Articles
Q’EQCHI ETHNOBOTANY AND ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY: RESULTS OF AN INVESTIGATION ON WOMEN’S HEALTH AND IMPLICATIONS FOR YOUTH ENGAGEMENT TOWARDS THE CONSERVATION OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
Article number
964_29
Pages
235 – 250
Language
English
Abstract
The present study was a collaborative research project with the Qeqchi Maya of Livingston, Izabal, to explore the influence of sociocultural factors on the health and well-being of Qeqchi women and the role of plant medicines in treating womens health conditions.
Data were obtained through participant observation, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and plant walks with 50 Qeqchi community members from four principal rural villages and AkTenamit, a local nonprofit organization.
Results suggest that traditional roles and perceptions of women in these communities affect community attitudes towards womens health and health conditions, limit a womans access to health care, and influence her health-seeking behavior.
Medicinal plants play a significant role in the treatment of conditions related to menstruation and pregnancy, yet data suggest that gender, age, and social rank influence medical knowledge and plant selection.
A total of 47 plants belonging to 26 families were documented, with the most prominent plant families being Piperaceae (15%) and Lamiaceae (8%). In providing in vitro biological support for the traditional Qeqchi uses of plants to treat womens health issues, 17 plants were submitted to in vitro biological analysis in serotonin bioassays.
With one of the highest in vitro activities, Piper hispidum underwent additional phytochemical analysis leading to the isolation of a new compound that showed additional serotonergic activity.
In an effort to sustain and foster local interest in traditional medicine, ethnobotanical findings were compiled into an educational curriculum and conservation field guide presented to a local Qeqchi school.
The results of this preliminary work support the traditional use of these plants by the Qeqchi, justify further research on the use of Latin American herbal remedies for womens health, and underscore the importance of involving youth in medicinal plant research and traditional medicine conservation efforts.
Data were obtained through participant observation, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and plant walks with 50 Qeqchi community members from four principal rural villages and AkTenamit, a local nonprofit organization.
Results suggest that traditional roles and perceptions of women in these communities affect community attitudes towards womens health and health conditions, limit a womans access to health care, and influence her health-seeking behavior.
Medicinal plants play a significant role in the treatment of conditions related to menstruation and pregnancy, yet data suggest that gender, age, and social rank influence medical knowledge and plant selection.
A total of 47 plants belonging to 26 families were documented, with the most prominent plant families being Piperaceae (15%) and Lamiaceae (8%). In providing in vitro biological support for the traditional Qeqchi uses of plants to treat womens health issues, 17 plants were submitted to in vitro biological analysis in serotonin bioassays.
With one of the highest in vitro activities, Piper hispidum underwent additional phytochemical analysis leading to the isolation of a new compound that showed additional serotonergic activity.
In an effort to sustain and foster local interest in traditional medicine, ethnobotanical findings were compiled into an educational curriculum and conservation field guide presented to a local Qeqchi school.
The results of this preliminary work support the traditional use of these plants by the Qeqchi, justify further research on the use of Latin American herbal remedies for womens health, and underscore the importance of involving youth in medicinal plant research and traditional medicine conservation efforts.
Authors
J. Michel, G.B. Mahady, D.D. Soejarto, M. Kelley, R.E. Duarte, Yue Huang, J. Orjala, M. Veliz, A. Cáceres
Keywords
ethnopharmacology, Piperaceae, Piper hispidum, serotonin
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