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Ethnobotanical Study Of Medicinal Plants Used By Tai Yai In Northern Thailand.
Abstract
We studied traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used by Tai Yai people in northern Thailand. We documented traditional medical practices and determined importance among the Tai Yai.
This paper reports on knowledge in usage of medicinal plants of the Tai Yai people in northern Thailand.
Interviews were conducted in 4 Tai Yai villages in Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai provinces whose inhabitants immigrated from Myanmar at different times. Discussions and interviews were held with 126 key-informants (56 males and 70 females) ranging in age from 16-80 years in three age groups (age 16-40, 41-60, 61-80). We calculated the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) for use category, Use Value index (UV) for use report of plant. We tested differences between the knowledge of different age groups and locations using Principal Component Analysis (PCA).
These Tai Yai people used of 141 medicinal plants belonging to 59 families. Of the medicinal plant species, the highest percentage was in the family Euphorbiaceae: Croton acutifolius and Croton roxburghii. The highest number of Informant consensus factor was for metabolic system disorders. Overall, Tai Yai people use medicinal plants to cure many sicknesses such as hypertension, lumbago, wounds, puerperium, kidney disorders, kidney stones, coughs, fevers, hemorrhoids, flatulence and malaria. There were no significant differences in knowledge of plants usage among villages of different ages. In addition, the knowledge of the plants was not significantly different between men and women. However, we found that the younger had less experience with and knowledge of medicinal plants than older people.
The result indicates loss of accumulated knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional use. Although, the medicinal plant knowledge was passed from one generation to the next by word of mouth, the detailed documentation of medicinal plants and their use may effectively prevent the knowledge-loss through time.
... Use values ranged from 0.02 (use-report = 1) to 0.94 (use-report = 47) ( Table 2). The most used The dominant families in this study were in accordance with those in other ethnobotanical studies in northern Thailand [8,11,[20][21][22]. These families, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Zingiberaceae, are cosmopolitan families commonly known for their medicinal properties [23]. ...
... Among the Pwo, herbs were the most frequently used life form, in accordance with ethnomedicinal studies for many other ethnic groups in northern Thailand [20][21][22]. This life form was easy to harvest and the preparation methods and extraction of active ingredient also was also easier than for other life forms. ...
... Another use category with both high IAR and Nur among Pwo people was digestive system disorders. Digestive diseases are always reported as among the most important disorders among the ethnic groups in Thailand [4,[20][21][22] The cause of the ailments could be drinking water from forest streams without boiling [4]. It should be noted that high IAR can also help in discovering potentially effective medicinal plants [17]. ...
Background: Northern Thailand is the home of many ethnic groups who possess great knowledge of ethnomedicine, so it is the location with the highest number of ethnobotanical studies in Thailand. However, the Pwo have never been included in. Therefore, this study is the first ethnobotanical study of Pwo people.
Methods: In this study, 50 Pwo informants from 8 villages in Omkoi district were interviewed about their ethnomedicinal knowledge. They were asked about the vernacular name(s) and uses of plant species found in their villages and nearby forests.
Results : A total of 122 ethnomedicinal species with 930 use-reports were recorded. Leaves were the most preferred plant part and decoction was the most preferred preparation method. Herbs were the most favored life form of ethnomedicinal plants used by Pwo people. Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Zingiberaceae were the three most dominant plant families, which contributed 22% of the total species. Most plants with high Use value (UV) values were common species which also found and reported in other ethnobotanical studies however, the exception was Garcinia pedunculata Roxb. ex Buch.-Ham. Although only a single individual was found in nearby forests, but it was commonly used by Pwo people in the studied sites. The five ailments with high recorded IAR included: injuries, muscular-skeletal system, pain, respiratory systems, and digestive systems. These ailments were directly related to the life-style of Pwo people.
Conclusion : The comparison between the species found in this study and a study of Sgaw Karen in a nearby area showed that their knowledge differed from each other in both species and their uses despite their close proximity. The results emphasize the importance and the need of ethnobotanical studies although in the areas where many studied have been carried out. The more understanding of the traditional knowledge would increase our chance of understanding and identification of medicinal properties of plants. The results would lead to the discovery and development of new pharmaceutical substances to improve human life quality.
... Among these, the most diverse families (over 10 species) that the Tay people in Thai Nguyen province use as medicine are the as below: 20 species belonging to Euphorbiaceae, 19 species to Asteraceae, 13 species to Acanthaceae and Rutaceae respectively, 12 species to Fabaceae and 11 species to Poaceae (Figure 2). These families have been widely used in the Indo-Burma region for their medicinal properties [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. ...
... The Tay people use the leaf of this species to treat bone marrow disease. Herbs and Spices -New Advances 8 A. crassna Pierre ex Lecomte is endemic to the Indochina region and is known to be used in diverse Southeast Asian traditional medicine systems to treat infectious and inflammatory diseases, arthritis, and cardiac disorders [29]. The Tay people use the leaf of this species to treat cure colds and abdominal pain. ...
Phytotherapy is attracting increased interest for several reasons. It differs from medical procedures in that it uses the whole herb, although there is often only one component of the plant that works effectively to manage the problem. Plants contain many natural chemicals or phytochemicals that interact with the active ingredient and help prevent any side effects. Medicinal herbs and spices are investigated for their suitability in daily diets for maintaining general wellness or preventing disease. In the past decade, natural health products, dietary supplements, foods with added value, or nutraceuticals have emerged due to the increasing demand for non-pharmaceutical healthcare products. Medical herbs and spices are potential sources for developing new, effective, and safe ingredients to capture a rapidly expanding opportunity in global marketplaces. This book presents up-to-date information on the chemical, pharmacological, and nutritional uses of medicinal herbs and spices in folk medicine, pharmaceuticals, the food industry, veterinary practice, and gastronomy.
... Ecuador employs D. molliculum (Kunth) DC., which was used as a wound therapy [8]. In Thai traditional medicine, D. heterocarpon (L.) DC. was used to treat edema [9]. According to Chitra and Narmathabai [10], D. motorium (Houtt.) ...
... D. velutinum (Willd.) DC. stem and leaves were utilized to treat hypertension [9]. ...
Tyrosinase is an important enzyme in the biosynthesis of melanin. Many skin-whitening agents that inhibit tyrosinase activity from natural sources have been identified because they are harmless and non-toxic. In this work, 114 samples of 54 Fabaceae plants were assessed for their anti-tyrosinase activity using a dopachrome method. The results found that Desmodium heterocarpon stems and roots demonstrated the highest tyrosinase inhibitory activity at 20 µg/mL (92.50 ± 1.09%), whereas the water extract of Artocarpus lacucha and kojic acid demonstrated 87.41 ± 0.61% and 95.71 ± 0.33%, respectively. Six compounds were isolated from this plant, including genistein (1); hexadecanoic acid (2); salicylic acid (3); β-sitosterol-D-glucoside (4); 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (5); and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (6). Among them, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid demonstrated a potential effect for tyrosinase inhibition with an IC50 of 57.38 µg/mL, while standards of kojic acid and the water extract of A. lacucha showed 2.46 and 0.15 µg/mL, respectively. 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid had a similar structure as 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid; however, it was shown to have tyrosinase inhibitory activity, with an IC50 of 128.89 µg/mL. Studies using computer simulations confirmed this reservation. The determination of antimicrobial activities found that 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid showed the strongest inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus, with MIC and MBC of 5 and 5 µg/mL, respectively. In addition, it inhibited MRSA, S. epidermidis, Propionibacterium acnes, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with MIC and MBC of 15–30 and 15–40 µg/mL. It showed potential activities against yeast and filamentous fungi, such as Candida albicans, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum, and T. mentagrophytes, with MIC and MFC of 15 µg/mL. So, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid could inhibit tyrosinase activity and microorganisms that cause skin diseases. Therefore, it can be concluded that this plant has advantageous properties that will be investigated and further developed for possible uses, particularly in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
... Usually, two, three, or more species of plants were combined and used in more than one preparation method. This result confirms the synergistic effects of the plant preparation when combined (Mukazayire et al. 2008;Atul and Ray 2014;Khuankaew et al. 2014). The number of species used for herbal preparation by decoction and infusion, respectively, was 10 (23%) each. ...
... Oral administration was the most frequently used herbal healing method (Table 4). Oral administration easily targets disease organisms to ensure a quick recovery and prevent disease attack (Mukazayire et al. 2008;Khuankaew et al. 2014;Woldeab et al. 2018). The wild and cultivated plants species identified in the study area A total of 98 plants species were collected and documented from the study area. ...
Olanipekun MK. 2023. Ethnobotanical relevance and conservation of medicinal plants used to treat human diseases in Ifedore, Ondo-State, Nigeria. Asian J Ethnobiol 6: 7-19. An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the local people in Ifedore Local Government Area, Nigeria, was conducted to document indigenous knowledge of the importance of medicinal plants. Eighty-four respondents were selected randomly from four villages, and 20 key informants were selected with the help of local administrators, elders, and other community members. Semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and field observation were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used for ethnobotanical data analysis. In this study, 98 medicinal plant species belonging to 47 families were collected, identified, and documented. Asteraceae and Solanaceae were the highest families. Most plants were collected from the wild, and herbs were the most growth form. Leaf (63.2%) was the most frequently utilized part. The majority of the identified plants were herbs (55 species, 56%); followed by trees (36 species; 36.7%); climbers (4 species, 4%), and shrubs (3 species, 3%), respectively. The plants were not cultivated (70.4%). The most popular modes of preparation and route of administration were decoction and oral route, respectively. The medicinal plants were reportedly used mostly for treating respiratory tract infections 41 (41.8%). The local people believed that heart disease, liver disease, and urinary tract incontinence had no effective modern medication like herbal mixtures. Ocimum basilicum L. was highly effective in treating diarrhea. Agricultural expansion and building purposes, amongst others, were the most common factors for diminishing the number of medicinal plants. Training and supporting traditional healers with incentives increase their interest in conserving medicinal plants.
... Among these, the most diverse families (over 10 species) that the Tay people in Thai Nguyen province use as medicine are the as below: 20 species belonging to Euphorbiaceae, 19 species to Asteraceae, 13 species to Acanthaceae and Rutaceae respectively, 12 species to Fabaceae and 11 species to Poaceae (Figure 2). These families have been widely used in the Indo-Burma region for their medicinal properties [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. ...
... The Tay people use the leaf of this species to treat bone marrow disease. Herbs and Spices -New Advances 8 A. crassna Pierre ex Lecomte is endemic to the Indochina region and is known to be used in diverse Southeast Asian traditional medicine systems to treat infectious and inflammatory diseases, arthritis, and cardiac disorders [29]. The Tay people use the leaf of this species to treat cure colds and abdominal pain. ...
An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Tay ethnic group in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam has been carried out in the present study, especially in the region of Định Hoá, Phú Lương, and Võ Nhai districts. The ethnobotanical survey was conducted between 2018 and 2021 and a catalog of the medicinal plant used by the Tay ethnic group is prepared. The results of the current survey revealed that the plants used by Tay ethnic group consist of 321 species belonging to 253 genera and 103 botanical families. Majority of the plants belonging the family Euphorbiaceae (20 species), Asteraceae (19 species), Acanthaceae and Rutaceae (13 species each), Fabaceae (12 species), and Poaceae (11 species). Leaves were the most frequently used plant part (48.0%) in the preparation of medicines. The most frequent preparation method was decoction (47.7%), followed by crushing (29.9%), sauna (18.0), pickle wine (11.8%), and raw (5.6%). The major plant used by Tay ethnic people were Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Frodin and Plantago major L., (2); Elephantopus scaber L. and Achyranthes aspera L.; Streblus asper Lour. We also carried out screening of some of the medicinal plant extracts for their biological activities especially the inhibition of cancer cell lines.
... Southeast Sulawesi), jembolan, jambola, jambolene (Kaili Tara, Taijo, Lauje, Central Sulawesi), coppeng (Bugis, South Sulawesi), jambulang (North Moluccas), cuma, juwet (Sambori), juwet (Balinese); Laos: hai kham (Xaignabouli), ma va (Viangchan), sa (Xieng Khouang); Malaysia: jambolan (Orang Ulu in Sarawak). Myanmar: tha-pyay (Southern Shan State); Philippines: duhat (Laguna); Thailand: malsape (Tai Yai); Vietnam: cay voi rung (Tonkin), emao (Lam Dong), tram bavo, tram goi, tram moc, tram voi, tram xe (Tay Ninh), voi rung; English: malabar plum, java plum, black plum (Fajardo et al. 2017;Fiscal and Chavez 2016;Hafnidar 2019;Herawati and Yuniati 2014;Irsyad et al. 2013;Khuankaew et al. 2014;Mustofa and Rahmawati 2018;Putri et al. 2014;Rahayu and Andini 2019;Rasnovi and Nursanty 2015;Rosdiyanti 2015;Shin et al. 2018;Simanjuntak 2018;Slamet and Andrias 2018;Soh and Parnell 2015;Sujarwo and Keim 2017;Yuliarsih et al. 2013;Zulfiani et al. 2013;Zulharman and Aryanti 2016). ...
... Thailand: Water boiled with stem and leaves is used for bathing by the Tai Yai people of Northern Thailand. The treatment is believed to cure hemorrhoids (Khuankaew et al. 2014). Philippines: Indigenous people of Sambal-Bolinao in Pangasinan pound the leaves along with those of Manihot esculenta and Solanum melongena to treat snake bite by an external application (Fajardo et al. ...
... This led to a more nuanced understanding of the plant's effects on heart health. With the growing connection between conventional wisdom and scientific research, Flemingia macrophylla is becoming recognized as a comprehensive factor in cardiovascular health [95]. This plant's long history of use in traditional medicine serves as a reminder of its significance historically and a guide for current research into its potential Review Discover Pharmaceutical Sciences (2025) 1:2 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44395-025-00003-7 ...
