Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals in a Market of Bolivian Immigrants in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

This paper presents the results of a research in urban ethnobotany, conducted in a market of Bolivian immigrants in the neighborhood of Liniers, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (Argentina). Functional foods and nutraceuticals belonging to 50 species of 18 families, its products, and uses were recorded. Some products are exclusive from the Bolivian community; others are frequent within the community, but they are also available in the general commercial circuit; they are introduced into it, generally, through shops called dietéticas (“health-food stores”), where products associated with the maintenance of health are sold. On this basis, the traditional and nontraditional components of the urban botanical knowledge were evaluated as well as its dynamics in relation to the diffusion of the products. Both the framework and methodological design are innovative for the studies of the urban botanical knowledge and the traditional markets in metropolitan areas

Estrategias metodológicas para acceder a la diversidad biocultural en huertos del periurbano platense (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

The study of homegardens is an important subject in ethnobotany, as they are the expression of local botanical knowledge, and preserve significant biocultural diversity. This diversity is the result of the vital experience of horticulturalists, but it frequently remains hidden when usual ethnobotanical qualitative methodological strategies are applied. In this contribution, a biographical approach is used for the first time in the La Plata horticultural belt (Buenos Aires, Argentina), which is pluricultural and diverse in forms of production, to evaluate its usefulness for knowing the biocultural diversity of the area. When results are compared with those obtained by synchronous observation and interview techniques, a similar number of taxa was identified, with an increase of the total number of plants recognized and used in the area. It was observed that previous experience acquired in other regions enabled the use of certain plants, not habitual in the area. Both advantages and disadvantages of the biographical approach, as well as the contribution of this kind of studies in projects of local development are discussed. It is concluded that the integration of both synchronical methodologies with biographical studies derives in an integral and complex approach to biocultural diversity, not able to be achieved by a single methological way.El estudio de los huertos es un tema relevante en etnobotánica, tanto por ser expresión de un conocimiento botánico local, como por la significativa diversidad biocultural que preservan. Esta es resultado de la experiencia vital de las y los horticultores y a menudo permanece oculta al emplear estrategias metodológicas cualitativas habituales en la disciplina. En esta contribución se utiliza por primera vez la aproximación biográfica en el cinturón hortícola platense (Buenos Aires, Argentina), espacio pluricultural y diverso en sus modos productivos, a fin de evaluar su potencial para conocer la diversidad biocultural de la zona. Al comparar los resultados con los obtenidos por técnicas sincrónicas de observación y entrevista, se identificó un número similar de taxones, con una ampliación del número total de plantas reconocidas y utilizadas en el área. Se observó que la experiencia previa adquirida en otras regiones habilitó el uso de ciertas plantas, no habitual en el área. Se discuten las ventajas y desventajas de la aproximación biográfica y el aporte de este tipo de estudios en proyectos de desarrollo local. Se concluye que la integración de metodologías sincrónicas con los estudios biográficos resulta en un abordaje integral y complejo de la diversidad biocultural que no podría alcanzarse por una única vía metodológica

Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals in aMarket of Bolivian Immigrants in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

This paper presents the results of a research in urban ethnobotany, conducted in a market of Bolivian immigrants in the neighborhood of Liniers, Ciudad Aut ´onoma de Buenos Aires (Argentina). Functional foods and nutraceuticals belonging to 50 species of 18 families, its products, and uses were recorded. Some products are exclusive from the Bolivian community; others are frequent within the community, but they are also available in the general commercial circuit; they are introduced into it, generally, through shops called diet´eticas (“health-food stores”), where products associated with the maintenance of health are sold. On this basis, the traditional and nontraditional components of the urban botanical knowledge were evaluated as well as its dynamics in relation to the diffusion of the products. Both the framework and methodological design are innovative for the studies of the urban botanical knowledge and the traditional markets in metropolitan areas.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo (FCNM)Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada (LEBA

