Diversity and traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used by Shui people in Southwest China

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine

Research

Maroof Ali¹  Beixi Zhang²  Chunlin Long³  Sizhao Liu⁴  Qiyi Lei⁵  Jiangju Zhou⁵ 

[1] Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 666303, Mengla, China;Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of Southeast Asia Biodiversity Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 666303, Menglun, China;Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (Minzu University of China), National Ethnic Affairs Commission, 100081, Beijing, China;Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, 100081, Beijing, China;College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, 100081, Beijing, China;School of Health Science, Kaili University, 556000, Kaili, China;Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (Minzu University of China), National Ethnic Affairs Commission, 100081, Beijing, China;Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, 100081, Beijing, China;School of Ethnology and Sociology, Minzu University of China, 100081, Beijing, China;College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, 100081, Beijing, China;Institute of National Security Studies, Minzu University of China, 100081, Beijing, China;Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (Minzu University of China), National Ethnic Affairs Commission, 100081, Beijing, China;Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, 100081, Beijing, China;School of Ethnology and Sociology, Minzu University of China, 100081, Beijing, China;College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, 100081, Beijing, China;School of Health Science, Kaili University, 556000, Kaili, China;Guangxi Subtropical Crops Research Institute, 530000, Nanning, China;School of Health Science, Kaili University, 556000, Kaili, China;

关键词: Medicinal plants;    Traditional knowledge;    Ethnomedicine;    Shui ethnic group;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13002-023-00594-4

 received in 2023-03-13, accepted in 2023-05-11,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe Shui are a small Chinese sociolinguistic group living in Sandu Shui Autonomous County, south of Guizhou Province. The Shui people have accumulated and developed rich traditional medicinal knowledge, which has played a significant role in their healthcare. Traditional ethnic herbal medicines, like Shui ethnomedicine, have become an important resource of rural development in Guizhou Province. However, not much research has been conducted to document the medicinal plants traditionally used by the Shui people. This study’s aims are (1) to record the current use of medicinal plants in Sandu County and associated traditional knowledge, including the medicinal plant species used and the types of diseases treated by local healers and any unique aspects of their preparations; (2) to analyze the most important medicinal plant species using relative frequency of citation (RFC); and (3) to provide useful information and data for possible future development and application of ethnomedicine and promote the conservation and preservation of Shui traditional medicinal knowledge.MethodsField surveys were conducted between July 2015 and August 2022 in Sandu County. A total of 15 local healers as key informants were interviewed. An additional 132 informants from villages and local markets were also interviewed through semistructured interviews and focal group discussions. Local Shui healers were followed during their collection of medicinal plants in the fields and recorded the medicinal plants’ names, uses, and parts used. An ANOVA was used to evaluate the number of medicinal plants recognized by local healers across age-groups and townships, and relative frequencies of citation values were determined for the recorded medicinal plants.ResultsIn this study, data collected from 15 Shui healers and 132 other informants were analyzed. The healers used fresh or dried parts of 505 plant species as medicine to treat a wide range of conditions and diseases. These plants belong to 405 genera from 156 families, with Fabaceae being the highest represented plant family. The Jiuqian township had the highest distribution of per capita healers (pch); only one local healer was in Zhonghe. Of the 15 local healers, only two were younger than 40 years of age. There is a major concern that traditional medicinal knowledge may be lost if there are not sufficient trainees or suitable successors. Among the common medicinal plants, most are herbaceous and the Shui typically use the whole plant in their medicines. There are 85 different recorded diseases treated by Shui medicinal plants, and among them, rheumatism and bone fractures have the largest number of species used. Three medicinal plant species, Isodon amethystoides, Asarum insigne, and Acorus tatarinowii, are the most commonly used ethnomedicines by the Shui people.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that Shui people have extensive knowledge of a diverse range of medicinal plants, many of which had not been systematically recorded before the current study. Further research on the chemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity of Shui medicinal plants will be useful for developing functional foods or pharmaceutical products, particularly those of Isodon amethystoides, Asarum insigne, and Acorus tatarinowii. Additionally, as a result of rapid economic growth, fewer young people in Shui communities pursue traditional medicinal studies. Only 15 traditional Shui healers remain in the county, and only two of them are below the age of 40 years. Therefore, to conserve Shui’s traditional medicinal knowledge, initiatives and policies are required to regenerate, strengthen, and promote Shui medicinal knowledge.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2023

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