Dataset Information

Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Medicinal plants used by the local people in Xizang (Tibet) have been investigated since the 1960s. The others out of Xizang, however, have been less understood, although they may be easily and strongly influenced by the various local herbal practices, diverse environments, local religious beliefs and different prevalent types of diseases. In 2006, two ethnobotanical surveys were organized in the county of Shangri-la, Yunnan Province, SW China, to document the traditional medicinal plants used by the Tibetan people.

Methods

After literature surveying, four local townships were selected to carry out the field investigation. Three local healers were interviewed as key informants. The methods of ethnobotany, anthropology and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) were used in the field surveys. Plant taxonomic approach was adopted for voucher specimen identification.

Results

Sixty-eight medicinal plant species in 64 genera of 40 families were recorded and collected. Among them, 23 species were found to have medicinal values that have not been recorded in any existing Tibetan literatures before, and 31 species were recorded to have traditional prescriptions. Moreover, the traditional preparations of each species and some folk medicinal knowledge were recorded and analyzed. These traditional prescriptions, preparations, new medicinal plants and folk medicinal knowledge and principles were discovered and summarized by local traditional Tibetan healers through times of treatment practices, and were passed down from generation to generation.

Conclusion

As a part of the cultural diversity of Tibetan community, these traditional medicinal knowledge and experiences may provide data and information basis for the sustainable utilization and development of Tibetan medicine, and may contribute to the local economic development. However, for many reasons, they are disappearing gradually as time goes by. Our study showed that there were abundant traditional Tibetan medicinal prescriptions and using methods. It implies that more Tibetan medicinal plants and traditional knowledge can be discovered. Further research should be done to save the wealth of these traditional medicinal knowledge and experiences before they are dying out.

SUBMITTER: Liu Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2684741 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China.

Liu Yanchun Y Dao Zhiling Z Yang Chunyan C Liu Yitao Y Long Chunlin C

Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine 20090505

<h4>Background</h4>Medicinal plants used by the local people in Xizang (Tibet) have been investigated since the 1960s. The others out of Xizang, however, have been less understood, although they may be easily and strongly influenced by the various local herbal practices, diverse environments, local religious beliefs and different prevalent types of diseases. In 2006, two ethnobotanical surveys were organized in the county of Shangri-la, Yunnan Province, SW China, to document the traditional medi ...[more]

PMID: 19416515

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Project description:The Dulong, an ethnic group living in the isolated Northwest Yunnan of Southwest China, have directly used a wide of plants to serve their needs and have accumulated rich traditional knowledge about medicinal plants over years. Unfortunately, little has been reported about the medicinal plants used by the Dulong people. Ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured interviews, guided field trips, and quantitative analysis. Prior informed consent was obtained before each interview. The surveys allowed for the collection of sociodemographic data and traditional knowledge about medicinal plants and their uses. This study used relative frequency of citation (RFC) to identify the most culturally significant medicinal plants and used informant consensus factor (FIC) to evaluate agreement among informants. A total of 105 medicinal plant species belonging to 69 families were recorded. Amongst these 69 families, Asteraceae (8 species), Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, and Rosaceae (4 species each) were the dominant families. The whole plants were the most frequently used part in the preparation of medicines. The most common preparation method was decoction and the most frequent application route was oral administration. Coptis teeta (0.15), Acorus calamus (0.12), Ophiocordyceps sinensis (0.11), Tanacetum tatsienense var. tanacetopsis (0.11), and Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (0.08) were shown to be the most useful plants as indicated by their relatively high RFC values. Among the usage types of medicinal plants, the highest FIC values were recorded for the circulatory system (FIC = 0.91), the immune system (FIC = 0.89), and the nervous system (FIC = 0.85). Furthermore, sixty-two medicinal plants utilized by the Dulong for medicinal purposes also have dietary use. Traditional knowledge associated with medicinal plants has been seriously threatened in recent decades. In the future, modern approaches should be used to demystify traditional medicine. However, significant measures need to be taken to protect from loss the important traditional knowledge gained by the Dulong through their experience and inheritance. A collective effort should be made to promote and conserve the important traditional medicinal knowledge and outline a plan for sustainable use of medicinal plants and improve local economic development under the premise of protection.

