How does urbanization affect perceptions and traditional knowledge of medicinal plants?

Arjona-García, Cecilia; Blancas, José; Beltrán-Rodríguez, Leonardo; Binnqüist, Citlalli López; Bahena, Hortensia Colín; Moreno-Calles, Ana Isabel; Sierra-Huelsz, José Antonio; López-Medellín, Xavier

doi:10.1186/s13002-021-00473-w

Cited by 29 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…In addition, traditional medicinal knowledge is threatened due to the lack of proper documentation and conservative inheritance patterns ( Chen et al, 2016 ). Young people prefer to look for higher-income jobs in urban areas and are not interested in traditional medicinal knowledge ( Kunwar et al, 2009 ; Arjona-García et al, 2021 ; Kutal et al, 2021 ). On the other hand, the status of the wild medicinal plant population is decreasing mostly because of overexploitation, habitat degradation, and invasive species ( Chen et al, 2016 ; Kunwar et al, 2016 ; Howes et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity, distribution, and sustainability of traditional medicinal plants in Kaski district, western Nepal

Khakurel

Ahn²,

Cha³

et al. 2022

Front. Pharmacol.

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Medicinal plants are the primary source of traditional healthcare systems in many rural areas mostly in developing countries. This study aimed to document and analyze the diversity, distribution, and sustainability of the traditional medicinal plants used by the Gurung people of the Sikles region in western Nepal. Ethnobotanical data were collected through focus group discussions and individual interviews, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Prior informed consent was obtained before each interview. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, and use values were also calculated. A possible association among these indices was tested using correlation analysis. A total of 115 wild medicinal plant species belonging to 106 genera and 71 families were documented. Asteraceae and Rosaceae were the dominant families whereas herbs were the most dominant life form. Roots were the most used plant part, paste was the most common method of preparation, and most of the medical formulations were taken orally. The highest number of medicinal plants were used to treat stomach disorders. The average informant consensus value of 0.79 indicates a high consensus among respondents in selecting medicinal plants. Lindera neesiana, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, Paris polyphylla, and Bergenia ciliata were found to be high-ranking medicinal plants based on the relative frequency of citation and use value. The genders did not affect medicinal plants’ knowledge but age had a significant correlation. Most of the informants agreed that medicinal plants are under pressure due to overharvesting and a lack of proper forest management practices. The number of medicinal plants reported from the study area indicates that the Gurung people possess rich traditional knowledge, and the vegetation of the Sikles region constitutes rich diversity of medicinal plants.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diversity, distribution, and sustainability of traditional medicinal plants in Kaski district, western Nepal

Khakurel

Ahn²,

Cha³

et al. 2022

Front. Pharmacol.

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“…Some Wixaritari mentioned that their lack of knowledge was caused by personal disinterest or because they did not like the taste of mushrooms. According to Arjona-García et al [ 113 ], this attitude responds to changes in lifestyle, social roles, and perceptions caused by urbanization and the substitution of the traditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sociocultural drivers of mycological knowledge: insights from Wixarika and Mestizo groups in western Mexico

