Abstract
The results of an evaluation of the traditional knowledge of the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of respiratory diseases among the inhabitants of five communities of Nacajuca, Tabasco, Mexico are presented. The study was conducted using ethnobotanical methods applied to 26 key informants. A total of 22 species used for respiratory diseases were recorded. Of the informants, 61.5% are traditional doctors, recognized by the people, the rest are people who only use them at home. Of these, the species that had the greatest relative importance due to their frequency of mention in the interviews were the Jícara (Crescentia cujete), the toad grass (Epaltes mexicana), the purple maguey (Tradescantia spathacea) and the elderberry (Sambucus mexicana). The part that they use the most are the leaves as tea. 77% grow them within their home gardens, others collect them in the field and only one buy them in the markets. Of the species reported for respiratory problems, most have other uses, being also ornamental, edible and timber. The greater participation of women is observed during the study, since they are the head of the family and have knowledge of the use of medicinal plants for lung diseases. This shows that traditional medicine continues to be of great importance for Chontal communities in solving respiratory problems.
Highlights
The species that had the greatest relative importance due to their frequency of mention in the interviews were the Jícara (Crescentia cujete), the toad grass (Epaltes mexicana), the purple maguey (Tradescantia spathacea) and the elderberry (Sambucus mexicana). The part that they use the most are the leaves as tea. 77% grow them within their home gardens, others collect them in the field and only one buy them in the markets
That is why in order to carry out this research, the objective was to carry out a study on the traditional knowledge of the medicinal species that are used by the Chontales of Nacajuca, for the treatment of respiratory system conditions, as well as documenting their forms of use and analyze the distribution of traditional knowledge of medicinal flora among the population
A total of 22 species belonging to 15 families and 20 genera were found used for the treatment of respiratory diseases
Summary
With the passage of time, the creation of cities, the penetration of different cultures and the advancement of science, the use of vegetables as medicine by a large number of inhabitants of Western countries was reduced, until just about three For decades, due to reasons such as the rising cost of patent medicines or the high cost of consultations by specialist doctors, the use of medicinal plants is back on the rise and popularity, especially in the so-called developed countries, who are beginning to make use of traditional methods. popular, homemade or the use of alternative therapeutic calls, for the treatment of diseases [1]. Mexico has a great wealth and ancestral tradition regarding the use of medicinal plants and it is estimated that currently about 3000 species are used for this purpose [2] In this sense, one of the regions that deserves special attention due to its biocultural diversity is the Chontal route of Nacajuca, Tabasco. One of the areas with the highest number of indigenous Chontales, despite the fact that it is a relatively small area, there are about 300 species of medicinal plants [3] and one of the four ethnic groups (Chontales, Tzotziles, Tzeltales and Choles) that still exist in Tabasco This region has had great importance for the reconstruction of the prehistory of the cultural region known as Mesoamerica. That is why in order to carry out this research, the objective was to carry out a study on the traditional knowledge of the medicinal species that are used by the Chontales of Nacajuca, for the treatment of respiratory system conditions, as well as documenting their forms of use and analyze the distribution of traditional knowledge of medicinal flora among the population
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