Local Medicinal Knowledge Research Articles

Introducing the Potential Medicinal and Ecological Value of a Pioneer Tree Species as a Justification to Conserve and Sustainably Manage Tropical Secondary Forests: Vismia macrophylla as a Case Study

Increasingly, secondary forests in Costa Rica are cleared before having the decades needed to reach maturity. This paper investigates the medicinal and ecological value that a small community in Costa Rica's Northern Zone receives from regenerating secondary forests by presenting a case study of pioneer tree species Vismia macrophylla. Two expert healers within this community described V. macrophylla's antifungal properties; one further demonstrated its harvest, preparation, and application. To supplement local medicinal knowledge, we completed a gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis of V. macrophylla tissue. We found potential antibiotic efficacy, which we suggest is primarily linked to acetic acid, and identified hexanal, which is recognized as antifungal. We surveyed V. macrophylla demography and surrounding plant diversity in 20-50 m2 plots in the primary and secondary forests to better understand the ecological context in which it occurs. We found V. macrophylla grew taller and wider in secondary forests. Furthermore, plant diversity was similar between primary and secondary forest plots with V. macrophylla. Our findings highlight the value of secondary forests in providing medicinally important species, like V. macrophylla, to their neighboring communities as they undergo succession. Our study illustrates how interdisciplinary ethnographic, chemical, and ecological research can be used to promote the sustainable use and preservation of recovering secondary forests for the benefit of the communities they surround.

Gendered medicinal plant knowledge contributions to adaptive capacity and health sovereignty in Amazonia.

Local medical systems are key elements of social-ecological systems as they provide culturally appropriate and locally accessible health care options, especially for populations with scarce access to biomedicine. The adaptive capacity of local medical systems generally rests on two pillars: species diversity and a robust local knowledge system, both threatened by local and global environmental change. We first present a conceptual framework to guide the assessment of knowledge diversity and redundancy in local medicinal knowledge systems through a gender lens. Then, we apply this conceptual framework to our research on the local medicinal plant knowledge of the Tsimane’ Amerindians. Our results suggest that Tsimane’ medicinal plant knowledge is gendered and that the frequency of reported ailments and the redundancy of knowledge used to treat them are positively associated. We discuss the implications of knowledge diversity and redundancy for local knowledge systems’ adaptive capacity, resilience, and health sovereignty.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-016-0826-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Finding new sources from “using different plants as the same herb”: A case study of Huang-lian in Northwest Yunnan, China

Ethnopharmacological relevanceTraditional and local medicinal knowledge would be useful for finding pharmaceutical resources. Ethnopharmacological methods, especially quantitative analysis could help us to pre-screen herbs in field studies. “Using different plants as the same herb” is common in both traditional and local medicinal systems in China. In terms of medicine safety, it is not best choice, for it would lead to difficulty in controlling the quality, safety and efficacy of herbs. However, from the perspective of finding new resources for pharmaceutical industry, it would be beneficial. The usage of Huang-lian is one of the typical examples of “using different plants as the same herb”. According to the previous Phytochemical and Pharmacological studies, berberine is the common effective compound of most of the species used as Huang-lian. Recently, berberine and other effective compounds of Huang-lian have gained much more attention and will become more popular in both medicinal researches and pharmaceutical industry. In our preliminary field work, we found that dozens of plant species might be used as Huang-lian by local people in Northwest Yunnan, an area well known by its rich biodiversity and culture diversity. These herbs might have potential value for pharmaceutical industry, for example, it could be used as the new resources to extract berberine and other effective compounds. Due to this, it is very necessary to collect, identify, document, and analyze the herbs used as Huang-lian in NW Yunnan. In the present study, we focused on that how to use traditional and local medicinal knowledge to find resources for pharmaceutical industry. Material and methodsIn the field work, interviews and participative observation were used. In the quantitative analysis of the local knowledge, Informant consensus factor (Fic), Use value (UV) and Relative frequency of citation (RFC) were used. Results and discussionA total of 230 key informants were interviewed and 29 plant species belonging to 8 families and 11 genera used as Huang-lian were collected in the study area. Diarrhoea had the highest value of Fic.xiana had the highest value of UV and RFC. The main effective compounds of most of these species were related to the protoberberine group of isoquinoline alkaloids, e.g. berberine, jatrorrhizin and palmatine, according to the previous phytochemical studies. ConclusionThe range of sources of Huang-lian were very wide in NW Yunnan. Treating diarrhoea was the most common use of these species, most of which contained berberine. Based on the results of quantitative analysis, M. duclouxiana may had the greatest potential to future uses, e.g. as a resource for pharmaceutical industry. In the present study, we did not discuss whether the herbs used as Huang-lian could replace the standard Huang-lian in traditional or local medicine or not, and we just wanted to explore how this phenomenon could be used to find new resources for pharmaceutical industry.

