Approche ethnopharmacologique comparative des traitements phytothérapeutiques de la leishmaniose en Amazonie. Application aux communautés Chayahuita (Pérou) et du haut et moyen Oyapock (Guyane française)

After a review of knowledge, attitudes and practices related to leishmaniasis in Amazonia, this work focused on the vegetal species used for its cure. Utilization of geographic and cultural diffusion index allowed to characterize Pan-Amazonian antileishmanial taxa and to investigate the mechanisms allowing for their diffusion. Consistency between traditional use and laboratory results were looked for. Two " knowledge, attitudes and practices " surveys were conducted amongst the Chayahuita (Peru) and along the upper and middle Oyapock river (French Guiana, Teko and Wayãpi groups). These allowed us to refine the knowledge and perception of the disease in these cultural groups, to define patterns in the therapeutic itinerary, and to make an inventory of antileishmanial plant species. Thirty one species used by the Chayahuita were collected and submitted to in vitro assays on axenic amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis. Pseudoelephantopus spicatus (Asteraceae) is one of the most active and most frequently used plant. From this species, piptocarphol derivatives, very active against Leishmania in vitro, were isolated along with ursolic acid. Presence of these molecules justifies the use of this species as traditional antileishmanial remedy by the Chayahuita.Après avoir dressé un inventaire des connaissances, attitudes et pratiques concernant les leishmanioses en Amazonie d'après la littérature, le présent travail s'est focalisé sur les espèces végétales connues et utilisées dans le traitement de ces maladies. L'utilisation d'indices de diffusion (géographique, culturelle) a permis de caractériser des taxons antileishmaniens panamazoniens et de définir certains mécanismes impliqués dans leur diffusion. Des cohérences entre usages traditionnels et résultats de laboratoire ont été recherchés. Deux enquêtes de type " connaissance, attitudes et pratiques " effectuées au sein du groupe chayahuita (Pérou), et sur le haut et moyen cours du fleuve Oyapock (Guyane, communautés teko et wayãpi) ont permis d'affiner les connaissances sur la perception de cette maladie dans ces différents groupes culturels, de comprendre les recours aux différentes thérapeutiques et de dresser un inventaire des espèces médicinales utilisées. Trente et une espèces collectées chez les Chayahuita ont été soumises à des essais in vitro sur amastigotes axéniques de Leishmania amazonensis. Pseudoelephantopus spicatus (Asteraceae) compte parmi les espèces les plus actives et les plus fréquemment utilisées, et des dérivés du piptocarphol très actifs sur les parasites in vitro ont été isolés conjointement à l'acide ursolique. La présence de ces molécules permet de justifier en partie l'usage de cette espèce comme antileishmanien traditionnel par les Chayahuita

Disparités et ambiguïté de l’accès aux ressources biologiques en Guyane française

Le territoire de la Guyane possède la particularité d’être la seule région française (sans compter les Territoires d’Outre-mer) où vivent des populations autochtones possédant encore de nombreux savoirs locaux liés à la nature avec des savoir-faire associés. Faisant de la France à la fois un utilisateur potentiel de ressources génétiques mais aussi un fournisseur de ces mêmes ressources et de connaissances traditionnelles associées (CTA), la Guyane française tient une place particulière. Nous nous proposons ici de discuter de la mise en place de l’accès et partage des avantages (APA) en Guyane, mais surtout de montrer le positionnement des différents acteurs (politiques, scientifiques, industriels et populations locales amérindiennes) sur ce sujet. Nous insisterons plus particulièrement sur l’ambigüité de l’accès aux ressources biologiques chez les peuples amérindiens de la région de l’Oyapock, dans l’est de la Guyane française.French Guiana is a French overseas territory that has the particularity to be the only French region (stricto sensu) where indigenous people are still living. These people are holders of traditional ecological knowledge and due to their presence and the rich biodiversity of the Amazonian forest, France is not only a potential user of genetic resources, but also a provider of the latter, along with associated traditional knowledge (ATK). It gives a special importance to French Guiana. We propose here to explain how the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) processes will be put in place in French Guiana and how the local actors (politicians, scientists, industrialists or Amerindians) are positioning themselves. We will insist on the ambiguity and the difficulties for the Amerindians of the Oyapock region (eastern French Guiana) to access the biological resources

