Diana Quiroz | Wageningen University and Research Centre (original) (raw)
Papers by Diana Quiroz
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2014
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Herbal medicine markets are essential in understanding the import... more Ethnopharmacological relevance: Herbal medicine markets are essential in understanding the importance of medicinal plants amongst a country 0 s inhabitants. They are also instrumental in identifying plant species with resource management priorities. To document the diversity of the medicinal plant market in Benin (West Africa), to quantify the weight of traded species in order to evaluate their economic value, and to make a first assessment of their vulnerability for commercial extraction. Materials and methods: We quantitatively surveyed 22 market stalls of 16 markets in the country 0 s eight largest urban areas. We collected all plant (parts) following standard botanical methods and recorded uses, prices and local names, and weighed and counted the numbers of sales units. Results: We recorded 307 medicinal products corresponding to ca. 283 species. Thirty-five species were encountered in at least 25% of the surveyed stalls, from which ten are locally endangered or red-listed by the IUCN. Examples of vulnerable species included Caesalpinia bonduc, which has been declared extinct in the wild but is largely cultivated in home gardens, and was exploited for its seeds, roots, and leaves, and Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides which was harvested for its bark, roots, and leaves. Other top-selling fruits and seeds included red-listed species: Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica, and Schrebera arborea. Top-selling woody plant parts included the roots of Sarcocephalus latifolius, Mondia whitei, and the barks of Khaya senegalensis and Pteleopsis suberosa. All but Sarcocephalus latifolius and Pteleopsis subersosa were species with some threat status. Plants sold at the market were mainly used for ritual purposes, women 0 s health, and to treat malaria and its symptoms. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the domestic medicinal plant market in Benin is of substantial economic importance. A volume of approximately 655 metric tons worth 2.7 million USD is offered for sale annually. Traditional spiritual beliefs seem to be a major driving force behind the trade in herbal medicine.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2015
Purgative enemas form an integral part of African traditional medicine. Besides possible benefits... more Purgative enemas form an integral part of African traditional medicine. Besides possible benefits, serious health risks of rectal herbal therapy have been described in literature. To design appropriate health education programs, it is essential to understand traditional herbal practices and local perceptions of health and illness. Little is known about the herbal ingredients of enemas in Sub-Saharan Africa and consumers' personal reasons to use them. To analyze the importance of enema use with regard to plant species used and illnesses treated in West and Central Africa, to understand the local health beliefs that underlie frequent enema use and to evaluate which recipes and practices could be beneficial or harmful. We extracted data from 266 ethnobotanical questionnaires on medicinal (in particular women's health and childcare) and ritual plant use in Ghana, Benin and Gabon. Plants mentioned during interviews were vouchered and identified in herbaria. Health issues treated by means of enemas were ranked according to the number of plant species used for a specific illness. We compared our results with findings of medical research on benefits and risks of enema use in Sub-Saharan Africa. We recorded ca. 213 different plant species used in hundreds of recipes for rectal insertions, mostly in Ghana and Gabon. Stomachache, abdominal pain, female infertility and birth facilitation were treated with the highest number of plants species. Cleansing the intestines of young children to promote their health by getting rid of 'dirt', instead of treating constipation, was an important cultural practice that required the rectal application of herbal medicine, as well as other cultural bound health issues like stimulating children to walk at an early age. Tradition, the bitter taste of herbal medicine and the rapid effect of enemas were frequently mentioned reasons for enema use. Literature indicates that although enemas can help to improve the hygienic conditions of a household with young infants, frequent enema use can pose serious risks like direct toxicity caused by harmful ingredients, mechanical injury and infections. In Africa, enemas containing herbal medicine are common methods of administering herbal medicine for a variety of diseases, rather than just medicinal treatments for constipation as previously thought. Health professionals should be aware of the extent of, and motivation behind enema use to develop culturally appropriate education programs, especially targeted at vulnerable groups such as elderly people, parents of young infants and pregnant women.
Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 2015
One of the main obstacles for the mainstreaming of religious traditions as tools for the conserva... more One of the main obstacles for the mainstreaming of religious traditions as tools for the conservation of nature is the limited applicability of research results in this field. We documented two different restrictions implemented by local people (taboos and sacrifices) related to the use of ritual plants in Benin (West Africa) and Gabon (Central Africa). To see whether these restrictions reflected plant scarcity from an etic perspective (official threat status) and an emic viewpoint (perceived scarcity by local people), we conducted 102 interviews with traditional healers and adepts of traditional faiths. We documented a total of 618 ritual plants, from which 52 species were used in both countries. In Benin, the use of 63 of the 414 ritual plant species was restricted; while in Gabon 23 of the 256 ritual plants were associated with taboos and sacrifices. In Benin, restricted plants were significantly more often officially threatened, perceived as scarce, and actively protected than n...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014
PLoS ONE, 2014
Folk perceptions of health and illness include cultural bound syndromes (CBS), ailments generally... more Folk perceptions of health and illness include cultural bound syndromes (CBS), ailments generally confined to certain cultural groups or geographic regions and often treated with medicinal plants. Our aim was to compare definitions and plant use for CBS regarding child health in the context of the largest migration in recent human history: the trans-Atlantic slave trade. We compared definitions of four CBS (walk early, evil eye, atita and fontanels) and associated plant use among three Afro-Surinamese populations and their African ancestor groups in Ghana, Bénin and Gabon. We expected plant use to be similar on species level, and assumed the majority to be weedy or domesticated species, as these occur on both continents and were probably recognized by enslaved Africans. Data were obtained by identifying plants mentioned during interviews with local women from the six different populations. To analyse differences and similarities in plant use we used Detrended Component Analysis (DCA) and a Wald Chi-square test. Definitions of the four cultural bound syndromes were roughly the same on both continents. In total, 324 plant species were used. There was little overlap between Suriname and Africa: 15 species were used on two continents, of which seven species were used for the same CBS. Correspondence on family level was much higher. Surinamese populations used significantly more weedy species than Africans, but equal percentages of domesticated plants. Our data indicate that Afro-Surinamers have searched for similar plants to treat their CBS as they remembered from Africa. In some cases, they have found the same species, but they had to reinvent the largest part of their herbal pharmacopeia to treat their CBS using known plant families or trying out new species. Ideas on health and illness appear to be more resilient than the use of plants to treat them.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2014
Ethnopharmacological relevance: African medicinal plant markets offer insight into commercially i... more Ethnopharmacological relevance: African medicinal plant markets offer insight into commercially important species, salient health concerns in the region, and possible conservation priorities. Still, little quantitative data is available on the trade in herbal medicine in Central Africa. The aim of this study was to identify the species, volume, and value of medicinal plant products sold on the major domestic markets in Gabon, Central Africa. Materials and methods: We surveyed 21 herbal market stalls across 14 of the major herbal medicine markets in Gabon, collected vouchers of medicinal plants and documented uses, vernacular names, prices, weight, vendor information and weekly sales. From these quantitative data, we extrapolated volumes and values for the entire herbal medicine market. Results: We encountered 263 medicinal plant products corresponding with at least 217 species. Thirteen species were encountered on one-third of the surveyed stalls and 18 species made up almost 50% of the total volume of products available daily, including the fruits of Tetrapleura tetraptera and seeds of Monodora myristica. Although bark comprised the majority of the floristic diversity (22%) and the highest percentage of daily stock (30%), the resin of IUCN red-listed species Aucoumea klaineana represented 20% of the estimated daily volume of the entire herbal market. Plants sold at the market were mainly used for ritual purposes (32%), followed by women's health (13%), and childcare (10%
Journal of Arid Environments, 2014
