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Commercial activities and subsistence utilization of mangrove forests around the Wouri estuary and the Douala-Edea reserve (Cameroon)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Our findings revealed that big logs of Rhizophora were commonly sold by the loggers. A majority of loggers (60 %) reported that mangrove marketed wood constitute a principal source of income. Most of the villagers (85.83 %) often depend on mangroves for subsistence needs and for them there is no substitute for mangrove wood. Therefore, more efforts should be undertaken at the national level to implement conservation, management and sustainable use of these coastal forests. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - November 17, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Adolphe Nfotabong AtheullNdongo DinSimon LongonjeNico KoedamFarid Dahdouh-Guebas Source Type: journals

Medicinal plant knowledge of the Bench ethnic group of Ethiopia: an ethnobotanical investigationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The study revealed acculturation as the major threat to the continuation of the traditional medical practice in the study area. Awareness should, therefore, be created among the Bench community, especially the young ones, by concerned organizations and individuals regarding the usefulness of the practice. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - November 13, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Mirutse GidayZemede AsfawZerihun WolduTilahun Teklehaymanot Source Type: journals

Barking up the same tree: a comparison of ethnomedicine and canine ethnoveterinary medicine among the AguarunaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Results suggest that Aguaruna canine ethnoveterinary medicine is, at least partly, an independent cognitive domain. Some of the difference in plant use between dogs and people can be explained by the fact that certain diseases mentioned only apply to dogs. Although reports of canine ethnoveterinary medicine are very sparse in the literature, Aguaruna practices show some similarities with a few trends reported for other Amazonian societies, particularly, in the prevalence of the nasal route of administration, the use of plant-based psychoactives and in the importance of ants and wasps, in some form, for trainin...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - November 10, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Kevin Jernigan Source Type: journals

Alpine ethnobotany in Italy: traditional knowledge of gastronomic and medicinal plants among the Occitans of the upper Varaita valley, PiedmontEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study also examined the local legal framework for the gathering of botanical taxa, and the potential utilization of the most quoted medicinal and food wild herbs in the local market, and suggests that the continuing widespread local collection from the wild of the aerial parts of Alpine wormwood for preparing liqueurs (Artemisia genipi, A. glacialis, and A. umbelliformis) should be seriously reconsidered in terms of sustainability, given the limited availability of these species, even though their collection is culturally salient in the entire study area. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - November 6, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Andrea PieroniMaria Elena Giusti Source Type: journals

Comparative analysis of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in Italy and TunisiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: This comparative analysis strengthens the firm belief that ethno-botanical findings represent not only an important shared heritage, developed over the centuries, but also a considerable mass of data that should be exploited in order to provide new and useful knowledge. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - October 26, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Maria Lucia LeporattiKamel Ghedira Source Type: journals

Model and experiences of initiating collaboration with traditional healers in validation of ethnomedicines for HIV/AIDS in NamibiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Many people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Namibia have access to antiretroviral drugs but some still use traditional medicines to treat opportunistic infections and offset side-effects from antiretroviral medication. Namibia has a rich biodiversity of indigenous plants that could contain novel anti-HIV agents. However, such medicinal plants have not been identified and properly documented. Various ethnomedicines used to treat HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections have not been scientifically validated for safety and efficacy. These limitations are mostly attributable to the ...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - October 22, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Kazhila Chinsembu Source Type: journals

Enhancing innovation between scientific and indigenous knowledge: pioneer NGOs in IndiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The case study analyzed highlights examples of innovation systems in a developmental context. They demonstrate that networks comprised of several actors from different levels can synergistically forge linkages between local knowledge and formal sciences and generate positive and negative impacts. The positive impact is the revitalization of perceived traditions while the negative impacts pertain to the transformation of these traditions into health commodities controlled by new elites, due to unequal power relations. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - October 21, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Maria Costanza TorriJulie Laplante Source Type: journals

