Volume 175, 4 December 2015, Pages 432–443
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
Market
is the main place for transactions of medicinal plants and traditional
ingredients by local community in the Karo regency, North Sumatra,
Indonesia. This is the first study to document the local knowledge of
traders on and the diversity of the medicinal plants. The investigation
was carried out in the Kabanjahe traditional market, in the Karo
regency. The research goal was to reveal the local knowledge, diversity
and utilization of medicinal plants, which have been traded in the
Kabanjahe traditional market, as a basis for conservation efforts.
Materials and methods
The
study was conducted through ethnobotanical approach using market
surveys. All traders of medicinal plants were surveyed applying in-depth
interviews and participative observations. Data were analyzed
qualitatively using descriptive statistics. The diversity of medicinal
plants was expressed in term of the Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H'), whereas the similarity among traders was indicated by Jaccard index (Ji).
Results
Traders
of medicinal plants stored the simplicia of medicinal plants in chest
of drawers, plastic baskets, plastic bags, and in the air by suspending
them from the the stall ceilings. We recorded 344 species, 217 genera
and 90 families of medicinal plants. Those that were sold mostly belong
to Zingeberaceae (20 species), Poaceae (19 species), and Asclepiadaceae (17 species), and the species received high consumers demand, mostly belong to Zingiberaceae, Rutaceae, and Asclepidiaceae. Asclepidiaceae
was used to treat diseases like cancer and heart problems. The
Shannon–Wiener diversity index of medicinal plants at the Kabanjahe
traditional market was high (H'= 5.637). The high Jaccard
similarity index (Ji>0.56) suggested that the traders were trading
similar species of medicinal plants.
Conclusion
Kabanjahe
traditional market is the center for the sale of of medicinal plants as
traditional ingredients. Several species are well known for their
pharmacological properties but others, [such as: Dischidia imbricata (Blume) Steud., Dischidia nummularia R.Br., Hoya macrophylla Blume, and Hoya coriacea
Blume] have been used for cancer treatment by local communities, but
pharmacologically unknown, hence they are promising candidates for
further investigation.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Medicinal plants;
- Kabanjahe;
- North Sumatra
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