Migration and Ethnobotanical Practices: The Case of Tifey Among Haitian Immigrants in Cuba

Ethnobotanical knowledge and practices are dynamic and they change as they are transferred and appropriated by people who are adapting to new surroundings and changing environments. Using tifey, a multispecies drink, as a case study, we discuss the changes that emigration brought about related to tifey, and the processes that determined these changes. Tifey is a Haitian drink prepared by soaking Artemisia absinthium and other plants in rum or aguardiente. It probably had its origin in the adoption of the absinthe-based liquor used by French settlers and troops during the colonial period. Haitians progressively added culturally relevant flavorings and medicinal plants to this drink, and differentiated its production and use for medicinal, medicinal food, ritual ( religious and social), and economic purposes. When Haitians migrated to Cuba, they brought tifey with them, but over the course of the twentieth century its use declined and its composition changed due to sociocultural factors such as the dissolution of Haitian settlements, and to ecological factors such as difficulty in cultivation and/or procurement of A. absinthium in the new environment

Estudios etnobotánicos sobre plantas medicinales en la provincia de Camagüey (Cuba)

An ethnobotanical study has been conducted on traditional medicinal plant uses in seven communities of the Province of Camagüey, Cuba. Ethnobotanical information on 111 plant species from 96 genera and 55 families have been recorded along with 116 different vernacular names. These species are used in the treatment of 173 local health problems (mainly in respiratory, digestive, liver and gallbladder, and skin disorders). Chemistry composition of 39 species is unknown and ethnopharmacological use of 18 species has not been reported previously in the literature. The data collected in this study contribute to the pharmacological and toxicological evaluation of some of the studied species.<br><br>Como resultado del trabajo de campo realizado en siete comunidades de la provincia de Camagüey, Cuba, sobre el uso popular e indicaciones de plantas medicinales, se presenta información etnobotánica sobre 111 especies de plantas pertenecientes a 96 géneros y a 55 familias. Se obtuvieron 173 indicaciones de uso medicinal, principalmente para afecciones respiratorias, digestivas, hepatobiliares y dermatológicas. Se listaron 116 nombres vernáculos de especies vegetales. Se desconoce la composición química de 39 de las especies y de 18 no se encontraron referencias de su utilización en farmacia. Los datos empíricos obtenidos sobre usos de plantas estimularon la validación farmacológica y toxicológica de algunas de ellas

Taller de radio para agricultores: Cobán, Guatemala

74 páginasEn este documento, se presentan antecedentes y experiencias sobre el uso de la radio, como un medio eficaz y eficiente para llevar un mensaje oportuno a una mayor cantidad de beneficiari