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TRAMIL ethnomedicinal survey in Jamaica
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when the Biotechnology Centre joined with Drs Delgoda and Picking at the Natural Products Institute, who were interested in the prevalence of drug-herb use and the safe and efficacious use of herbs in the country.
Survey findings
Results from this survey build on knowledge from previously published studies on the use of medicinal plants by Jamaicans. The paper reports results from a house-to-house survey undertaken in Jamaica in urban and rural settings, to document medicinal plants frequently used in the treatment or prophylaxis of illness, and trends in their use. The prevalence of medicinal plant use in the Jamaican population was found to be 73%, with respondents identifying their use, in the previous twelve months, of 107 botanically identified medicinal plants, distributed in 51 plant families, to treat illnesses or maintain health.
The shortlisted plants represent culturally significant species which are likely to be more effective, used for a more common disease or prophylactically, easily available, or have special cultural significance. Six of the 14 shortlisted plants are cited for their use in predominantly self-limiting conditions of the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract, and three plants for their use as tonics to maintain health. One of the shortlisted plants, Andrographis paniculata (Rice Bitters), is reported for the first time in a TRAMIL survey, as a plant remedy with significant use. Five of the medicinal plant remedies listed are recommended by TRAMIL for the same health issue and using the same plant part and preparation method, based upon previous surveys, literature reviews and laboratory screens. The remaining eight plant remedies have previously been reported as plants with significant uses, but not for the same health condition, or using the same plant part or preparation method, and, therefore, are classified as under investigation until literature reviews and
appropriate laboratory screens have been completed.
The majority of respondents stated that they used medicinal plants because they are effective, cited their mothers and grandmothers as their main source of knowledge, prepared fresh leaf material by decoction for internal use, from plant material sourced from their own backyards. A significant percentage of respondents identified their use of medicinal plant mixtures, an aspect of traditional medicine poorly reported in the literature, warranting further research. Jamaicans reported limited use of other forms of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), which, together with the reported use of medicinal plants by 73% of Jamaicans, lends further support to the assertion that a significant number of citizens in developing countries continue to rely on the use of medicinal plants for their primary healthcare.
Impact of the findings
The results of the survey are being followed by on-going scientific validation and toxicity studies and plans for the next TRAMIL regional workshop and outreach activities to take place in Jamaica in 2016. In addition, the results of the survey, together with previous results focusing on the concomitant use of medicinal plants with pharmaceutical drugs, are being communicated to local doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.
This article was published in 2015 in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology 169: 314-327
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