Project description:BackgroundThe Bai people in Yunlong County, northwest Yunnan, China, have used medicinal plants and traditional remedies for ethnoveterinary practices. The Bai have mastered ethnoveterinary therapeutic methods in livestock breeding since ancient times. The Bai's traditional ethnoveterinary knowledge is now facing extinction, and their unique ethnoveterinary practices have rarely been recorded. This study documented animal diseases, EMPs, and related traditional knowledge in Yunlong County, China.MethodsEthnobotanical fieldwork was conducted in six villages and townships of Yunlong County between 2021 and 2022. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews, participatory observations, and keyperson interviews. A total of 68 informants were interviewed, and the informant consensus factor and use reports (URs) were used to evaluate the current ethnoveterinary practices among the local communities. Information on livestock diseases, medicinal plants, and traditional ethnoveterinary medicine knowledge were also obtained.ResultsA total of 90 plant species belong to 51 families, 84 genera were recorded as being used as EMPs by the Bai people, and Asteraceae plants are most frequently used. A total of 68 informants were interviewed, including 58 men (85.3%) and 10 women (14.7%). The most commonly used EMPs parts included the roots, whole plants, leaves, and stems, and the common livestock diseases identified in this field investigation included trauma and fracture, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, parasitic diseases, miscellaneous, venomous snake bites, reproductive diseases, infectious diseases, skin disease, and urinary diseases. Most of the EMPs are herbs (77.78%). Courtyard is one of the habitats of medicinal plants in Yunlong County.ConclusionTraditional knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicine is related to the local sociocultural characteristics of the Bai. Plants are used in cultural traditions, which, in turn, nourish the plant culture. Cultural diversity and biodiversity are interdependent. This traditional knowledge is at risk of disappearance because of the increasing extension of Western veterinary medicine, lifestyle changes, and mainstream cultural influences. Therefore, it is important to continue research on ethnoveterinary practices.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The Wuliang Mountains of the Jingdong region is a settlement area of the Yi community located in south-western Yunnan Province in China. Due to its unique geographical location, this area harbours abundant medicinal plant resources. The medicinal plants used by the local people have a long history and play an important role in their daily life. During the long-term mixed lifestyle, the knowledge of traditional medicinal plants in different communities has been assimilated to some extent. Therefore, this paper is based on ethnobotanical investigations to document traditional medicinal plants used by local people and discuss the differences between the Yi and Han communities in the study area. METHODS:Data on traditional medicinal plants were collected from September 2016 to August 2017 in the Yi autonomous county of Jingdong. Seven townships and 16 villages were selected for the field investigations. Information was obtained through key informant interviews. A total of 44 key informants were interviewed, and all of them were herbalists or herbal sellers. RESULTS:In this study, a total of 302 traditional medicinal plant species belonging to 117 families and 252 genera were investigated and documented, most of which were obtained from herbalists. Although family Asteraceae was the most prevalent, with 27 species, the most commonly utilized species were members of family Papaveraceae, Dactylicapnos scandens (D. Don) Hutch., which is used as an antipyretic drug. Herbs comprised half of the total number of species, and the whole plant is the most frequently utilized plant part. The plants were used to treat more than 93 human diseases, with antipyretic drugs being the most common form of herbal medicine. The traditional medicinal plants used in the study area possess a high ratio of being documented in the literature. According to the analysis, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia recorded 76 species and the Resources of Traditional Chinese Medicine recorded 233 species of traditional medicinal plants. By evaluating the endangered status of the traditional medicinal plants in the study area, we found good conservation status of the cited medicinal plants. Regarding the similarity between the communities, there were significant differences between the Yi and Han communities, as indicated by the Jaccard similarity index (0.232). CONCLUSIONS:Medicinal plants are the embodiment of wisdom from our ancestors and play a significant role in treating various human disorders. As one of the birthplaces of Yi medicine, the study area possesses a high species diversity of traditional medicinal plants used by local people. With the rapid development of modern medicine, however, the inheritance of this valuable culture is facing enormous threats even though its potential value has not yet been fully explored. Therefore, some effective protection measures should be taken, and some modern techniques should be implemented to prove the safety and improve the scientific acceptance of the traditional medicinal plants.

