Steam sauna and mother roasting in Lao PDR: practices and chemical constituents of essential oils of plant species used in postpartum recovery

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Fundamental in traditional postpartum recovery in Lao PDR is the use of hotbeds, mother roasting, steam sauna and steam baths. During these treatments medicinal plants play a crucial role, but little has been published about how the treatments are carried out precisely, which species are used, the medicinal properties of these species, and the medicinal efficacy of their chemical constituents.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty-five interviews, in 15 rural villages, with women of 4 different ethnic groups were conducted to survey confinement rituals, and postpartum plant use and salience. Essential oils from the main species used were extracted using steam distillation and the main chemical constituents characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 10 different species were used by three or more of the ethnic groups included in this study. All species were used in steam sauna and bath, but only 3 species were used in hotbed and mother roasting. Essential oils of <it>Amomum villosum, Amomum microcarpum </it>and <it>Blumea balsamifera </it>were found to contain significant amounts of the following terpenes: β-pinene, camphor, bornyl acetate, borneol, linalool, D-limonene, fenchone, terpinen-4-ol and α-terpinene.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Many of these terpenes have documented antimicrobial and analgesic properties, and some have also synergistic interactions with other terpenes. The mode of application in hotbed and mother roasting differs from the documented mechanisms of action of these terpenes. Plants in these two practices are likely to serve mainly hygienic purposes, by segregating the mother from infection sources such as beds, mats, stools, cloth and towels. Steam sauna medicinal plant use through inhalation of essential oils vapors can possibly have medicinal efficacy, but is unlikely to alleviate the ailments commonly encountered during postpartum convalescence. Steam sauna medicinal plant use through dermal condensation of essential oils, and steam bath cleansing of the perineal area is possibly a pragmatic use of the reported medicinal plants, as terpene constituents have documented antimicrobial, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.</p

Herbal remedy knowledge acquisition and transmission among the Yucatec Maya in Tabi, Mexico: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Ethnobotanical knowledge continues to be important for treating illness in many rural communities, despite access to health care clinics and pharmaceuticals. However, access to health care clinics and other modern services can have an impact on the distribution of medical ethnobotanical knowledge. Many factors have been shown to be associated with distributions in this type of knowledge. The goal of the sub-analyses reported in this paper was to better understand the relationship between herbal remedy knowledge, and two such factors, age and social network position, among the Yucatec Maya in Tabi, Yucatan. METHODS: The sample consisted of 116 Yucatec Maya adults. Cultural consensus analysis was used to measure variation in herbal remedy knowledge using competence scores, which is a measure of participant agreement within a domain. Social network analysis was used to measure individual position within a network using in-degree scores, based on the number of people who asked an individual about herbal remedies. Surveys were used to capture relevant personal attributes, including age. RESULTS: Analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between age and the herbal medicine competence score for individuals 45 and under, and no relationship for individuals over 45. There was an insignificant relationship between in-degree and competence scores for individuals 50 and under and a significant positive correlation for those over 50. CONCLUSIONS: There are two possible mechanisms that could account for the differences between cohorts: 1) knowledge accumulation over time; and/or 2) the stunting of knowledge acquisition through delayed acquisition, competing treatment options, and changes in values. Primary ethnographic evidence suggests that both mechanisms may be at play in Tabi. Future studies using longitudinal or cross-site comparisons are necessary to determine the whether and how the second mechanism is influencing the different cohorts.This item is part of the UA Faculty Publications collection. For more information this item or other items in the UA Campus Repository, contact the University of Arizona Libraries at [email protected]

Type I tympanoplasty with total annular excision; A single center prospective study

Introduction: CSOM (mucosal type) is characterized by the presence of tympanic membrane perforation with episodic ear discharge associated with URTI and associated conductive hearing loss. Such a condition is addressed surgically by tympanoplasty.Aims: We aimed to study results of type I Tympanoplasty with Total Annular excision in mucosal type of CSOM. Materials and methods: Patients in this study ( n= 20) had a central perforation of Tympanic membrane with history of intermittent episodes of ear discharge &amp; hardness of hearing. Pre operative assessment with otoendoscopy done to rule out squamosal pattern of CSOM and hearing assessment was done to rule out SNHL. Routine steps of underlay technique of tympanoplasty were performed except for complete removal of Tympanic membrane with fibrous annulus was performed and grafting with temporalis fascia was done by placing the graft under handle of malleus and edges (360°) placed under EAC skin close to bony annulus. Routine post operative care given and patients followed up for a period of one year. Results : 18 out of 20 cases showed definitive graft uptake and improvement in conductive hearing loss. Conclusion : This technique allowed prevention of post op Mucosalisation which was not uncommon in post operative ears after tympanoplasty

Effect of different concentrations of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin against corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

An evaluation of the efficacy of different concentrations of the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin against the corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) was carried out at Maejo University Biological Control Technology Learning Center (MJU-BCTLC) from August to October 2015. Ten concentrations of B. bassiana ranging from 1×101 to 1×1010 spores/ml were used in the bioassay under the laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The laboratory bioassay revealed that all ten concentrations were found pathogenic to R. maidis. The mortality obtained ranged from 43.60% to 85.40%, highest at 85.40% of the concentration of 1×1010 spores/ml and lowest at 43.60% of the concentration of 1×103 spores/ml, three days after treatment (DAT). However, the percent mortality values were not significantly different. They decreased with decreasing spore concentrations. Under the greenhouse condition the aphid infestation was at 65 days after sowing (DAS). At the concentrations of 1×1010, 1×109, 1×108, 1×107, 1×106 spores/ml. The aphid population (5.6, 7.0, 9.8, 11.0 and 19.2 aphids per plant) at 65 DAS were drastically reduced at 72 DAS to 1.2, 3.0, 5.0, 9.4 and 11.2 respectively. In the control and at the concentration of 1×103, 1×102 and 1×101 spores/ml, the mean number of aphid population gradually increased at weekly interval starting from 58 DAS until the end of cropping period. The study showed that the concentration at 1×1010 spores/ml was most effective to reduce the corn leaf aphid population

Phylogenies reveal predictive power of traditional medicine in bioprospecting

There is controversy about whether traditional medicine can guide drug discovery, and investment in ethnobotanically led research has fluctuated. One view is that traditionally used plants are not necessarily efficacious and there are no robust methods for distinguishing the ones that are most likely to be bioactive when selecting species for further testing. Here, we reconstruct a genus-level molecular phylogeny representing the 20,000 species found in the floras of three disparate biodiversity hotspots: Nepal, New Zealand and the Cape of South Africa. Borrowing phylogenetic methods from community ecology, we reveal significant clustering of the 1,500 traditionally used species, and provide a direct measure of the relatedness of the three medicinal floras. We demonstrate shared phylogenetic patterns across the floras: related plants from these regions are used to treat medical conditions in the same therapeutic areas. This strongly suggests independent discovery of plant efficacy, an interpretation corroborated by the presence of a significantly greater proportion of known bioactive species in these plant groups than in a random sample. Phylogenetic cross-cultural comparison can focus screening efforts on a subset of traditionally used plants that are richer in bioactive compounds, and could revitalise the use of traditional knowledge in bioprospecting