title: Ethnoveterinary plant remedies used by Nu people in NW Yunnan of China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nu people are the least populous ethnic group in Yunnan Province of China and most are distributed in Gongshan County, NW Yunnan. Animal production plays an important role in Nu livelihoods and the Nu people have abundant traditional knowledge of animal management and ethnoveterinary practices. This study documents the animal diseases, ethnoveterinary plant remedies and related traditional knowledge in three Nu villages of Gongshan County.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out in three Nu villages of Gongshan County between July 2009 and February 2010. Data was obtained through the use of semi-structured questionnaires, field observation and PRA tools. A total of 60 Nu respondents (34 men and 26 women) provided information on animal ailments and ethnoveterinary plant medicines used for Nu livestock production. Information on traditional ethnoveterinary medicine knowledge and choice of treatment providers was also obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five animal conditions were identified in the surveyed area. The major and most common animal diseases among livestock were skin conditions, diarrhea, heat, fevers, colds, and parasites. Most ailments occurred between June and August. The ethnoveterinary medicinal use of 45 plant species was documented. Most medicinal species (86.7%) were collected from the wild. The most frequently used plant parts were whole plants (35.6%), followed by roots (22.2%). The most important medicinal plant species were Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipech. (UV = 0.67), Senecio scandens Buch.-Ham.ex D.Don (UV = 0.67), Plantago depressa Willd. (UV = 0.63), Rubus corchorifolius L. f. (UV = 0.62), Bupleurum yunnanense Franch. (UV = 0.60), and Polygonum paleaceum Wall. (UV = 0.60). Animal diseases treated with the highest number of ethnoveterinary plant remedies were diarrhea (16 plant species), heat, fever, colds (11 plant species), retained afterbirth (11 plant species), and skin conditions and sores (11 plant species). Many Nu villagers (52%) considered traditional remedies their first choice of animal disease treatment. Traditional ethnoveterinary knowledge was related to the local social-cultural characteristics of Nu people and communities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Animal production plays an important role in Nu culture and livelihoods, and the Nu ethnic group has abundant traditional knowledge about animal production and ethnoveterinary plant remedies. This traditional knowledge faces the risk of disappearing due to increasing modern veterinary medicine extension, livelihood changes and environment degradation. Animal diseases are a major constraint in livestock production in Nu villages. Thus, some strategies and measures should be adopted in the future, such as further researches on Nu culture and livelihoods, community-based validation of ethnoveterinary medicine and broad network building and knowledge sharing.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge, Kunming Yunnan 650034, PR China. shenshicai_08@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Shicai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D005006:Ethnicity; D019448:Ethnobotany; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D019684:Magnoliopsida; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D018514:Plant Structures; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000379:methods*
references.citation: Pharm Biol. 2001;39 Suppl 1:74-9
references.pmid: 21554174
references.citation: Toxicon. 2000 Jun;38(6):745-6
references.pmid: 10695962
references.citation: BMC Complement Altern Med. 2001;1:10
references.pmid: 11737880
references.citation: J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Feb 28;97(2):241-6
references.pmid: 15707760
references.citation: J Ethnopharmacol. 1993 Mar;38(2-3):181-8
references.pmid: 8510467
references.citation: J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Jan 8;127(1):130-6
references.pmid: 19799983
references.citation: Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000;916:259-64
references.pmid: 11193630
references.citation: J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2008 Apr 28;4:10
references.pmid: 18442379
references.citation: J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009 Nov 26;5:37
references.pmid: 19941663
references.citation: J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009 May 05;5:15
references.pmid: 19416515
references.citation: Rev Sci Tech. 2004 Apr;23(1):277-84; discussion 391-401
references.pmid: 15200102
references.citation: J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2008 Jan 14;4:1
references.pmid: 18194568