Disease-Consensus Index as a tool of selecting potential hypoglycemic plants in Chikindzonot, Yucatán, México.
There is a general lack of adequate methods to quantitatively assess the importance of specific medicinal plants in a culture. In Mexico like in many other countries type 2 diabetes is an increasing health problem and the use of medicinal plants to treat this disease is widespread. In the present study we propose a mathematical tool for analysing ethnopharmacological field data, with the ultimate aim to select species with most prominent impact on a community to treat a single disease. Using this tool in a Yucatec Mayan community we demonstrate that Malmea depressa (Baill.) R.E. Fr. and Cecropia peltata L. are culturally most salient hypoglycemic plants in this community.
Andrade-Cetto
Adolfo
A
Laboratorio de Etnofarmacología, Fac. Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510 México DF, Mexico. aac@fciencias.unam.mx
Becerra-Jiménez
Jaime
J
Martínez-Zurita
Eddy
E
Ortega-Larrocea
Pilar
P
Heinrich
Michael
M
D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004341:Drug Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D019448:Ethnobotany / Q000379:methods*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008800:Mexico; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D028321:Plant Preparations