Cross-cultural comparisons of medicinal floras and bioprospecting revisited
Co-authored with Elizabeth M. Williamson, Vincent Savolainen and Julie A. Hawkins
A short editorial on the different meanings of bioprospecting and the role of ethnobotany in such schemes. A short editorial on the different meanings of bioprospecting and the role of ethnobotany in such schemes.
Download (.pdf) El modelo del arriba y del debajo de la conciencia: análisis etnopsicofarmacológico del uso de plantas enteogénicas
The present work attempts a broad and specific analysis of anthropological, religious and mythological
realities... more
The present work attempts a broad and specific analysis of anthropological, religious and mythological
realities that show a basic “inversion effect” in their historical and cultural contexts. This “inversion
effect” is referred throughout the article as one which transmutes gods into demons and often vice versa,as a consequence of the coming of new religious beliefs that supplant older and previous religions. The fall
from heaven into hell of the beliefs and particularly of the deities of previous religions, must be understood
in the context of such an “inversion effect”. The “inversion effect” is similarly denoted as a change in place,
ontology and religious practice. In ancient matrilineal myths, heaven is often positioned in an underground
place which is secure and welcoming. The sky is often considered as an enemy to be avoided. The coming of
patrilineal myths often inverts that effect, placing the highest good in the upper direction and lowest wrong
in the underground one. Values of light and darkness play a fundamental part in that inversion as well as do
the spiritual principles of good and evil. A bribri myth is discussed in that light, which is believed to denote
just such an inversion. Ethnopharmacological and botanical implications are also mentioned, regarding
the Talamanca myth.
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Cross-cultural comparison of medicinal floras used against snakebites
Marianne Molander, C. Haris Saslis-Lagoudakis, Anna K. Jäger, Nina Rønsted
Published in Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2011
Ethnopharmacological relevance
Envenomation causes an estimated 1.8–2.5 million incidences per year with a... more
Ethnopharmacological relevance
Envenomation causes an estimated 1.8–2.5 million incidences per year with a mortality level of 100–125,000 persons annually and more than 100,000 individuals suffer from severe complications, which may end in amputation of the attacked limb. The use of plants is a major part of the traditional practitioners’ treatment of snakebites.
Materials and methods
A database was created for plants used to treat snakebites worldwide. From this database, we selected five countries with a high number of entries and representing different cultures, geography and floristic zones: Brazil, Nicaragua, Nepal, China and South Africa. The datasets were analysed by regression and binominal analysis to see if any family or genus used against snakebites was overrepresented in the respective traditional medicinal systems relative to the abundance in the local flora. The families from the different geographical areas were compared to ascertain whether the same plant families are preferred by different peoples.
Results
Three ‘hot’ families (Apocynaceae, Lamiaceae and Rubiaceae) were recovered in at least two of the five compared countries in the regression analyses and one ‘hot’ family (Zingiberaceae) was recovered in two of the compared countries in the binomial analyses. Four out of five floras possess families identified as outliers in both regression and binomial analyses. Eight families were recovered by both the binomial and the regression analysis (40–62% of all highlighted families respectively). At the genus level, only Piper (Piperaceae) was recovered as a ‘hot’ genus in at least two floras. Seven genera were highlighted by both analyses (25–44% of the highlighted genera).
Conclusions
Cross-cultural comparison of medicinal floras used against snakebites appears to be useful for highlighting candidate families and genera for further studies.
Phenolics, sugars, antimicrobial and free-radical-scavenging activities of Melicoccus bijugatus Jacq. fruits from the Dominican Republic and Florida
Published inPlant Foods for Human Nutrition (2009)