Recent reports on ethnopharmacological and ethnobotanical studies of Valeriana carnosa Sm. (Valerianaceae)

MOLARES SOLEDAD; LADIO ANA H ; NAGAHAMA NICOLÁS

Ethnobotany: Local Knowledge and Traditions

CRC Press

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

In southernmost South America, both in Argentinean and Chilean Patagonia, subterranean organs of numerous species of plants have long been recognized as being of great value to Mapuche and Tehuelche regional ethnic groups and rural Creole (Ladio and Lozada 2009, Molares and Ladio 2009a, Ochoa and Ladio 2011). These species also constitute an important part of many regional rites and legends (Ochoa and Ladio 2014).From the perspectives of economic botany and ethnopharmacology, the main value of these species is based on the fact that their subterranean organs often contain starch and other carbohydrates of importance to the human diet, and also therapeutic compounds derived from plant secondary metabolism (Gurib-Fakim2006). Amongst these species, some representatives of Valeriana L. genus have been used as medicinal plants, with high cultural and symbolic value. The underground organs of many Valeriana species contain numerous compounds and are used as a sedative and for treating insomnia, allowing the reduction of nervousness and agitation associated with stress (Thies and Funke 1966, Wagner et al. 1980, Nahrstedt 1984, Grusla et al. 1986, Upton 1999). This genus is widely studied, with special focus on anxiolytic properties (Hattesohl et al. 2008, Murphy et al. 2010).For anxiolytic purposes, since ancestral times, extracts of rhizomes and roots of the Eurasian species V. officinalis L. have been used worldwide. Roots ofV. officinalis are used for treatment of anxiety and mild sleep disorders. Studies indicate that flavonoids in this species have sedative activity in the central nervous system (Marder et al. 2003, Fernández et al. 2004, 2005, 2006, Lacher et al. 2007). Others authors suggests that biochemical composition and active constituents in Valeriana are valepotriates (Backlund and Moritz 1998), valeric acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid (Hallam et al. 2003, Nam et al. 2013). Besides, pre-clinical studies reported the antidepressant-like activity of V. officinalis (Hattesohl et al. 2008), V. jatamansi Jones (Subhan et al. 2010, Sah et al. 2011), V. glechomifolia Mey. (Müller et al. 2012) and V. prionophylla (Holzmann et al. 2011).Currently, alternatives to V. officinalis are being sought in different countries for replacement by indigenous representatives, for example, in India with V. jatamansi, in Mexico with V. edulis Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray subsp. procera (Kunth) G.F. Mey and in Brazil with V. glechomifolia (Bos et al. 1999, Oliva et al. 2004).In Patagonia, there are records of the use of at least five native species of Valeriana for medicinal purposes (Conticello et al. 1997, Molares and Ladio 2008). Among them, the most used Valeriana species by regional ethnic groups is V. carnosa Sm. (?Ñamkulawen?, which means the white hawk medicine in Mapuzungun language, probably in reference to the high sites where the species grows and where the ñamku-Buteo polyosoma-can be seen in flight) and is considered a ?sacred plant? (Estomba et al. 2005, Molares et al. 2008) (Fig. 6.1). This local name (Ñamkulawen) is shared with V. clarionifolia but this plant has different reputed attributes. Another local name is ?Valeriana?, which is used by some Creole settlers.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 (Ladio 2006).