INVESTIGADORES
CUASSOLO florencia
artículos
Título:
Aspects of marketing and quality control of medicinal plants most sold in an urban community of NW Patagonia, Argentina
Autor/es:
FLORENCIA CUASSOLO; ANA LADIO; CECILIA EZCURRA
Revista:
BOLETIN LATINOAMERICANO Y DEL CARIBE DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES Y AROMATICAS
Editorial:
Blacpma
Referencias:
Año: 2010 vol. 9 p. 166 - 176
ISSN:
0717-7917
Resumen:
In the last decades there has been an increase in the consumption of medicinal plants worldwide. In Argentina, this increase coincides with an inefficient action of the control organisms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to medicinal plants sellers at 13 sites in Bariloche in order to investigate general aspects of marketing. In total, 64 samples were obtained for the most traded species in the city; these were analyzed by morphological and micrographic methods, determining the degree of adulteration. The monoherbs are marketed mainly by their common name, packed in transparent cellophane bags, and the materials are mostly fragmented. About 30% of the samples showed adulteration, the main adulterant being grasses. We conclude that in Bariloche, the quality control agencies are inefficient, which can lead to health problems for people and discredit to phytomedicine.