Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in Yeşilli (Mardin, Turkey)

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Tai Yai in Northern Thailand

The study was conducted to document the traditional knowledge and utilization of medicinal plants from the locals residing near Kalikasan Park, Albay, Philippines. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and informal interviews. The survey was participated by 24 informants, 50% of which had secondary education and 42% are aged 50 years old and above. The ethnobotanical importance of the surveyed plants was quantitatively analyzed in terms of 3 parameters: frequency (F), specificity (S), and reliability (R) in the citation of plant species used for specific ailments. A total of 21 plants from 17 families were surveyed to treat the 16 ailments having a cold and cough as the most cited. The leaves were the commonly used part of the plant, the decoction was the usual mode of preparation, and treatment was usually administered by drinking the herbal infusion (as tea). Of all the cited medicinal plants, 3 species consistently obtained 100% values in F, S and R namely: Lagerstroemia speciosa Linn. (banaba), Piper betle Linn. (buyo), and Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr. (lukban) as a treatment for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), muscle pain and insomnia, respectively. A 100% specificity was recorded in 9 species namely, Persea americana Mill. (abukado) for diabetes; L. speciosa against UTI; P. betle for muscle pain; Kaempferia galangal Linn. (dosol) for inflammation; Psidium guajava Linn. (bayawas) for wound; Clerodendrum intermedium Cham. (matang-kuwaw) for cold; C. maxima for insomnia; Gendarussa vulgaris Nees (puli) for inflammation; and Cymbopogon citratus (DC. ex Nees) Stapf. (tanglad) against diabetes. There is a wealth of information on medicinal plant and their applications available from Kalikasan Park communities. The study’s results may provide useful information for pharmacological studies and sustainable conservation of Kalikasan Park’s natural plant ecosystem.

Background The Talensi District uniquely combines ritual treatment and traditional medicine for patient care. Despite urbanization, they preserve their lifestyle and extensive knowledge of traditional medicinal plants, distinguishing them from other regions. However, there is no systematic documentation of the Talensi people's knowledge of these plants in the Upper East Region. This study explored utilization patterns, preparation methods, and the significance of plants in traditional medicine. Methods A survey was conducted using semi-structured interviews. Informant Consensus Factor, Fidelity Level, Relative Frequency of Citation, Plant Part Value, and Use Value were selected as key quantitative indices. All analyses utilised GraphPad Prism (version 8.0.1) and Microsoft Excel. Results Among 219 informants (115 females, 104 males), most practitioners were aged 51–60 years (53%) and predominantly illiterate (86%). 46 plant species were identified and grouped into four major ailment categories: gastrointestinal disorders, dermatological infections, snakebite, and malaria. Plant parts and preparation methods displayed distinct patterns by ailment category. Roots dominated treatments for skin infections, gastrointestinal disorders, and snakebites, while leaves were mainly used for malaria. Preparation methods varied: boiling was common for malaria and gastrointestinal treatments, while grinding fresh samples characterised snakebite and dermatological preparations. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices indicated high informant consensus factors (ICF) for gastrointestinal disorders (0.97), malaria (0.96), and dermatological conditions (0.93), signaling strong agreement on treatments, with moderate consensus for snakebite (ICF 0.85). Conclusion Documentation of the ethnomedicinal species in the Talensi District will not only ensure that traditional medicinal knowledge is preserved and passed on to future generations, but it will also provide their therapeutic usage, potentially leading to the discovery of new drug formulations.

Background The Talensi District uniquely combines ritual treatment and traditional medicine for patient care. Despite urbanization, they preserve their lifestyle and extensive knowledge of traditional medicinal plants, distinguishing them from other regions. However, there is no systematic documentation of the Talensi people's knowledge of these plants in the Upper East Region. This study explored utilization patterns, preparation methods, and the significance of plants in traditional medicine. Methods A survey was conducted using semi-structured interviews. Informant Consensus Factor, Fidelity Level, Relative Frequency of Citation, Plant Part Value, and Use Value were selected as key quantitative indices. All analyses utilised GraphPad Prism (version 8.0.1) and Microsoft Excel. Results Among 219 informants (115 females, 104 males), most practitioners were aged 51–60 years (53%) and predominantly illiterate (86%). 46 plant species were identified and grouped into four major ailment categories: gastrointestinal disorders, dermatological infections, snakebite, and malaria. Plant parts and preparation methods displayed distinct patterns by ailment category. Roots dominated treatments for skin infections, gastrointestinal disorders, and snakebites, while leaves were mainly used for malaria. Preparation methods varied: boiling was common for malaria and gastrointestinal treatments, while grinding fresh samples characterised snakebite and dermatological preparations. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices indicated high informant consensus factors (ICF) for gastrointestinal disorders (0.97), malaria (0.96), and dermatological conditions (0.93), signaling strong agreement on treatments, with moderate consensus for snakebite (ICF 0.85). Conclusion Documentation of the ethnomedicinal species in the Talensi District will not only ensure that traditional medicinal knowledge is preserved and passed on to future generations, but it will also provide their therapeutic usage, potentially leading to the discovery of new drug formulations.

