloric sources in Lithuania. Modern medico-ethnobotanical studies are still quite rare in Northern Europe, and data regarding the use of plants and people’s perceptions of plants has mostly been studied based on ethnographic and folkloric sources of Lithuania [9]. Ethnomedicinal expeditions were organized with the aim of preserving local knowledge about traditional uses of medicinal plants, animals, and fungi and spiritual rituals of healing. All these findings were mostly collected in the Lithuanian language, often in local community’s dialects, and stored in the archives [10]. This information was collected as an additional file, while the main part of research was focused on folkloric-ethnographic studies [11, 12]
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