The Mentawai archipelago is situated to the west of mainland Sumatra and is part of the West Sumatra province. The Mentawai people are indigenous to this archipelago and are well known for their traditional healing practices performed by their Sikerei healers. Only a few studies on the traditional plant medicines of the Mentawai people have been published, which mostly suggest that Zingiberaceae is one of the most widely used families. This study examines the indigenous knowledge of Zingiberaceae by the Mentawai people living in Siberut. Field surveys were undertaken at four locations in the island where the Sikerei healers were interviewed directly to obtain information about medicinal treatments using plants from the Zingiberaceae family. Voucher specimens were collected, dried and deposited at the Herbarium of Andalas University (ANDA), Padang, West Sumatra. The study suggests that at least 32 Zingiberaceae species are used in the Mentawai’s traditional medicines. The floristic aspects, the plant part used, and the type of disease treated are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.