Because of its long history of use in traditional medicine, Flemingia macrophylla has attracted a lot of attention from the fields of phytochemistry and pharmacology. However, a comprehensive research data on its phytochemistry and pharmacological roles have not been found in the literature. This comprehensive review combines the abundance of information regarding the traditional application, phytochemical makeup, and pharmacological properties, demonstrating its critical role in the traditional Chinese medicine. Examining its past uses in many cultural contexts from treating gastrointestinal issues to treating dermatological conditions highlights its extraordinary adaptability. This article reveals the generations-long development of Flemingia macrophylla as a reliable Chinese medicine through an examination of ethnobotanical records. Its phytochemical composition is carefully examined in this review, which reveals a complex array of chemicals including flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids that are crucial to comprehending the plant's potential as a medicine. Determining the pharmacological consequences of the bioactive components of this plant components requires a thorough structural clarification. Pharmacological studies demonstrate a range of actions, including antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and cardiovascular benefits, consistent with its conventional applications. Its antifungal function in particular highlights how useful it is against microbial dangers in general. Throughout, the paper highlights how conventional knowledge and contemporary pharmacology are convergent, emphasizing the mutually beneficial interaction between cultural legacy and evidence-based treatment. Encapsulating the historical significance and current relevance of Flemingia macrophylla in the integration of traditional Chinese medicine into modern healthcare practices, this comprehensive compilation could be an invaluable resource for researchers, herbalists, and healthcare practitioners.
... (Zingiberaceae), which are perennial, evergreen, and rhizomatous herbs found distributed throughout Thailand 9 . The rhizomes of these plants were traditional used as carminative, laxative, tonic, food and spices [10][11][12] . The major chemical constituents reported from the rhizomes of Alpinia spp. ...
The rhizomes of plants in the genus Alpinia (Zingiberaceae) have been used as food, spices, and traditional medicine in Thailand. The crude ethanolic extracts from the fresh rhizomes of selected Alpinia species, including A. galanga var. galanga, A. galanga var. pyramidata, A. oxymitra, and A. siamensis, were proposed to be explored for their active principles and in vitro antioxidant and antidiabetic performance. The fresh rhizomes were extracted with 95% ethanol using a Soxhlet apparatus, and crude extracts were subsequently analyzed for amounts of flavonoids using quercetin and kaempferol as chemical markers by high-performance liquid
chromatography. All flavonoid-containing extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant and antidiabetic effects using free radical scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory tests. The results demonstrated that the examined extracts included active flavonoid markers, predominantly quercetin, which ranged from 11.05% to 13.79% w/w and was approximately 10 times more prevalent than kaempferol. Extracts that consisted of these active flavonoids exhibited strong antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Pearson’s correlation study was used to determine the association between flavonoid quantity and possessed activities. The findings indicated a substantial correlation between quercetin levels and
free radical scavenging activity. This work implies that raw ethanolic extracts from the fresh rhizomes of these rare Alpinia plants have the potential to be developed into functional nourishment and remedies that could benefit diabetics in alternative ways.
... The abundance of plant families is apparent, with leaves being the predominant component, contributing to the utilization of 25 species, a conclusion corroborated by earlier research (Kantasrila et al., 2017;Panyadee et al., 2019). Boiling has been identified as the predominant method for preparing medicine, which aligns with prior research findings (Khuankaew et al., 2014;Panyadee et al., 2019). These reveal the complex knowledge and customs deeply rooted in the community's traditional medicine. ...
Results from an ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Lao ethnic group between 2021 and 2023 identifying the medicinal plants use of 76 species 68 genera 43 families. The primary emphasis of the study was on the medicinal plants, we tested the differences between informant knowledge and informant age using linear regression. The most important medicinal plant species, including Blumea balsamifera, Chromolaena odorata, Smilax glabra, and Zingiber montanum (all with a Use Value of 1.00), were followed by Phyllanthus emblica (0.95) and Cucumis sativus (0.88). Remarkably, 65 plant species achieved the highest Fidelity Level with a 100% FL value. Within ailment categories, Respiratory system symptoms garnered the highest Informant Agreement Ratio value of 1.00. The Jaccard’s Similarity Index ranged from 0.0581 to 0.2690, with the highest JI observed between cultivated and market plants. The UPGMA cluster analysis indicated that wild plants exhibited lower similarity to the other areas. There were no significant differences in the number of plants known among different informants based on their age. In this research, we found that two plant species, Solanum lasiocarpum (used for nourishing the body) and Morinda coreia (employed in treating amenorrhea), have never been reported for their medicinal use before. These findings underscore the risk of traditional knowledge erosion, driven by the absence of written documentation and the influence of modern medical practices. The data obtained from this study is of immense value in formulating conservation strategies that can benefit both the Bolikhamxay province and the nation as a whole.
... A similar trend of plants displaying higher phenolic compounds in barks and higher flavonoid content in leaves was also reported for Berberis baluchistanica. [42] Phenolic content was also reported in ethyl acetate and [20] fever and pain [22] Leaf tonic [23] antiseptic, anthelmintic, vermicide, and, treatment of gonorrhea [24] Hypertension [25] diarrhea, dysentery, and gastric problems [27] cuts and burns [28] Scorpion bites [29] bone fracture [30] chloroform fraction of S. wallichii bark as 163.4 ± 2.22 µg and 90.35 ± 3.11 µg per mg of the fraction. [43] The same study found the flavonoid content to be 57.32 ± 2.31 µg and 28.27 ± 1.1 µg per mg of the ethyl acetate and chloroform extract. ...
The present study focuses on qualitative and quantitative phytochemical and biological analysis in bark and leaf extracts of Schima wallichii growing in Gulmi, Nepal. TPC and TFC were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the aluminum chloride colorimetric method, respectively. The DPPH assay was used for antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial activity was studied with the agar-well diffusion method. The presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, quinones, coumarins, saponins, terpenoids, and tannins was detected by qualitative phytochemical analysis. Total phenolic content in an aqueous leaf extract and methanol bark extract ranged from 199 ± 5 to 219 ± 8 mg GAE/g. Similarly, the flavonoid content found between 6.0 ± 1.7 in bark to 33 ± 2 mg QE/g in leaf extract. The antioxidant activity of IC50 36 ± 3, 39 ± 1, 52 ± 3, and 73 ± 4 µg/mL for methanolic bark extract, methanolic leaf, aqueous bark, and aqueous leaf extracts, respectively. The bark methanol extract showed the most antibacterial activity with ZOI of 10.0 ± 0.3, 8.0 ± 0.3, 14 ± 0, and 11 ± 1 mm against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli, respectively. Plant extracts were found to be nontoxic to mildly toxic to the brine shrimp nauplii. The plant is found to be rich in phenolics, and flavonoids showing significant antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and is nontoxic against brine shrimp nauplii. The plant imparts a health-promoting effect that needs to be explored in pharmaceutical research.
... Naturalists, pharmacists, and wildlife managers can use medicinal plant information to improve the well-being of their communities, with great preference for those plants with high utilization among mountainous communities for basic healthcare (Ibrar et al. 2007). Individuals developed different expertise in various fields in the past by practicing traditional medicine and need to preserve that knowledge for future generations (Khuankaew et al. 2014). It takes an active role in understanding the relationship between biodiversity, social norms, and cultural systems (Hussain et al. 2022). ...
Background: The contemporary research was conducted to explore the ethnomedicinal potential of wild flora exploited by the indigenous communities of Palas valley of Kohistan, Northern Pakistan. It constitutes an important contribution to the knowledge of biological resources used for treatment of ailments through traditional practices. Methods: Rapid appraisal approach (RAA), semi-structured interviews, and personal monitoring, group discussion with community and interviews with herbalist were carried out to obtain information of ethnomedicinal values. The data gathered from the site was examined using quantitative ethnobotanical indices, viz., informant consensus factor (ICF), use value (UV), and Fidelity level (FL).Results: The current study recorded 102 plants with medicinal values which belong to 48 families which were described by 243 informants of area (female informants 87, male informants 137 and herbal specialists 19). Family Rosaceae was the abundantly utilized family with 10 reported plants species with medicinal values. Wild herbs were the prime source of herbal medicines (40.19%), followed by wild shrubs (39.21%). Leaves (23%) were the most frequently used plant part, followed by roots (12%) and whole plants (10%), and decoctions were the most preferred preparations. Conclusions: Indigenous herbal medicines play a major role in the system of local healthcare of Palas valley. The native people prefer to utilize the traditional preparations of herbal plants as remedies for various diseases. The plant with greater UV and FL% is playing vital role in the basic healthcare system. This outcome suggests further phytochemical studies to discover novel biological compounds for the exploration of drugs in future. Keywords: Ethnomedicinal appraisal, Subalpine, Alpine, Indigenous communities, Palas valley
... The family Commelinaceae contains monocot plants known as the dayflower family or spiderwort family comprising 41 genera and over 731 species that are widely distributed, mainly in tropical and subtropical areas with considerable diversity extending into northern temperate regions of the world [1]. The family contains annual or perennial herbs, which are generally terrestrial and somewhat fleshy or succulent, perennial with rhizomes or stolons; stems clearly divided into nodes and internodes, simple or branched, sometimes rooting from the stem; roots fibrous, fine, or tuberous [2][3][4][5][6]; some species are used as food (including as edible plants and ingredients) [7][8][9], medicine [7,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16], animal feed [7], and as ornamentals [7,9,15]. ...
Citation: Sengthong, A.; Saensouk, S.; Saensouk, P.; Souladeth, P. Cytogenetic Study of Five Varieties of Callisia repens (Jacq.) L. (Commelinaceae) from Laos. Abstract: Cytogenetical studies were carried out on five varieties of Callisia repens, i.e., turtle vine, green, pink lady, gold, and Bianca. The morphological characteristics of all five varieties differed in leaf shape and color of the plant. All five varieties have the same chromosome number, 2n = 12, and the fundamental number (NF) = 24. The number of metacentric (m), submetacentric (sm), and subtelocentric (st) chromosomes was related to the discrepancies between the various karyotypes that were found. The formula for each of the karyotypes was 2m + 2sm + 8st (turtle vine), 2m + 10st (green), 8m + 4st 14 (pink lady), 2m + 4sm + 6st (gold), and 2m + 2sm + 8st (Bianca). Therefore, all five strains had asymmetrical karyotypes. The chromosome number of C. repens has been reported previously, but this is the first report of karyotype variation among the varieties. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) of the karyotype formula was able to distinguish C. repens 'pink lady', C. repens 'green', and C. repens 'gold', but it was unable to differentiate between C. repens 'Bianca' and C. repens 'turtle vine'. Additionally, PCA conducted on the centromeric index (CI) and the leaf colors of the five varieties of C. repens successfully separated all of them. Therefore, the prominent morphological traits and karyotype information of the five varieties of C. repens from Laos can be used to distinguish between them.
... Empirically, Pagoda is used as antipyretic and anti-inflammatory [14]. The flower and leaf have been reported to treat hemorrhoids in northern Thailand [15]. The roots are also used as a traditional treatment of typhoid fever [16,17]. ...
... Moreover, a new species, D. globoostiolata, was found on a member of Fagaceae. Some plant genera in Fagaceae, such as Castanopsis, Quercus, and Lithocarpus, have also been reported on regarding their medicinal usage and pharmacological properties [76][77][78][79]. Furthermore, more than 30 Diaporthe species have been recorded from the host family Fagaceae [38]. ...
During our investigations of the microfungi on medicinal plants in Thailand, five isolates of Diaporthe were obtained. These isolates were identified and described using a multiproxy approach, viz. morphology, cultural characteristics, host association, the multiloci phylogeny of ITS, tef1-α, tub2, cal, and his3, and DNA comparisons. Five new species, Diaporthe afzeliae, D. bombacis, D. careyae, D. globoostiolata, and D. samaneae, are introduced as saprobes from the plant hosts, viz. Afzelia xylocarpa, Bombax ceiba, Careya sphaerica, a member of Fagaceae, and Samanea saman. Interestingly, this is the first report of Diaporthe species on these plants, except on the Fagaceae member. The morphological comparison, updated molecular phylogeny, and pairwise homoplasy index (PHI) analysis strongly support the establishment of novel species. Our phylogeny also revealed the close relationship between D. zhaoqingensis and D. chiangmaiensis; however, the evidence from the PHI test and DNA comparison indicated that they are distinct species. These findings improve the existing knowledge of taxonomy and host diversity of Diaporthe species as well as highlight the untapped potential of these medicinal plants for searching for new fungi.
... The remaining families contain 1-4 species, 10 families (Combretaceae, Compositae, Dioscoreaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Moraceae, Phyllanthaceae, Pteridaceae, Rhamnaceae and Rubiaceae) contribute 4 species (4 species in each family), likewise, 3 families contributed 3 species (3 species in each family), seven families contributed 2 species, 25 families contributed single species (Supplementary t. 7). Due to their greatest availability and distributional range, many tribes in India [46,[49][50][51] as well as adjacent countries have already reported that the frequent usage of Leguminosae members [52]. ...
The study of medicinal plants with their traditional uses and related pharmacological studies has received more attention during the past several decades around the world. The Malayali tribes of the Javadhu Hills in the Eastern Ghats rely heavily on a system of traditional medicine for healthcare. A qualitative ethnographic method with a semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview 52 people across 11 localities in the Javadhu Hills. In the data analysis, descriptive statistics such as Use reports (UR), frequency of citations (FC), relative frequency of citations (RFC), informant agreement ratio (IAR), fidelity level (FL), and informant consensus factor (FIC) were studied. In the current investigation, 146 species from 52 families and 108 genera were discovered to treat 79 diseases. Leguminosae and Apocynaceae were the dominant families (12 species each). The most frequently used life form was the herb and the plant part were the leaf. The majority were being harvested from natural resources. Most medicines were taken orally. The most frequently cited species are Moringa oleifera and Syzygium cumini. The illnesses were divided into 21 categories. The majority of the plants mentioned are utilised to increase human immunity and health. The principal ailment (general health) was revealed by two-way cluster analysis and PCA. The species Litsea decanensis, Phoebe paniculata, Commiphora caudata, etc., were new records for the Javadhu hills according to a comparison between the current study and previous local and regional research. Documenting novel ethnomedicinal species and their therapeutic applications will encourage more phytochemical and pharmacological research and may even result in the creation of new medications. Furthermore, the study's significant novelty is that principle component analysis and two-way cluster analysis clearly revealed that the species that are used to treat various diseases, as well as species that are closely associated with treating specific ailment categories, are distinct. Significantly, species recorded in this study rely on maintaining and improving general body health of humans.
