Health for sale: the medicinal plant markets in Trujillo and Chiclayo, Northern Peru

Abstract

Traditional methods of healing have been beneficial in many countries with or without access to conventional allopathic medicine. In the United States, these traditional practices are increasingly being sought after for illnesses that cannot be easily treated by allopathic medicine. More and more people are becoming interested in the knowledge maintained by traditional healers and in the diversity of medicinal plants that flourish in areas like Northern Peru. While scientific studies of medicinal plants are underway, concern has arisen over the preservation of both the large diversity of medicinal plants and the traditional knowledge of healing methods that accompanies them. To promote further conservation work, this study attempted to document the sources of the most popular and rarest medicinal plants sold in the markets of Trujillo (Mayorista and Hermelinda) and Chiclayo (Modelo and Moshoqueque), as well as to create an inventory of the plants sold in these markets, which will serve as a basis for comparison with future inventories. Individual markets and market stalls were subjected to cluster analysis based on the diversity of the medicinal plants they carry. The results show that markets were grouped based on the presence of: (1) common exotic medicinal plants; (2) plants used by laypeople for self-medication related to common ailments ("everyday remedies"); (3) specialized medicinal plants used by curanderos or traditional healers; and (4) highly "specialized" plants used for magical purposes. The plant trade in the study areas seems to correspond well with the specific health care demands from clientele in those areas. The specific market patterns of plant diversity observed in the present study represent a foundation for comparative market research in Peru and elsewhere.

Richness, use and origin of expended medicinal plants in the markets of the Cusco City

“…Comparando las cifras de especies medicinales expendidas en otros mercados peruanos, podemos citar una realizada en el norte del Perú, en dos mercados mayoristas, el de Hermelindas en Chiclayo y Moshoqueque en Chiclayo, donde se reportan cerca de 400 especies (Bussmann et al 2007), donde a diferencia de nuestro estudio, se consideró a tiendas o puestos donde se expenden especies de uso mágico religioso y otros. Consideramos que el número de especies medicinales comercializadas en estas ciudades es similar o mayor a los del Cusco, debido en gran parte a que provienen de otras unidades fisiográficas vegetacionales diferentes como la Jalca y Páramos (Sanchez & Dillon 2006), diferentes de la puna seca y húmeda características de la zona sur del Perú y norte de Bolivia.…”

Dynamics of medicinal plants knowledge and commerce in an urban ecosystem (Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil)

“…Several worldwide studies have documented the flora and fauna sold at these places (Johnson and Johnson 1976;Bye 1986;Nicholson and Arzeni 1993;Narváez and Stauffer 1999;Williams et al 2000Williams et al , 2005Ugent 2000;Mertz et al 2001;Betti 2002;Botha et al 2004;Maig et al 2005;Nguyen 2005;Bussmann et al 2007;Lee et al 2008;Alves and Rosa 2006;Alves et al 2009) and many studies that have focused on traditional markets provide lists of useful plants (Whitaker and Cutler 1966). Other ethnobotanical studies approach the commerce of medicinal plants quantitatively and include hypothesis tests, ecological indexes, statistical analyses, and discussions on the trade and conservation of useful phytodiversity (Williams et al 2000(Williams et al , 2005Mertz et al 2001;Betti 2002;Botha et al 2004;Nguyen 2005;Albuquerque et al 2007b;Bussmann et al 2007).…”

“…Other ethnobotanical studies approach the commerce of medicinal plants quantitatively and include hypothesis tests, ecological indexes, statistical analyses, and discussions on the trade and conservation of useful phytodiversity (Williams et al 2000(Williams et al , 2005Mertz et al 2001;Betti 2002;Botha et al 2004;Nguyen 2005;Albuquerque et al 2007b;Bussmann et al 2007).…”

Empleo de plantas medicinales en usuarios de dos hospitales referenciales del Cusco, Perú

“…La medicina occidental y tradicional no son excluyentes sino que coexisten dependiendo de la disponibilidad de los servicios de salud. (7) En el Perú, el tema ha sido trabajado mediante varios estudios de etnobotánica realizados en poblaciones diversas (7)(8)(9)(10) . Sin embargo, no encontramos estudios sobre la frecuencia de empleo de plantas medicinales ni en la población en general ni entre aquellos que acuden a hospitales del sistema de salud oficial, especialmente al tercer nivel de atención, donde existe una mayor oferta de servicios de salud (que incluye medicamentos, terapias y servicios disponibles) que en zonas netamente rurales.…”