Medicinal Plants and Plant-Based Remedies in Grande-Terre: An Ethnopharmacological Approach
Elisa Courric,
David Brinvilier,
Petra Couderc,
Alejandro Ponce-Mora,
Vanessa Méril-Mamert,
Muriel Sylvestre,
Jeannie Hélène Pelage,
Jean Vaillant,
Alain Rousteau,
Eloy Bejarano,
Gerardo Cebrian-Torrejon
Affiliations
Elisa Courric
COVACHIM-M2E Laboratory EA 3592, Department of Chemistry, University of the French West Indies, Fouillole Campus, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
David Brinvilier
COVACHIM-M2E Laboratory EA 3592, Department of Chemistry, University of the French West Indies, Fouillole Campus, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
Petra Couderc
COVACHIM-M2E Laboratory EA 3592, Department of Chemistry, University of the French West Indies, Fouillole Campus, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
Alejandro Ponce-Mora
Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Veterinary, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Moncada, Spain
Vanessa Méril-Mamert
COVACHIM-M2E Laboratory EA 3592, Department of Chemistry, University of the French West Indies, Fouillole Campus, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
Muriel Sylvestre
COVACHIM-M2E Laboratory EA 3592, Department of Chemistry, University of the French West Indies, Fouillole Campus, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
Jeannie Hélène Pelage
Départament de Medicine Générale, Faculté Hyacinthe Bastaraud, University of the French West Indies, Fouillole Campus, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
Jean Vaillant
LAMIA, EA 4540, Department of Chemistry, University of the French West Indies, Fouillole Campus, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
Alain Rousteau
UA, UMR EcoFoG, CNRS, Cirad, INRA, Université des Antilles, Université de Guyane, Université des Antilles, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
Eloy Bejarano
Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Veterinary, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, 46113 Moncada, Spain
Gerardo Cebrian-Torrejon
COVACHIM-M2E Laboratory EA 3592, Department of Chemistry, University of the French West Indies, Fouillole Campus, UFR SEN, CEDEX, 97157 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
The island of Grande-Terre is a French overseas region that belongs to the Guadeloupean archipelago, a biodiversity hotspot with unique flora. Herbal medicine is widely used in the island for therapeutical purposes; however, there is a significant knowledge gap in the records relating to medicinal plants and their associated uses. Ethnobotanical survey methodology using quantitative parameters (informant consensus factor, species use value, relative frequency of citation, frequency use of a treatment and plant for an ailment) provided insights into the traditional medicinal use of a given plant. Ninety-six different plant species distributed among 56 families were identified and 523 remedies were documented in the survey. After data filtering, 22 plants species were associated with 182 remedies. The most frequent plant families were Poaceae, Myrtaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Rubiaceae. Aerial parts of these plants were the most common parts of the plant used for the remedies and the most frequent mode of administration was oral ingestion. This study highlights a valuable traditional knowledge of folklore medicine and helps to document and preserve the association of a plant with—and its use frequency for—a given ailment. These findings might be the starting point for the identification of biologically active phytocompounds to fight common health debilities.