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Wonago Woreda, SNNPR, EthiopiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Traditional healers still depend largely on naturally growing plant species and the important medicinal plants are under threat. The documented medicinal plants can serve as a basis for further studies on the region's medicinal plants knowledge and for future phytochemical and pharmacological studies. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - October 11, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Fisha MesfinSebsebe DemissewTilahun Teklehaymanot Source Type: journals

Disease concepts and treatment by tribal healers of an Amazonian forest cultureEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The findings of this investigation support the presence of a comprehensive and highly formalized ethnomedical institution within Trio culture with attendant health policy and conservation implications. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - October 11, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Christopher HerndonMelvin UiterlooAmasina UremaruMark PlotkinGwendolyn Emanuels-SmithJeetendra Jitan Source Type: journals

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by local people in the lowlands of Konta Special Woreda, southern nations, nationalities and peoples regional state, EthiopiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Konta Special Woreda is an important area for medicinal plants and associated local knowledge; the natural vegetation being the most important reservoir for the majority of the medicinal plants. Environmental and cultural changes are in the process of threatening the resources and this signals the need for serious efforts to create public awareness so that measures are taken to conserve the medicinal plants in the natural ecosystems and other suitable environments. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - September 23, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Tesfaye BekaloSebsebe WoodmatasZemede Woldemariam Source Type: journals

The Ethnomedicine of the Haya people of Bugabo ward, Kagera Region, north western TanzaniaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Bugabo Ward has a rich repository of medicinal plants and this reinforces the need for an extensive and comprehensive documentation of medicinal plants in the area and a concomitant evaluation of their biological activity as a basis for developing future medicines. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - August 30, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Mainen MoshiDonald OtienoPamela MbabaziAnke Weisheit Source Type: journals

From Eshu to Obatala: animals used in sacrificial rituals at Candomble "terreiros" in BrazilEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Candomble is a sacrificial religion that uses animals for its liturgical purposes. The principal reason for sacrifice is to please supernatural deities known as orishas in order to keep life in harmony. This is accomplished through feeding them in a spiritual sense through sacrifice, maintaining a perfect link between men and the gods, and a connection between the material world (called Aiye) and the supernatural world (called Orun). (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - August 25, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Nivaldo Leo NetoSharon BrooksRomulo Alves Source Type: journals

Folk classification of the crab and swimming crab (Crustacea - Brachyura) of the Mamanguape river estuary, Northeastern - BrazilEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The detailed knowledge concerning the crabs and swimming crabs revealed by the MRE crustaceous gatherers demonstrates that these people detain a vast knowledge concerning these marine resources. This local knowledge provides a rich but little-known source of information that will aid future ecological and/or zoological studies in the region that will be indispensable for producing management plans to help guarantee the sustainability of these local natural resources. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - August 10, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Emmanoela FerreiraJose da MouraoPollyana RochaDouglas NascimentoDandara Monalisa Mariz da Bezerra Source Type: journals

Zootherapeutics utilized by residents of the community Poco Dantas, Crato-CE, BrazilEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The data show that zootherapy represents an important therapeutic alternative for the inhabitants of the community. New studies on medicinal fauna should be conducted with the aim of determining the exploitation level of the species utilized, promoting sustainable development of medicinal species that are eventually threatened, and preserving and disseminating the knowledge developed by traditional individuals of the community. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - August 4, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Felipe FerreiraSamuel BritoSamuel RibeiroWaltecio AlmeidaRomulo Alves Source Type: journals

Aboriginal uses and management of ethnobotanical species in deciduous forests of Chhattisgarh state in IndiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A study on the native uses of ethnobotanical species was carried out in the south Surguja district of Chhattisgarh state in India with the major objective of identifying different food and medicinal plant species and also to understand their ongoing management and conservation. Through questionnaire and personal interviews, a total of 73 ethnobotanical species used by tribal and non-tribal communities were documented, of these 36 species were used in curing different types of diseases and 22 were used as edible food plants. This rich traditional knowledge of local people has an immense potential for pharmacological studies...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - August 3, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Chandra Prakash Kala Source Type: journals