Plant resources are essential to the survival of the human species, and they play several important roles in maintaining the quality of life. The purpose of this study was to assess the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in the Ipiranga quilombola community on the south shore of the state of Paraiba, northeast of Brazil. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews that were performed with the head of the family for all the domestic units in the community (total of 100 individuals). Data were qualitative and quantitative (Use-Value index and informant consensus factor) analyzed. A total of 69 species belonging to 38 families were mentioned by the respondents. Only two medicinal species (Stryphnodendron pulcherrimum (Willd.) Hochr and Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos) are found in the surrounded Atlantic Forest area. All the other medicinal species are cultivated in backyards. The species with the highest Use-Values were Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L. Burtt. & R.M. Sm. (colony). The medicinal species were indicated for the treatment of 66 diseases, which were classified into 14 categories of body systems. Respiratory system disorders (0.54), gastrointestinal system disorders (0.43), and a genitourinary system disorder (0.42) were the categories with the highest consensus values among the respondents. The research showed that despite having a health center close to the community, the Ipiranga community still uses medicinal plants to cure diseases, with most species being cultivated in backyards.

The Mien ethnic people have migrated from China to Thailand over centuries and traditionally settled in remote areas of northern Thailand. They relied extensively on the local ecosystem for construction, food, fodder, and medicine. There are only a few studies of Mien traditional knowledge in China and Nan, Thailand. This study examines the knowledge of medicinal plants used by Mien in Chiang Rai, Thailand. We investigated traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in three Mien villages in Thailand, highlighting a crucial yet vulnerable cultural heritage. For this study, we interviewed five traditional healers to gather data about their specialist medicinal uses of plants and an additional 90 villagers, who did not have this specialist knowledge, about their ethnobotanical understanding. Each use report was categorised using the International Classification of Primary Health Care. The usefulness of the plant taxa was assessed with the use value index. Our interviews revealed 352 use reports based on 77 plant species in 46 families, predominantly addressing women's health and digestive conditions. The most used plant families were Asteraceae, Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Zingiberaceae, Plantaginaceae, Acanthaceae, Rhamnaceae, Amaranthaceae, Lamiaceae, and Vitaceae. The most frequently used species were Clausena excavata, Ricinus communis, Blumea balsamifera, Chloranthus elatior, Monosis volkameriifolia, Plantago major, Plumbago zeylanica, and Zingiber montanum, highlighting their critical roles in traditional medicinal practices. The Mien people in Chiang Rai, Thailand, possess substantial traditional knowledge regarding medicinal plants, especially for women's healthcare. The identification of numerous species in this study based on traditional usage raises concerns about the effect of ongoing acculturation of ethnic minorities in the region and the potential erosion of traditional knowledge. Some of the identified knowledge is highly localised in the three villages, making the conservation of that knowledge particularly important. We strongly advocate further initiatives aimed at conserving traditional Mien knowledge, as well as more studies in Laos PDR and Vietnam to cover the Mien's migration line. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The study investigated the knowledge and current usage of traditional food and medicinal plants of the Ngunnawal and Yuin Elder in South Eastern, New South Wales (SE NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) as located on the Australian National University (ANU) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Trail. Insights to barriers to passing on and retaining knowledge were also identified. Elders (3 males and 4 females) were selected through systematic, non-probabilistic and snowball sampling. Ethnographic methods and techniques included informal, semi-structured interviews, participant observation and field diaries. Interviews were conducted at the ANU campus and on South Coast of NSW. Elders reported knowledge of traditional food and medicinal plants, including uses and preparation of plants. Some use of traditional plants was maintained. Multiple plants were identified on ANU Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Trail and had a variety of uses. Barriers to knowledge acquisition and dissemination to younger generation were reported. Challenges navigating Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal expectations of plant use and lack of young people’s engagement with traditional plant use was identified. This suggests that knowledge of traditional food and medicinal plants by the Ngunnawal and Yuin peoples is still present, but there are still significant barriers in maintaining and retaining this knowledge into the future.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to develop a suitable module for digital conservation of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants (MPs) used by tribal communities living in the Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh, Central India.Design/methodology/approachThe research used a qualitative approach to gather the data of MPs through the use of literature review and field survey. Based on the acquired data, a prototype digital learning system was constructed and assessed. This study used digital learning technologies to assess the requirements for transmitting traditional knowledge of important MPs used by tribal communities so that people can absorb and conserve them.FindingsOver time, the focus on the digital conservation of traditional MP’s knowledge has progressively increased globally. Despite the rise in this field of study, information technology methods to preserve and distribute traditional knowledge of MPs have remained a few. When adopting digital learning to maintain traditional knowledge of MPs, it was discovered that it would be necessary to engage with relevant knowledge keepers, use multimedia, and provide content in local languages.Research limitations/implicationsThis study helps in conservation of important MP species that are having biologically important therapeutic compounds meant for treating various ailments. Older generations of various tribal communities mainly hold traditional knowledge of important MPs, and unless it is preserved, it will perish along with its caretakers.Originality/valueIt is worth looking at a digital platform that can help future generations to maintain traditional knowledge of MPs, as it is a dynamic and ever-changing, it must involve a digital tool for its future conservation. Current methods for maintaining traditional knowledge of MPs were ineffective and constrained by space and time.