... P. erinaceus extract has shown analgesic effect (Noufou et al., 2012), whereby the decoction of stem bark and leaves were used to relieve tooth-and headache, respectively (Tapsoba and Deschamps, 2006;Nadembega et al., 2011). The plant has been used in the treatment of gastric, (Olaleye et al., 2013), nose bleeds (Nadembega et al., 2011;Salawu et al., 2008), and several infectious diseases (Tittikpina et al., (Roosita et al., 2008) oral ingestion P. macrocarpus Kurz Sore teeth Bark Crushed and applied to mouth (Khuankaew et al., 2014) P. marsupium Roxb. ...
... The younger people with a high level of education, literacy, and increasing use of the social media and internet, used fewer medicinal plants than the older people. Many studies have shown positive associations between age and level of medicinal plant knowledge (Begossi et al., 2002;Khuankaew et al., 2014;Srithi et al., 2009). According to Voeks and Leony (2004), the growth in medicinal knowledge is on average 5% per 10 years. ...
We studied Hmong medicinal plant knowledge in Thailand, focusing on knowledge transmission and retention. Sixteen herbalist specialists and 210 non-herbalist-specialist informants were interviewed. Hmong medicinal plant knowledge is increasingly being threatened. The non-specialist informants used only a fraction of the medicinal plants that they knew were useful. Many species had not been used for a long time and some had disappeared from the study areas. This is particularly true for younger generations who had higher levels of formal education, literacy skill, and who used more internet and social media. The useful passing of traditional knowledge from the older generations to the next may soon be lost. We suggest that the cross-generational learning of traditional knowledge should be integrated into educational strategies to reduce the risk of knowledge erosion and improve knowledge retention.
... In Thailand, Pagoda root's practical benefits were antipyretic and antiinflammatory [3]. The flowers and leaves of this plant have been utilized to treat hemorrhoids in the northern part of Thailand [4]. In India, Pagoda's roots were used for the traditional treatment of typhoid fever. ...
One of the successful determinants of active compounds extraction from plant material depends mainly on the extraction procedures, including the type of solvents, plant materials, and extraction techniques used in the extraction procedure. This research aimed to optimize Pagoda’s extraction yields (Clerodendrum paniculatum L.) using several types of solvents and extraction techniques and to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of extracts obtained. The various solvents include water, methanol, hexane, and ethanol, while the extraction techniques used were maceration, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and reflux. The flowers, leaves, and stems were also extracted to represent parts of the plants. Screening of secondary metabolites was carried out using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), while cytotoxic activity was tested against Artemia salina. The highest yield of extract was obtained using water, followed by methanol > ethanol > hexane. The most effective extraction methods were the reflux method, followed by MAE and maceration. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the linear model of plant parts, solvents, and interactions between factors showed significant effects on yield (P < 0.05). The studied extracts contain secondary metabolites of terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins. These extracts were also very toxic to Artemia salina; therefore, they can be developed as anticancer.
... Leaf of S10 is used for wrapping meat during festival and traditional ritual. S1, S4 and S15 are also used to cure diarrhea, while Khuankaew et al. (2014) [12] reported that bark of S15 is used for fever and lumbago. Tender shoots of S14 are consumed along with fish, which is also used in Mizoram for the treatment of ulcer, stomach ache etc. (Lalawmpuii et al. 2017) [14] . ...
The Mising people are the second largest ethnic plain tribes of Assam dwelling along the bank of river Brahmaputra. Their culture and tradition are integrated with nature, they consume various traditional meat preparations along with number of wild plants and herbs in their diet since time immemorial. This paper deals with the study and documentation of some of the important plant species mainly consumed along with meat in their diet. The present study revealed that plant species used by them are associated with the medicinal values of plants, their religious beliefs and festivals.
... Kalasin is one of 20 provinces in the Isan Region that faces a problem about traditional knowledge loss caused by land-use change and the expansion of the economy and utility system, which is in accordance with other ethnobotanical studies in Thailand and other countries (Kayani et al. 2015;Khuankaew et al. 2014;Reyes-García et al. 2013;Srithi et al. 2009). Some parts of forest areas have been turned into cultivation areas and housing, which might be the cause of the loss of diversity in edible plant species. ...
Phatlamphu N, Saensouk S, Saensouk P, Jungsongduang A. 2021. Ethnobotany of edible plants in Muang District, Kalasin Province, Thailand. Biodiversitas 22: 5425- 5431. Edible plants have been used as a food source and have had other purposes since ancient times, but urbanization and modernization might be obscuring traditional knowledge. Therefore, this research aimed to conduct a study on the ethnobotany of indigenous people in Muang District, Kalasin Province based on edible plants by focusing on their specific uses. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions from March 2019 to February 2021. Quantitative analysis was applied using the Cultural Important Index (CI), Fidelity Level (FL) and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). Cluster analysis based on the Jaccard’s Similarity Index (JI) was calculated for the similarity of edible plant uses in four communities is as follows: urban/semi-urban (UB), forest community (FC), wetland community (WC) and community in valley (CV). There were 140 edible plant species that belonged to 125 genera and 62 families. The most important edible plants species were Tamarindus indica which had a CI of 2.65 followed by Bambusa bambos (2.00) and Citrus hystrix (1.90). The highest FL value is given for 51 edible plant species with 100% FL. The ICF is a range of 0 to 1; the most consensus of ailment categories was the treatment of wound (ICF = 1.00). The JI varied between 0.2640 and 0.2971; the highest JI was the pairs of WC and FC. UPGMA cluster analysis indicated that UB is isolated as they have less similarity to other communities. The results show a risk of traditional knowledge loss due to the expansion of the economic system at all levels and the advancement of modern medicine.
... Thailand is one of the hot spots of biodiversity including the species richness and abundant of several plants. Edible Fabaceae species have long been used both foods and medicines since the ancient time, and currently being used more and more [11][12][13]. The most consumed beans species in Fabaceae family i.e., Pisum sativum, Cajanus cajan, Vigna unguiculate., V. unguiculata subsp. ...
The edible beans in Fabaceae have been used for foods and medicines since the ancient time, and being used more and more. It is also appeared as a major ingredient in dairy cooking menu in many regions including Thailand, a rich biodiversity country. Many studies reported on health benefits of their flavonoids, but there is no report on the effect of cooking on phytochemical profile and pharmacological potentials. Thus, this present study aims to complete this knowledge, with the 10 most consumed Fabaceae beans in Thailand, by determining the impact of traditional cooking and gastrointestinal digestion on their phytochemicals, their antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities using different in vitro and in cellulo yeast models. The results showed that Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis were the richest source of phytochemicals, whereas the population of V. mungo, Phaseolus vulgaris, V. angularis, and V. unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis were richest in monomeric anthocyanin contents (MAC). Furthermore, the results clearly demonstrated the impact of the plant matrix effect on the preservation of a specific class of phytochemicals. In particular, after cooking and in vitro digestion, total flavonoid contents (TFC) in Glycine max extract was higher than in the uncooked sample. This study is the first report on the influence of cooking and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the inhibition capacity toward advanced glycation end products (AGEs). All samples showed a significant capacity to stimulate glucose uptake in yeast model, and V. angularis showed the highest capacity. Interestingly, the increase in glucose uptake after in vitro digestion was higher than in uncooked samples for both P. vulgaris and G. max samples. The current study is the first attempt to investigate at the effects of both processes not only on the natural bioactive compounds but also on antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities of Thailand’s 10 most consumed beans that can be applied for agro-industrial and phytopharmaceutical sectors.
... The species members of Fabaceae have been used in various proposes ranging from food, cosmetics, timber, ornamentals, and medicines to use as fodder and green manure [2][3][4][5][6]. In Thailand, the edible Fabaceae species is one of the most important foods, which have long been consumed, and which are used more than other plant groups [4,7,8]. ...
Fabaceae is the third largest family containing great variation among populations. However, previous studies mainly focus on single species, and phytochemicals at population level have never been reported. This work aims to complete this knowledge with 50 populations from throughout Thailand by (1) determining total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), and anthocyanin (TAC) contents; and (2) investigating in vitro and cellular antioxidant potentials. Phytochemicals of 50 populations from different localities are differed, illustrating high heterogeneity occurring in polyphenols accumulations. Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis populations showed low variability in TPC ranging from 628.3 to 717.3 mg/100 g DW gallic acid equivalent, whereas the high variability found in TFC and TAC range from 786.9 to 1536.1 mg/100 g DW quercetin equivalent, and 13.4 to 41.6 mg/100 g DW cyanidin equivalent. Red cultivar population #16 had the greatest TAC, but surprisingly the cream cultivars were relatively high in anthocyanins. HPLC quantification of genistein and daidzein showed great variations among populations. In vitro antioxidant results indicated that antioxidant capacity mediated by electron transfer. Cellular antioxidants ranged from 59.7% to 87.9% of ROS/RNS in yeast model. This study investigated at the population level contributing to better and frontier knowledge for nutraceutical/phytopharmaceutical sectors to seek potential raw plant material.
... The genus Mitragyna, belonging to the family Rubiaceae, is widely distributed in the tropics and arid areas in Africa and Asia [1]. Mitragyna plants have been used as ethnomedicines for relieving pain and inflammation [2][3][4], for treating diarrhea [5], for pus prevention [6] and as galactagogues [7]. Four species of plants in the genus Mitragyna, including M. speciosa (Roxb.) ...
Plants in the genus Mitragyna (Rubiaceae) are used in traditional medicine because of their broad therapeutic activity. Four Mitragyna species, M. speciosa (Roxb.) Korth. (MS), M. rotundifolia (Roxb.) Kuntze (MR), M. diversifolia (Wall. ex G. Don) Havil. (MD), and M. hirsuta Havil. (MH), occur in Thailand. M. speciosa, commonly known as ‘Kratom’ in Thai, is the only narcotic species for which buying, selling, importing or possessing has been prohibited by law in Thailand and some other countries. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, the major psychoactive compounds, are important in the treatment of opioid withdrawal. However, this species is used in traditional medicine to relieve pain and inflammation. Consequently, a rapid and easy technique for differentiating M. speciosa from closely related species is needed for routine forensic analysis. In this study, polymerase chain reaction coupled with lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (PCR-LFA) based on matK was developed for the detection of M. speciosa in forensic specimens. Duplex primers (MS-F-FAM, Ctrl-F-DIG and Ctrl-R-Biotin) were designed based on species-specific nucleotide indels observed exclusively in the matK sequences of M. speciosa. Positive results for M. speciosa are indicated by the clear presence of three black lines on the lateral flow cassette. Forensic samples were investigated, and the three black test lines indicating M. speciosa were observed for seven of eight specimens. PCR-LFA has been proven to be fast, easy and efficient for detecting the narcotic M. speciosa and could be developed as a rapid forensic diagnostic technique for other plants.
... Kalasin is one of 20 provinces in the Isan Region that faces a problem about traditional knowledge loss caused by land-use change and the expansion of the economy and utility system, which is in accordance with other ethnobotanical studies in Thailand and other countries (Kayani et al. 2015;Khuankaew et al. 2014;Reyes-García et al. 2013;Srithi et al. 2009). Some parts of forest areas have been turned into cultivation areas and housing, which might be the cause of the loss of diversity in edible plant species. ...
Phatlamphu N, Saensouk S, Saensouk P, Jungsongduang A. 2021. Ethnobotany of edible plants in Muang District, Kalasin Province, Thailand. Biodiversitas 22: 5432-5444. Edible plants have been used as a food source and have had other purposes since ancient times, but urbanization and modernization might be obscuring traditional knowledge. Therefore, this research aimed to conduct a study on the ethnobotany of indigenous people in Muang District, Kalasin Province based on edible plants by focusing on their specific uses. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions from March 2019 to February 2021. Quantitative analysis was applied using the Cultural Important Index (CI), Fidelity Level (FL) and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). Cluster analysis based on the Jaccard's Similarity Index (JI) was calculated for the similarity of edible plant uses in four communities is as follows: urban/semi-urban (UB), forest community (FC), wetland community (WC) and community in valley (CV). There were 140 edible plant species that belonged to 125 genera and 62 families. The most important edible plants species were Tamarindus indica which had a CI of 2.65 followed by Bambusa bambos (2.00) and Citrus hystrix (1.90). The highest FL value is given for 51 edible plant species with 100% FL. The ICF is a range of 0 to 1; the most consensus of ailment categories was the treatment of wound (ICF = 1.00). The JI varied between 0.2640 and 0.2971; the highest JI was the pairs of WC and FC. UPGMA cluster analysis indicated that UB is isolated as they have less similarity to other communities. The results show a risk of traditional knowledge loss due to the expansion of the economic system at all levels and the advancement of modern medicine.
... Yai community in Northern Thailand used the leaves and stem of M. auriculata Brandis by boiling it with water and used in the bath due to its tonic property (S. Khuankaew et al., 2014). ...
... Most of the TMP were aged between 50-69 years. Generally older people use more traditional remedies than young people and this traditional knowledge tends to disappear in the young layer [20]. This fact may be coupled with lack of interest in traditional practices, on the part of young people. ...
Background
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease that affects about 50 million people worldwide, mainly in developing countries. It is treated with anticonvulsant drugs, but in some cases, conventional anticonvulsants have not been effective, leading patients to turn to alternative herbal treatments. The study aimed to identify plants used in traditional medicine for the treatment of epilepsy in southern Mozambique, record the parts used, the method of preparation as well as the mode of administration.
Methodology
The study was conducted between April to June 2019. 53 Traditional Medicine Practitioners were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed by calculating the Percentage of Citation (%FC) and Informant Factor Consensus (IFC).
Results
A total of 32 medicinal plants belonging to 18 botanical families were identified for the treatment of epilepsy in the southern part of Mozambique. The species, Hugonia orientalis Engl (22.64%), Maclura africana Bur (16.98%), Strychnos spinosa Lam (13.21%), Terminalia sericea Bruch ex DC (13.21%) and Manilkara mochisia (Bark) Dubard (11.32%) were the most cited. The families Annonaceae and Menispermaceae (4 species) were the most representative in number of species. The root was the most commonly used plant part (54.2%), the frequently used preparation mode was decoction (71%), and administration of the remedies was often by oral route.