Ethnozoological study of medicinal animals on Jeju Island, Korea

Aim of the studyThe purpose of this study is to analyze and record traditional knowledge of animals utilized by the indigenous people living on Jeju Island in Korea. Materials and methodsData was collected through the participatory rural appraisal method involving interviews, informal meetings, open and group discussions, and overt observations with semi-structured questionnaires. ResultsThis study recorded a total of 64 families, 73 genera, and 77 species of animals that produced 1160 methods for usages. Fishes occupied 36.4% of the total animals listed, followed by mammals at 19.5%, molluscs at 16.9%, and arthropods at 10.4% of the whole, respectively. In regards to usage, 52 species utilized as food products, totaled 67.5%, followed by 40 species for medicinal use, five species related to cultivation, with three species connected to veterinary medicine, and one species for cosmetics. ConclusionThis study validates the fact that animal species play a major role, not only for edible recipes, but also in healing practices among its inhabitants. The conservation of particular animal species related to this study needs to be considered by authorities within this field of research to preserve the local medicinal knowledge. The empirical knowledge recorded in this study will provide outstanding possibilities for the discovery of new sources of medicine for the drug industry.

The Importance of Social Capital in the Promotion of Community Development and the Enhancement of Local Health System

Despite the interest in social capital, the value of this concept for health promotion and inequality reduction has yet to be firmly established. Although it has been suggested that the concept of social capital may be useful for exploring factors within individual and social health and for identifying different approaches to community-based healthcare, the interlinkages between primary healthcare, social capital and community development have yet to be considered in much detail. The purpose of this article is to analyse, through the examination of a case study from southern India (Tamil Nadu), how far social capital can trigger community participation and an effective process of enhancement of basic health system in rural areas, while conserving local medicinal knowledge. The case study is represented by Gram Mooligai Limited Company (GMLC), an innovative female community enterprise of tribal herb gatherers which commercialises medicinal plants and produces phytomedicines, using their traditional knowledge in ethnomedicine.

The effects of local medicinal knowledge and hygiene on helminth infections in an Amazonian society

Social science has long recognized the importance of understanding how interactions between culture and behavior shape disease patterns, especially in resource-poor areas where individuals draw on multiple medical treatments to maintain health. While global health programs aimed at controlling high infection rates of soil-transmitted helminthes among indigenous groups often acknowledge the value of local culture, little research has been able to examine this value. This study investigates the association between parental ethnomedical knowledge, parental biomedical knowledge, and household sanitation behavior and childhood soil-transmitted helminth infections among a group of foragers-farmers in the Bolivian Amazon (Tsimane'). During 2007, a parasitological survey was completed for 329 children (≤ 16 years of age) from 109 households in combination with a comprehensive survey of both of the child's parents to assess biomedical and ethnomedical knowledge and household sanitary environment. Soil-transmitted helminthes were found to be common with 67% of sample positive for hookworm species. Indices that capture a household's relative state of risky and preventive hygienic behavior were significantly associated with risk of hookworm infection. Mother's but not father's ethnomedical knowledge was also negatively associated with a child's probability of being positive for hookworm infection. The effect was stronger for young children and boys. Like many rural populations, Tsimane' actively draw upon multiple medical systems to respond to health challenges. Integration into markets and national societies is likely to affect local medical systems by increasing the use of biomedicine as formal education prioritizes biomedical over ethnomedical systems. This study underscores the value of considering both ethnomedical knowledge systems and household hygiene in public health campaigns to treat and control soil-transmitted helminths. There is no question that providing medication is critical, but this study demonstrates that poverty is not synonymous with either poor hygiene or the lack of valuable ethnomedicinal knowledge.

