1. Ethnobotanical surveys reveal the crucial role of medicinal plants in the primary healthcare system of the Shan people in Myanmar.
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Mon, Aye Mya, Hein, Pyae Phyo, Zaw, Moe, Kyaw, Myo Thiha, Yang, Yongping, Yang, Xuefei, and Shi, Yinxian
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PHYTOTHERAPY , *PLANT classification , *HEALTH literacy , *TRADITIONAL medicine , *DIGESTIVE system diseases , *SKIN diseases , *PRIMARY health care , *ETHNOLOGY research , *QUESTIONNAIRES - Abstract
The Shan people of Myanmar live under conditions of longtime social instability and public medical resources inadequate, which tend to strengthen the reliance on local traditional primary healthcare system. The documentation of this kind of resource, however, was rarely and inadequate to support any kind of dynamic trend evaluation. Being an ethnobotanical study, we conducted field survey in the Southern Shan State of Myanmar and aimed to 1) document the local plant species that adopted for primary healthcare purpose, 2) clarify how these species collectively address the broad range of primary medication needs for local people, and 3) lay foundation for dynamic trend evaluation of the role of local medicinal plants under this kind of social and cultural context. Field surveys were conducted with 124 informants in eight villages. We collected 1259 use reports and documented all the plant species used for treating all the mentioned ailment types. The ailments were translated into their emic meaning and then classified into common disease categories. The top ranked and newly recorded plants or ailment types were analyzed based on historical records from the region. Totally 156 plant species were used for treating 91 ailments belonging to 16 disease categories, with skin problems and digestive tract were the top cited diseases, and with Fabaceae and Lamiaceae were the top cited plant families. A total of 19 newly recorded plant species were suggested as new member of Myanmar medicinal plant list. Besides, we filled the gaps (for 24 species) and enriched the types (for 83 species) of applicable ailments for known Myanmar medicinal plants. Our study revealed that the Shan people in Southern Shan State used rich plant species for various therapeutic purposes. Our findings indicate the crucial role of local plant resources for local people's primary healthcare needs and support further study about cultural or regional comparation or historical dynamic trend of the medicinal plants uses in areas facing longtime official or public medical resource inadequate. [Display omitted] • The study revealed the significant role of local medicinal plants and the related knowledge for people who live under longtime conditions of social instability and lacking official medical resources. • Totally 156 plant species for medicinal uses were documented for treating 91 ailments (belong to 16 common disease categories) by Shan people in Southern Shan State. • A total of 19 newly recorded plant species were suggested as new member of Myanmar medicinal plant list. Besides, we filled the gaps (for 24 species) or enriched the types (for 83 species) of applicable ailments for known medicinal plant species in Myanmar. • Fabaceae and Lamiaceae were found as the highest cited plant families for medicinal uses, meanwhile skin and digestive problems were the most frequently cited disease types treated using local medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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