Conclusion
Medicinal plants still play an important role in primary health care in the study area. However there is a need to develop pharmacological studies based on these plants to understand the mechanism of action of the bioactive compounds and for the future development of new and more effective anticonvulsant drugs
... The use of these plants is multipurpose. For example, turmeric and plai are frequently used in the treatment of dermatotherapy, reducing skin inflammation, insect bite reliever, and cosmetics, whereas ginger and galangal have pharmacological properties for the treatment of allergies and superficial fungal infections (Tewtrakul and Subhadhirasakul, 2007;Hsu et al., 2010;Chandrasekaran et al., 2013;Khuankaew et al., 2014). The preparation of these herbal medicines for antifungal medication differs by region, traditional recipe, and healer's experience. ...
Ethnopharmacological relevance:
Rhizomes from members of Zingiberaceae have long been used in Thai traditional medicine to treat cutaneous fungal infections, including Malassezia-related skin disorders. Alpinia galanga, Curcuma longa, Zingiber cassumunar, and Zingiber officinale are particularly popular in folk remedies.
Aim of the study:
On account of the application background in traditional medicine, the present study aims to screen and determine the composition and possible mechanism of the rhizome extracts of selected Zingiberaceae and corresponding fractions against M. furfur.
Materials and methods:
All solvent extracts (ethanol, methanol, and n-hexane) obtained from each plant were screened for anti-Malassezia activity by agar disc diffusion assay. The MIC and MFC values of the potent rhizome extract and its bioactive fraction isolated by TLC were determined using broth dilution assay followed by chemical characterization using GC-MS. The anti-Malassezia mechanism was investigated by macroscopic and microscopic observation of cells grown in the yeast phase and hyphal phase.
Results:
The primary screening results showed that the n-hexane extract from A. galanga possessed the most significant anti-Malassezia activity. The MIC and MFC values of this extract were in a range of 0.04-0.08 mg/ml and 0.04-0.16 mg/ml, respectively. The TLC purification of the n-hexane extract from A. galanga gave a total of nine fractions, of which only a single exhibited anti-Malassezia activity. The GC-MS analysis of the rhizome extract and the derivative fraction revealed that the major constituents were (2,6-dimethylphenyl)borate followed by a trace content of 1,8-cineol and hydrocarbons. For the antifungal mechanism of the fraction, treatments of the fraction led to morphological changes in cell size and shape, exerted massive vacuoles in yeast form, and inhibited the transition to hyphae but not likely affected chitin contents of the cell wall of M. furfur.
Conclusions:
According to the results, the n-hexane extract of A. galanga rhizome exhibits promising anti-Malassezia potential. The inhibitory effect on virulent hyphal growth supports that A. galanga is a valuable source of natural antifungal agents for further pharmaceutical research.
... P. erinaceus extract has shown analgesic effect (Noufou et al., 2012), whereby the decoction of stem bark and leaves were used to relieve tooth-and headache, respectively (Tapsoba and Deschamps, 2006;Nadembega et al., 2011). The plant has been used in the treatment of gastric, (Olaleye et al., 2013), nose bleeds (Nadembega et al., 2011;Salawu et al., 2008), and several infectious diseases (Tittikpina et al., (Roosita et al., 2008) oral ingestion P. macrocarpus Kurz Sore teeth Bark Crushed and applied to mouth (Khuankaew et al., 2014) P. marsupium Roxb. ...
Ethnopharmacological relevance
The genus Pterocarpus (Fabaceae) has about 46 species that are distributed over Asia, especially Indonesia, Africa, and several countries in America. Particularly, P. indicus and P. santalinus have been recorded as ancestor recipe in the old Indonesian book (Cabe puyang warisan nenek moyang). These plants have found application in traditional medicine, such as in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, gonorrhoea, infection, coughs, mouth ulcers, boils, diarrhoea, as well as in the management of pain (as an analgesic).
Aim of the review
The present review aimed to comprehensively summarise the current researches on the traditional and scientific applications of the genus Pterocarpus with regard to the phytochemical content, in vivo and in vitro bioactivities, as well as clinical evidence that may be useful for future drug development.
Materials and methods
Information about the Pterocarpus genus were obtained from local classic herbal literature and electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The scientific name of the species and its synonyms were checked with the information of The Plant List. Additionally, clinical trial results were obtained from the Cochrane library.
Results
Several phytochemical constituents of the plants, e.g., flavonoids, isoflavonoids, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and fatty acids have been reported. There are about 11 species of Pterocarpus that have been scientifically studied for their biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, analgesic, and anti-hyperglycemic. Of which, the anti-hyperglycemic activity of the extracts and phytochemicals of P. indicus and P. marsupium is particularly remarkable, allowing them to be further studied under clinical trial.
Conclusion
The present review has provided an insight into the traditional applications of the plants and some of them have been validated by scientific evidence, particularly their applications as anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents. In addition, the genus has demonstrated notable anti-diabetic activity in various clinical trials.
... The plant decoction is used to reduce labour pain and to cure fever [14] . In Tai Yai villages of Northern Thailand, the whole plant in water is boiled and then used for bathing to treat Oedema and lumbago [23] . In China, a formulation designated Le-Cao-Shi that contains P. pulchellum is used as a folk remedy against hepatitis B is used in traditional Chinese medicine [24] . ...
Phyllodium pulchellum (L.) Desv. [Syn: Desmodium pulchellum (L.)
Benth] is a shrub belonging to the family Leguminosae. In this review, a comprehensive information on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of P. pulchellum is discussed. P. pulchellum is reported to be used as fodder and as an edible plant. The plant is used as insect repellent and is used for treating cancer, hemorrhages, fever, edema, liver injury and viral infections. The plant is reported to contain secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and saponins.
Studies have shown that the plant P. pulchellum exhibit a range of
pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, enzyme inhibitory, antiviral, hepatoprotective, cytotoxic, and anthelmintic activities. Isolated constituents were also shown to exhibit some biological activities. The pharmacological properties of the plant observed justifies the traditional uses of the plant.
... During the field work and as per interviews most widely used plant part were leaves (16 sp.) and whole plant (14 sp.). The use of whole plant in the preparation of herbal remedies was also documented by Bibi et al., (2014), Khuankaew et al., (2014) and Shinwari et al., (2020). The common use of leaves in folk herbal remedies was also reported in different ethno-medicinal studies conducted by Singh & Singh (2009), Kadir et al., (2012), Kadir et al., (2013); Islam et al., (2014), Teklehaymanot (2009), Tabuti et al., (2010 and Upadhyay et al., (2010). ...
The present work was conducted with the aim to record the ethnic medicinal knowledge. This work is the first effort to document the folk knowledge of medicinal plants. From 2013-14, 87 participants were interviewed through semi-structured questionnaires. During the field work 45 medicinal plants belonging to 27 families were encountered. Lamiaceae was the dominant family in terms of species (5 sp.). The most common life form was herbs (60%), and leaves (16 sp. 28%) were most commonly used in various ailments. The most important mode of preparation was decoction (34.88%). According to FI value was Ziziphus nummularia (0.42) was the most important species. The highest ICF value was recorded for Anti-Poisoning (0.928) recipes, and the maximum Jaccard Similarity Index in comparison with Malakand Pass Hills (14.16%). The documentation of the therapeutic flora shows that the use of medicinal plants in the study area plays a vital role in the basic health-care system of the native communities. The predominant use of whole plants and seed is an alarming situation for the conservation of local medicinal flora. Therefore, education of the local communities about the conservation of medicinal plants is the need. This work will also serve as baseline for future investigations.
... The reported reason behind the common use of whole plants was easily collection and less hard work as compare to other parts such as fruits, leaves and flower. Roots, leaves, bark and fruits are also used for various animals' diseases (Khuankaew et al., 2014). On other hand, leaves are also predominately reported because leaves exhibit various pharmacological properties due to presence of various active compounds such as flavonoids and phenolics. ...
... It is also used for the treatment of cough and skin infection (Padhi et al., 2017). The Tai Yai community in Northern Thailand used the leaves and stem of M. auriculata Brandis by boiling it with water and used in the bath due to its tonic property (Khuankaew et al., 2014). M. pachycarpa Benth. ...
The genus Millettia belongs to Fabaceae includes 200 species which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Plants belong to this genus are used as folkloric medicine, for the treatment of different ailments like in wound healing, boil, sores, skin diseases, snake bite, muscle aches, pains, rheumatic arthritis, and gynaecological diseases. The aim of the review is to provide updated, comprehensive and categorized information on the aspects of ethnobotanical, phytochemical, pharmacological uses and toxicity of genus Millettia in order to identify their therapeutic potential and generate space for future research opportunities. The present study comprises of isolated flavonoids, phenolic compounds, phytosterols, saponins, alkaloids, polysaccharides, terpenoids and resins and pharmacological activities of various Millettia species. The relevant data were searched by using the keyword “Millettia” in different scientific databases like, “Google Scholar”; “NISCAIR repository”; “Pub Med”; “Science Direct”; “Scopus” and the taxonomy is validated by “The Plant List”. This review discusses the existing information of the traditional evaluation as well as phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of the extract and active constituents of the genus “Millettia”. This review confirms that several Millettia species have emerged as a high-quality medicine in a traditional system for arthritis, wound healing, inflammation, skin diseases. Numerous conventional uses of Millettia species have been validated by modern pharmacology research. Intensive investigations of the genus Millettia relating to phytochemistry and pharmacology, especially their mechanism of action, safety, and efficacy could be the future research interests by the researcher in the area of phytomedicine.
... Many ethnobotanical studies from northern Thailand [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] describe a rich traditional knowledge which includes over 1700 plant species [39]. However, the research has not pinpointed the plant species that provide the daily dietary intake of these indigenous people. ...
Wild food plants are commonly used in the traditional diets of indigenous people in many parts of the world, including northern Thailand. The potential contribution of wild food plants to the nutrition of the Karen and Lawa communities remains poorly understood. Wild food plants, with a focus on leafy vegetables, were ranked by the Cultural Food Significance Index (CFSI) based on semi-structured interviews. Twelve wild plant species were highly mentioned and widely consumed. The importance of the wild vegetables was mainly related to taste, availability, and multifunctionality of the species. Their contents of proximate and minerals (P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) were analyzed using standard methods. The proximate contents were comparable to most domesticated vegetables. The contents of Mg (104 mg/100 g FW), Fe (11 mg/100 g FW), and Zn (19 mg/100 g FW) in the wild leafy vegetables were high enough to cover the daily recommended dietary allowances of adults (19-50 years), whereas a few species showed Mn contents higher than the tolerable upper intake level (>11 mg/100 g edible part). The wild leafy vegetables, therefore, are good sources of minerals and we recommend their continued usage by indigenous people. Further research on these wild leafy vegetables' contents of antioxidants, vitamins, heavy metals, anti-nutrient factors, and food safety is recommended.
... There, it was used to treat injuries [34] but this species was not even recorded in our study, which demonstrates how the use of medicinal plants is often very local and the property of only a few healers. The difference in traditional knowledge in each region possibly depends on their history and the time their community was settled, or by the experiences and activities in their daily lives [51,61]. ...
Traditional healers in Thailand are a primary source of health care for the Thai people. Highly experienced traditional healers are generally older people and they continue to pass away without recording or passing on their knowledge. Consequently, the cumulative knowledge held by traditional healers regarding the use of medicinal plants is being eroded and could be lost. In this study, we aimed to identify and document the medicinal plants and associated ethnobotanical knowledge held by traditional healers in Roi Et in northeastern Thailand. Data and plant specimens were collected from four traditional healers of the Phu Tai people. They were selected by purposive sampling and questioned using a semi-structured interview. The interviews covered their training, the ailments treated, treatment techniques, method of preparation and in addition, several healing sessions were observed. During field walks, we searched for the medicinal plants with the healers to review and document the availability of medicinal plants at each locality and in different habitats around the villages. Use values (UV) were calculated to estimate the importance of each medicinal plant and informant agreement ratios (IAR) were calculated to understand how widely known the uses were. The four Phu Tai traditional healers knew 162 medicinal plant species in 141 genera and 63 families. The family with the most medicinal plants was Leguminosae with 15 species. The plant part that they used most commonly was the stem, which was used for 82 species (49%). The most common preparation method was decoction, which was done for 124 species (75%). The most important and widely used medicinal plants were Rothmannia wittii, which had the highest use value (UV = 1.7). Most medicinal plants were used for treating tonic (34 species (21%)). Jaundice had the highest informant agreement ratio (IAR = 0.5). The most common life form among the medicinal plants was trees (56 species (34%)). The medicinal plants were mostly collected in community forests (81 species (49%)). Considering the richness of the healer's pharmacopeia, and the fact that their profession is not being perpetuated, this study points to the urgent need to document the traditional knowledge from the old herbalists before it disappears with the last practitioners from rural communities in Thailand.
... และ Desmodium เป็ นต้ น (Kanokmedhakul et al., 2004;Lewis et al., 2005;Chaipukdee et al., 2014;Khuankaew et al., 2014) (Larsen et al., 1984) และวงศ์ ย่ อยกระถิ น (Mimosoideae) (Nielsen, 1985) (Mattapha & Chantaranothai, 2012), Spatholobus , Tephrosia (Kantachot et al., 2014) ...
... Many species have been widely adopted for many applications in nutrition, medicine, ethnobotany, biochemistry, organic chemistry and other commercial purposes. For example, Crotalaria pallida, Dalbergia cochinchinensis, D. oliveri, Dendrolobium lanceolatum, Desmodium heterocarpon, Phyllodium pulchellum and Pisum sativum are used for a variety of purposes (Khuankaew et al., 2014). ...
This study of species diversity of the subfamily Papilionoideae in southern Thailand was carried out from September 2017 to December 2019 and it included both the study of fresh specimens and of herbarium collections. Sixty-three genera, 199 species, three subspecies and ve varieties were encountered. The most diverse genus was Crotalaria with 19 species. The study found ve endemics, ve new species records, three species that were expected new records or new species, 13 threatened species, 13 species that had not been previous recorded for southern Thailand, nine species which occur naturally in other regions and which had been introduced to southern Thailand and nally 33 exotic species. Here we provide an updated checklist with information on plant habits, habitats, owering-fruiting periods and provincial distributions.
