By Maryann Readal
Madagascar, an historic island off the coast of East Africa, holds a treasure of distinctive crops rising in its various ecosystems. The island is the fifth largest island on the planet and is about 1.5 instances the dimensions of California with a inhabitants of about 30 million (World Financial institution Group, 2024). It separated from Africa thousands and thousands of years in the past creating its personal distinctive haven for crops and animals. In response to a current report, there are greater than 12,000 recognized plant species with not less than 2,500 nonetheless to be found or documented in Madagascar (Vital Ecosystem Partnership Fund, 2024). Ninety six p.c of those crops are endemic. It’s estimated that greater than 2,300 of the recognized crops are used medicinally by the Malagasy individuals. Ninety p.c of those medicinal crops haven’t been commercialized (Rabarison, 2015).
The nation’s cities and villages are distant, and their financial disadvantages are profound with 81% of its inhabitants dwelling under the poverty price of $2.15 per day (World Financial institution Group, 2024). Out of necessity and due to quick access to crops, the Malagasy realized to place their crops to good use. Even so, how the individuals found crops that heal, in addition to complement their diets, is actually a surprise. There’s nonetheless a lot to be realized about native plant use in international locations comparable to Madagascar.
A 2013 research (Razafindraibe, 2013) confirmed that Malagasy ladies and healers are the foremost suppliers of well being care of their communities and that crops that can be utilized for digestive, reproductive, prenatal, and postpartum well being are essentially the most often used crops. This remark was strengthened by Nationwide Park Information, Ms. Ursula Kalo, who commented that many Madagascar crops are used for girls’s well being, fertility, contraception, or for male virility. In Madagascar, 70% of plant-based medicines are constructed from an infusion of plant leaves. And as documented within the literature, the identical plant utilized by one ethnic group could also be used for various well being causes by one other group.
This text will spotlight a really small sampling of the medicinal crops I found throughout a go to to simply one of many nation’s wealthy rainforests, the Masaola Nationwide Park, the biggest protected space in Madagascar and regarded to be a biodiversity hotspot.
Usually, we think about basil to be a culinary plant. Nevertheless, in Madagascar, clove basil (Ocimum gratissimum), also referred to as African basil, is used as a medication to remedy many diseases from diarrhea to fungal and bacterial infections, irritation, and pneumonia. It is usually used to deal with postpartum infections. One other plant, whip vine (Flagellaria indica), is used to make baskets and thatched roofs. As well as, the plant’s stem is used to make a contraceptive, and the boiled root is used as a well being tonic for male virility. One other plant, Commelina madagascarica, generally known as dayflower/spiderwort, is utilized by some Malagasy peoples to deal with female and male infertility, and in accordance with Ms. Kalo, “Helps to calm a lady right down to have a child.” It is usually used to induce abortion. For a lot of gardeners in the US, the Asiatic dayflower (C. communis)—a relative of the highly effective C. madagascarica—is taken into account a weed!
One other plant used to deal with sexual well being is Zanthoxylum tsihanimposa, or prickly ash. It’s used to deal with erectile dysfunction and venereal illness, in addition to malaria and wounds. Cinnamosma madagascariensis treats problems of childbirth, along with erectile dysfunction and tooth decay. The leaves of Afromomum angustifolium, Madagascar cardamom, are cooked with rice and given to new moms to assist with lactation. And attention-grabbing to notice, the stem of the vanilla orchid (Vanilla madagascariensis), which drapes bushes within the rainforest, is used to deal with erectile dysfunction and can also be used as an aphrodisiac. By the way, Madagascar produced three million tons of vanilla in 2022, making it the biggest exporter of vanilla on the planet (World Inhabitants Evaluation, 2024). Madagascar can also be the world’s principal provider of cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) and ylang ylang (Cananga odorata).
Different crops noticed exterior of the rainforest had been some that we develop in our gardens. Lantana camara is one among them. This lantana is utilized by the Malagasy individuals to deal with wounds, hypertension, malaria, and diarrhea. Catharanthus roseus, rosy periwinkle, is one other plant that we develop in our gardens, primarily as a decorative. It’s native to Madagascar and is used to deal with leukemia and different cancers. Turk’s cap (Malviciscus arboreus), whereas having solely minor medicinal worth, is hung exterior the home asserting that somebody has died.
There’s appreciable concern that as underdeveloped international locations, comparable to Madagascar, catch as much as the remainder of the world, a lot ethnobotanical information can be misplaced. This may negatively impression the invention of recent medicine to deal with sickness. Madagascar is taken into account a biodiversity hotspot, and there may be potential for the pure riches of its ecosystems to be overused and depleted because the nation strikes towards modernization. Because of this, useful and distinctive plant species could possibly be misplaced.
Apparently, I did uncover that there’s a distinction between printed details about medicinal crops in Madagascar and the way they’re utilized by a few of its indigenous individuals. The literature means that little or no analysis has been completed on the ethnomedical practices of the eighteen ethnic teams in Madagascar and that extra of those distinctive practices should be documented earlier than the knowledge is misplaced (Rakotondrafara, 2018). On account of this journey, I’m satisfied that there’s nonetheless a lot to study medicinal crops in most of the underdeveloped international locations of the world.
Medicinal Disclaimer: It’s the coverage of The Herb Society of America, Inc. to not advise or advocate herbs for medicinal or well being use. This info is meant for instructional functions solely and shouldn’t be thought-about as a suggestion or an endorsement of any explicit medical or well being therapy. Please seek the advice of a well being care supplier earlier than pursuing any natural therapies.
Photograph Credit: 1) Madagascar rainforest (Wikimedia Commons, unknown photographer); 2) Village ladies promoting spices and straw merchandise (Ursula Kalo); 3) Clove basil (Ocimum gratissimum, Wikimedia Commons, Nivo H. Rakotoarivelo) and whip vine (Flagellaria indica, Wikimedia Commons, Patrice Antilahimena); 4) Dayflower (Commelina madagascarica, Wikimedia Commons, Nadia Volomboahang), prickly ash (Zanthoxylum tsihanimposa, Wikimedia Commons, Tabita Randrianarivony), and vanilla (Vanilla madagascariensis, Wikimedia Commons, Richard Randrianaivo); 5) Lantana (Lantana camara, Maryann Readal) and rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus, Maryann Readal); 6) Turk’s cap (Malviciscus arboreus, Maryann Readal).
References
Vital Ecosystem Partnership Fund. 2024. Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands—Species. Accessed 10/3/24. https://www.cepf.web/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots/madagascar-and-indian-ocean-islands/species
Rabarison, Harison. 2015. Nationwide biodiversity and motion plans 2015-2025. Accessed 9/4/24. https://www.cbd.int/international locations?nation=mg
Rakotondrafara, A., et al. 2018. Ethnobotany of medicinal crops utilized by the Zafiminary clan in Madagascar. Accessed 10/3/24. https://www.phytopharmajournal.com/Vol7_Issue6_06.pdf
Razafindraibe, M., Kuhlman, A.R., Rabarison, H., et al. 2013. Medicinal crops utilized by ladies from Agnalazaha littoral forest (Southeastern Madagascar). J. Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine Vol. 9, Issue73. Acccessed 9/26/24. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24188563/
United Nations. N.D. Madagascar–Nation profile. Accessed 10/3/24. https://www.cbd.int/international locations/profile?nation=mg
World Financial institution Group. 2024. World Financial institution in Madagascar. Accessed 10/9/24. https://www.worldbank.org/en/nation/madagascar/overview
World Inhabitants Evaluation. 2024. Accessed 9/4/24. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/vanilla-production-by-country
