Recent Reports on Ethnopharmacological and Ethnobotanical Studies of Valeriana carnosa Sm. (Valerianaceae). Chapter 6

LADIO A H; NAHAMARA, NICOLAS; MOLARES, SOLEDAD; MAHENDRA RAI

Ethnobotany Local Knowledge and Traditions

C.R.C. Press. Taylor and Francis Group

Lugar: Boca Raton; Año: 2018; p. 90 - 102

Valeriana carnosa stands out as one of the principal elements in the indigenous pharmacopoeias of Patagonia, and its roots and rhizomes have been used since ancient times (Molares and Ladio 2009b). The local perception of this plant is that it has wide-ranging curative powers: ?it?s a cure-all?. This attribute confers on the species high cultural and symbolic value for the Mapuche people, and its reputation and use has spread throughout the formal and informal medicinal herb market of Patagonian cities.Valeriana carnosa is one of the most prominent medicinal plants in the Mapuche tradition, and from an ethnopharmacological viewpoint, one of the most versatile promising medicinal plants in Patagonia, when taking into account the wide range of therapeutic alternatives it can offer for the treatment of the different ailments of the region (Molares and Ladio 2009b, Richeri et al. 2013). However, V. carnosa is not included in the Argentine Pharmacopoeia (http://www.anmat.gov.ar), nor does it appear on the list of toxic species not recommended for consumption.The similarity between the active compounds found in V. carnosa andV. clarionifolia and those of V. officinalis is promising, since this species is included worldwide in many pharmacopoeias and consumed orally as a sedative and sleep inducer in humans. However, little conclusive evidence for the efficacy of the other local uses can be provided. The key problem of various investigations has been the emphasis on very few compounds rather than traditional preparations. Much more research is required to evaluate the actual efficacy of the preparations. The scientific research and cultural revalorization of the role played by V. carnosa in local herbal medicines is of considerable ethnopharmacological interest and highly relevant to the medicinal security of Patagonian communities. However, there is evidence to indicate that the abundance of this species in natural environments is decreasing, mainly due to disturbance of the environments (Estomba et al. 2006, Ladio et al. 2007) and lack of regulation of its commercialization in Patagonian cities (Cuassolo 2009). Given that the roots are the organs of medical interest in this valuable species, the establishment of conservation strategies in situ and studies that provide guidelines for its cultivation and preservation ex situ are of the most importance.