Huertos familiares periurbanos de las costas de Ensenada-Berisso y de la Isla Martín García (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Este trabajo presenta los resultados de un estudio de la situación actual de 16 huertos familiares periurbanos de las costas de Ensenada-Berisso y de la Isla Martín García (Buenos Aires, Argentina), en relación a su contexto histórico de transformaciones ecológicas, culturales y económicas, donde se evidencia el carácter adaptativo de las prácticas hortícolas, los saberes tradicionales que las sustentan y su aporte a la agrobiodiversidad local. Se relevó la composición florística de los huertos, y se aplicaron métodos cualitativos para el relevamiento de datos etnobotánicos. Se registraron 80 taxones cultivados y productos obtenidos a partir de estos, para consumo familiar y comercialización a pequeña escala, como suplemento para la economía doméstic

Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals in aMarket of Bolivian Immigrants in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

This paper presents the results of a research in urban ethnobotany, conducted in a market of Bolivian immigrants in the neighborhood of Liniers, Ciudad Aut ´onoma de Buenos Aires (Argentina). Functional foods and nutraceuticals belonging to 50 species of 18 families, its products, and uses were recorded. Some products are exclusive from the Bolivian community; others are frequent within the community, but they are also available in the general commercial circuit; they are introduced into it, generally, through shops called diet´eticas (“health-food stores”), where products associated with the maintenance of health are sold. On this basis, the traditional and nontraditional components of the urban botanical knowledge were evaluated as well as its dynamics in relation to the diffusion of the products. Both the framework and methodological design are innovative for the studies of the urban botanical knowledge and the traditional markets in metropolitan areas.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo (FCNM)Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada (LEBA

Adaptógenos: plantas medicinales tradicionales comercializadas como suplementos dietéticos en la conurbación Buenos Aires-La Plata (Argentina)

En el presente trabajo se presentan los resultados de un estudio sobre tres especies de las cuales se comercializan productos considerados adaptógenos: Lepidium meyenii Walp. (Brassicaceae), "maca", Morinda citrifolia L. (Rubiaceae), "noni", y Petiveria alliacea L. (Phytolaccaceae), "pipi". Los datos provienen de estudios en Etnobotánica urbana realizados en la conurbación Buenos Aires-La Plata, se presentan los usos tradicionales de las especies, sus vías de ingreso, comercialización y difusión como suplementos dietéticos en el contexto pluricultural urbano, los modos actuales de empleo y los saberes relacionados, que forman parte del conocimiento botánico local. De este modo, se evalúan las modificaciones en los usos originalmente asignados, como consecuencia de la expansión de los productos en el marco de la globalización, y los cambios consecuentes en los patrones tradicionales de saberes, creencias y prácticas referidos a estos recursos vegetale

The ARCH Projects: design and rationale (IAASSG 001)

OBJECTIVE A number of factors limit the effectiveness of current aortic arch studies in assessing optimal neuroprotection strategies, including insufficient patient numbers, heterogenous definitions of clinical variables, multiple technical strategies, inadequate reporting of surgical outcomes and a lack of collaborative effort. We have formed an international coalition of centres to provide more robust investigations into this topic. METHODS High-volume aortic arch centres were identified from the literature and contacted for recruitment. A Research Steering Committee of expert arch surgeons was convened to oversee the direction of the research. RESULTS The International Aortic Arch Surgery Study Group has been formed by 41 arch surgeons from 10 countries to better evaluate patient outcomes after aortic arch surgery. Several projects, including the establishment of a multi-institutional retrospective database, randomized controlled trials and a prospectively collected database, are currently underway. CONCLUSIONS Such a collaborative effort will herald a turning point in the surgical management of aortic arch pathologies and will provide better powered analyses to assess the impact of varying surgical techniques on mortality and morbidity, identify predictors for neurological and operative risk, formulate and validate risk predictor models and review long-term survival outcomes and quality-of-life after arch surger