Folksong based appraisal of bio-eco-cultural heritage of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench): A new approach in ethnobiologyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The qualitative description of farmers' characterisation of crop system based on folksongs is a new system of appraising farmers' bioecocultural heritages. Hence, researchers in addition to formal and quantitative descriptions, have to use the folksong system for enhanced characterisation and utilization of bioecocultural heritages. In general, the vital characteristics of the folksongs used in describing the bioecocultural heritages are their oral traditions, varied function, communal or individual recreation and message transmissions. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - July 2, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Firew Mekbib Source Type: journals

Food taboos: Their origins and purposesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Food taboos are known from virtually all human societies. Most religions declare certain food items fit and others unfit for human consumption. Dietary rules and regulations may govern particular phases of the human life cycle and may be associated with special events such as menstrual period, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and - in traditional societies - preparation for the hunt, battle, wedding, funeral, etc. On a comparative basis many food taboos seem to make no sense at all, as to what may be declared unfit by one group may be perfectly acceptable to another. On the other hand, food taboos have a long history and ...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - June 28, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Victor Benno Meyer-Rochow Source Type: journals

Ethnobotanical survey of trees in Fundong, Northwest Region, CameroonEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Ethnobotanical investigations were conducted in Fundong Central Subdivision in the Northwest Region of Cameroon to identify trees growing in the area and collect information on their uses by the local people. This research covered a period of 12 months from May 2007 to April 2008. Ethnobotanical information was collected through the show-and-tell / semi-structured method and personal interviews during field trips. Three villages were investigated. A total of 82 tree species were identified belonging to 70 genera and 42 families. Among these species, 40 were widely used by the local people in traditional medicine to treat 4...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - June 24, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Derek FochoMuh NewuMendi AnjahFongod NwanaFonge Ambo Source Type: journals

Uses of medicinal plants by Haitian immigrants and their descendants in the Province of Camaguey, CubaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The rapid disappearance of Haitian immigrants' traditional culture due to integration and urbanization suggests that unrecorded ethnomedicinal information may be lost forever. Given this, as well as the poor availability of ethnobotanical data relating to traditional Haitian medicine, there is an urgent need to record this knowledge. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - May 18, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Gabriele Volpato, Daimy Godinez, Angela Beyra and Adelaida Barreto Source Type: journals

Medicinal plants used by the Tibetan in Shangri-la, Yunnan, ChinaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: 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...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - May 5, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Yanchun Liu, Zhiling Dao, Chunyan Yang, Yitao Liu and Chunlin Long Source Type: journals

Ethnomedical survey of Berta ethnic group Assosa Zone, Benishangul-Gumuz regional state, mid-west EthiopiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study indicates that although the proportion of the population that uses TM may be small it is still an important component of the public health care in the study community as complementary and alternative medicine. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - May 1, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Teferi Flatie, Teferi Gedif, Kaleab Asres and Tsige Gebre-Mariam Source Type: journals

Medicinal plants used by the Yi ethnic group: a case study in central YunnanEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Totally 116 species in 58 families of medicinal plants traditionally used by the Yi people were inventoried and documented. The characteristics of medicinal plants were analyzed. Some new findings (such as new curative effects and new preparation methods) were recorded These newly gathered ethnobotanical and medicinal data are precious sources for the future development of new drugs, and for further phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical studies. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - April 23, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Chunlin Long, Sumei Li, Bo Long, Yana Shi and Benxi Liu Source Type: journals

Edible aquatic Coleoptera of the world with an emphasis on MexicoEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study there are 22 genera and 78 species of edible aquatic beetles in the world. The family Dytiscidae hosts nine genera, Gyrinidae one, Elmidae two, Histeridae one, Hydrophilidae six, Haliplidae two and Noteridae one. Of the recorded species, 45 correspond to the family Dytiscidae, 19 to Hydrophilidae, three to Gyrinidae, four to Elmidae, two to Histeridae, four to Haliplidae and one to Noteridae. These beetles are the most prized organisms of lentic waters. The family that has the highest number of genera and species is Dytiscidae. Here, the global geographic distribution of species in these organisms is shown, a...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - April 20, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Julieta Ramos-Elorduy, Jose M. Pino Moreno and Victor H. Martinez Camacho Source Type: journals

