The Q'eqchi' Maya people who live in and around the forest of the Maya mountains and adjacent are... more The Q'eqchi' Maya people who live in and around the forest of the Maya mountains and adjacent areas of the Toledo District of Belize have been using plants for various purposes including medicinal practices. Data were collected from Q'eqchi' Mayan traditional healers through interviews and a field walk. During the field walk, approximately 80 medicinal plant species were collected, and photographs of each were taken for further identification. From the 80 medicinal plant species collected, only 44 of these were properly documented and described along with their botanical description, traditional uses, and preparation for treatment. The data showed that the medicinal plants identified belong to 35 genera and 25 different families. The numbers of species belonging to each family are stated in parentheses after each taxon; Piperaceae (7), Fabaceae (5), Verbenaceae (4), Rubiaceae (4) and the other 21 family, represented by (1) or (2) species, contributed to the remaining 24 species. The medicinal plants identified were mainly small/large trees, shrubs, vines or herbaceous angiosperm plants. There was also a Selaginellaceae, and terrestrial ferns such as Lygodiaceae, Osmundaceae, and Polypodiaceae being used. The majority of the preparations included leaves being boiled in water and the decoction taken orally as liquid; few roots or barks were used. The traditional healers of Q'eqchi' Maya prefer using young, fresh plant materials to treat disorders associated with mental, skin, digestive, nervous, muscular, endocrine, genitourinary and the respiratory system. Approximately 36% of the plants used are found to be common around backyard gardens while the other 64% are collected from nearby forests. Further research can be conducted for a thorough survey of plants used by the Q'eqchi Maya as well as phytochemical analysis of some of the important herbs used.
The Q'eqchi' Maya people who live in and around the forest of the Maya mountains and adjacent are... more The Q'eqchi' Maya people who live in and around the forest of the Maya mountains and adjacent areas of the Toledo District of Belize have been using plants for various purposes including medicinal practices. Data were collected from Q'eqchi' Mayan traditional healers through interviews and a field walk. During the field walk, approximately 80 medicinal plant species were collected, and photographs of each were taken for further identification. From the 80 medicinal plant species collected, only 44 of these were properly documented and described along with their botanical description, traditional uses, and preparation for treatment. The data showed that the medicinal plants identified belong to 35 genera and 25 different families. The numbers of species belonging to each family are stated in parentheses after each taxon; Piperaceae (7), Fabaceae (5), Verbenaceae (4), Rubiaceae (4) and the other 21 family, represented by (1) or (2) species, contributed to the remaining 24 species. The medicinal plants identified were mainly small/large trees, shrubs, vines or herbaceous angiosperm plants. There was also a Selaginellaceae, and terrestrial ferns such as Lygodiaceae, Osmundaceae, and Polypodiaceae being used. The majority of the preparations included leaves being boiled in water and the decoction taken orally as liquid; few roots or barks were used. The traditional healers of Q'eqchi' Maya prefer using young, fresh plant materials to treat disorders associated with mental, skin, digestive, nervous, muscular, endocrine, genitourinary and the respiratory system. Approximately 36% of the plants used are found to be common around backyard gardens while the other 64% are collected from nearby forests. Further research can be conducted for a thorough survey of plants used by the Q'eqchi Maya as well as phytochemical analysis of some of the important herbs used.
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