... The local Tai Yai people of Thailand take orally the boiled roots for treating allergic asthma (Khuankaew et al. 2014). The local people of Nepal treat bronchitis by drinking bark juice of the tree (Acharya and Acharya 2010; Ghimire and Bastakoti 2009). ...
Despite advances in biomedical technology, many communities and local people are still dependent on natural and herbal medications. A large number of different ethnic groups like the Tharu, Kani, Garo and other local inhabitants thrive in the Indian subcontinent and other parts of the world. These indigenous people traditionally use Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) for a variety of medicinal (ethnoveterinary and ethnomedicines), ritual and economic purposes. Therefore, the present article aims to assess how many various types of disorders are being treated by the ethnic groups using formulations prepared from this tree. In addition, we aim to identify the gaps in knowledge and recommend future investigations based upon them. The present analysis based on 83 articles indicated that different ethnic groups are utilising the tree to treat about 142 health ailments that can be broadly categorised into 11 types of disorders. Among these disorder categories, helminthic infestations, dermatological and digestive disorders are most frequently treated with formulations prepared from this tree. Among plant parts, fruits are the most exclusively used component followed by leaves and bark. The usage of fruits as an anthelminthic is widespread and highly cited for both animals and human beings. Thus, the tree can serve as a promising ethnomedicine to treat helminthic infestations, dermatological and digestive problems. Therefore, the cultivation of this medicinal plant should be encouraged in order to promote the conservation of this species.
... The use of S. wallichii as a cure for nausea is also reported from the Sunda people in Garut District (Suherman 2006). Boiled leaves of S. wallichii is used as tonic by Tai Yai people in Northern Thailand (Khuankaew et al. 2014). It is also used to treat cold and fever by Karen people, the largest hill tribe in Thailand (Tangjitman et al. 2015). ...
Context
Musculoskeletal system disorders (MSD) are prevalent around the world affecting the health of people, especially farmers who work hard in the field. Karen farmers use many medicinal plants to treat MSD.
Objective
This study collects traditional plant-based remedies used by the Skaw Karen to treat MSD and evaluates their active phytochemical compounds.
Materials and methods
The ethnobotanical study was conducted in six Karen villages in Chiang Mai province using semi-structured interviews were of 120 informants. The data were analyzed using ethnobotanical indices including use values (UV), choice value (CV), and informant consensus factor (ICF). Consequently, the 20 most important species, according to the indices, were selected for phytochemical analysis using LC–MS/MS.
Results
A total of 3731 use reports were obtained for 139 species used in MSD treatment. The most common ailments treated with those plants were muscular pain. A total of 172 high-potential active compounds for MSD treatment were identified. Most of them were flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and steroids. The prevalent phytochemical compounds related to treat MSD were 9-hydroxycalabaxanthone, dihydrovaltrate, morroniside, isoacteoside, lithocholic acid, pomiferin, cucurbitacin E, leonuriside A, liriodendrin, and physalin E. Sambucus javanica Reinw. ex Blume (Adoxaceae), Betula alnoides Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don (Betulaceae), Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (Asteraceae), Plantago major L. (Plantaginaceae) and Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch. (Salicaceae) all had high ethnobotanical index values and many active compounds.
Discussion and conclusions
This study provides valuable information, demonstrating low-cost medicine plants that are locally available. It is a choice of treatment for people living in remote areas.
In this study, Buchanania lanzan sprang.,Millettia peguenensis Ali., and Evolvulus alsinoides L. were analyzed in terms of phytochemical composition, distribution, and ethnomedicinal uses. These plants are used in Ayurveda, Unani, and Chinese medicine as ethnomedicine. Plants have numerous properties, such as antioxidants, antibiotics, anti-bacterial, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, antistress, and antidiabetic. In this review, we intend to demonstrate the phytochemical constituents, as well as the traditional medicinal uses of these herbs. Based on a comprehensive review of various research papers and literature available on these three plants, as well as the present research done by us, we have tried to compile information regarding Buchanania lanzan sprang.,Millettia peguenensis Ali., and Evolvulus alsinoides L.. Various scientific databases were used to find information on the anti-diabetic properties of B. lanzan, M. peguensis, and E. alsinodes, like Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Different parts of the plants were examined for their phytochemical, toxicological, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory, antistress, and many more. They contain a number of phytochemical compounds, including flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, terpenes, and glycosides, which are responsible for their ability to treat diabetes, wounds, and oxidative stress. A crude extract of the different parts has valuable bioactive properties and could have ethnopharmacological relevance for managing different kinds of diseases. These phytoconstituents can be used in the formation of drugs.
Background: This comprehensive ethnobotanical study was undertaken for the first time to explore and document the medicinal plants used by the indigenous ethnic communities of Surghar Range, Pakistan. The study area is situated adjacent to Salt Range, which lies on the most southern part of Himalayan Ranges in Pakistan. Despite occurrence of so many medicinal plants, culture history and herbal medicines used among the indigenous communities, no explicit ethnobotanical studies are available from this unique region because the field of ethnobotany is still getting mature day by day in Pakistan. Methods: Semi-structured questionnaires, open interviews and field surveys were used to collect data on medicinal plants and demography from March 2017 to September 2020 from 500 informants by using different quantitative indices viz. relative frequency citation (RFC), use value (UV), informant census factor (ICF), Jaccard Index (JI) and family use value (FUV) to analyze the data. Results: A total of 417 plants belonging to 89 families were documented that are ethnobotanically used by ethnic communities. Most herbal remedies were used in the form of decoction (33%). ICF values indicate that cardio-vascular complaints ranked (0.7) followed by ENT diseases (0.6). Species like Berberis lyceum, Forsskaolea tenacissima, Kickxia ramosissima, Momordica balsamina, Monotheca buxifolia, Pseudogaillonia hymenostephana, Rumex vesicarius, Ocimum americanum, Schweinfurthia papilionacea and Viola cinerea would be interesting targets for drug discovery and are suggested for further investigations. Conclusions: Current study revealed that the study area has sufficient indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants used by the aboriginal people. Their traditional knowledge about medicinal plants must be validated with phytochemical and pharmacological screening to determine bioactive compounds and needs to be preserved. Keywords: Medicinal plants; Jaccard Index; Surghar Range; Cardio-vascular; Menyanthaceae
A sedentary lifestyle has evoked a high risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease, diabetes, and obesity, all of them with high morbimortality rates and with a common denominator, hypertension. Numerous pharmacological drugs have been used for the treatment of hypertension. However, the side effects associated with the use of existing pharmacological therapies have triggered a demand for plant-based medications. In this connection, the aim of this review was to provide an in-depth analysis of the use of plant-derived bioactives for the effective management of hypertension. Phytoconstituents from leaves, bark, stem, roots, seeds, and fruits of medicinal plants grown in our different regions of the globe have been highly searched. Among them, polyphenols (e.g., flavonoids as quercetin, anthocyanins as cyanidin, tannins as ellagic acid, stilbenes as resveratrol, lignans as honokiol and others as hydroxytyrosol or curcumin), organosulfur compounds (e.g. s-allyl cysteine and allicin), fatty acids (e.g. α-lipoic acid, DHA and oleic acid), alkaloids (e.g. berberine or tetrandrine) and some terpenes have been intensively investigated for the management of hypertension, with effective ability being stated in controlling high blood pressure and related health problems both in vivo and in vitro studies. Some of the activities presented by these bioactive compounds are reducing oxidative stress, renin-angiotensin system control, SIRT1 activation, regulating platelet aggregation and COX activity, anti-atherogenic effects, anti-inflammatory properties, vasorelaxation and other results that translate into the prevention or control of hypertension. The knowledge of these bioactive compounds is important in developing countries where traditional medicine is the majority, but it can also give rise to new approaches in hypertension therapy.
Ethnomedicinal studies have demonstrated that Fabaceae include the highest number of medicinal species of all plant families in Thailand. To evaluate which legumes hold the greatest potential for development of public herbal medicines, we used ethnobotanical indices to screen traditional medicinal species from 152 literature sources published from 1986–2019. The homogeneity of each use category was evaluated using the informant consensus factor (ICF). The popularity of the used species was evaluated by percentage of fidelity level (FL) and use value (UV). A total of 261 species from 98 genera of legumes were recorded for their traditional medicinal uses. The uses included 5387 use reports that covered treatments of 420 disorders. The ethnobotanical indices pointed to 15 species with high use values (e.g., Biancaea sappan (L.) Tod., Cassia fistula L., Senna siamea (Lam.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby). Nine of these species are already used in public herbal medicine. The other six species should be studied in greater depth, especially to identify their bioactive compounds so they can be developed for use in public herbal medicine.
Plants of the ginger family are parts of Asian culinary due to the distinctive flavor and aroma that are known for many bioactive functionalities. Almost all parts of these plants, especially the rhizomes and leaves, contain essential oil and volatile aromatic ingredients. In this chapter, common genera of the Zingiberaceae used as spice are taxonomically described. Utilization in a different cultural context is also gathered. The rhizomes were extracted for volatile ingredients, and the profiles were characterized both chemically and sensorially. This chapter provides information on specific markers that designate types of rhizomes from this particular family. The profile characteristics are also beneficial for food and perfumery industries for further development of the novel products.
Holarrhena pubescens is an important medicinal plant of the Apocynaceae family that is widely distributed over the Indian subcontinent. The plant is extensively used in Ayurveda and other traditional medicinal systems without obvious adverse effects. Beside notable progress in the biological and phytochemical evaluation of this plant over the past few years, comprehensive reviews of H. pubescens are limited in scope. It has economic importance due to the extensive use of seeds as an antidiabetic. Furthermore, the plant is extensively reported in traditional uses among the natives of Asia and Africa, while scientifical validation for various ailments has not been studied either in vitro or in vivo. This review aims to summarize information on the pharmacology, traditional uses, active constituents, safety and toxicity of H. pubescens. Chemical analysis of H. pubescens extracts revealed the presence of several bioactive compounds, such as conessine, isoconnessine, conessimine, conimine, conessidine, conkurchicine, holarrhimine, conarrhimine, mokluangin A-D and antidysentericine. Overall, this review covers the ethnopharmacology, phytochemical composition, and pharmacological potential of H. pubescens, with a critical discussion of its toxicity, biological activities (in vitro and in vivo), the mechanism of action, as well as suggestions for further basic and clinical research.
Background: Dermatological disorders affect people in all age groups and prevail all around the globe. In this regard, medicinal plants play a significant role as they are usually the first line of treatment in dermatological disorders. Because traditional healers in Bangladesh know little about the use of plants to treat different skin diseases, we carried out an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) to explore the traditional uses for healing wounds and skin problems.
Objectives: This study aimed to list the plants employed as remedies against various dermatological disorders in CHT.
Methods: The survey was performed from January 2016 to December 2017 with fieldwork undertaken in CHT of Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachari. Open-ended and semi-structured questionnaires were used for interviewing a total of 387 people comprising traditional healers, Ayurvedic/Unani drug manufacturers, and local inhabitants. A total of 56 plant species of 32 families were documented. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves. The majority of the species were shrub in nature, while paste represented their main mode of drug preparation. Most plants grew wild in forests, with some cultivated in homestead and gardens.
Results: There was remarkable diversity in the doses of different plant preparations for various treatments. The presence of identified active compounds can rationalize the conventional use of many plants to treat dermatological disorders in Bangladesh.
Conclusion: This documentation accounts for the preliminary information necessary to perform future phytochemical investigations and is vital for the conservation of these plants.
Background: Dermatological disorders affect people in all age groups and prevail all around the globe. In this regard, medicinal plants play a significant role as they are usually the first line of treatment in dermatological disorders. Because traditional healers in Bangladesh know little about the use of plants to treat different skin diseases, we carried out an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) to explore the traditional uses for healing wounds and skin problems. Objectives: This study aimed to list the plants employed as remedies against various dermatological disorders in CHT. Methods: The survey was performed from January 2016 to December 2017 with fieldwork undertaken in CHT of Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachari. Open-ended and semi-structured questionnaires were used for interviewing a total of 387 people comprising traditional healers, Ayurvedic/Unani drug manufacturers, and local inhabitants. A total of 56 plant species of 32 families were documented. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves. The majority of the species were shrub in nature, while paste represented their main mode of drug preparation. Most plants grew wild in forests, with some cultivated in homestead and gardens. Results: There was remarkable diversity in the doses of different plant preparations for various treatments. The presence of identified active compounds can rationalize the conventional use of many plants to treat dermatological disorders in Bangladesh. Conclusion: This documentation accounts for the preliminary information necessary to perform future phytochemical investigations and is vital for the conservation of these plants.
Although in China tea plants have been cultivated in traditional small holdings for more than 2,000 years, tea cultivation as an estate crop started in India only around 1820. Tea growing areas have expanded into several tropical countries since around 1870, when in some countries such as Sri Lanka the severe damage of coffee plantations by Coffee Rust disease occasioned a search for new sites for tea (Eden 1976). Now tea areas are distributed from warm-temperate to tropical areas, ranging from Georgia, USSR, latitude 43°N, to Corrientes, Argentina, latitude 27°S (Harler 1974).
Weed control measures and policies often view weedy plants as problem species that interfere withagricultural productivity. This results in these plants being eradicated sometimes indiscriminatelywithout regard for their other economic importance. In rural Central Kenya however, people areturning to use of traditional medicinal plant species that include important weeds. This study analyzedthe use of weed species in contemporary traditional medicine in Central Kenya. The results show that75 species in 34 plant families are used as sources of traditional medicine for 59 ailments. Informantconsensus analysis for the ailments cited reveal that 32 of these ailments have a consensus factor of0.5 and above. These weed species therefore deserve to be considered as important plants whenKenyan government is legislating problem plants species. In resource use efficiency variation andmanagement of this variation are crucial and hence agrobiodiversity conservation strategies shouldinclude weedy species of medicinal value. Indigenous as well as non-indigenous weed species werefound to form part of the Central Kenya pharmacopoeia. This implies that traditional medicine in thisregion may be undergoing changing patterns as far as medicinal plant utilization is concerned. Themedicinal weed species used for the treatment of ailments with high informant consensus need to beincorporated in agroecosystems in this region as domesticated plants or plants in the process ofdomestication. Further study of these plants especially phytochemical and pharmacological studiesmay contribute to development of important pharmaceutical products in future. Key words:Biodiversity conservation, ethnobotany, medicinal plants
Utilisation of weed species as sources of traditional medicines in central Kenya. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287013032_Utilisation_of_weed_species_as_sources_of_traditional_medicines_in_central_Kenya [accessed Dec 21, 2015].