Valorizing the 'Irulas' traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in the Kodiakkarai Reserve Forest, IndiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A mounting body of critical research is raising the credibility of Traditional Knowledge (TK) in scientific studies. These studies have gained credibility because their claims are supported by methods that are repeatable and provide data for quantitative analyses that can be used to assess confidence in the results. The theoretical importance of our study is to test consensus (reliability/repeatability) of TK within one ancient culture; the Irulas of the Kodiakkarai Reserve Forest (KRF), India. We calculated relative frequency (RF) and consensus factor (Fic) of TK from 120 Irulas informants knowledgeable of medicinal plant...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - April 14, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Subramanyam Ragupathy and Steven G Newmaster Source Type: journals

Crop changes from the XVI century to the present in a hill/mountain area of eastern Liguria (Italy)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Chronological information on the composition and structure of agrocenoses and detailed features of land cover referring to specific areas are uncommon in ethnobotanical studies, especially for periods before the XIX century. The aim of this study was to analyse the type of crop or the characteristics of soil cover from the XVI century to the present. This diachronic analysis was accomplished through archival research on the inventories of the Parish of St. Mary and those of the Municipality of Pignone and from recent surveys conducted in an area of eastern Liguria (Italy). Archival data revealed that in the study area the...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - April 11, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Rodolfo Gentili, Elio Gentili and Sergio Sgorbati Source Type: journals

Naming a phantom – the quest to find the identity of Ulluchu, an unidentified ceremonial plant of the Moche culture in Northern PeruEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The botanical identification of Ulluchu, an iconic fruit frequently depicted in the art of the pre-Columbian Moche culture that flourished from A.D. 100–800 on the Peruvian north coast, has eluded scientists since its documentation in ceramics in the 1930s. Moche fine-line drawings of Ulluchu normally depict seed-pods or seeds floating in the air in sacrificial scenes, associated with runners and messengers or intoxicated priests. It is a grooved, comma-shaped fruit with an enlarged calyx found mainly in fine-line scenes painted on Moche ceramics. The term first appeared without linguistic explanation in the work of pion...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - March 31, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Rainer W Bussmann and Douglas Sharon Source Type: journals

Naming a phantom - the quest to find the identity of Ulluchu, an unidentified ceremonial plant of the Moche culture in Northern PeruEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The botanical identification of Ulluchu, an iconic fruit frequently depicted in the art of the pre-Columbian Moche culture which flourished from A.D. 100-800 on the Peruvian north coast, has eluded scientists since its documentation in ceramics in the 1930s. Moche fine-line drawings of Ulluchu normally depict seed-pods or seeds floating in the air in sacrificial scenes, associated with runners and messengers or intoxicated priests. It is a grooved, comma-shaped fruit with an enlarged calyx found mainly in fine-line scenes painted on Moche ceramics. The term first appeared without linguistic explanation in the work of pione...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - March 31, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Rainer W Bussmann and Douglas Sharon Source Type: journals

Extending the temporal context of ethnobotanical databases: the case study of the Campania region (southern Italy)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The database is flexible enough to represent a useful tool for researchers who need to store and compare present and previous ethnobotanical uses from Mediterranean Countries. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - February 19, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Antonino De Natale, Gianni Boris Pezzatti and Antonino Pollio Source Type: journals

Extending the temporal context of ethnobotanical databases: the case study of the Campania region (southern Italy)Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The database is flexible enough to represent a useful tool for researchers who need to store and compare present and previous ethnobotanical uses from Mediterranean Countries. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - February 19, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Antonino De Natale, Gianni Boris Pezzatti and Antonino Pollio Source Type: journals

Shadows of the colonial past - diverging plant use in Northern Peru and Southern EcuadorEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador, with special focus on the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and San Martin and in Loja province, with special focus on the development since the early colonial period. Northern Peru represents the locus of the old Central Andean "Health Axis." The roots of traditional healing practices in this region go as far back as the Cupisnique culture early in the first millennium BC. While Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador share the same cultural context and flora, but show striking differences in plant use and...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - February 2, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Rainer W Bussmann and Douglas Sharon Source Type: journals

