The local knowledge of medicinal plants trader and diversity of medicinal plants in the Kabanjahe traditional market, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Graphical abstract
Introduction
World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about 60–80% of the world population still derive their medical treatments which are of plant origin (Joy et al., 1998, Fabricant and Farnsworth, 2001). Utilizing data obtained from studies on treatments using traditional medicinal plants by local communities are an effective way in terms of time and cost to find new chemical compounds that might be useful as a medicine (Purwanto, 2002). To secure data on the usage of medicinal plants by local communities could be done in various ways, such as a market survey (Martin, 1995, Hoang et al., 2008).
A market survey method has various advantages compared to other methods, such as the ability of revealing a wide range of knowledge of local communities (Lee et al., 2008), recognizing the benefits and values, (Martin, 1995, Betti, 2002), revealing species conservation status (Betti, 2002, Van Andel et al., 2012 ), and formulating a plan for further development of medicinal plants (Van Andel et al., 2012). These advantages imply various functions of the market for local communities, such as as a place for trading, transactions, information exchange on the use of plants (Lee et al., 2008), place to improve the economy (Revene et al., 2008), and site to earn livelihood (Toksoy et al., 2010).
The study of medicinal plants through market surveys has been carried out in other countries as has been reported by: Betti (2002), Macia et al. (2005), Verma and Singh (2008), Lee et al. (2008), Setshogo and Mberreki (2008), Toksoy et al. (2010), Idu et al. (2010), and Van Andel et al. (2012), but in Indonesia little has been done. To date studies in Sumatra has been largely concerned with communitysurvey on the use of plants by local communities or ethnic groups, such as Batak Toba (Simbolon, 1994), Rejang (Darnaedi, 1999), Malay (Setyowati and Siagian, 2004; Setyowati and Wardah, 2007; Sunesi and Wiryono, 2007; Rahayu et al., 2007; Hariyadi and Ticktin, 2011), Batak (Silalahi, 2014), Batak Simalungun (Silalahi et al., 2015). Investigations on the utilization of medicinal plants applying market surveys have been reported by Kriswiyanti et al. (2011) and Nasution (2009). Some markets in Indonesia, especially the traditional markets, including the Kabanjahe traditional market, North Sumatram are the main sources to acquire plants as an ingredient in traditional medicines practiced by local communities. The Kabanjahe traditional market has been the main source of acquisition of plants and traditional medicines for people in North Sumatra. The aims of this study are: (1) to document the local knowledge of medicinal plant traders in Kabanjahe traditional market, (2) to document diversity of medicinal plants which are sold in Kabanjahe traditional market, and (3) to provide information on the pharmacological properties of the most commonly used plants in the preparation to cure diseases, especially cancer.
Section snippets
Study area
Our study site is located at the Kabanjahe traditional m arket in the Kabupaten (District) Karo, North Sumatra Indonesia. Kabanjahe traditional market is the main market in the Karo District, which is located at N 3°11' and E. 98°31', at a distance of 76 km from Medan, the capital North Sumatra Province, with the elevation of 1100 above sea level (Fig. 1). Kabanjahe has at ropical climate with a bimodal seasonality (dry season from April to Agustus and rainy season from Agustus to April). The
Background and characteristics of trader of medicinal plants in traditional market Kabanjahe
Trade the medicinal plants in Kabanjahe traditional market has been existing since 40 years ago. The traders of medicinal plants were dominated by women of Batak Karo sub-ethnic, one of five Batak sub-ethnicities in North Sumatra. The Batak Karo Sub-ethnic has been living in the highlands, called the Karo Gugung (Singarimbun, 1975). Thewy were the descendants of the Proto Malay, and have been living there sunce about 500–600 years ago.
In the past, the transactions were carried out under the
Discussion
The traders of medicinal plants in Kabanjahe market were mostly from the Batak Karo sub-ethnicity, hence the local names of medicinal plants are highly similar. Ethnical diversity in medicinal plants trading would have implications on the higher number of medicinal plant species that were traded (Betti, 2002) and variety of local names of medicinal plants (Van Andel et al., 2012). In the traditional culture of the Batak Karo sub-ethnicity, women were responsible for maintaining the health of
Conclusion
The study recorded as many as 344 species, 217 genera and 90 families of medicinal plants traded in the Kabanjahe traditional market. Species diversity of medicinal plants traded in Kabanjahe market is high but the species that were sold by each trader were relatively the same. The large number of medicinal plants species that were sold by the merchants affected the storage system and arrangements, which were based on the value, type of organ, size, volume, and moisture content.
Acknowledgments
We would like to express our gratitude to the traders of medicinal plants in the Kabanjahe traditional market, North Sumatra, for allowing us to undertake this research in their premises and to Mr. Sinuhaji, Mr. Tarigan, Mrs. Sembiring, and Mrs. Tarigan their kind help during the field work the field.
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