Natural remedies used by Bunong people in Mondulkiri province (Northeast Cambodia) with special reference to the treatment of 11 most common ailments

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: In this paper we present a comprehensive ethnomedicinal study conducted in Mondulkiri province. Traditional knowledge about natural medicine (plants, animals, mushrooms) was investigated in Cambodia's largest indigenous community: the Bunong people. The survey aims to document the medicinal plant use of this ethnic, by focusing on the eleven most frequent diseases encountered in the area, in order to highlight species that could be recommended in public health programs.

Materials and methods: During the years 2013 and 2014, 202 villagers were interviewed in 28 villages from the five districts in Mondulkiri. Two types of methodology were employed: (1) an ethnobotanical field survey (walk-in-the-wood interviews) and (2) semi-structured household interviews with a special emphasis on the treatment of 11 most common ailments encountered in the area. Medicinal plants and mushrooms were collected and identified together with medicinal animals. The factor informant consensus (FIC) and fidelity level (FL) were calculated.

Results: Bunong people use a total of 214 plants belonging to 72 families, 1 mushroom and 22 animal species in their traditional healthcare practices in order to treat 51 different ailments. Among the medicinal plants, Fabaceae was the most predominant family; Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M. King and H.Rob. (Asteraceae), Zingiber montanum (J.Koenig) Link ex A.Dietr. (Zingiberaceae) and Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers. (Crassulaceae) were the most cited medicinal plants; and four ailments (cold/fever, diarrhea, postpartum disorders and stomachache) were described as major ailments in the community. The root was the most important part of plants used, and decoction was the most cited method of preparation. During our survey, we also discovered a "new to science" plant species called Ardisia mondulkiriensis Hul and Chassagne, and we recorded for the second time the plant species recently described, Solanum sakhanii Hul.

Conclusion: Most of the species reported for the treatment of the 11 most frequent ailments have already been proven to be efficient and safe. Furthermore, 10 plant species are reported for the first time as medicinal and some of them are widely used in the community. Further pharmacological and phytochemical investigations should be undergone to assess the pharmaceutical potential of these species. While undergoing considerable changes, Bunong people have maintained extensive traditional medicine knowledge. As this indigenous hill tribe depend mainly on natural remedies for their daily healthcare, environmental preservation is of high importance for the community.

Keywords: Bunong people; Cambodia; Ethnobotanical survey; Indigenous knowledge; Medicinal plant.