Therapeutic and prophylactic uses of invertebrates in contemporary Spanish ethnoveterinary medicine.

José Antonio González,Francisco Amich,Salvador Postigo-Mota,José Ramón Vallejo

doi:10.1186/s13002-016-0111-1

José Antonio González, Francisco Amich + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-016-0111-1

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Abstract

Zootherapeutic practices in ethnoveterinary medicine are important in many socio-cultural environments around the world, particularly in developing countries, and they have recently started to be inventoried and studied in Europe. In light of this, the purpose of this review is to describe the local knowledge and folk remedies based on the use of invertebrates and their derivative products in contemporary Spanish ethnoveterinary medicine. An overview in the fields of ethnozoology, ethnoveterinary medicine and folklore was made. Automated searches in the most important databases were performed. All related works were examined thoroughly and use-reports were obtained from 53 documentary sources. The traditional use of 18 invertebrate species and five ethnotaxa and a total of 86 empirical remedies based on the use of a single species was recorded. The two most relevant zoological groups were found to be insects and molluscs. A broad diversity of body parts or derivative products have been and are used to treat or prevent ca. 50 animal diseases or conditions, in particular diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, different infectious livestock diseases, and disorders of the eye and adnexa. Cattle, sheep and equines form the group of domestic animals in which the greatest number of remedies are mentioned. In addition, seven magical remedies and practices are documented. In comparison with other culturally related areas, this is a rich heritage. The use-reports included here will help in the search for new and low-cost drugs for treating livestock and alternative materials for pharmaceutical purposes, future research addressing the validation of the effects and the development of organic farming.

Highlights

Several authors have argued that the medicinal use of animals and products derived from them is a worldwide phenomenon, dating back to prehistoric times and coevolving with human communities [1, 2]
As for the type of these 53 sources, we have obtained use-reports from six theses, four of which approach the study of ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) in a particular geographical area, and two belong to the field of ethnobotany
We have included data collected in 11 works from the 1990s, nine from the 1980s, six from the period 1952–1976, and two from the early 20th century (1907 and 1927)

Summary

Introduction

Several authors have argued that the medicinal use of animals and products derived from them is a worldwide phenomenon, dating back to prehistoric times and coevolving with human communities [1, 2]. In this sense, invertebrates and derived products have been used for curing and preventing different diseases affecting humans throughout the world [3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. In view of the above, the use of invertebrates in ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM), the scientific term for traditional animal health care [16, 17], is currently a major topic in an increasing number of research projects (see http://www.ethnovetweb.com/), and the publication of studies on certain territories or reviews in international journals dealing with veterinary medicine or pharmacology is increasingly frequent around the world [18,19,20].

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