In the present ethnobotanical study 27 commonly used weed species were collected from District Bannu belonging to 19 different families, were pressed in the field, treated with mercuric chloride, identified and deposited in the herbarium of Government College Kakki Bannu. Through questioner method more than 80 interviews were made on random basis from local inhabitants, herbalists and Pansaries. The ethnobotanical data colleted about these commonly used weed species were recorded, preserved and documented which revealed that they are quite effective remedies for different diseases such as headache, diabetes, toothache, jaundice, intestinal diseases, asthma, dysentery, diarrhea, fever, urinary tract, bleeding piles, skin disorders and cough.
Spatial and Seasonal Diversity of Wild Food Plants in Home Gardens of Northeast Thailand
Wild food plants (WFPs) are major components of tropical home gardens, constituting an important resource for poor farmers. The spatial and seasonal diversity of WFPs was analyzed across multi-species spatial configurations occurring within home gardens in a rice farming village in northeast Thailand. Data were collected in 77 sampling sites corresponding to five different home garden spatial configurations, namely fenced plot, fenced plot margin, yard, home garden boundary, and pot. Absolute abundance and frequency of occurrence were quantified per individual WFP species in both dry and rainy seasons, and data on additional uses (besides food) were collected through focus group discussions for each WFP species. A total of 20 species corresponding to 13 botanical families were reported. Results show that species abundance and frequency of occurrence varied seasonally and spatially within home gardens. Diversity, as observed in the analysis of Shannon and Simpson diversity indexes, also differed seasonally and across different spatial configurations. Home gardens showed higher diversity in the dry season because of the presence of human management. Ninety-five percent of the WFP species presented additional uses, with nine different types of uses in total. Finally, as this study demonstrates, the results on both the spatial and seasonal diversity of WFPs over different spatial configurations comprise a new perspective in home garden research by providing new understandings about their composition and management.
Electronic supplementary material
The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12231-015-9309-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Invasive species are often considered the pariahs of the plant kingdom. In this study, we investigate the utility of native and exotic invasive plants to local residents in a semi–arid area of northeastern Brazil. We address the following questions: Are invasive species considered useful? How are they useful? Are they more or less useful than non–invasive species? Is there a relationship between use categories and taxonomic groups (families, genera, and species)? What plant parts are preferentially used and how are they distributed by categories of usage? And are there differences in the perceived usefulness of native vs. exotic invasive plants? We employed plot sampling of vegetation in anthropogenic habitats. Semi–structured, checklist interviews were carried out with 106 individuals. A total of 56 invasive species were recorded, of which 55 were considered useful. There was no statistical difference in the perceived utility of native vs. exotic invasive species; however, invasive species overall were considered useful more often than non–invasive species. The predominant use was as animal fodder, followed by medicine, food, and technology. Nearly half (44%) of the animal fodder species also served as medicine for people. Herbaceous plants were the most common. Uses varied significantly within taxonomic ranks (species, genus, and family). The most recognized plants were those that are most used locally. This study underscores the value of invasive species in semi–arid Brazil, as well as the need to include local people in regional and national strategies to address invasive species management.
Indigenous knowledge is the unique knowledge confined to a particular culture or society. It is also known as local knowledge, folk knowledge, people's knowledge, traditional wisdom or traditional science. This knowledge is generated and transmitted by communities, over time, in an effort to cope with their own agro-ecological and socio-economic environments (Fernandez, 1994). It is generated through a systematic process of observing local conditions, experimenting with solutions and readapting previously identified solutions to modified environmental, socio-economic and technological situations (Brouwers, 1993). Indigenous knowledge is passed from generation to generation, usually by word of mouth and cultural rituals, and has been the basis for agriculture, food preparation and conservation, health care, education, and the wide range of other activities that sustain a society and its environment in many parts of the world for many centuries.
Weeds abound in urban and agricultural environments. Depending on region and site, up to 66% of weed species are edible, and may constitute an additional food source for humans. Based on 400 samples, 1/4 m2 each, collected in tropical areas (e.g., roadsides, urban vacant lots, streets, sugar cane and coffee plantations in Coatepec, Mexico), average figures of edible fresh biomass vary between 1277 and 3582 kg/ha. A similar survey performed in a temperate area (739 samples in Bariloche, Argentina) showed mean values between 287 and 2939 kg/ha. A total of 43 species were sampled in Coatepec and 32 species in Bariloche. The general means were 2.1 and 1.3 tons/ha, respectively. At a greater geographic scale, a comparison between Mexican and Argentine weeds shows that, proportionately, the food parts vary a little between regions. In general, from higher to lower, the order of uses goes from leaves, seeds, roots, fruits, herbals, flowers and condiments. Edible roots (including bulbs and rhizomes) appear to be more common among perennials than among annuals.
Wild edible plants, and particularly weeds, continue to be an important dietary component of many people around the world. We study the availability and yield of 15 weedy vegetables traditionally consumed in the Mediterranean region to assess their potential sustainable exploitation. Field work was conducted in Central Spain during 2007–2009. Yields ranged between 10–460 g per plant in non-clonal species and between 400–5,000 g m-2 in clonal species. According to local plant density estimates, a total of 1800 kg ha-1 for Foeniculum vulgare, 700–1000 kg ha-1 for Beta maritima, Rumex pulcher, Papaver rhoeas and Silybum marianum, and 80–400 kg ha-1 for the remaining species could be obtained, except for Scolymus hispanicus that only yielded 30 kg ha-1. Exploitation of those species should consider local yields and preferences to achieve sustainability. We propose: 1) organic cultivation for highly valued species with low production rates in the wild (e.g., Scolymus hispanicus and Silene vulgaris); 2) commercial wild collection for culturally appreciated species with high yields in the wild (e.g., Allium ampeloprasum and Chondrilla juncea); and 3) maintenance of traditional practices and rates of harvest for all species for self-consumption.
A comprehensive, but simple-to-use software package for executing a range of standard numerical analysis and operations used in quantitative paleontology has been developed. The program, called PAST (PAleontological STatistics), runs on standard Windows computers and is available free of charge. PAST integrates spreadsheettype data entry with univariate and multivariate statistics, curve fitting, time-series analysis, data plotting, and simple phylogenetic analysis. Many of the functions are specific to paleontology and ecology, and these functions are not found in standard, more extensive, statistical packages. PAST also includes fourteen case studies (data files and exercises) illustrating use of the program for paleontological problems, making it a complete educational package for courses in quantitative methods.
The standard textbook of Vegetation Ecology. A reprint (2002) is available from The Blackburn Press, Caldwell, New Jersey.
This study evaluates weed dynamics during the first 4 years (2008–2011) of the implementation of an agroforestry system in the municipality of Tomé-açu in the state of Pará, Brazil. The study was conducted in a degraded pasture of Brachiaria humidicola, and treatments (T) included mixed plantations of oil palm with short-cycle leguminous species (T1) with the inclusion of manioc in T2 and forest species and palm trees in T3. In 2008, a floristic survey was conducted in 12 plots of 2 × 2 m per treatment. In 2009, herbicide was applied to one half of the area in each treatment. A total of 19,367 individuals of height <1.5 m were surveyed, of which 51 % were B. humidicola and 21 % were leguminous species that had been planted. Overall, an increase in plant density was observed between 2009 and 2010, followed by a decrease over the following year in areas without herbicide and a tendency for high densities to persist in areas with herbicide. Species richness increased over the study period in all areas (with or without herbicide), which might be related to habitat availability resulting from the reduced density of B. humidicola due to the effects of the herbicide, the leguminous species planted and the development of the agroforestry system. The association of short-cycle leguminous plants with afforestation appears to be an effective method for controlling weeds in the absence of herbicides.
Most agricultural weeds are usually regarded as undesirable and targeted for eradication. However, weeds are useful to human beings as food and traditional medicines. Few studies have been done to document the uses of weeds as traditional vegetables. This study was therefore, done to document indigenous knowledge related to the diversity and use of agricultural weeds as traditional vegetables in Shurugwi District, Zimbabwe, emphasizing their role in food security and livelihoods of the local people.Materials and methodsSemi-structured interviews, observation and guided field walks with 147 participants were employed between December 2011 and January 2012 to obtain ethnobotanical data on the use of edible weeds as traditional vegetables. Based on ethnobotanical information provided by the participants, botanical specimens were collected, numbered, pressed and dried for identification.
A total of 21 edible weeds belonging to 11 families and 15 genera, mostly from Amaranthaceae (19%), Asteraceae and Tiliaceae (14.3%), Capparaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae (9.5% each) were identified. Of the documented edible weeds, 52.4% are indigenous while 47.6% are exotic to Zimbabwe; either semi-cultivated or growing naturally as agricultural weeds in farmlands, fallow land and home gardens. Among the main uses of edible weeds were leafy vegetables (81%), followed by edible fruits (19%), edible corms (9.5%), edible flowers and seeds (4.8% each). The most important edible weeds were Cleome gynandra, cited by 93.9% of the participants, Cucumis metuliferus (90.5%), Cucumis anguria (87.8%), Corchorus tridens (50.3%) and Amaranthus hybridus (39.5%). All edible weeds were available during rainy and harvest period with Cleome gynandra, Corchorus tridens, Cucumis anguria, Cucumis metuliferus and Moringa oleifera also available during the dry season, enabling households to obtain food outputs in different times of the year. The importance of edible weeds for local livelihoods was ubiquitously perceived, with all participants reporting their contribution towards food security and nutrition.
The present study confirm findings from similar studies conducted elsewhere that rural households engage in harvesting of wild edible vegetables and other non-timber forest products (NTFPs) as a survival strategy. Based on their potential nutritional and medicinal value, edible weeds could contribute in a major way to food security, basic primary health care and balanced diets of rural households and possibly urban households as well.
We have compared edible plant richness, diversity and differential patterns of use in two Mapuche communities of Argentina. The populations of Rams and Cayulef are located in a herbaceous steppe, far from the temperate forests of northwestern Patagonia where their ancestors lived in the past. Ecological concepts and methods, such as diversity indices, niche breadth and optimal foraging theory have been used in this comparative study. Our results indicate that the diversity of wild plants used in Rams and Cayulef is associated with the variety of gathering environments they visit. When comparing diversity indices among the three environments within each community, in Cayulef we found the highest diversity indices for steppe species and the lowest for forest plants. In contrast, in Rams the niche breadth is similar in all environments, indicating an ample exploration and use of edible wild plants. Cost and benefit trade-offs seem to be considered in both communities when edible plants are collected. Nevertheless, we found that the people from Rams not only utilize a greater richness of wild plants than the Cayulef people, but also use more nutritious resources, spend more time traveling to the gathering sites and a longer handling time in preparing these edible plants. This study has quantitatively shown that the restricted access to Pehuen forest (Araucaria araucana) is the main factor which seems to limit wild plant diversity used in these Mapuche communities.
This study was conducted in April to September 2005 in Peshawar. The aim of the study was to analyze weeds, usually used as vegetables, for their mineral composition and to find out their consumption in the female subjects of the area. Two leafy weeds, used as non-conventional vegetables, were analyzed for selected mineral composition. Amarnath (Amaranthus dubius) and wild onion (Brodiaea capitata) appeared to have different levels of minerals. Amarnath had the highest iron content (34.2 mg/100 g) followed by wild onion leaves (6.9 mg/100g). The Ca, P, Mg, Mn, Cu, and Zn contents of amarnath were 721.2, 654.8, 812.5, 3.8, 1.1, and 4.3/100g, respectively. The contents of these minerals in wild onion leaves were 45.5, 56.9, 154.7, 0.56, 0.68, and 2.98, mg/100g, respectively. The poor families used these weeds abundantly during the season and also they dried them for off season use. Thus these contribute good part of the female RDA's for these minerals. The intake of these weeds by female subjects (n = 107, mean age =34.5±7.8) of the study show that these vegetables contributed 41 to 79 % of the RDA's of these minerals of the female subjects of the study locality. The conclusion of the study is that edible weeds can be proved to be good sources of nutrients for human consumption. Further work is needed on the chemical composition of all weeds used as human diet.
The aim of this investigation was to study the influence of organic (ORGFYM - organic with green and cattle manure, ORGGRM - organic with green manure) and conventional (CONFYM - with green manure, cattle manure, mineral fertilizers and pesticides) treatments on weed species diversity, their abundance and biomass. A total of 44 weed species/taxa were encountered during the study covering a period of 2007-2011. In the ORGGRM, the number of weed species was 39 (24 annuals and 15 perennials), in the ORGFYM - 36 (21 annuals, 1 biennial and 14 perennials) and in the CONFYM treatment - 30 (19 annuals, 1 biennial and 10 perennials). Centaurea cyanus, Cerastium arvense, Geranium pratense, Myosurus minimus, Polygonum laphatifolia, Plantago lanceolata and Plantago major were found only in ORGGRM treatment. The average number of species per 0.25 m2 was 9.2 and 9.3 in the organic treatments and 4.9 in the conventional treatment. The average values of Shannon diversity index were statistically higher in the organic (ORGGRM - 1.70, ORGFYM - 1.65) than in the CONFYM (1.06; p < 0.05) treatments. Chenopodium album was the most common annual species in all treatments. We found that herbicide application in the CONFYM treatment decreased the density of the most sensitive species (e.g., C. album, Polygonum convolvulus, Mentha arvensis, Polygonum persicaria, Elytrigia repens) but had a minor or no effect on the proportion of herbicide-tolerant species (especially Viola arvensis, Veronica spp., Myosotis arvensis). Among the perennials E. repens was the most common species in all treatments. The highest number of these plants occurred in the ORGGRM treatment. We found that the species pool was larger and the average number of species higher in the organic than in the conventional treatment. No significant difference was identified between the organic treatments. Our results suggest that weed species diversity could be promoted by using organic cropping practices.