The Al Hawf area at the YemeneOman border hosts a unique fog-derived ecosystem which, due to its ... more The Al Hawf area at the YemeneOman border hosts a unique fog-derived ecosystem which, due to its high diversity of plant and animal species, merits protection. Given the area's remoteness, poor infrastructure, high population growth and limited exchanges across the Omani border, the local livelihoods strongly rely on the exploitation of natural marine and terrestrial resources. Since quantitative data on the intensity of anthropogenic pressure on the terrestrial ecosystem are lacking, the present study analysed the impact of agricultural and pastoral land use on the vegetation of the designated Hawf Protected Area (HPA). To this end structured interviews, village walks and other rural appraisal tools were combined with vegetation surveys and GPS-based monitoring of pasturing livestock herds. The loss of traditional herding systems that regulated selective management of fragile grazing grounds along the altitude gradient in the HPA, particularly for camels, the overexploitation of woody perennials for construction purposes, and the resettlement of former migrant workers are major constraints for the successful implementation of the government-designed management plan. Implementation could be improved by better taking into account the vegetation composition in the area, current and traditional grazing schemes and local people's needs for off-farm income.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2014
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Herbal medicine markets are essential in understanding the import... more Ethnopharmacological relevance: Herbal medicine markets are essential in understanding the importance of medicinal plants amongst a country 0 s inhabitants. They are also instrumental in identifying plant species with resource management priorities. To document the diversity of the medicinal plant market in Benin (West Africa), to quantify the weight of traded species in order to evaluate their economic value, and to make a first assessment of their vulnerability for commercial extraction. Materials and methods: We quantitatively surveyed 22 market stalls of 16 markets in the country 0 s eight largest urban areas. We collected all plant (parts) following standard botanical methods and recorded uses, prices and local names, and weighed and counted the numbers of sales units. Results: We recorded 307 medicinal products corresponding to ca. 283 species. Thirty-five species were encountered in at least 25% of the surveyed stalls, from which ten are locally endangered or red-listed by the IUCN. Examples of vulnerable species included Caesalpinia bonduc, which has been declared extinct in the wild but is largely cultivated in home gardens, and was exploited for its seeds, roots, and leaves, and Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides which was harvested for its bark, roots, and leaves. Other top-selling fruits and seeds included red-listed species: Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica, and Schrebera arborea. Top-selling woody plant parts included the roots of Sarcocephalus latifolius, Mondia whitei, and the barks of Khaya senegalensis and Pteleopsis suberosa. All but Sarcocephalus latifolius and Pteleopsis subersosa were species with some threat status. Plants sold at the market were mainly used for ritual purposes, women 0 s health, and to treat malaria and its symptoms. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the domestic medicinal plant market in Benin is of substantial economic importance. A volume of approximately 655 metric tons worth 2.7 million USD is offered for sale annually. Traditional spiritual beliefs seem to be a major driving force behind the trade in herbal medicine.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2014
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Herbal medicine markets are essential in understanding the import... more Ethnopharmacological relevance: Herbal medicine markets are essential in understanding the importance of medicinal plants amongst a country 0 s inhabitants. They are also instrumental in identifying plant species with resource management priorities. To document the diversity of the medicinal plant market in Benin (West Africa), to quantify the weight of traded species in order to evaluate their economic value, and to make a first assessment of their vulnerability for commercial extraction. Materials and methods: We quantitatively surveyed 22 market stalls of 16 markets in the country 0 s eight largest urban areas. We collected all plant (parts) following standard botanical methods and recorded uses, prices and local names, and weighed and counted the numbers of sales units. Results: We recorded 307 medicinal products corresponding to ca. 283 species. Thirty-five species were encountered in at least 25% of the surveyed stalls, from which ten are locally endangered or red-listed by the IUCN. Examples of vulnerable species included Caesalpinia bonduc, which has been declared extinct in the wild but is largely cultivated in home gardens, and was exploited for its seeds, roots, and leaves, and Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides which was harvested for its bark, roots, and leaves. Other top-selling fruits and seeds included red-listed species: Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica, and Schrebera arborea. Top-selling woody plant parts included the roots of Sarcocephalus latifolius, Mondia whitei, and the barks of Khaya senegalensis and Pteleopsis suberosa. All but Sarcocephalus latifolius and Pteleopsis subersosa were species with some threat status. Plants sold at the market were mainly used for ritual purposes, women 0 s health, and to treat malaria and its symptoms. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the domestic medicinal plant market in Benin is of substantial economic importance. A volume of approximately 655 metric tons worth 2.7 million USD is offered for sale annually. Traditional spiritual beliefs seem to be a major driving force behind the trade in herbal medicine.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2015