Antimalarial plants used by indigenous people of the Upper Rio Negro in Amazonas, Brazil

AbstractEthnopharmacological relevanceThis is the first intercultural report of antimalarial plants in this region. The aim of this study was to document the medicinal plants used against malaria by indigenous people in the Upper Rio Negro region and to review the literature on antimalarial activity and traditional use of the cited species.Materials and methodsParticipant observation, semi-structured interviews, and ethnobotanical walks were conducted with 89 informants in five indigenous communities between April 2010 and November 2013 to obtain information on the use of medicinal plants against malaria. We reviewed academic databases for papers published in scientific journals up to January 2014 in order to find works on ethnopharmacology, ethnobotany, and antimalarial activity of the species cited.ResultsForty-six plant species belonging to 24 families are mentioned. Fabaceae (17.4%), Arecaceae (13.0%) and Euphorbiaceae (6.5%) account together for 36.9% of these species. Only seven plant species showed a relatively high consensus. Among the plant parts, barks (34.0%) and roots (28.0%) were the most widely used. Of the 46 species cited, 18 (39.1%) have already been studied for their antimalarial properties according to the literature, and 26 species (56.5%) have no laboratory essays on antimalarial activity.ConclusionsLocal traditional knowledge of the use of antimalarials is still widespread in indigenous communities of the Upper Rio Negro, where 46 plants species used against malaria were recorded. Our studies highlight promising new plants for future studies: Glycidendron amazonicum, Heteropsis tenuispadix, Monopteryx uaucu, Phenakospermum guianensis, Pouteria ucuqui, Sagotia brachysepala and notably Aspidosperma schultesii, Ampelozizyphus amazonicus, Euterpe catinga, E. precatoria, Physalis angulata, Cocos nucifera and Swartzia argentea with high-use consensus. Experimental validation of these remedies may help in developing new drugs for malaria

To pick or not to pick: photographic voucher specimens as an alternative method to botanical collecting in ethnobotany

The identification of plants according to the Linnaean system of taxonomy is a cornerstone of ethnobotany, allowing the discipline to be a comparative science. To accomplish plant identification, ethnobotanists have long relied on the collection of voucher specimens and their deposition in herbaria. Here we critically analyze the role of botanical collecting in ethnobotany and bring attention to a range of issues that can complicate, and sometimes hamper, the practice. In lieu of traditional herbarium specimens, the collection of photographic vouchers and their deposition in digital repositories is proposed as an alternative method for ethnobotanical research. The ever-improving quality and ubiquity of smartphone cameras, photographic citizen science applications like Pl@ntnet and iNaturalist, and deep learning techniques of automated photo identification are discussed as elements that are contributing to a slow revolution in the role of digital data in the field sciences. Guidelines for when plant herbarium specimens versus photographic vouchers should be considered required are laid out. Although botanical collecting will doubtless and with good reason remain a foundational practice in ethnobotany, we present the use of photographic vouchers as a valid, scientifically rigorous and, in some situations, preferred method of identification

Guillaume le Conquérant face aux défis

Sous un titre faisant allusion aux épreuves que dut affronter Guillaume, « bâtard » avant de devenir « conquérant », sont rassemblées en ce volume les onze études présentées en septembre 2005 au colloque de Dives-sur-mer, base de départ de la flotte normande en 1066. Organisé par l’association « Culture et Patrimoine en Normandie » avec le soutien de l’Université de Caen, il réunit autour d’érudits locaux des universitaires français et anglais dont les exposés traitèrent des trois thèmes ret..