Ethobotanical information were collected on 97 plant species from Ranyal Hills District Shangla, Pakistan. These plants were classified for their traditional medicinal and economic uses. Many of these plants have more than one local use. There were 37 fuel species, 37 forage/fodder species, 31 medicinal species, 18 edible species, 12 species used for making shelter, 10 vegetables species, 9 poisonous species, 7 ornamental species, 6 timber wood species, 4 furniture wood species, 4 species used for fencing, 4 honey bee plants, 3 species for agricultural tools, 2 species used as flavoring agents, 2 species for making mats and baskets, 2 species used with religious belief , 2 species for cleaning teeth, 1 species as tea substitute,1 fiber yielding species, 1 species as adhesive, 1 irritant species and 1 species for making pens.
Study of the ecological and economic effects of invasive species has paralleled their progressively pervasive influence worldwide, yet their cultural impacts remain largely unexamined and therefore unrecognized. Unlike biological systems, where the ecological consequences of biological invasions are primarily negative, from an ethnoscientific standpoint, invasive species' impacts on cultural systems span a range of effects. Biological invasions affect cultural groups in myriad, often unpredictable and at times contradictory ways. This review groups case studies into a conceptual matrix suggesting three categorically different cultural impacts of invasive species. Culturally impoverishing invasive species precipitate the loss or replacement of culturally important native species and their associated cultural practices. Culturally enriching invasive species augment cultural traditions, through their inclusion in lexicons, narratives, foods, pharmacopoeias and other tangible and intangible ends. Culturally facilitating invasive species can provide continuity and reformulation of traditional ethnobiological practices. An understanding of the processes by which invasive biota become culturally enriching, facilitating, or impoverishing can contribute to articulating interdisciplinary programmes aimed at simultaneously conserving biological and cultural diversity.
Summary Weeds are major constraints on crop production, yet as part of the primary producers within farming systems, they may be important components of the agroecosystem. Using published literature, the role of weeds in arable systems for other above-ground trophic levels are examined. In the UK, there is evidence that weed flora have changed over the past century, with some species declining in abundance, whereas others have increased. There is also some evidence for a decline in the size of arable weed seedbanks. Some of these changes reflect improved agricultural efficiency, changes to more winter-sown crops in arable rotations and the use of more broad-spectrum herbicide combinations. Interrogation of a database of records of phytophagous insects associated with plant species in the UK reveals that many arable weed species support a high diversity of insect species. Reductions in abundances of host plants may affect associated insects and other taxa. A number of insect groups and farmland birds have shown marked population declines over the past 30 years. Correlational studies indicate that many of these declines are associated with changes in agricultural practices. Certainly reductions in food availability in winter and for nestling birds in spring are implicated in the declines of several bird species, notably the grey partridge, Perdix perdix. Thus weeds have a role within agroecosystems in supporting biodiversity more generally. An understanding of weed competitivity and the importance of weeds for insects and birds may allow the identification of the most important weed species. This may form the first step in balancing the needs for weed control with the requirements for biodiversity and more sustainable production methods.
We use quantitative ethnobotanical data to compare the usefulness of six floristically distinct forest types to mestizo people at Tambopata, southeast Peru. We aim to evaluate which forest types are most useful, and why. Ethnobotanical data were collected with informants in inventory plots and analyzed using a new technique that uses a two-tier calculation process to derive an “informant indexed” estimate of each species’ use value. Use values are estimated based on the degree of consistency between repeated interviews of each informant and between different informants. We show that (1) in 6.1 ha, 94% of woody stems are “useful” to mestizos. (2) Based on percentages of useful plants per plot, there is little difference between each forest type. (3) Simply calculating the percent of useful plants is misleading, however, because most species have minor uses, and only a few are exceptionally useful. (4) Using the informant indexing technique, we demonstrate significant differences between each forest type’s utility. Mature forests of present and former floodplains are more useful than other forest types, mostly due to their importance as sources of construction materials and food. (5) Lower floodplain is more useful medicinally, swamp more important commercially, and terra firme sandy more important technologically; they are not easily substituted for some of these uses. (6) On average, 80% of the value of forest plant products to mestizos is subsistence value; only 20% is commercial. We conclude that (1) to maintain cultural autonomy, Amazonian people may need access to all local forest types, and (2) present and former floodplain forests in western Amazonia should be a conservation priority. We make these broad conclusions on the basis of evidence of: (1) ethnoecological similarities among mestizo cultures in Peruvian Amazonia; (2) the similarity of family-level floristic composition at Tambopata and elsewhere in western Amazonia, (3) rapid floodplain deforestation; and (4) floodplain resource overextraction. Conservationists should focus on helping communities gain control of floodplain resources.Se empleó datos etnobotánicos cuantitativos para comparar la utilidad de seis tipos de bosques floristicamente distintos, con plantas usadas por la población mestiza en Tambopata, sureste de Peru. Datos etnobotánicos fueron registrados de informantes en parcelas inventariadas, usando una nueva técnica que considera un procedimiento simple para obtener un estimado del valor de uso de cada especie. Los valores de uso se basan en el grado de consistencia de entrevistas reiteradas con uno y varios informantes (Phillips & Gentry, 1993a). L’os resultados muestran que (1) en 6.1 ha, 94% de individuos arbóreos son “útiles” a la población. (2) Basados en el porcentaje de plantas útiles por plot, hay muy escasa diferencia entre tipos de bosque. (3) El porcentaje de plantas útiles incluye sin embargo una mayoría de especies a las que se les da usos menores, y son muy pocas las especies que brindan mayor utilidád, por lo tanto los calculos de porcentaje de plantas útiles son errónios. (4) Empleando la técnica del indice de utilidad, se encontraron diferencias significativas entre la utilidad de diferentes tipos de bosque. Las áreas de bosque maduro en zonas con suelos y terrazas aluviales proveen más plantar muy útiles que otros tipos de bosque, debido mayormente a su importancia como fuentes de material de construcción y alimentos. (5) Las áreas aluviales más bajas tienen mayor valor como proveedoras de plantas medicinales, las áreas pantanosas son útiles para productos comerciales y las de “terra firme” con mayor posibilidad de uso tecnológico; algunos de estos usos no son facilmente sustituibles. (6) En promedio, un 80% del valor de los productos del bosque son valor de subsistenceia, solo 20% del valor del bosque es valor comercial. Se obtienen las siguientes conclusiones (1) para mantener autonomia cultural, la población amazónica necesita tener acceso a todos los tipos de bosques locales, y (2) las zonas de bosques aluviales, actuales y pasadas, de la region amazónica, deben priorizarse para la conservación. Arribamos a estas conclusiones amplias basados en; (1) la similitud de la etnoecológica de la población mestiza de la Amazonia Peruana; (2) la similitud florística al nivel de familia, del área de estudio con el resto de la Amazonia peruana; (3) el rápido proceso de deforestación en las zonas de bosque aluvial; y (4) sobroexplotación de los recursos de las áreas aluviales. Por tanto, la recomendación a los conservacionistas es ayudar a las comunidades a adquirir el control de los recursos en estas zonas.
Macroecological studies infer ecological processes based on observed patterns. An often used measure of pattern is the species-area curve. Insufficient attention has been paid to the variety of methods used to construct those curves. There are six different methods based on different combinations of: (1) the pattern of quadrats or areas sampled (nested, contiguous, noncontiguous, or island); (2) whether successively larger areas are constructed in a spatially explicit fashion or not; and (3) whether the curve is constructed from single values or mean values. The resulting six types of curves differ in their shapes, how diversity is encapsulated, and the scales encom-passed. Inventory diversity (α) can either represent a single value or a mean value, creating a difference in the focus of the measure. Differentiation diversity (β) can vary in the extent encompassed, and thus the spatial scale, depending on the pattern of quadrat placement. Species-area curves are used for a variety of purposes: extrapolation, setting a common grain, and hypothesis testing. The six types of curves differ in how they are used or interpreted in these contexts. A failure to recognize these differences can result in improper conclu-sions. Further work is needed to understand the sampling and measurement properties of the different types of species-area curves.
Cultivated and associated plant diversity, were compared (the last at 3 scales: alpha, beta and gamma), in 2 farms under conventional and organic management in La Plata. The relevé method was used for associated species recording in spring and summer. At farm level we assessed total spontaneous specific richness (γ diversity), genus and family richness. Richness – species total per crop-was used as index of α diversity. We also calculated the median richness per crop sample unit. A randomization method was used to assess the degree for which differences between the observed and expected median richness per crop in a management style are attributable to chance. β diversity values were compared to a random framework, separately for each farm. Results indicate that the organic farm had higher associated diversity at all levels; also, higher number of cultivated plots and species, and proportion of exclusive, perennials, native and utilitarian species. In the organic farm crops with higher or lower median richness than expected, and higher β, indicated higher spatial and seasonal heterogeneity. Conventional management limited spontaneous plants to a reduced, homogeneously distributed group. Other factors may influence associated plant diversity. KEY WORDS: horticulture, agrobiodiversity, associated diversity, agroecosystems. RESUMEN Se comparó la diversidad cultivada y asociada de plantas, la última a 3 escalas (alfa, beta y gamma), en 2 fincas una con manejo convencional y otra con manejo orgánico en La Plata. Se aplicó el método del relevé para las especies asociadas. A nivel finca se determinó la riqueza específica espontánea total (diversidad γ), y la riqueza de géneros y familias. La riqueza -total de especies por cultivo -se usó como índice de diversidad α. Se calculó la mediana de la riqueza por unidad muestral para cada cultivo, aplicándose un método de aleatorización para conocer la significancia de las diferencias entre las medianas observada y esperada por cultivo en un estilo de manejo. Los valores de diversidad β se compararon con un modelo al azar, en cada finca. La finca orgánica tuvo una mayor diversidad asociada en todos los niveles; un número más alto de parcelas y especies cultivadas, de proporción de especies exclusivas, perennes, nativas y utilitarias. En la finca orgánica los cultivos con una mediana de la riqueza más alta o más baja que la esperada, y β más alto, indicaron mayor heterogeneidad espacial y estacional. El manejo convencional limitó las plantas espontáneas a un grupo reducido, homogéneamente distribuido. Otros factores pueden influenciar la diversidad de plantas asociadas.
It has been widely documented that the traditional farming system of shift-ing cultivation contributes to huge annual losses of forest cover, altering the structure and distribution of species resulting in loss of biodiversity. On the other hand, formal institutional approaches to natural forest biodiversity con-servation focused on protecting the tree species in parks and reserves while neglecting their conservation in farming systems. Improved agroforestry sys-tems (AFS) such as improved fallows that mimic shifting cultivation and other AFS provide benefits that contribute to rural livelihoods, improved socio-economic status and ecosystem functioning of land use systems. Recently, there is an increasing recognition of the contribution of agroforestry to im-prove ecosystem services and livelihoods especially in rural areas. Compared with subsistence agriculture, AFS provides added benefit by generating cash income from the marketing of diverse products. In southern Africa, research that aims to addressed biodiversity and socio-economic issues includes domes-tication of diverse priority indigenous fruit tree species; and the evaluation of soil fertility replenishing Agroforestry technologies. This paper discusses the contribution of the natural forest resource and AFS to the improvement of the socio-economic livelihoods of smallholder farmers and the promotion of the conservation of biodiversity drawing on evidence from research conducted in southern Africa over the last two decades.
Some weedy plant species have competitive advantage over other species found growing in the same habitat due to their efficient utilization of mineral resources, adaptability to the environment and comparative high fecundity. They are often caught in the web of conservation policy which causes the indiscriminate eradication of these species without consideration for other potential economic importance. This review elucidates the medicinal importance of weedy species found growing in South Africa. Twenty four plant families and 34 species were implicated in the treatment of twenty one diseases and sicknesses by the different natives of South Africa. The importance of this work on the future management of weedy species is briefly discussed.
The much-publicized quest for miracle drug plants in tropical rainforests has provided compelling support for the preservationist agenda. This article questions the assumptions that underpin this claim, particularly the myth that pristine forest represents the primary repository of nature's medicinal providence. After tracing colonial European efforts at medicinal plant discovery, intellectual property exploitation, and plant transference and acclimation, I review the recent resurgence of scientific interest in tropical folk pharmacopoeias. In spite of the image marketed by environmental entrepreneurs, the medicinal foraging preference of rural tropical groups is largely successional mosaics of their own creation—trails, kitchen gardens, swiddens, and forest fallows. Focusing on the subsistence transition from hunting and gathering to small-scale cultivation, I propose that disturbance pharmacopoeias are the logical outcome of changing subsistence strategies, ecological processes, and disease patterns. Salient, familiar, accessible, and rich in bioactive compounds, anthropogenic nature represents the ideal tropical medicine chest. Whereas bioprospecting enterprises carried out during the colonial period and at present employ similar rhetoric—deadly disease, miracle cures, and fantastic profits—these endeavors were in the past and continue to be buttressed by fictitious notions of virgin tropical nature and the mysterious healing powers of its “primitives.”Key Words: pharmacopoeia, tropical rainforest, ethnobotany, medicinal plants, human ecology.
The ancestral tradition of gathering nontimber products in the Andean forests of Patagonia seems to be on the verge of disappearing. Edible wild plant knowledge and differential patterns of use have been compared in two populations of different economic and cultural backgrounds—a small rural Mapuche community (Rams), and an outlying population (El Frutillar). The first is located in an herbaceous steppe far from the nearest Andean forest while the second is located outside the town of Bariloche, near the forests of Nahuel Huapi National Park. Semistructured interviews and related ecological variables were compared in both communities. In the past, both communities utilized nontimber forest products from the Andean Temperate forests. However, today, cost and benefit trade-offs appear to affect when and what edible resources are collected. The people from El Frutillar gather fewer wild plants in spite of the high plant abundance and the notorious food scarcity they suffer. The Mapuche people use more nutritious resources, more native species, spend longer traveling to the gathering site, and longer handling time preparing edible plants.