Purgative enemas form an integral part of African traditional medicine. Besides possible benefits... more Purgative enemas form an integral part of African traditional medicine. Besides possible benefits, serious health risks of rectal herbal therapy have been described in literature. To design appropriate health education programs, it is essential to understand traditional herbal practices and local perceptions of health and illness. Little is known about the herbal ingredients of enemas in Sub-Saharan Africa and consumers' personal reasons to use them. To analyze the importance of enema use with regard to plant species used and illnesses treated in West and Central Africa, to understand the local health beliefs that underlie frequent enema use and to evaluate which recipes and practices could be beneficial or harmful. We extracted data from 266 ethnobotanical questionnaires on medicinal (in particular women's health and childcare) and ritual plant use in Ghana, Benin and Gabon. Plants mentioned during interviews were vouchered and identified in herbaria. Health issues treated by means of enemas were ranked according to the number of plant species used for a specific illness. We compared our results with findings of medical research on benefits and risks of enema use in Sub-Saharan Africa. We recorded ca. 213 different plant species used in hundreds of recipes for rectal insertions, mostly in Ghana and Gabon. Stomachache, abdominal pain, female infertility and birth facilitation were treated with the highest number of plants species. Cleansing the intestines of young children to promote their health by getting rid of 'dirt', instead of treating constipation, was an important cultural practice that required the rectal application of herbal medicine, as well as other cultural bound health issues like stimulating children to walk at an early age. Tradition, the bitter taste of herbal medicine and the rapid effect of enemas were frequently mentioned reasons for enema use. Literature indicates that although enemas can help to improve the hygienic conditions of a household with young infants, frequent enema use can pose serious risks like direct toxicity caused by harmful ingredients, mechanical injury and infections. In Africa, enemas containing herbal medicine are common methods of administering herbal medicine for a variety of diseases, rather than just medicinal treatments for constipation as previously thought. Health professionals should be aware of the extent of, and motivation behind enema use to develop culturally appropriate education programs, especially targeted at vulnerable groups such as elderly people, parents of young infants and pregnant women.
Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 2015
One of the main obstacles for the mainstreaming of religious traditions as tools for the conserva... more One of the main obstacles for the mainstreaming of religious traditions as tools for the conservation of nature is the limited applicability of research results in this field. We documented two different restrictions implemented by local people (taboos and sacrifices) related to the use of ritual plants in Benin (West Africa) and Gabon (Central Africa). To see whether these restrictions reflected plant scarcity from an etic perspective (official threat status) and an emic viewpoint (perceived scarcity by local people), we conducted 102 interviews with traditional healers and adepts of traditional faiths. We documented a total of 618 ritual plants, from which 52 species were used in both countries. In Benin, the use of 63 of the 414 ritual plant species was restricted; while in Gabon 23 of the 256 ritual plants were associated with taboos and sacrifices. In Benin, restricted plants were significantly more often officially threatened, perceived as scarce, and actively protected than n...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014
PLoS ONE, 2014
Folk perceptions of health and illness include cultural bound syndromes (CBS), ailments generally... more Folk perceptions of health and illness include cultural bound syndromes (CBS), ailments generally confined to certain cultural groups or geographic regions and often treated with medicinal plants. Our aim was to compare definitions and plant use for CBS regarding child health in the context of the largest migration in recent human history: the trans-Atlantic slave trade. We compared definitions of four CBS (walk early, evil eye, atita and fontanels) and associated plant use among three Afro-Surinamese populations and their African ancestor groups in Ghana, Bénin and Gabon. We expected plant use to be similar on species level, and assumed the majority to be weedy or domesticated species, as these occur on both continents and were probably recognized by enslaved Africans. Data were obtained by identifying plants mentioned during interviews with local women from the six different populations. To analyse differences and similarities in plant use we used Detrended Component Analysis (DCA) and a Wald Chi-square test. Definitions of the four cultural bound syndromes were roughly the same on both continents. In total, 324 plant species were used. There was little overlap between Suriname and Africa: 15 species were used on two continents, of which seven species were used for the same CBS. Correspondence on family level was much higher. Surinamese populations used significantly more weedy species than Africans, but equal percentages of domesticated plants. Our data indicate that Afro-Surinamers have searched for similar plants to treat their CBS as they remembered from Africa. In some cases, they have found the same species, but they had to reinvent the largest part of their herbal pharmacopeia to treat their CBS using known plant families or trying out new species. Ideas on health and illness appear to be more resilient than the use of plants to treat them.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2014