Background: The in-depth traditional knowledge of medicinal plants is at risk of extinction due to the dependency on oral transmission, and as such, there is an urgent need to document such knowledge. This study aimed to document indigenous uses of medicinal plants among community members in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality. Methods: Data was collected in 2016 from community members and local herbalists in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality through a semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical tools and ethnobotanical indices, i.e., informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), and use value (UV) were used to analyse the data. Results: One hundred and six medicinal plants belonging to 45 families were reported to cure 68 different human diseases. The most frequently used plant part in this study was the leaves (52%). Decoction (57.5%) and oral administration (58.3%) were the most utilised herbal preparation and administration route respectively. Cleistopholis patens had the highest UV (0.54) with pain & fevers and skin diseases having the highest ICF values (0.88 and 0.85 respectively). Furthermore, new medicinal uses of Hilleria latifolia and ten other species were recorded for the treatment of the traditional local disease, aseram. Conclusions: The current knowledge and uses of medicinal plants are still high in the study area based on the high degree of consensus among informants. This study could allow for the preservation of knowledge and biodiversity of medicinal plants, both of which are threatened with extinction.

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by the Yi people in Xiaoliangshan, Yunnan Province, SW China

BackgroundEthnomedicinal knowledge of the Indian Himalayas is very interesting because of the wide range of medicinal plants used in traditional medical practice. However, there is a danger of knowledge being lost because the knowledge sharing is very limited and passed on orally. The present study is the first ethnomedicinal study in Jakholi area of Rudraprayag district of Northwestern India. The aim of present study was to identify traditional medicinal plants used by the inhabitants to treat different ailments and document the associated knowledge of these medicinal plants.MethodsAn ethnomedicinal survey was carried out in 72 of 133 villages and alpine pastures of Jakholi block (800–4000 m asl). Door to door surveys and group discussions, applying semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with traditional healers and villagers in local language (Garhwali). Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) was computed to analyse collected ethnomedicinal data.ResultsA total of 78 species (Gymnosperms 3 species, Monocotyledons 12 and 63 Dicotyledons) belonging to 73 genera in 46 families were identified to treat 14 different ailments categories. Most dominant family is Asteraceae (5 species). In disease treated categories, Diseases of the skin (DE) have the highest proportion (29.55%) followed by Gastro- intestinal disorder (GA) (25.89%). The most life form of plants used was herb (56%) followed by tree (23%) while root was the most frequently used part of the plants and the traditional preparation was mainly applied in the form of paste (37%). The highest ICF value (0.99) was found for hair ailments (HA) followed ophthalmologic complaints (OP) and mental afflictions (MA) (0.98).ConclusionsThe present study provides valuable information about traditional knowledge of medicinal plants of Jakholi Block in the Northwestern Himalaya, India. Local communities still possess large traditional knowledge of plants and their therapeutic uses and that the link of that traditional knowledge to modern research could be of importance for the isolation of new phytotherapeutic compounds leading to the development of novel therapeutic active agents. Some of the ethnomedicinal plants are facing high threats and are becoming rare, and conservation initiatives are needed to conserve them for sustainable management in the region.

