Ethnobotanical Remedies for Acute Diarrhea in Central Anatolian Villages

• Published in: Economic botany Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 137 - 146
• Main Authors: Rose, Janna L., Özünel, Evrim Ölçer, Bennett, Bradley C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer & The New York Botanical Garden 01.06.2013; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Developing countries; Ethnobotany; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General pharmacology; LDCs; Life Sciences; Medical sciences; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Anatomy/Development; Plant Ecology; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Turkey; Asia; Mediterranean Basin; Middle east; Medicinal plants; ethnobotanical knowledge; Turkey; ranked saliency; diarrhea; Central Anatolia; Ethnobotany; Village; Diarrhea; Medicinal plant
• ISSN: 0013-0001; 1874-9364
• DOI: 10.1007/s12231-013-9233-8

Acute gastrointestinal illness is a common, life-threatening complication for rural villagers in developing countries such as Turkey. Our study identifies and describes the classification schemes surrounding acute gastrointestinal illness, or diarrhea, and its folk treatments among Central Anatolian villagers. We conducted informal interviews with small groups of rural Turkish villagers in the spring of 2009, using scenarios, recall, free-listing, and ranked saliency techniques to amass information on knowledge and beliefs about diarrhea and its treatments. We also compared treatments from published ethnobotanical studies with 8 of 44 plants still used today. Foods available in the home as well as nearby wild plants were used by 96% of villagers to treat diarrhea. Species in the Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, and Asteraceae families were used most frequently. Villagers blended folk and biomedicai concepts to explain their preferences for botanical remedies and to explain the perceived treatment efficacy. Akut gastrointestinal hastalik Türkiye gibi gelişmekte olan ülkelerde kirsal alanda yaşayan köylüler için yaygin ve hayati tehdit eden bir komplikasyonudur. Çalişmamizda akut gastrointestinal hastalik ya da ishalin Orta Anadolu köylüleri arasinda geleneksel tibbi yöntemler kullanilarak yapilan tedavi biçimleri siniflandirilmiş ve tanimlanmiştir. Çalisma kapsaminda 2009 yili bahannda, ishal ve ishal tedavileri hakkinda inanç ve bilgileri toplamak için animsatma, yeniden yapilandirma, serbest listeleme, yöntemleriyle gayriresmi sinirli grup görüşmeler yürütülmüştür. Aynca etnobotonikal çalişmalarda basili olan ve bugün halihazirda kullanilan 44 bitkiden sekiz tanesi de karşilaştirilmiştir. Evde kullanilan yiyeceklerin yam sira civardaki yabani otlar da köylülerin % 96'si tarafindan ishali tedavi amagli kullanilmaktadir. En sik kullanilan türler arasinda gülgiller, ballibabagiller, papatyagiller bulunmaktadir. Köylüler uyguladiklari bitkisel tedavinin iyileştirici etkisini açiklamak için geleneksel ve biyomedikal tedavi türlerini harmanlamaktadirlar.