Plant species and products of the Traditional Chinese Phytotherapy in the Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

HURRELL, JULIO ALBERTO; PUENTES, JEREMÍAS PEDRO

Ethnobiology and Conservation

Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil

Año: 2017

This paper is focused in medicinal plant species belonging to the Traditional ChinesePhytotherapy whose products are commercialized in the pluricultural context of the CiudadAutónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Chinese immigrants segment, like other recentimmigrants groups in the study area, introduce their own plant products into the local urbanscenario. In this framework, not only enter the new products but also their knowledge andbeliefs associated, that become part of the mosaic of the knowledge in the local pluriculturalsystem. Thus, the urban botanical knowledge constitutes a complex that includes theknowledge linked to the origin traditions of the immigrants segments, and the nontraditionalone: the knowledge taught and learned, and the transmitted by the media, including scientificknowledge. The plant products incorporated by Chinese immigrants to their own restrictedcommercial circuit (linked to their traditions) are invisible for the majority of the local inhabitants.However, some of these products enter the general commercial circuit (nontraditional) andbecome visible for all local population. This visualization of the plant products implies thetransmission of its associated knowledge, a process enhanced by the mass media, mainly theInternet. The results are interpreted within this theoretical framework. Also, the main features ofthe Traditional Chinese Phytotherapy are summarized, due to its differences with our Westernmedicine. For the species considered the scientific names, botanical families, distribution,Chinese name and Latin denomination of the plant products, and the reference samples areindicated. For each species are included a list of its uses linked to traditions, and a revisionwork of the biological activity and effects evaluated (the validation context in terms of Westernscience). In the context of Urban Ethnobotany, the presence alone of invisible species is asignificant issue because increases the local biocultural diversity (of useful plants, products,and its associated knowledge). Likewise, the species that become visible make evident thedynamics of changes in their visualization process, an adaptive phenomenon that allow theunderstanding of the local biocultural system complexity.