Traditional medicinal plants used in Northern Perú for kidney
problems and urinary infections Plantas medicinales norperuanas usadas para enfermedades renales e infecciones urinarias Rainer W. Bussmann William
L Brown
& Ashley Glenn
Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis,
MO
63166-0299, USA.
[email protected],
Abstract
Perú to treat kidney problems and urinary system disorders, and compare their efficacy.
A total
this
use to the westem scientific evidence regarding
of 69 plant species belonging to 61 genera and 43 families were documented and identified as herbal
remedies for kidney- and urinary
tract
problems
in
northern Perú.
Most
species used were Asteraceae (8 species,
1 1
followed by Fabaceae and Poaceae (both 5 species, 7.14%). The most important families are represented similarly as overall medicinal flora, while
some
.43%). in the
other medicinally important families (e.g. Lycopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae) are completely
missing from the kidney portfolio. The majority of kidney herbal preparations were prepared from the whole plant (27.78%), while the leaves of plants (25.56%), flowers (12.22%) and stems (16.67%) were used less frequently. In almost fresh plant material
was used
to prepare remedies.
About 88% of the remedies were applied
frequently used traditional remedies against this type of disorders might give
some
orally,
64% of the cases
while the remaining ones
leads for future targets for further analysis
countries, Traditional Medicine
often the only
is
accessible and affordable treatment available.
The
WHO reports that Traditional Medicine the primary health care system for % of the population in developing countries. In Latin America, the WHO Regional Office is
for the
(AMRO/PAHO) reports that 71% in Chile and 40% of the population
Americas
the population
Social Security
of
The present study attempts
in
Asian countries Traditional Medicine even though Western medicine In Japan,
60-70% of
is
is
many
In
i
therapies in Northern Perú to
widely used,
often readily available.
allopathic doctors prescribe
Complementary Alternative Medicine becoming more and more popular
is
also
and methods
Plant Collections
many developed
in
countries. Forty-two percent of the population in the
have used Complementary Alternative Medicine
(WHO
to give
medicinal plant species employed
Material
once
to
WHO (2002), the sustainable cultivation and harvesting
i
Colombia have used Traditional Medicine.
System (EsSalud 2000). According
Plants in Perú
US
at least
1998), and a national survey reported the
and in
at the
were collected
homes of
in the field.
m
markets.
traditional healers (curanderos)
northern Perú (Fig.
1) in
August-September 2001,
July-August 2002, July-August 2003, June-August
from
34%
in
1990
The number of
visits to
Alternative Medicine
number of visits
US (WHO
2000).
2004, July-August 2005, July-August 2006, June-
providers of Complementary
August 2007, June-August 2008, March-Apnl 2009 and
42%
to
in
1997
(CAM) now
to all
(UNCCD
exceeds by far the
primary care physicians in the
June-August 2009.
A total
and market venders)
of
1
16 informants (healers
in the Trujillo
and Chiclayo área
1999ab, 2002).
The informants were always provided with plant material, either collected with them,
available at their market stands.
growing
in
many
parts
fresh
by them, or
The questionnaires
did
of the world. The 1997 outcpts. ,
of-pocket Complementary Alternative Medicine expenditure was estimated at
USA. The world market traditional
knowledge
is
US$
for herbal
2,700 million
in the
medicines based on
now estimated at US$
60,000
prepared, are any other plants added to the mixture." All
million (Breevort 1998).
questions were asked in the
Northern Perú Central
is
believ
< and especia "y species 0
and Tribulus (Calixto et
aL 2008) have sh ° Wn efficaCy
al.
1998,Kicleye
uroithiasis -
-
problem from a patient perspective
lies
^
however
ma " in th
