J Ethnopharmacol. 2016 Dec 23. pii: S0378-8741(16)31175-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.12.038. [Epub ahead of print]
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Alonso-Castro AJ1, Domínguez F2, Maldonado-Miranda JJ3, Castillo-Pérez LJ4, Carranza-Álvarez C3, Solano E5, Isiordia-Espinoza MA6, Del Carmen Juárez-Vázquez M7, Zapata-Morales JR8, Argueta-Fuertes MA9, Ruiz-Padilla AJ8, Solorio-Alvarado CR8, Rangel-Velázquez JE8, Ortiz-Andrade R10, González-Sánchez I9, Cruz-Jiménez G8, Orozco-Castellanos LM8.
Author information
- 1División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, México. Electronic address: angeljosabad@ugto.mx.
- 2Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Oriente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Metepec, Puebla, México.
- 3Unidad Académica Multidisciplinaria de la Zona Huasteca, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí, México.
- 4Programa Multidisciplinario de Posgrado en Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. San Luis Potosí, México.
- 5Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México.
- 6Departamento de Investigación, Escuela de Odontología, Universidad Cuauhtémoc plantel San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México.
- 7Departamento de Productos Naturales, Instituto de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México.
- 8División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, México.
- 9Departamento de Sistemas Biológicos, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana unidad Xochimilco, Ciudad de México, México.
- 10Facultad de Química, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, México.
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
The use of medicinal plants in Mexico has been documented since pre-Hispanic times. Nevertheless, the level of use of medicinal plants by health professionals in Mexico remains to be explored.AIM OF THE STUDY:
To evaluate the use, acceptance and prescription of medicinal plants by health professionals in 9 of the states of Mexico MATERIALS AND METHODS: Direct and indirect interviews, regarding the use and acceptance of medicinal plants, with health professionals (n=1614), including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and odontologists from nine states in Mexico were performed from January 2015 to July 2016. The interviews were analyzed with the factor the informant consensus (FIC).RESULTS:
The information obtained indicated that 46% of those interviewed feel patients should not use medicinal plants as an alternative therapy. Moreover, 54% of health professionals, and 49% of the physicians have used medicinal plants as an alternative therapy for several diseases. Twenty eight percent of health professionals, and 26% of the physicians, have recommended or prescribed medicinal plants to their patients, whereas 73% of health professionals were in agreement with receiving academic information regarding the use and prescription of medicinal plants. A total of 77 plant species used for medicinal purposes, belonging to 40 botanical families were reported by the interviewed. The results of the FIC showed that the categories of diseases of the digestive system (FIC = 0.901) and diseases of the respiratory system (FIC = 0.898) had the greatest agreement.CONCLUSIONS:
This study shows that medicinal plants are used for primary health care in Mexico by health professionals.
Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
KEYWORDS:
Mexican traditional medicine; factor of informant consensus; health professionals- PMID:
- 28025163
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.jep.2016.12.038
