Ethnomedicinal plants and traditional knowledge among three Chin indigenous groups in Natma Taung National Park (Myanmar)

Ong, Homervergel G.,Ling, Shein Man,Win, Thet Thet Mar,Kang, Dae-Hyun,Lee, Jung-Hoon,Kim, Young-Dong Elsevier 2018 Journal of Ethnopharmacology Vol.225 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P><B>Ethnopharmacological relevance</B></P> <P>This research describes the ethnomedicinal plants as used by three Chin indigenous groups inhabiting areas at Natma Taung National Park (NTNP) in bio-culturally diverse Myanmar. The aim of this study was (1) to identify wild medicinal species and evaluate their local importance in local peoples’ healthcare as well as in protected area conservation; and (2) to compare traditional medicinal plant knowledge among the informants.</P> <P><B>Materials and methods</B></P> <P>A total of 206 Müün, Ng’gah and Daai informants from 20 villages were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Species use-reports were computed to determine plant local importance and the informant consensus factor. Descriptive and the inferential statistics Mann–Whitney <I>U</I> and Kruskal–Wallis tests were employed to evaluate and compare the informants' traditional medicinal knowledge.</P> <P><B>Results</B></P> <P>A total of 75 wild ethnomedicinal taxa in 40 plant families across 16 ICPC-based disease categories were recorded. Species which recorded the highest number of use-reports appeared to play an important role not only in informants’ primary healthcare and in park conservation, but also in local livelihood.</P> <P><B>Conclusion</B></P> <P>This study presents the diversity of ethnomedicinal plants and their local importance in Chin indigenous peoples’ healthcare. This paper also recognizes the value of these plants and the local traditional knowledge for the conservation and management of NTNP.</P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Medicinal plants for gastrointestinal diseases among the Kuki-Chin ethnolinguistic groups across Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar: A comparative and network analysis study

Ong, Homervergel G.,Kim, Young-Dong Elsevier 2020 Journal of Ethnopharmacology Vol.251 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P><B>Ethnopharmacological relevance</B></P> <P>The Kuki-Chin is a composite ethnolinguistic group made up of many distinct groups and subgroups that are linked by a common history, culture, and population distribution in the Kuki-Chin region, shared geopolitically by Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar. This region is shown to be in a hotspot of digestive disease activity based on official reports and in concordance with data from related ethnopharmacological field surveys. Our work provides a comparative analysis of medicinal plant knowledge for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases (GAS-Ds) among the Kuki-Chin ethnic groups found across the three countries.</P> <P><B>Aim of the study</B></P> <P>The objectives were (1) to identify the medicinal plants and herbal therapies for the treatment of GAS-Ds reported in related Kuki-Chin ethnobotanical publications, (2) to find the similarities and differences in medicinal plant knowledge among the country-affiliated groups by comparing plant and disease information, and (3) to determine significant plant taxa and their pattern(s) of use as digestive disease herbal remedies by analyzing disease-plant networks.</P> <P><B>Materials and methods</B></P> <P>Secondary data were gathered from 34 related studies through internet search of ethnobotanical information from field studies published in journals, reports, books, and dissertations/theses. These data represented 22 Kuki-Chin ethnolinguistic groups inhabiting 23 districts across six states comprising the Kuki-Chin region: the Chittagong Division (Bangladesh); Mizoram, Assam, Manipur, and Tripura States (India); and Chin State (Myanmar). Scientific names of plants and digestive diseases collated from secondary sources were validated and standardized following the Plant List and the International Classification of Primary Care Second Edition, respectively.</P> <P><B>Results and discussion</B></P> <P>A total of 482 species in 330 genera and 118 families of vascular plants were recorded for the treatment of 29 standardized GAS-Ds. On the basis of the number of use-reports, regional native species <I>Phyllanthus emblica</I>, <I>Centella asiatica</I>, and <I>Aegle marmelos</I>, as well as the non-natives <I>Carica papaya</I>, <I>Portulaca oleracea</I>, and <I>Psidium guajava</I> were found to be the most preferred. Comparative analysis of medicinal species showed that groups in India revealed the highest number of medicinal plant taxa, followed by those in Bangladesh and Myanmar. The most prevalent GAS-Ds were shown to be <I>abdominal pain epigastric</I>, <I>gastroenteritis presumed infections</I>, and <I>diarrhoea</I>, as supported by the number of use-reports and medicinal taxa used for their treatment, and their informant consensus factor values. Analyses of disease-plant networks graphically showed both GAS-Ds distribution patterns in the region and potential medicinal plant (group) candidates for further studies.</P> <P><B>Conclusion</B></P> <P>Overall, this study revealed an astonishingly rich diversity of medicinal plants used to treat digestive diseases among the Kuki-Chin. A comparative analysis showed variations and remarkable distinctions in medicinal plant knowledge among country-affiliated groups, as likely influenced by external sociocultural factors and geopolitical barriers, as well as the availability of ethnobotanical data. The use of network analysis reflected not only shared common affinities and patterns of plant use based on the taxonomic composition and species selection, but also disease prevalence and distribution patterns. The information found here can hopefully spur interest among future researchers and policy makers to better improve both the (ethno) medicinal research capacity and healthcare system in the region.</P> <P><B>Graphical abstract</B></P> <P>[DISPLAY OMISSION]</P>

