title: Tradition of use on medicinal species in Valfurva (Sondrio, Italy).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the past Alpine populations were isolated from comforts of industrial and technological development present in large cities and, therefore, they were obliged to find in nature a source of sustenance and care. Traditional use of plant is a wealth of local knowledge that is likely to be lost. This work, carried out during 2012, aims to collect, analyze and process information on the species used for medicinal, veterinary, cosmetic, domestic, ritual and religious purposes by the inhabitants of Valfurva, in the Province of Sondrio (Italy). Furthermore it is a means for the preservation of local traditions regarding such uses and increases the ethnobotanical data from Northern Italy, till now poorly documented.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our survey was conducted by semi-structered interviews. We interviewed 92 people, aged from 23 to 97 y.o., born or resident in Valfurva. All information collected and concerning their use of plants, were analyzed using ethnobotanical indices such as Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Relative Importance (RI) and Factor Informant Consensus (FIC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study stated that people living in Valfurva use 126 species belonging to 48 families. Findings revealed that the most cited species is Achillea moschata Wulfen, with values of RFC and RI equal to 1.00 and 1.12 respectively. Furthermore, 95 species were collected in the wild and 31 were cultivated. The most commonly used part plants were leaves, flowers, fruits, roots and complete aerial parts. The most frequent preparation methods were infusion, decoction and poultice. Among the recorded species, 91 of them are used for medicinal purposes, 72 for cooking, 19 for veterinary purposes, 10 for animal feed, 12 for cosmetic practices, 7 for religious or ritual purposes and 45 for domestic and various uses. The validity of the species use emerged in our survey is confirmed by scientific literature and research conducted on the same topics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study increases ethnobotanical data coming from Italian Alps, whose regions have been so far hardly investigated. Our study confirms the interest in species already mentioned in previous surveys and placings. It also provides evidences which could be usefully exploited by new investigations aimed at knowing the active metabolites found responsible for plants use in traditional medicine.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy; Orto Botanico "G.E. Ghirardi", Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Religione 25, 25088 Toscolano Maderno, Brescia, Italy. Electronic address: lisa.deicas@studenti.unimi.it.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dei Cas
authors.affiliation: Rete degli Orti Botanici della Lombardia; Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: francescapugni@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pugni
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy; Orto Botanico "G.E. Ghirardi", Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Religione 25, 25088 Toscolano Maderno, Brescia, Italy; Rete degli Orti Botanici della Lombardia; Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: gelsomina.fico@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Gelsomina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fico
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003358:Cosmetics; D019448:Ethnobotany; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012067:Religion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019155:Veterinary Drugs; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D019155:Veterinary Drugs
keywords: Alpine area; Ethnobotany; Indigenous traditional knowledge; Medicinal plants; North Italy