Arginine, scurvy and Cartier's 'tree of life'Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Several conifers have been considered as candidates for "Annedda", which was the source for a miraculous cure for scurvy in Jacques Cartier's critically ill crew in 1536. Vitamin C was responsible for the cure of scurvy and was obtained as an Iroquois decoction from the bark and leaves from this "tree of life", now commonly referred to as arborvitae. Based on seasonal and diurnal amino acid analyses of candidate "trees of life", high levels of arginine, proline, and guanidino compounds were also probably present in decoctions prepared in the severe winter. The semi-essential arginine, proline and all the essential amino a...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - February 2, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Don J Durzan Source Type: journals

The use of magical plants by curanderos in the Ecuador highlandsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Although the use of plants for treating supernaturally caused illnesses (e.g., soul loss, evil wind, witchcraft) has been documented in the Ecuador highlands, so-called magical plants have received much less focused attention than plants used for treating naturalistic disorders. Drawing on interviews done in 2002 and 2003 with 116 curanderos residing in the Ecuador highlands, this paper examines the characteristics of plants identified as magical, how they are used, and how the study of magical plants provides insights into the mindscape of residents of the highlands. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - January 22, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Anthony P Cavender and Manuel Alban Source Type: journals

Bear bile: dilemma of traditional medicinal use and animal protectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We examined the substitutes or alternative of bear bile from three aspects: pure compounds derived from bear bile, biles from other animals and herbs from TCM. We then discussed the strategy for stopping use of bear bile and issues of bear bile related to potential alternative candidates, existing problems in alternative research and work to be done in the future. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - January 12, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Yibin Feng, Kayu Siu, Ning Wang, Kwan-Ming Ng, Sai-Wah Tsao, Tadashi Nagamatsu and Yao Tong Source Type: journals

Fauna used in popular medicine in Northeast BrazilEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The number of medicinal species catalogued was quite expressive and demonstrate the importance of zootherapy as alternative therapeutic in Northeast of Brazil. Although widely diffused throughout Brazil, zootherapeutic practices remain virtually unstudied. There is an urgent need to examine the ecological, cultural, social, and public health implications associated with fauna usage, including a full inventory of the animal species used for medicinal purposes and the socio-cultural context associated with their consumption. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - January 7, 2009 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Romulo RN Alves Source Type: journals

Ethnopharmacological survey of six medicinal plants from Mali, West-Africa.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
An ethnopharmacological survey was carried out to collect information about the use of six medicinal plants in the regions around Siby and Dioila, Mali. The plants investigated were Biopyhtum petersianum, Cola cordifolia, Combretum molle, Opilia celtidifolia, Parkia biglobosa and Ximenia americana. More than 60 medical indications were reported for the use of these plants in traditional medicine. The most frequently reported ailments were malaria (25.6 %), different types of pain (14.0 %) and dermatitis (7.4 %). The main forms for preparation were decoction (58.1 %) and powdered plant material (28.4 %). The most frequent ...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - December 27, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Tom Erik Gronhaug, Silje Glaeserud, Mona Skogsrud, Ngolo Ballo, Sekou Bah, Drissa Diallo and Berit Smestad Paulsen Source Type: journals

Cultural Transmission of Traditional Knowledge in two populations of North-western PatagoniaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Given the remarkable acculturation processes occurring at present in rural communities of Northwestern Patagonia, it might be of vital importance to document traditional knowledge of ancient practices. Moreover, it could be interesting to share our results with both populations in order to encourage participatory activities within the communities which could enhance traditional knowledge horizontal transmission, particularly among elder adults and youngsters. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - December 15, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Cecilia Eyssartier, Ana H Ladio and Mariana Lozada Source Type: journals

Ethnobotany in the Nepal HimalayaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Indigenous knowledge systems are culturally valued and scientifically important, therefore strengthening the use and conservation of indigenous knowledge of useful and medicinal plants may benefit and improve the living standard of poor people. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - December 2, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Ripu Kunwar and Rainer W Bussmann Source Type: journals

