Medicinal plants, biodiversity, and local communities. A study of a peasant community in Venezuela

Abstract

Objective: The main objective of this research was to record ethnobotanical data on the use and exploitation of medicinal plants, highlighting their importance for the biodiversity, culture, and tradition of a peasant community in Venezuela. Sample/method: The study involved a population of 120 individuals, from which a sample size of 34 people was calculated using the formula for finite populations. A simple random sampling technique was employed, and all the participants were administered the TRAMIL (Traditions Medicine in Island) survey. Statistical analysis: The ethnopharmacological table was constructed, and descriptive statistics were used for analysis. Results: A total of 116 species of medicinal plants were documented to treat various health conditions. The informants reflected through their responses that they used medicinal plants in the first instance to address a health condition, employing varied forms of plant preparation, which include decoction (65.16%), raw consumption (16.77%), maceration (8.38%), and infusion (7.09%). The most commonly used plant parts are leaves, flowers, fruits, bark, peels, roots, and bulbs, while the most commonly used botanical families are Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Rutaceae, Malvaceae, Verbenaceae, Acanthaceae, Asteraceae, and Euphorbaceae. On the other hand, the species with the highest TRAMIL Significant Use Level were Oregano orejón (Coleus amboinicus Lour.) (68.29), Malojillo [Cymbopogon citratus (D.C.) Stapf.] (60.97), Tua (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.) (34.15), Colombiana [Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers.] (34.15), Poleo [Micromeria brownei (Sw.) Benth.] (29.27), Pasote (Chenopodium ambrosioides L.) (29.27), Llantén (Plantago major L.) (26.83), Te negro [Phyla stoechadifolia (L.) Small] (26.83), Yerbabuena (Mentha sp.) (21.85), and Curia (Justicia pectoralis Jacq.) (21.95). Conclusion: The community of El Onoto de El Valle de Tucutunemo, Aragua State, Venezuela has a notable utilization of medicinal plant species in their instance to treat different health conditions, with the predominant focus on treating flu and stomach ailments. It is important to emphasize that all individuals approached through various data collection instruments reported using medicinal plants, both individually and within their families, spanning a wide range of ages from children to the elderly. This reflects that the use of medicinal plants is part of their cultural heritage and ancestral roots.