Commercialization of animal-derived remedies as complementary medicine in the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil

Aim of the study In this study, we aim to document the use of animal species in traditional medicine and healing practices in the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil. While widespread and of great importance to large population that has limited access to contemporary medicine, such practices are poorly understood and the potential value of medicinal animal species largely unknown. Materials and methods Based on interviews with the merchants of medicinal animals, we calculated the informant consensus factor (ICF) to determine the consensus over which species are effective for particular ailments, as well as the species relative importance to determine the extent of potential utilization of each species. Results We describe the therapeutic effects of 36 animal species used medicinally. The zootherapeutical products sold commercially are used to treat 40 health problems that were classified into 10 broad categories. We also highlight those species valued for their effectiveness against a range of ailments. The highest ICF value (0.91) was cited for diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, which include relief of symptoms such as acne and furuncles. Discussion and conclusion This study demonstrates that many animal species play an important role in healing practices. Animals provide the raw materials for remedies prescribed clinically and are also used in the form of amulets and charms in magic–religious rituals and ceremonies. The medicinal value of animal species depends on the local knowledge that exists within user communities, and therefore, the conservation of animal species is imperative to the preservation of local medicinal knowledge and culture.

Is there a divide between local medicinal knowledge and Western medicine? a case study among native Amazonians in Bolivia.

BackgroundInterest in ethnomedicine has grown in the last decades, with much research focusing on how local medicinal knowledge can contribute to Western medicine. Researchers have emphasized the divide between practices used by local medical practitioners and Western doctors. However, researchers have also suggested that merging concepts and practices from local medicinal knowledge and Western science have the potential to improve public health and support medical independence of local people. In this article we study the relations between local and Western medicinal knowledge within a native Amazonian population, the Tsimane'.MethodsWe used the following methods: 1) participant observation and semi-structured interviews to gather background information, 2) free-listing and pile-sorting to assess whether Tsimane' integrate local medicinal knowledge and Western medicine at the conceptual level, 3) surveys to assess to what extent Tsimane' combine local medicinal knowledge with Western medicine in actual treatments, and 4) a participatory workshop to assess the willingness of Tsimane' and Western medical specialists to cooperate with each other.ResultsWe found that when asked about medical treatments, Tsimane' do not include Western treatments in their lists, however on their daily practices, Tsimane' do use Western treatments in combination with ethnomedical treatments. We also found that Tsimane' healers and Western doctors express willingness to cooperate with each other and to promote synergy between local and Western medical systems.ConclusionOur findings contrast with previous research emphasizing the divide between local medical practitioners and Western doctors and suggests that cooperation between both health systems might be possible.

Local knowledge in community-based approaches to medicinal plant conservation: lessons from India

BackgroundCommunity-based approaches to conservation of natural resources, in particular medicinal plants, have attracted attention of governments, non governmental organizations and international funding agencies. This paper highlights the community-based approaches used by an Indian NGO, the Rural Communes Medicinal Plant Conservation Centre (RCMPCC). The RCMPCC recognized and legitimized the role of local medicinal knowledge along with other knowledge systems to a wider audience, i.e. higher levels of government.MethodsBesides a review of relevant literature, the research used a variety of qualitative techniques, such as semi-structured, in-depth interviews and participant observations in one of the project sites of RCMPCC.ResultsThe review of local medicinal plant knowledge systems reveals that even though medicinal plants and associated knowledge systems (particularly local knowledge) are gaining wider recognition at the global level, the efforts to recognize and promote the un-codified folk systems of medicinal knowledge are still inadequate. In country like India, such neglect is evident through the lack of legal recognition and supporting policies. On the other hand, community-based approaches like local healers' workshops or village biologist programs implemented by RCMPCC are useful in combining both local (folk and codified) and formal systems of medicine.ConclusionDespite the high reliance on the local medicinal knowledge systems for health needs in India, the formal policies and national support structures are inadequate for traditional systems of medicine and almost absent for folk medicine. On the other hand, NGOs like the RCMPCC have demonstrated that community-based and local approaches such as local healer's workshops and village biologist program can synergistically forge linkages between local knowledge with the formal sciences (in this case botany and ecology) and generate positive impacts at various levels.