Living knowledge of the healing plants: Ethno-phytotherapy in the Chepang communities from the Mid-Hills of NepalEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study analysed indigenous knowledge regarding medicinal plants use among the Chepang communities from ward number 3 and 4 of Shaktikhor Village Development Committee located in the central mid hills of Nepal. Data were collected in a one-year period and included interviews with traditional healers and elders. Chepangs are rich in knowledge regarding use of different plants and were using a total 219 plant parts from 115 species including one mushroom (belonging 55 families) for medicinal uses. Out of these, 75 species had 118 different new medicinal uses and 18 of them were not reported in any previous documents from ...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - November 25, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Arun Rijal Source Type: journals

The plants, rituals and spells that 'cured' helminthiasis in SicilyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: As regards health/illness, it should be noted that in the last ten years conventional medicine has provided very satisfactory results even resolving potentially mortal pathologies. However, in certain social classes, there is no real collaboration between conventional and folk medicine; so for some senior citizens, the 'healer' with his rituals and empirical and magical herbs is still the person to turn to for the 'cure' of particular ailments. Interest in these practises from ancestral heritage in an advanced country like Italy, is only relevant if the aim is to recoup a cultural identity which is already in d...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - September 29, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Mariangela Napoli Source Type: journals

The plants, rituals and spells that "cured" the helminthiasis in SicilyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: In Sicily, as regards health/illness, it should be noted that in the last ten years conventional medicine has provided very satisfactory results even resolving potentially mortal pathologies. However, in certain social classes, there is no real collaboration between conventional and folk medicine; in fact for those more senior citizens the 'healer' with his rituals and empirical and magical herbs is still the person to turn to for the 'cure' of particular ailments. Interest in these practises from ancestral heritage in an advanced country like Italy, is only relevant if the aim is to recoup a cultural identity ...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - September 29, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Mariangela Napoli Source Type: journals

The traditional knowledge on stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponina) used by the Enawene-Nawe tribe in western Brazil.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: We concluded that, as an example of other indigenous people, the Enawene-Nawe classify and identify the bees based not only on their structure and morphological aspects but also on the ecological, etiological, and social characteristics of the species. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - September 15, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Gilton MS Mendes Santos and Yasmine YA Antonini Source Type: journals

Ecology and ethnoecology of dusky grouper [garoupa, Epinephelus marginatus (LOWE, 1834)] along the coast of BrazilEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, our objectives are to obtain data about dusky grouper through fish catches and analysis of stomach contents and gonad maturation (macroscopic analyses), along with interviews from fishermen from six small-scales communities from the southern (Pantano do Sul, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina State) to the northern Brazilian coast (Porto Sauipe, Bahia State). We conclude that precautionary approaches and 'data-less' management approaches are needed in the coast of Brazil. Research on this species and on the potential of aquaculture for its cultivation, are urgent, due to the apparent vulnerability and decrease of...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - September 15, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Alpina Begossi and Renato A.M. Silvano Source Type: journals

Is there a divide between local medicinal knowledge and Western medicine? a case study among native Amazonians in BoliviaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Our findings contrast with previous research emphasizing the divide between local medical practitioners and Western doctors and suggests that cooperation between both health systems might be possible. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - August 18, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Laura Calvet-Mir, Victoria Reyes-García and Susan Tanner Source Type: journals

Is there a divide between local medicinal knowledge and Western medicine? A case study among native Amazonians in Bolivia.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Our findings contrast with previous research emphasizing the divide between local medical practitioners and Western doctors and suggests that cooperation between both health systems might be possible. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - August 18, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Laura Calvet-Mir, Victoria Reyes-Garcia, Susan Tanner and Tsimane' Amazonian Panel Study Taps Source Type: journals

