Medicinal Plants Classification Biosynthesis and ... - Index of

52
Gustavo J. Martínez, Mara Sato and Marta Ojeda
knowledge on medicinal plants in the localities of Valle de Paravachasca in southeast
Córdoba, as well as issues related to their harvest and commercialization; however, these
studies have a more quantitative focus rather than a strictly ethnomedical view (Martínez,
2005a). The report by Barboza et al. (2006) constitutes a highly valuable compilation effort
and no doubt is the most complete compendium on the medicinal plants of the province. All
these aforementioned studies detail floristic aspects, description of species, lists of medicinal
plants or commercialization problems. Nevertheless, none of them has focused their attention
on the ethnobotanical and ethnomedical aspects that allow to interpret the context in which
many of these plants are used; on the contrary, most of them mention the medicinal uses and
applications of different cultural contexts and communities in the country (indigenous,
peasant and urban populations), without specifying the in situ uses given to these plants by
the local inhabitants.
Objectives
The general objective of this article is to review the main medicinal plants that comprise
the pharmacopoeia of the inhabitants of the central Argentine highlands, particularly the
Sierras de Córdoba (Córdoba hills), with special emphasis on their importance in medical
practises, interest for conservation and possible applications in primary health care.
Thus, we will first describe the outstanding features of peasant ethnomedicine that enable
a better understanding on the therapeutic practices and modalities in which they are used. We
then present a list of species and their applications, floristic composition and ethnobotany,
underlying the relevant native species that would be interesting to apply in primary health
care. This is based on first hand information obtained by the authors in investigations and
field studies documenting the species, and on other ethnobotanical investigations developed
for the region. Finally, we describe the current state of investigations regarding the
conservation and propagation of the medicinal flora of the serrano (highland) environments.
At the same time, and considering the distribution, ecology, botanical status and/or
extraction/commercialization pressure of these species, we point out considerations regarding
their conservation.
Traditional Medicine in Peasant Populations of Argentina
The ethnomedical investigations on peasants in our country have been particularly
interested on the criollo and mestizo populations in northwest Argentina (Márquez Miranda,
1949; Palma, 1973, 1978; Perez de Nucci, 1988; Hurrel, 1991; Bianchetti, 1989, 1996;
Idoyaga Molina, 2000a,b; 2001a,b; 2002; 2003). There are also references to the littoral
communities of northeast Argentina (García, 1984; García & Jiménez, 1986; Jiménez de
Puparelli, 1984), centre and west of the Province of Formosa (Sturzenegger, 1989; Scarpa,
2004a,b), and to peasants in the Cuyo region in central-west Argentina (Idoyaga Molina
1999a,b, c; 2001a,b; 2003; Idoyaga Molina & Krause, 1999; Krause, 1999). Likewise, there
are many reports with extensive descriptions on the lexicon of diseases, and an interesting