Farmers' knowledge in the Swiss canton Valais: cultural heritage with future significance for European veterinary medicine?
Ethnoveterinary research
Livestock diseases
Medicinal plants
Switzerland (Valais)
Journal
Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine
ISSN: 1746-4269
Titre abrégé: J Ethnobiol Ethnomed
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101245794
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
05 Aug 2024
05 Aug 2024
Historique:
received:
19
06
2024
accepted:
29
07
2024
medline:
6
8
2024
pubmed:
6
8
2024
entrez:
5
8
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
The demand for natural product-based treatment options for livestock is increasing by animals' owners, veterinarians and policy makers. But at the same time, the traditional knowledge about it is at risk of falling into oblivion in Europe. The present study recorded this knowledge for the linguistically and geographically interesting Swiss canton of Valais. Open, semi-structured interviews were used to collect detailed information on formulations and applications, including plant species and natural substances, origin of material, extraction and preparation of herbal products, indication and type of application, dosage, sources of knowledge, frequency of usage and self-assessment of the treatment. In the course of 43 interviews, 173 homemade single species herbal remedy report (HSHR) were recorded. They included 53 plant species from 30 botanical families. Plant species from the botanical families of Asteraceae, Rubiaceae and Cupressaceae were mentioned the most, while the most frequently documented plant species were Coffea arabica L., Juniperus sabina L., Arnica montana L. and Matricaria chamomilla L. For the 173 HSHR, a total of 215 uses were mentioned, most of which were for the treatment of gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders, followed by skin lesions and genito-urinary tract problems. Regional peculiarities emerged, such as the use of Leontopodium alpinum Cass. for diarrhea in the French-speaking Valais, while Matricaria chamomilla and Camellia sinensis L. were used in the German-speaking part instead. In comparison with other regions of Switzerland, 10 plants were reported for the first time, including Juniperus sabina with 18 use reports. The daily use on farms and the high satisfaction of farmers with homemade herbal remedies demonstrate their high practical relevance. In conclusion, the traditional regional knowledge about the use of medicinal plants is not only a cultural heritage worth protecting, but also an essential resource for the further development of European veterinary medicine.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The demand for natural product-based treatment options for livestock is increasing by animals' owners, veterinarians and policy makers. But at the same time, the traditional knowledge about it is at risk of falling into oblivion in Europe. The present study recorded this knowledge for the linguistically and geographically interesting Swiss canton of Valais.
METHOD
METHODS
Open, semi-structured interviews were used to collect detailed information on formulations and applications, including plant species and natural substances, origin of material, extraction and preparation of herbal products, indication and type of application, dosage, sources of knowledge, frequency of usage and self-assessment of the treatment.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
In the course of 43 interviews, 173 homemade single species herbal remedy report (HSHR) were recorded. They included 53 plant species from 30 botanical families. Plant species from the botanical families of Asteraceae, Rubiaceae and Cupressaceae were mentioned the most, while the most frequently documented plant species were Coffea arabica L., Juniperus sabina L., Arnica montana L. and Matricaria chamomilla L. For the 173 HSHR, a total of 215 uses were mentioned, most of which were for the treatment of gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders, followed by skin lesions and genito-urinary tract problems. Regional peculiarities emerged, such as the use of Leontopodium alpinum Cass. for diarrhea in the French-speaking Valais, while Matricaria chamomilla and Camellia sinensis L. were used in the German-speaking part instead. In comparison with other regions of Switzerland, 10 plants were reported for the first time, including Juniperus sabina with 18 use reports.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
The daily use on farms and the high satisfaction of farmers with homemade herbal remedies demonstrate their high practical relevance. In conclusion, the traditional regional knowledge about the use of medicinal plants is not only a cultural heritage worth protecting, but also an essential resource for the further development of European veterinary medicine.
Identifiants
pubmed: 39103869
doi: 10.1186/s13002-024-00716-6
pii: 10.1186/s13002-024-00716-6
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
73Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
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