Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Lao ethnic group in Central Laos

Abstract

Results from an ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Lao ethnic group between 2021 and 2023 identifying the medicinal plants use of 76 species 68 genera 43 families. The primary emphasis of the study was on the medicinal plants, we tested the differences between informant knowledge and informant age using linear regression. The most important medicinal plant species, including Blumea balsamifera, Chromolaena odorata, Smilax glabra, and Zingiber montanum (all with a Use Value of 1.00), were followed by Phyllanthus emblica (0.95) and Cucumis sativus (0.88). Remarkably, 65 plant species achieved the highest Fidelity Level with a 100% FL value. Within ailment categories, Respiratory system symptoms garnered the highest Informant Agreement Ratio value of 1.00. The Jaccard’s Similarity Index ranged from 0.0581 to 0.2690, with the highest JI observed between cultivated and market plants. The UPGMA cluster analysis indicated that wild plants exhibited lower similarity to the other areas. There were no significant differences in the number of plants known among different informants based on their age. In this research, we found that two plant species, Solanum lasiocarpum (used for nourishing the body) and Morinda coreia (employed in treating amenorrhea), have never been reported for their medicinal use before. These findings underscore the risk of traditional knowledge erosion, driven by the absence of written documentation and the influence of modern medical practices. The data obtained from this study is of immense value in formulating conservation strategies that can benefit both the Bolikhamxay province and the nation as a whole.

Keywords

• Central Laos
• Bolikhamxay Province
• Lao ethnic groups
• medicine
• traditional knowledge