Ethnopharmacological relevance: African medicinal plant markets offer insight into commercially i... more Ethnopharmacological relevance: African medicinal plant markets offer insight into commercially important species, salient health concerns in the region, and possible conservation priorities. Still, little quantitative data is available on the trade in herbal medicine in Central Africa. The aim of this study was to identify the species, volume, and value of medicinal plant products sold on the major domestic markets in Gabon, Central Africa. Materials and methods: We surveyed 21 herbal market stalls across 14 of the major herbal medicine markets in Gabon, collected vouchers of medicinal plants and documented uses, vernacular names, prices, weight, vendor information and weekly sales. From these quantitative data, we extrapolated volumes and values for the entire herbal medicine market. Results: We encountered 263 medicinal plant products corresponding with at least 217 species. Thirteen species were encountered on one-third of the surveyed stalls and 18 species made up almost 50% of the total volume of products available daily, including the fruits of Tetrapleura tetraptera and seeds of Monodora myristica. Although bark comprised the majority of the floristic diversity (22%) and the highest percentage of daily stock (30%), the resin of IUCN red-listed species Aucoumea klaineana represented 20% of the estimated daily volume of the entire herbal market. Plants sold at the market were mainly used for ritual purposes (32%), followed by women's health (13%), and childcare (10%
Journal of Arid Environments, 2014
The Al Hawf area at the YemeneOman border hosts a unique fog-derived ecosystem which, due to its ... more The Al Hawf area at the YemeneOman border hosts a unique fog-derived ecosystem which, due to its high diversity of plant and animal species, merits protection. Given the area's remoteness, poor infrastructure, high population growth and limited exchanges across the Omani border, the local livelihoods strongly rely on the exploitation of natural marine and terrestrial resources. Since quantitative data on the intensity of anthropogenic pressure on the terrestrial ecosystem are lacking, the present study analysed the impact of agricultural and pastoral land use on the vegetation of the designated Hawf Protected Area (HPA). To this end structured interviews, village walks and other rural appraisal tools were combined with vegetation surveys and GPS-based monitoring of pasturing livestock herds. The loss of traditional herding systems that regulated selective management of fragile grazing grounds along the altitude gradient in the HPA, particularly for camels, the overexploitation of woody perennials for construction purposes, and the resettlement of former migrant workers are major constraints for the successful implementation of the government-designed management plan. Implementation could be improved by better taking into account the vegetation composition in the area, current and traditional grazing schemes and local people's needs for off-farm income.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2014
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Herbal medicine markets are essential in understanding the import... more Ethnopharmacological relevance: Herbal medicine markets are essential in understanding the importance of medicinal plants amongst a country 0 s inhabitants. They are also instrumental in identifying plant species with resource management priorities. To document the diversity of the medicinal plant market in Benin (West Africa), to quantify the weight of traded species in order to evaluate their economic value, and to make a first assessment of their vulnerability for commercial extraction. Materials and methods: We quantitatively surveyed 22 market stalls of 16 markets in the country 0 s eight largest urban areas. We collected all plant (parts) following standard botanical methods and recorded uses, prices and local names, and weighed and counted the numbers of sales units. Results: We recorded 307 medicinal products corresponding to ca. 283 species. Thirty-five species were encountered in at least 25% of the surveyed stalls, from which ten are locally endangered or red-listed by the IUCN. Examples of vulnerable species included Caesalpinia bonduc, which has been declared extinct in the wild but is largely cultivated in home gardens, and was exploited for its seeds, roots, and leaves, and Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides which was harvested for its bark, roots, and leaves. Other top-selling fruits and seeds included red-listed species: Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica, and Schrebera arborea. Top-selling woody plant parts included the roots of Sarcocephalus latifolius, Mondia whitei, and the barks of Khaya senegalensis and Pteleopsis suberosa. All but Sarcocephalus latifolius and Pteleopsis subersosa were species with some threat status. Plants sold at the market were mainly used for ritual purposes, women 0 s health, and to treat malaria and its symptoms. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the domestic medicinal plant market in Benin is of substantial economic importance. A volume of approximately 655 metric tons worth 2.7 million USD is offered for sale annually. Traditional spiritual beliefs seem to be a major driving force behind the trade in herbal medicine.