A questionnaire was used to measure plant use knowledge for 18 plants from 40 randomly selected Winikina Warao respondents
of two villages in the Orinoco River Delta, Venezuela. Five use values are presented: reported use (RU) value for each plant
and plant part; plant part value (PPV); specific use (SU) value; intraspecific use value (IUV); and overall use value (OUV).
The overall use value can be used to target plants of potential interest to researchers. Although certain precautions must
be taken when undertaking this type of study, questionnaires are important tools that can be used to assess the dynamic interplay
between people and the plants they use.
Un cuestionario fue utilizado para medir el conocimiento de 18 plantas usadas por los Winikina Waroa del delta del rio Orinoco,
Venezuela. Cinco valores de uso son presentados: valor de uso reportado (RU) para cada planta y parte de planta; valor de
la parte de planta (PPV); valor de uso especifico (SU); y valor de uso total (OUV). El valor de uso total se puede utilizar
para escoger plants de interés a investigadores. Aunque es necesario tomar ciertas precauciones para emprender un estudo de
este tipo, cuestionarios son herramientas que se pueden utilizar para asesar la interacción dinmica que existe entre la gente
y su uso de plantas.
Indices of β ‐diversity are of two major types, (1) those that measure among‐plot variability in species composition independently of the position of individual plots on spatial or environmental gradients, and (2) those that measure the extent of change in species composition along predefined gradients, i.e. species turnover. Failure to recognize this distinction can lead to the inappropriate use of some β ‐diversity indices to measure species turnover.
Several commonly‐used indices of β ‐diversity are based on Whittaker's β W ( β W = γ/α , where γ is the number of species in an entire study area and α is the number of species per plot within the study area). It is demonstrated that these indices do not take into account the distribution of species on spatial or environmental gradients, and should therefore not be used to measure species turnover. The terms ‘ β ‐diversity’ and ‘species turnover’ should not be used interchangeably. Species turnover can be measured using matrices of compositional similarity and physical or environmental distances among pairs of study plots. The use of indices of β ‐diversity and similarity‐distance curves is demonstrated using simulated data sets.
Ethnobotany, the study of the classification, use and management of plants by people, draws on a range of disciplines, including natural and social sciences, to show how conservation of plants and of local knowledge about them can be achieved. Ethnobotany is critical to the growing importance of developing new crops and products such as drugs from traditional plants. This book is the basic introduction to the field, showing how botany, anthropology, ecology, economics and linguistics are all employed in the techniques and methods involved. It explains data collection and hypothesis testing and provides practical ideas on fieldwork ethics and the application of results to conservation and community development. Case studies illustrate the explanations, demonstrating the importance of collaboration in achieving results. Published with WWF, UNESCO and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Diversity of plants in agricultural landscapes is decreasing continually until today and this has cascading effects on ecosystem services and persistence of rare plants. Plant diversity, however, is not equally distributed among different habitat types. On a larger scale differences among habitats can contribute strongly to the global diversity of an agro-ecosystem. Landscape context and intensity of agriculture can also have effects on diversity. In this work, we present a thorough analysis of beta diversity in Mediterranean vineyard ecosystems, showing the effect of geology based landscape units for the outcome of beta diversity as well as management intensity for diversity of threatened plants. The change in beta diversity according to landscape context emphasizes the importance of landscape heterogeneity and vineyard habitats for local plant diversity. Low intensity agriculture was identified to maintain the highest levels of plant alpha and beta diversity and to promote persistence of rare plants.
Bung Khong Long Non-Hunting Area is located in Nong Khai province, northeast Thailand. It has two forest areas: Don Sawan and Don Mor Thong, which are large lowland evergreen forests of this region. At least 4 villages, 364 households, and 2,566 people live around the two forests. This study focused on ethnobotanical knowledge of the villagers comprising list of useful plants and method of use. Data and plant specimens were collected by interviews with practitioners from 121 households (25%) and plant collecting trips during field studies, respectively, (April 2001, July 2001, November 2001, and April 2002). A total of 203 species, 128 genera, and 67 families were considered as ethnobotanical plants by the villagers. These species were divided into 4 categories (some species overlapped among these categories): 108 edibles (53%), 76 medicinals (37%), 14 construction materials (7%), and 40 for other purposes (20%). Leaf was the most frequently used plant part. Most medicinals were prepared by decoction and immersion in the liqueur for drinking. The villagers gathered the useful plants throughout the year. Most of the useful plants were collected for household uses and a few were collected for selling.
The intricate relationship between biodiversity loss and human well-being is increasingly being understood in ecological and economic terms. Despite the knowledge of the multiple dimensions of this relationship and its importance, species and ecosystems are still disappearing at an alarming rate. Anthropogenic pressures are the prime reason for this trend, yet attempts to reduce such pressures and conserve species in protected areas have only achieved limited success. This has led to the realization that sustainable consumptive use approaches that can combine production and conservation functions are also important in conserving biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes. Agroforestry, as part of a multifunctional working landscape, can play a major role in conserving and even enhancing biodiversity from farms to the landscape level in both tropical and temperate regions of the world. This special issue is an attempt to bring together a collection of articles that not only explore and demonstrate the biodiversity benefits of agroforestry, but also the mechanisms by which agroforestry systems sustain such high floristic and faunal diversity. While it is important to conserve biodiversity in protected areas, the articles in the special issue reiterate the importance of agroforestry as a critical tool in conserving biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes.
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of crop management practices on the diversity, structure, and composition of weed communities. A total of 30 fields (15 fields each) in low-input and conventional farming systems were surveyed in north-eastern Iran. In the conventional cropping system, both mineral fertilizers and herbicides were applied, while in the low-input cropping system, the fertilizer was mainly manure and herbicides were avoided. The results showed that the pool of species, species richness, number of unique species, and Shannon's diversity index were greater in the low-input system than in the conventional system. Both cropping systems had more broad-leaved species than grasses and more annual species than perennial species. All the multivariate methods of analysis that were applied revealed that the weed community composition was significantly different between the two management types. The low-input cropping favored herbicide-susceptible broad-leaved weeds, legumes, and weeds with biodiversity value, whereas a high proportion of herbicide-tolerant grasses was found in the conventional fields. The results suggest that low-input cropping can sustain high weed diversity and abundance.
Ethnopharmacological relevance
We studied local knowledge and actual uses of medicinal plants among the Mien in northern Thailand, documenting traditional medical practices and its transfer between generations.
Aim of the study
With the assumption that discrepancies between knowledge and actual use represent knowledge erosion, we studied whether actual use of medicinal plants corresponded to people's knowledge of such uses.
Materials and methods
We used local knowledge from four specialist informants as the domain for semi-structured interviews with 34 randomly selected non-specialist informants. We calculated informant consensus, use value, and fidelity level for each species and use category and performed statistical analyses with Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests, Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and paired-sample t-tests.
Results
We found significant discrepancies between knowledge and actual use of medicinal plants. The number of known and actually used plants increased with increasing informant age and decreased with increasing years of formal education.
Conclusions
Medicinal plant knowledge and use in these Mien communities is undergoing inter-generational erosion because of acculturation and interrupted knowledge transmission. Preservation of Mien medicinal plant intellectual heritage requires continued documentation concerning use, conservation, and sustainable management of this resource, which should be publicized to younger Mien.
Keywords
Ethnomedicine; Use value; Informant consensus factor; Fidelity level
Field boundaries are generally considered as important semi-natural environments in agrarian landscapes. The aim of this paper is to provide a methodological framework towards a holistic approach for field boundary studies. First, an overview of the successive milestones that have been passed in the history of hedgerow studies is given. These are classified a posteriori and then related to the succession of dominant ecological paradigms. Secondly, we show how former results have been used and integrated into a multiple scale approach involving agronomic and ecological studies in hedgerow network landscapes of western France. The hypothesis is that the main determinants of hedgerow biodiversity are related to farming activities. This hypothesis has been tested in three hedgerow network landscapes differing in their density of hedgerows and their relative abundance of grassland versus crops. The dominant agriculture of the region is dairy production, utilising grassland, maize and cereals. We focus on plant biodiversity and relate it to farming activities described from the boundary up to the landscape. The results show that the composition of the plant assemblages of the herb layer of field boundaries depends upon complex interactions between local structure, herb layer management, field use, farm types and landscape structure. The latter factors are related to the diversity of farming systems. Finally, the advantages of such an approach in terms of fundamental and applied landscape management aspects are discussed, showing how our framework of hedgerow studies expands by successive incorporation, rather than by rejection of former approaches. The main lesson is that it is necessary to capitalise on closer collaboration between ecologists and agronomists in order to stimulate future development of field boundary management and planning.
The differences in knowledge of biological resource use between societal and demographic groups are often poorly understood; yet they are an important element of sustainability. Differences in gender and generational knowledge of locally useful woody plant species in South African savannas are examined. The results showed that young people and middle-aged females were highly knowledgeable. Over half of the total 267 woody plant species in nine use categories (i.e., medicinal, fruits–seeds, fuelwood, beverage, cultural, furniture, craft, fencing and housing poles) had multiple uses. Therefore, differences in knowledge of resource selection and use between social or demographic groups (for example based on gender and age) may appropriately inform conservation prioritisation, planning and monitoring.
(1) Six measures of beta diversity (five from the literature, one proposed here) were compared and evaluated. Application was limited to measures suited for species presence-absence data along environmental gradients. (2) Four ecological criteria of `good' performance of beta diversity measures were developed: (i) conformity with the notion of community turnover ensures that the magnitude of a measure is meaningful; (ii) additivity is the property that the sum of beta diversities between contiguous segments equals the beta diversity of the entire gradient; (iii) independence from alpha diversity ensures useful application of a measure to systems with different alpha diversities; (iv) independence from excessive sample size obviates any spurious effects of oversampling. (3) Two measures of beta diversity (one proposed by Whittaker (1960) and one proposed in the present paper) came closest to fulfilling all four criteria and should be of most use in ecological applications. (4) Field data from Mt Hermon in Israel were used to compare the usefulness of the six measures. (5) Current problems and issues, including the relationship between species-area curves and beta diversity, and future applications in measuring beta diversity are discussed.
There is growing concern about declining species diversity in agro‐ecosystems caused by agricultural intensification at the field and landscape scales. Species diversity of arable weeds is classically related to local abiotic factors and resource conditions. It is believed to be enhanced by organic farming but the surrounding landscape may also be important.
This study assessed the ruderal vegetation, seed bank and seed rain in 24 winter wheat fields to examine the relative importance of organic vs. conventional farming and landscape complexity for weed species diversity. Diversity was partitioned into its additive components: alpha, beta and gamma diversity. Percentage arable land in a circular landscape sector of 1‐km radius around each study site was used as an indicator of landscape complexity.
Weed species diversity in the vegetation, seed rain and seed bank was higher in organic than in conventional fields. Increasing landscape complexity enhanced species diversity more strongly in the vegetation of conventional than organic fields, to the extent that diversity was similar in both farming systems when the landscape was complex. Species diversity of the seed bank was increased by landscape complexity irrespective of farming system.
Overall diversity was largely determined by the high heterogeneity between and within the fields (beta diversity). Only in very few cases could higher weed species diversity in complex landscapes and/or organic farming be related to species dependence on landscape or farming system.
Synthesis and applications. Local weed species diversity was influenced by both landscape complexity and farming system. Species diversity under organic farming systems was clearly higher in simple landscapes. Conventional vegetation reached similar diversity levels when the surrounding landscape was complex through the presence of refugia for weed populations. Consequently, agri‐environment schemes designed to preserve and enhance biodiversity should not only consider the management of single fields but also of the surrounding landscape.
Of the 47 medicinal plants that originate from the Sierra Madre Occidental of Chihuahua, Mexico, and that are sold in Chihuahuan
markets, about three-fifths are used in a similar manner by both the urban Mexicans and the Tarahumara. This pattern suggests
that these plants produce satisfactory effects on certain human systems, are reliable, and hence are repeatedly employed by
both ethnic groups. Such plants that are used for similar ailments by 2 cultural groups with different ethnomedical concepts
may be of interest for intensive research.
The Lahu, the third largest of the 6 main tribes in northern Thailand, migrated into Thailand from Burma within the past 100
yr. Most still live in the hills above 1,200 m and practice swidden agriculture. Health is a main theme of the Lahu culture
and they treat illness and injuries in a variety of ways. Traditional medicines derived from plants are usually employed first,
although modern medical treatment is becoming more widespread. Because of this, it appears that they may be losing their knowledge
of medicinal plants. Appendix 1 lists 68 different species and the medical use or uses of them by the Lahu. Appendix 2 lists
21 species not previously reported as having therapeutic value. Voucher specimens are deposited in ECON, WCW, JEPS.
Maize field weeds or agrestals are widely used in central Mexico as potherbs (quelites) and forage. This work presents quantitative
data on these uses from the village of San Bartolo del Llano, Municipio de Ixtlahuaca, Valley of Toluca, an area with a relatively
intensive, semicommercial agriculture. We interviewed 24 families of the village and 10 vendors at the market of Ixtlahuaca
regularly during one rainy season (1995) on type and quantity of weed use. Also, the weed vegetation was surveyed and we interviewed
49 farmers on their farming practices and on costs. All of the 74 weed species found in maize fields were useful as forage,
potherb, medicinal, or ornamental. Within the village, 11 species were eaten; an average family consumed 4.5 kg of wild potherbs
per month during the rainy season. In Ixtlahuaca, 2150 kg of 10 species were sold, worth 3054 pesos (US
611). For quantity and gross economic value, forage was much more important. On the average, 1 ha of maize field produced a harvest of 1.5 t of green forage, worth about 25 with forage weeds for stabled animals constitutes an interesting integrated farming system. The weeds increase the useful biomass of the field, improve nutrition of the farmers, do not reduce the yield of the main crop, as the fields are kept weed free during the critical period, and provide erosion control, shade, and green manure. < /div > < div class=bstract < a name=bs2 < /a > En el centro de México, las plantas arvenses son utilizadas ampliamente como verdura (quelite) o como forraje. Este trabajo presenta datos cuantitativos sobre éstos usos del pueblo de San Bartolo del Llano, Municipio de Ixtlahuaca, Valle de Toluca, una región con una agricultura intensiva y semi-comercial. Entrevistamos a 24 familias del pueblo y 10 vendedores de quelites en