Circulations et échanges de plantes et de savoirs phyto-médicinaux sur la frontière franco-brésilienne

Les pharmacopées sont, à l’image de toute production culturelle, des objets éminemment vivants et dynamiques qui se transforment et se réinventent constamment, au fil des contacts et échanges incessants qui se jouent entre les différents groupes humains. Les plantes médicinales sont, elles aussi, des « objets bioculturels » (Pordié, 2002) par la richesse et la complexité des relations que les sociétés entretiennent avec elles, elles aussi toujours en évolution. En Guyane, et en particulier sur les espaces transfrontaliers, les interactions culturelles sont constantes. Les plantes et leurs usages circulent entre les communautés, participant au renouvellement et à l’hybridation continuelle des phytothérapies. Ces flux matériels et immatériels composent la réalité culturelle des espaces transfrontaliers du plateau des Guyanes. Cet article se focalise sur la frontière franco-brésilienne matérialisée par le fleuve Oyapock. À la lumière d’entretiens menés dans la ville de Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock, nous proposons une description exploratoire des flux ethnobotaniques en contexte transfrontalier, en nous intéressant aux plantes médicinales échangées, à la diffusion des savoirs associés et donc aux modes de circulation des plantes et des connaissances. Cette étude compose une partie d’une recherche plus large sur les circulations bioculturelles à l’échelle de la Guyane et de ses voisins.Pharmacopoeias are, like any kind of cultural production, living and dynamic objects that constantly change and reinvent themselves through continuous contacts and exchanges between different social groups. Medicinal plants are “biocultural objects” (Pordié, 2002) because of the richness and the complexity of relationships that societies develop with them. In French Guiana, especially in its cross-border areas, cultural interactions are common. Plants and associated knowledge circulate among communities, contributing to a permanent renewal and a continuous hybridization of herbal medicines. These material and immaterial flows form the cultural reality of cross-border areas on the Guiana Shield. This paper focuses on the border between French Guiana and Brazil, which is made tangible by the Oyapock River. This border is a relatively recent political construction as it was only established in 1900 after a Swiss arbitration ended a long diplomatic conflict between France and Brazil. Even if a process of “rebordering” (Moullé, 2017) has been observed lately – despite the opening of the Oyapock bridge – the two sides of the River are part of the same dynamic cultural space since both share a relative remoteness from their respective centre. As well, constant social, economic and cultural circulations take place between the French town of Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock and the Brazilian town of Oiapoque. In this context, ethnobotanical circulations – namely, exchanges of medicinal plants and associated knowledge – are a fair illustration of the shared cultural dimension between people. Based on interviews with 23 inhabitants of the French town of Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock, the paper offers an exploratory description of ethnobotanical flows in the context of the cross-border area. It lists the medicinal plants used in Saint-Georges and analyses the diffusion of associated knowledge between the different communities. Results show that 92% of the 139 identified plants are used by several communities, and 40% of them are used among four to five different social groups. While most of the used plants are exotic species, their use is quite transversal to the socio-cultural components of Saint-Georges population. Nevertheless, the analysis shows that most of the knowledge transmission about medicinal plants happens inside the same community and via inter-generational means. The use of the same species and medicinal knowledge by different groups is therefore the result of a long-term process. Currently, it seems that early-established communities are more likely to share their knowledge with other groups than newly arrived groups, who integrate local uses to their own pharmacopoeias but seldom share their knowledge. Even though inter-community exchanges are discreet, they still contribute to vivid dynamics of local pharmacopoeias, illustrated by current ethnobotanical “interculturalisation” (Tareau, 2019), relocation and juxtapositions of phytotherapeutical practices, as well as new practices based on combinations between treatments from different origins. The cross-border area is therefore a place of cultural hybridization, in a context of intensive circulations of people and goods between two socio-political systems (Map 1). Practices of medical pluralism explain some of the to-and-fro moves of people on the border: while Brazilians come to Saint-Georges’ dispensary for health treatment, French Amerindians and Creoles visit Terras Indigenas villages in Brazil for consulting pajés . The pajés may also come to Saint-Georges to visit their family and treat sick persons. At the regional scale, circulations for access to care contribute to the delineation of a large health circulation area on the border. The latter also acts as an attraction factor for flows of processed medicinal plants, which find in Oiapoque an interface for entering the Guianese health market (see Map 1). Several factors explain this regional export capacity of Brazilian herbal goods: the presence of Brazilian diaspora and the diffusion of its pharmacopoeia in French Guiana along with the marketing strength of Brazilian herbal pharmacies and the presence of herbalists in Oaipoque, although they are not allowed in France. All these contribute to the development of flows of dried medicinal plants and processed herbal items from inner and Southern Brazil to French Guiana, and therefore to the relentless evolution of local pharmacopoeias

