Balinado Lloyd O, Chan, Merab A. An ethnomedicinal study of plants and traditional health care practices in District 7, Cavite, Philippines
Abstract
The study was conducted to provide a documentation of the ethnomedicinal knowledge and practices in District 7, Cavite and to determine its importance and its diversity of traditional medicinal uses. Eighteen informants were identified following a snowball sampling technique and were interviewed on their traditional health knowledge and practice of using local medicinal plants. Gathered data were quantitatively analyzed through calculation of use value, fidelity level and informant consensus factor. This evaluated the importance of reported plants and its diversity of uses in District 7, Cavite.
Seventy-six medicinal plants belonging to 40 families largely represented by Lamiaceae were reported in the study. Majority of these plants are cultivated herbs and shrubs. Leaves are usually harvested for use and employed internally as decoctions. These plants are reported to treat several ailments belonging to 12 categories following the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Quantitative analyses then revealed the most preferred species for use in different ailment categories. These are Jasminum sambac (for ICD-10: VII), Senna alata (XII), Euphorbia hirta (I), Vitex negundo (XVIII), Rauvolfia serpentina (IV), Peperomia pellucida (IX), Chrysophyllum cainito (XI), Plectranthus scutellarioides (XIX), Graptophyllum pictum (X), Phyllanthus niruri (XIV), Moringa oleifera (XXI), and Bryophyllum pinnatum (XIII). Based on calculated UVs, the most widely used medicinal plants in the district were Annona muricata, Blumea balsamifera, Plectranthus amboinicus, Cymbopogon citratus, Euphorbia hirta, Jatropha curcas, Psidium guajava, and Vitex negundo
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The study demonstrates that District 7, Cavite has a wide variety of plant species of medicinal significance and that the knowledge and practice of using them are still playing a role in supporting local health care despite the rise of urbanization. These claimed medicinal plants could then be further tested for safety and efficacy for a wider local use and for future scientific and pharmaceutical applications.
The study demonstrates that District 7, Cavite has a wide variety of plant species of medicinal significance and that the knowledge and practice of using them are still playing a role in supporting local health care despite the rise of urbanization.
These claimed medicinal plants could then be further tested for safety and efficacy for a wider local use and for future scientific and pharmaceutical applications.