Assessing medicinal plants as the linkage between healthcare, livelihood and biodiversity: a case study from native villages surrounding a second-tier city in the central Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

Medicinal plants are still used for healthcare and as medicaments especially in developing countries and some rural areas. The potential and high expectation of medicinal plants for local healthcare and livelihood and as biodiversity management is prevalent globally. This study assesses the extent to which medicinal plants bring benefits in biodiversity management and improve livelihood and healthcare in indigenous villages near a small city, a second tier city in the central Peruvian Amazon, taking into consideration the course of urbanization. A total of 81 people living in two villages were interviewed. The results show that unlike areas surrounding large cities in the Amazon, areas around the second tier city do not have the conditions to commercialize medicinal plants to support livelihood. Therefore, the local utilization of medicinal plants does not deteriorate the forest resources, thus medicinal plants would not be expected to be a driver for biodiversity management. Although medicinal plants still support healthcare of the locals, the reliance on modern medicine is aparent. The distance to the urbanized city and modern facilities influences the use of medicinal plants. While close proximity facilitates the use of modern medicine, it is found that mal-accessibility to modern medicine does not increase the variety of medicinal plant use.

Medicinal Plant Use Influenced by Health Care Service in Mestizo and Indigenous Villages in the Peruvian Amazon

“…While, in large cities in the Amazon basin, despite the easy access to modern medicine, active commercial activities relating to medicinal plants as much as overharvesting is concerned have also been reported (Galy et al, 2000;Shanely & Luz, 2003). Unlike the large cities, however, indigenous people near a secondary city in the Peruvian Amazon tend to rely on modern medicine on the one hand, yet, the presence of modern medicine does not necessarily lessen medicinal plant use on the other (Toda et al, 2016). These studies indicate that urbanization may not necessarily result in a uniform use pattern of medicinal plants.…”

“…The objectives of the study were to 1) examine medicinal plant use for health (self-consumption) and commercial purposes, 2) determine the level of use of modern medicine, and 3) assess the influence of modern medicine on the use of medicinal plants and their interaction through comparing the utilization between mestizo and indigenous people in villages near the city. The study was conducted in the second strata of population agglomeration in Amazonian cities in Peru because, unlike larger cities, secondary cities seem to provide ambivalent conditions for choosing health care methods, reflecting the insufficient penetration of modern medicine as well as for the lower level of commercial development associated with remoteness, yet with the pervading influence of economic development in the country (Toda et al, 2016).…”

Understanding the Influence of Socioeconomic Variables on Medicinal Plant Knowledge in the Peruvian Andes

“…Our results support our third hypothesis, confirming that participants living in localities close to tourist attractions, paved roads, hospitals, big markets, and water chlorination showed a lower MPK. Highlands localities had fewer regional services than lowlands localities, and this isolation provided an advantage for the conservation of medicinal traditional knowledge [ 22 , 42 , 43 ]. In contrast, the lowlands localities are characterized by better levels of regional economic development, such as paved roads, commercial urban centers, and health services, which are related to a lower maintenance of MPK [ 44 , 45 ].…”

Vernoa Hildebranditii, Acacia stuhlmannii and Moringa Oleifera Leaf and Root-bark Extracts Exhibit Antimicrobial Effects on Selected Diarrheagenic Microorganisms

“…It has its beneficial role in cancer, diabetes, liver treatment, ulcer and various other diseases. Similarly, it has applications as an antioxidant, immunosuppressant, cytoprotective, and gastro protective (Farooq et al, 2012) In Africa and most developing countries, traditional medicine still form the backbone of rural medicinal practice (Toda et al, 2016). Medicinal herbs are used extensively for various ailments in these countries.…”