Two new generic records in the orchid flora of Myanmar

강대현,조성현,Homervergel G. Ong,Shein Man Ling,Naing Oo KYAW,김영동,Hubert Kurzweil 한국식물분류학회 2019 식물 분류학회지 Vol.49 No.1

The species diversity of Orchidaceae is believed to be extremely high in Myanmar. Like in other plant groups, little basic inventory work has been done thus far. During floristic surveys conducted in Popa Mountain Park (Mandalay Region), Natma Taung National Park (Chin State), and in the Ywangan area (southwestern Shan State), we encountered two interesting orchid species which were determined to be new generic records in the flora of Myanmar. Thuniopsis cleistogama was previously considered endemic to Yunnan Province (China) and was only known from the type locality. However, here the species is newly reported from two localities in central and western Myanmar. Disperis neilgherrensis is known from several widely scattered localities in tropical and subtropical Asia. This tiny orchid species was discovered in the Ywangan area in the southwestern area of the Shan State of Myanmar. These two species will be valuable additions to the updated checklist of the orchids of Myanmar.

New records of flowering plants for the flora of Myanmar collected from southern Shan State

강대현,Naing Oo KYAW,정의권,신재서,김영동,Homervergel G. Ong 한국식물분류학회 2018 식물 분류학회지 Vol.48 No.3

Myanmar’s plant diversity is expected to be very high given the wide variety of climates and the diverse vegetation and geographical features of the country. Since the publication of Kress et al.’s plant check- list in 2003, new and unrecorded species have been constantly reported by various botanists, but much of Myan- mar’s flora requires more intensive examinations. We conducted joint floristic surveys of several Ywangan areas, including the Panlaung-Pyadalin Cave Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Shan State of Myanmar. The initial identification of seed plant specimens collected from three short floristic expeditions revealed that 23 species were newly recorded species in Myanmar. More than half of these were found to be geographically notable spe- cies, which are known to be endemic to neighboring countries such as China (4 spp.), Thailand (6 spp.), and India (2 spp.). A considerable number of these unrecorded species are distributed in the limestone areas of neighboring countries, reflecting the geological characteristics of the survey area. The results of this study reem- phasize the need for intensive and continuous research on the flora of Myanmar for a more comprehensive understanding of the distribution patterns of flowering plants in Southeast Asia.

New records of flowering plants of the flora of Myanmar collected from Natma Taung National Park (Chin State)

강대현,Shein Man Ling,김영동,Homervergel G. Ong 한국식물분류학회 2017 식물 분류학회지 Vol.47 No.3

The last four years of joint botanical collections by the governments of Myanmar and South Korea in Natma Taung National Park and adjacent areas in the Chin State of Myanmar have revealed the presence of 20 naturally occurring species of angiosperms new to the flora of Myanmar. Plants not previously recorded include species originally considered to be only found in neighboring mega-diverse countries. Examples (e.g., for India) include Boehmeria manipurensis Friis & Wilmot-Dear (Urticaceae), Trigonotis hookeri Benth. ex C. B. Clarke (Boraginaceae) and Mycetia radiciflora (C. B. Clarke) Airy Shaw (Rubiaceae); those for China include Microtoena delavayi Prain (Lamiaceae), Pimpinella kingdon-wardii H. Wolff (Apiaceae) and Senecio diversipinnus Y. Ling (Asteraceae). The data presented in this report are expected to be useful sources for phytogeographical studies of these species.