Project description:Paeoniaceae is an abundant germplasm resource with significant medicinal values in China, the principal medicinal components of which include paeoniflorin and paeonol. These compounds are typically obtained from air-dried root samples, which the use of freeze-drying as an alternative method has not been tested. Additionally, the presence of these two compounds in various wild Paeoniaceae species has not been previously explored, nor have the differences between various plant organs been fully evaluated. Here, freeze-drying and air-drying methods were compared to assess the changes in paeoniflorin and paeonol in root samples using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer. The contents of these compounds in the roots, leaves, stems, and petals were then tested in freeze-dried materials. We also quantitatively detected the paeoniflorin and paeonol contents in the roots of 14 species collected from 20 natural habitats. Results indicated that the paeoniflorin content decreased under air-drying in comparison to freeze-drying, while the opposite trend was observed for paeonol. Our findings also demonstrated that the root xylem of species in Section Moutan, particularly Paeonia ostii, contains considerable paeonol and paeoniflorin and should thus be fully utilized as a medicinal resource. Furthermore, paeonol was mainly detected in the roots, while paeoniflorin was widely distributed in different organs; the highest content was in the leaf at the budding stage, suggesting that the leaves should be developed as a new paeoniflorin resource. Paeoniflorin contents were also found to be higher at earlier development stages. Based on the standards of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, five species of Section Moutan and six species of Section Paeonia could be used as potential traditional Chinese medicinal resources. These findings of this study enhance our understanding of these two medicinal compounds and provide a foundation for the further development and utilization of Paeoniaceae as medicinal plant resources.

Project description:BackgroundDulong (Drung people) are one of the ethnic minorities of China, consisting of a small population living in remote and mountainous regions with limited facilities. Over the years, the Dulong have maintained their livelihood by collecting wild medicinal and edible plants. Therefore, through their experience and understanding, they had accumulated sufficient traditional knowledge about local plant resources. Since ancient times, wild edible plants have been essential to the food security of the Dulong people. However, there is almost no comprehensive report available on WEPs consumed by the Dulong people. The objectives of this study were to: (1) make a systematic study of WEPs used by Dulong people, (2) record traditional knowledge related to WEPs, (3) analyze multiple uses of WEPs, and (4) evaluate species with significant cultural significance to Dulong people.MethodsEthnobotanical survey including free listing, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews and participatory observations was conducted in Dulongjiang Township, Gongshan County, Yunnan Province, Southwest China. A total of 127 informants were selected using the snowball method and information about WEPs, including vernacular name, food categories, parts used, mode of consumption, collection season, and other local uses were collected. The RFC and CFSI were calculated to identify the most culturally significant WEPs. One-way analysis of variance was performed to evaluate whether the four reference variables (gender, age, occupation, and education) significantly influenced the number of plant species mentioned by the respondents.Results and discussionA total of 148 species of WEPs consumed by the Dulong people belonging to 58 families were collected, including wild vegetables (71), wild fruits (52), staple food substitutes (15), spices (7), nuts (4), tea substitute (2), liquor making materials (3) oils and fats (3), and culinary coagulants (1). WEPs are used in a number of different ways, including as fuelwood, feed, and medicine. Food substitute plants accounted for the majority of the top 27 wild food plants identified by RFC and CFSI. It was observed that farmers have more knowledge of WEPs, and moderate education level informants reported less WEPs used.ConclusionThe WEPs used by the Dulong people are diverse and abundant in the Dulongjiang region. In the future, WEPs such as Maianthemum atropurpureum, Caryota obtusa, Cardiocrinum giganteum, and Angiopteris esculenta with economic potential can be developed to provide a source of income for the residents. More studies of the nutritional value, chemical composition, and biological activities of WEPs are needed. The demands and development of local communities can be realized under the premise of protecting WEPs and the associated traditional knowledge. More attention should be paid to the value of WEP and underutilized plants during future rural development.

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Dataset Information

Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China.

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