Ethnomedicinal application of plants in the western plain region of North Jeolla Province in Korea

BackgroundThe Philippines is renowned as one of the species-rich countries and culturally megadiverse in ethnicity around the globe. However, ethnopharmacological studies in the Philippines are still limited especially in the most numerous ethnic tribal populations in the southern part of the archipelago. This present study aims to document the traditional practices, medicinal plant use, and knowledge; to determine the relative importance, consensus, and the extent of all medicinal plants used; and to integrate molecular confirmation of uncertain species used by the Agusan Manobo in Mindanao, Philippines.MethodsQuantitative ethnopharmacological data were obtained using semi-structured interviews, group discussions, field observations, and guided field walks with a total of 335 key informants comprising of tribal chieftains, traditional healers, community elders, and Manobo members of the community with their medicinal plant knowledge. The use-report (UR), use categories (UC), use value (UV), cultural importance value (CIV), and use diversity (UD) were quantified and correlated. Other indices using fidelity level (FL), informant consensus factors (ICF), and Jaccard’s similarity index (JI) were also calculated. The key informants’ medicinal plant use knowledge and practices were statistically analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.ResultsThis study enumerated the ethnopharmacological use of 122 medicinal plant species, distributed among 108 genera and belonging to 51 families classified in 16 use categories. Integrative molecular approach confirmed 24 species with confusing species identity using multiple universal markers (ITS, matK, psbA-trnH, and trnL-F). There was strong agreement among the key informants regarding ethnopharmacological uses of plants, with ICF values ranging from 0.97 to 0.99, with the highest number of species (88) being used for the treatment of abnormal signs and symptoms (ASS). Seven species were reported with maximum fidelity level (100%) in seven use categories. The correlations of the five variables (UR, UC, UV, CIV, and UD) were significant (rs ≥ 0.69, p < 0.001), some being stronger than others. The degree of similarity of the three studied localities had JI ranged from 0.38 to 0.42, indicating species likeness among the tribal communities. Statistically, the medicinal plant knowledge among respondents was significantly different (p < 0.001) when grouped according to education, gender, social position, occupation, civil status, and age but not (p = 0.379) when grouped according to location. This study recorded the first quantitative ethnopharmacological documentation coupled with molecular confirmation of medicinal plants in Mindanao, Philippines, of which one medicinal plant species has never been studied pharmacologically to date.ConclusionDocumenting such traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and practices is highly essential for future management and conservation strategies of these plant genetic resources. This ethnopharmacological study will serve as a future reference not only for more systematic ethnopharmacological documentation but also for further pharmacological studies and drug discovery to improve public healthcare worldwide.

Traditional medicinal plants of Ağrı Province, Turkey

This study focuses on taxa found in the Northeastern part of Morocco and cited in the book “Al Jam’ li-Mufradat al-Adwiya wa’l-Aghdiya (The Book of Simple Drugs) by Ibn Al Baytar. The main objective of this study is to determine whether the taxa on our list are recognized by the populations in the three provinces of Northeastern Morocco, as well as to collect information about their traditional uses (medicinal or non-medicinal), their modes of preparation and administration, the plant parts used. All the data have been collected through conducting an open-ended, semi-structured interviews with randomly selected individuals. The informant consensus factor (FIC) was calculated to identify the level of agreement among informants regarding the use of medicinal plants for specific disease groups. During these ethnobotanical surveys, 1,177 persons were interviewed. We were able to record a total of 241 taxa belonging to 66 families with 1,264 uses mentioned in the three provinces. The results obtained confront us with the idea that there is a decline of autochthonous knowledge. They reveal that 32.12% of the local population considers itself ignorant of the uses of plants to cure illness, and that 66.78% prefer modern medicine despite possessing some knowledge of traditional medicinal plants. However, 790 medicinal uses recorded were classified according to the WHO’s international Classification of diseases (ICPC-2, International Classification of Primary Care), and 474 other uses were recorded, along with the transcription of new vernacular names for 107 taxa. This confirms the importance of ethnobotanical studies as it plays an important role in preserving the reservoir of indigenous knowledge from being lost over time.