Traditional zootherapeutic studies in India: A reviewEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The present study aims to review the zootherapeutic practices of the different ethnic communities of India. This work is also an attempt to present a list of animals' use for medicinal purposes by different communities of India. Data were gathered from 15 published research papers of various authors on zootherapeutic studies in India from 2000 to 2007. Approximately 109 animals and their 270 uses are reported in traditional medicine in different parts of India. Of these, the highest numbers of animal species (42, 38.5%) with 50 (18.5%) uses have been reported for the treatment of Respiratory system related problems. Rheuma...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - July 18, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Madan Mohan Mahawar and D P Jaroli Source Type: journals

Alternative medicines for AIDS in resource-poor settings: insights from exploratory anthropological studies in Asia and AfricaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article presents the insights generated at the meeting, illustrated with some findings from the case studies (Uganda, Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, China and Indonesia) that were presented. These case-studies reveal a wide range of actors are involved in the marketing and supply of alternative medicines. Regulatory mechanisms are weak. The efficacy claims of alternative medicines often reinforce a biomedical paradigm for HIV/AIDS, and fit within a healthy living ideology promoted by AIDS care programs and support groups. The AIDSImpact session concluded that more interdisciplinary research is needed on the experience ...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - July 10, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Anita Hardon, Alice Desclaux, Marc Egrot, Emmanuelle Simon, Evelyne Micollier and Margaret Kyakuwa Source Type: journals

Wild leafy vegetables: A study of their subsistence dietetic support to the inhabitants of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, IndiaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Consumption of greens is a major source of vitamins and micro-nutrients for people using only vegetarian diets rich in carbohydrates. In remote rural settlements where vegetable cultivation is not practiced and market supplies are not organized, local inhabitants depend on indigenous vegetables, both cultivated in kitchen gardens and wild, for enriching the diversity of food. Knowledge of such foods is part of traditional knowledge which is largely transmitted through participation of individuals of households. A total of 123 households in six villages of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve buffer zone was surveyed using a schedu...
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - May 30, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Shalini Misra, R K Maikhuri, C P Kala, K S Rao and K G Saxena Source Type: journals

Ethnopharmacological survey of Samburu District, KenyaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. discuss this article 1 CommentDiscuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The ethnomedicinal use of plant species was documented in the study area for treatment of both human and veterinary diseases. The local population has high ethnobotanical knowledge and has adopted sound management conservation practices. The major threatening factors reported were anthropogenic and natural. Ethnomedical documentation and sustainable plant utilization can support drug discovery efforts in developing countries. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - May 23, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Mark O Nanyingi, James M Mbaria, Adamson L. Lanyasunya, Cyrus G. Wagate, Kipsengeret B Koros, Humphrey F Kaburia, Rahab W Munenge and William O Ogara Source Type: journals

Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in Palestine (Northern West Bank): A comparative studyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Gathering, processing and consuming wild edible plants are still practiced in all the studied Palestinian areas. About 26 % (26/100) of the recorded wild botanicals including the most quoted and with highest mCI values, are currently gathered and utilized in all the areas, demonstrating that there are ethnobotanical contact points among the various Palestinian regions. The habit of using wild edible plants is still alive in the PA, but is disappearing. Therefore, the recording, preserving, and infusing of this knowledge to future generations is pressing and fundamental. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - May 12, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Mohammed S Ali-Shtayeh, Rana M Jamous, Jehan H Al-Shafie, Wafa' A Elgharabah, Fatemah A Kherfan, Kifayeh H Qarariah, Isra' S Khdair, Israa M Soos, Aseel A Musleh, Buthainah A Isa, Hanan M Herzallah, Rasha B Khlaif, Samiah M Aiash, Ghadah M Swaiti, Muna A Source Type: journals

The importance of chemosensory clues in Aguaruna tree classification and identificationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: The results of this study illustrate that odors of bark, sap, flowers, fruit and leaves are important clues that help the Aguaruna to judge the relatedness of trees found in their local environment. In contrast, taste appears to play a more limited role. The results suggest a more general ethnobotanical hypothesis that could be tested in other cultural settings: people tend to consider plants with similar odors to be related, but say that plants with unique odors are unrelated to any other plants. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine)
Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine - May 3, 2008 Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Kevin A. Jernigan Source Type: journals