Ethnomedicinal Study of Plants in Ilocos Sur

Abstract

The documentation of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants provides information on wider local use and future pharmaceutical applications. This study documented the ethnomedicinal uses of plants in selected communities in the first district of Ilocos Sur. Through surveys and interviews, 192 respondents aged 16 and above were asked to identify ethnomedicinal plants and their ethnomedicinal practices. A total of 66 ethnomedicinal plants were documented and used to treat 22 human ailments/diseases. The most widely employed mode of preparation is decoction and the most frequently employed mode of administration was the conventional way, followed by ethno-modern; and ethnomagico-religious. The age, education, and source of ethnomedicinal information of respondents significantly correlate with their ethnomedicinal practices. The study demonstrates that the selected communities of District 1, Ilocos Sur have a wide variety of plant species of medicinal significance. As evidenced by the respondents' source of ethnomedical information, their indigenous practice on the production and use of herbal medicine is still vast and diversified and is passed down through generations. Some of the plants on the list have already undergone testing for pharmaceutical applications and received recognition for their therapeutic advantages. The other plants on the list still have therapeutic potential that can be investigated. The findings can also be used as a basis for the creation of IEC materials on ethnomedicinal plants.