INVENTORY OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICALLY-SIGNIFICANT PLANTS USED BY THE MANOBOS IN SURIGAO DEL SUR, PHILIPPINES

Abstract

Medicinal plants are important sources for the identification of novel drugs. However, their poor documentation may likely result in information loss particularly among indigenous communities that are now adopting western medication techniques. Hence, this ethnobotanical inventory aims to document the pharmacologically-important plants used by an indigenous community of the Manobos in Northernmost Surigao del Sur, Philippines. Ninety (90) informants of mixed gender from two study sites underwent informal interviews in isolation using their local dialect. Then, quantitative ethnobotanical indices such as Use Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL) and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) were determined based on the data provided by the informants. Conservation status of each medicinal plant was also identified from information in the International Union for Conservation Nature (IUCN). There are 66 species belonging to 41 plant families documented as significant medicinal plants for traditional medication of the tribe. Information from IUCN indicate also that Shorea contorta is critically endangered, Vitex parviflora, Cinnamomum mercadoi, and Canarium ovatum are vulnerable, Adonidia merrillii is nearly threatened while the rest are classified as least concerned (4), data deficient (2), and taxon has not been assessed (55). Three plants are recorded with highest UV, namely: Calamus moti (0.77), Chrysophyllum cainito (0.72), and Gossypium herbaceum Linn. (0.71) while ten plants representing nine categories of disease have 100% FL. These are Ficus septica for warts, Piper betle for goiter, Citrus maxima and Vitex negundo L. for cough, Musa acuminata × Musa balbisiana for boils, Hibiscus rosasinensis L. for swollen muscles, Calamus moti for postpartum care and recovery, Nicotiana tabacum for flatulence, and, Plectranthus scutellarioides for cuts and wounds. Piper betle, Euphorbia hirta, Allium odorum L., and Psidium guajava record the highest ICF. In conclusion, this inventory reveals rich knowledge on medicinal plants of the Manobo people in Northern Surigao del Sur. There were 66 taxa documented believed to treat 48 diseases/ailments prevailing in their communities.