Traditional plant-based remedies to control insect vectors of disease in the Arribes del Duero (western Spain): an ethnobotanical study

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: In several Spanish rural communities, simple and effective plant-based remedies are employed for the control of vector-borne diseases. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and usage custom of traditional insect control in the Arribes del Duero-ARD-(Salamanca-Zamora, W Spain).

Materials and methods: Between 2005 and 2009, 116 semi-structured interviews of 80 non-specialist people (44 men and 36 women; mean age, 72) were conducted. This community was located in the Arribes del Duero Natural Park, representative of a highly heterogeneous Mediterranean landscape with a strong decline in the population and a significant proportion (almost 40%) age 65 or greater. We calculated the cultural importance for each species cited. To analyze how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) varies with the characteristics of the informants, we performed an ANCOVA.

Results and conclusions: We documented the traditional use of 22 vascular plants as remedies to prevent or treat external parasites, and control mosquitoes, flies and other nuisance insects. There were described 27 plant remedies, of which 16 (59%) continue to be in use, including basil (Ocimum basilicum L. and Ocimum minimum L.) as a repellent for mosquitoes and houseflies. Most of the plant species contain phenols and/or terpenoids, and in several investigations bioassays have been performed to test their repellent and/or insecticidal properties. Three taxa (Ballota nigra L., Cicer arietinum L. and Ocimum minimum) have not been tested and these may offer excellent natural remedies. As well as allowing the discovery of new chemical compounds with insecticidal activity, this traditional knowledge may be paramount in the control of potential populations of vectors of emerging diseases in the Mediterranean region without harming the environment.