Circulations and exchanges of medicinal plants and associated knowledge on the french-brazilian border

Pharmacopoeias are, like any kind of cultural production, living and dynamic objects that constantly change and reinvent themselves through continuous contacts and exchanges between different social groups. Medicinal plants are “biocultural objects” (Pordié, 2002) because of the richness and the complexity of relationships that societies develop with them. In French Guiana, especially in its cross-border areas, cultural interactions are common. Plants and associated knowledge circulate among ..

Wild medicinal plant collection in transitional societies: A case Analysis from French Guiana

The gathering of medicinal plants in French Guiana is a relatively unknown practice, underestimated and often perceived as an anecdotic or insignificant one. However, everyday people can be seen harvesting plants on the road sides, for their own needs or in small proportions, for selling. This paper aims to characterise these medicinal plants’ collection practices, their diversity and their relevance for questioning the functioning of societies, which are subjected to rapid transformations and are therefore designed here as “transitional”. Through two case studies, one on urban collection in Cayenne city and one in the rural area along the lower Maroni River, this paper analyses the connection between societies, nature and urban dynamics. By observing the socio-cultural specificities influencing collection modes, we propose a conceptualization scheme of collection practices, through the explanatory concepts of heterogeneity and purpose

Penser la cueillette de plantes médicinales sauvages dans des sociétés en transition : le cas guyanais

La cueillette des plantes médicinales en Guyane française est une pratique relativement méconnue, sous-estimée et souvent perçue comme anecdotique ou insignifiante. Pourtant, tous les jours, des personnes peuvent être vues ramassant des plantes sur les bords de route, pour leur propre usage ou, dans de moindres proportions, pour les vendre. Cet article vise à caractériser ces pratiques de cueillette des plantes médicinales et leur diversité et à souligner la pertinence de l’entrée par ces plantes pour interroger le fonctionnement de sociétés sujettes à des transformations rapides et désignées ici comme « en transition ». À la lumière de deux études de cas, une sur la cueillette urbaine dans l’agglomération de Cayenne et l’autre en zone rurale le long du bas-Maroni, cet article permet de repenser les relations nature-société-ville. En observant les spécificités socio-culturelles influençant les modalités de cueillette, il propose un schéma conceptuel de ces pratiques en mobilisant les idées d’hétérogénéité et de finalité comme concepts explicatifs.The gathering of medicinal plants in French Guiana is a relatively unknown practice, underestimated and often perceived as an anecdotic or insignificant one. However, everyday people can be seen harvesting plants on the road sides, for their own needs or in small proportions, for selling. This paper aims to characterise these medicinal plants’ collection practices, their diversity and their relevance for questioning the functioning of societies, which are subjected to rapid transformations and are therefore designed here as “transitional”. Through two case studies, one on urban collection in Cayenne city and one in the rural area along the low Maroni river, this paper analyses the connection between societies, nature and urban dynamics. By observing the socio-cultural specificities influencing collection modes, we propose a conceptualization scheme of collection practices, through the explanatory concepts of heterogeneity and purpose