Haro-Luna

Vázquez

Ruán-Soto

et al. 2022

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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Background Traditional mycological knowledge (TMK) is complex, not distributed equally among the entire population, and constantly adapting to current social situations. There are sociocultural factors that could influence the fact that some people retain a greater wealth of knowledge, for instance, cultural affiliation, migration, occupation, level of schooling, and person's age. Methods We analyze the distribution of the TMK based on sociocultural variables and 12 indicators to quantify the TMK based on a literature review. We chose two sites where there was a Wixarika and Mestizo population with records of use and consumption of wild mushrooms. In each site, 150 semi-structured interviews were conducted. The format of the semi-structured interviews was made up of sociocultural questions plus 12 questions corresponding to each of the indicators. With the data obtained, we performed linear regression tests and principal components analysis (PCA); furthermore, the significance of the groupings obtained by PCA was tested with a discriminant function analysis. Results We find that TMK was determined by the cultural group to which a person belongs. Contrary to what was expected, age and formal schooling did not influence people's level of knowledge. Likewise, migration and occupation were not determining factors either, although in some specific cases they did influence the differences in knowledge about mushrooms between people. The indicators that most helped to differentiate between the Wixarika people, and the Mestizos were knowledge of the nutritional contribution, propagation methods, and knowledge about toxic mushrooms. Conclusions In general, sociocultural differences did not affect the transmission of the TMK due to the valorization of this knowledge among the young generations and the maintenance of the use of wild resources. Specifically, the Wixaritari had and preserved a greater TMK thanks to their pride in their cultural identity, which had allowed them to adapt to modernity while preserving their traditions and knowledge. On the other hand, the Mestizos increasingly disused wild resources due to urbanization. The indicators proposed here provided a good tool to quantify TMK; however, to replicate the study in other sites it is necessary to adapt the indicators to the context of the place.

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“…Eryngium carlinae is perhaps the most studied species as there are numerous papers that highlight its importance, its medicinal properties, its main characteristics. It is considered that indigenous communities are the ones that are much more familiar with the knowledge, use, and recognition of medicinal herbs as they live in rural areas where medical attention is scarce ( 42 ).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Eryngium Species as a Potential Ally for Treating Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes

et al. 2022

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Medicinal plants possess natural compounds that can be used as an alternative for synthetic medicines that may cause long-term side effects on patients such as neurocognitive effects, muscular and hepatic toxicity. Metabolic Syndrome is associated with increased risk of several diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and hypertension thus, becoming the greatest challenge as a growing public health concern worldwide. Latin-American countries possess a wide diversity of medicinal plants that have been used to treat different health conditions since pre-Hispanic times. Eryngium spp. has been studied due to their beneficial properties mainly to treat diabetes, dyslipidemia, blood pressure, and digestive problems. This review gives an update mainly on the pharmacological activities of the Eryngium spp., summarizing the biological activities and plausible mechanism of action of their bioactive components toward metabolic syndrome. For instance, flavonoids and tannins proved to increase the levels of HDL and reduced the levels of VLDL, LDL. On the other hand, phenolic acids improved glucose metabolism through the inhibition of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose 6-phosphatase (G6Pase) and reestablished the impaired activity of enzymes related to glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis. The terpenes and sesquiterpenes like β-farnese, β-pinene, and calamenene exhibited a protective effect by reducing the oxidizing damage by the regulation of the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Saponins controlled the dyslipidemia by reducing the serum concentrations of lipids, triglycerides and total cholesterol. Finally, the aerial parts of Eryngium had the capacity of inhibiting dietary carbohydrate digestive enzymes, thus controlling glucose levels. The Eryngium plant is normally consumed as an infusion to obtain the benefits of the plants, however novel technologies such as cavitation, ultrasound assisted, microwave assisted, and supercritical fluid have been applied to improve the extraction yields and selectivity of bioactive compounds. The common treatment to control diabetic dyslipidemia are synthetic medicines such as metformin and ezetimibe, which allows the regulation of glucose, cholesterol and insulin resistance. However, patients that take these medications may present side effects such as muscular toxicity, hepatic toxicity, neurocognitive effects, just to name a few. More studies regarding the efficacy and safety of the use of traditional medicinal herbs are required. However, these materials may be used in the treatment of diabetes related conditions to ensure life quality and reduce side effects among the diabetic population

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How does urbanization affect perceptions and traditional knowledge of medicinal plants?

Cited by 29 publications

References 50 publications

Diversity, distribution, and sustainability of traditional medicinal plants in Kaski district, western Nepal

Diversity, distribution, and sustainability of traditional medicinal plants in Kaski district, western Nepal

Sociocultural drivers of mycological knowledge: insights from Wixarika and Mestizo groups in western Mexico

Eryngium Species as a Potential Ally for Treating Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes

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