Prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints and health-related quality of life in a Maroon and Kalinya Indigenous rural village in Suriname.

PURPOSE: Musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs), a leading contributor to disability worldwide, have a major impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Poor general health related to lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity can lead to a higher risk to suffer MSCs. For minority groups in Suriname such as the Maroons and the Indigenous peoples no research has been conducted regarding prevalence of MSCs, HRQoL and various lifestyle factors. The aims were to determine the prevalence of MSCs and HRQoL in two rural tribal villages in the forested interior of Suriname and to identify various lifestyle factors associated with HRQoL in these communities. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional community-based study using the Community Oriented Program for the Control of Rheumatic Diseases stage 1, phase 1 & 2 methodology in Goejaba, a Maroon village and Galibi, an Indigenous rural village. Sociodemographic data, self-reported comorbidities, past MSCs (for longer than seven days), lifestyle factors including smoking, alcohol use, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA), and HRQoL (using the 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36)) data were gathered among 153 Indigenous individuals in Galibi, and 516 Maroons in Goejaba. Regression models were constructed to explore associations between presence of MSCs, lifestyle factors and HRQoL. RESULTS: High prevalence rates for past MSCs were reported in Galibi (72.4%) and Goejaba (58.3%). In both communities, respondents with MSCs reported significantly worse HRQoL than persons without MSCs. MSCs and the presence of comorbidities had a strong negative association with HRQoL, whereas PA positively influenced the physical and mental health domains of the SF-36. Smoking, alcohol use and BMI showed no association with HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: In this first study, a high prevalence for MSCs was reported in an Indigenous and Maroon rural community in Suriname. MSCs and comorbidities had a significant negative impact on HRQoL. PA was associated with higher self-reported HRQoL.

Descriptive epidemiology of suicide attempts and suicide in the remote villages of French Guiana.

OBJECTIVE: The overall rate of suicide in French Guiana is estimated at 6 per 100,000, a rate that is lower than in mainland France. Given the frequent reports of suicide in Amerindian communities, our hypothesis was that this figure fails to capture a more contrasted reality. Our objective was to refine estimates and determine suicide rates in remote villages of French Guiana. METHODS: We included patients for whom a suicide attempt or suicide was mentioned in medical records. The Health centers were grouped into two zones according to geographical remoteness. RESULTS: The highest suicide rates observed in the remote Amerindian villages of Camopi and Trois Sauts were, respectively, 118 and 78/100,000. The median age at the time of suicide was significantly younger in remote zones [23 years (95% CI 21.59-25.06)] than in non-remote zones-[27 years (95% CI 24.47-29.31)]. The most frequent methods were hanging (78%) and intoxication (22%). CONCLUSIONS: The suicide rate in remote areas in French Guiana was eight times higher than in France. The suicide of young people in remote areas in French Guiana and specifically in Amerindian villages must be better understood and prevented with contextualized and adapted care.

Local plant names reveal that enslaved Africans recognized substantial parts of the New World flora.

How did the forced migration of nearly 11 million enslaved Africans to the Americas influence their knowledge of plants? Vernacular plant names give insight into the process of species recognition, acquisition of new knowledge, and replacement of African species with American ones. This study traces the origin of 2,350 Afro-Surinamese (Sranantongo and Maroon) plant names to those plant names used by local Amerindians, Europeans, and related groups in West and Central Africa. We compared vernacular names from herbarium collections, literature, and recent ethnobotanical fieldwork in Suriname, Ghana, Benin, and Gabon. A strong correspondence in sound, structure, and meaning among Afro-Surinamese vernaculars and their equivalents in other languages for botanically related taxa was considered as evidence for a shared origin. Although 65% of the Afro-Surinamese plant names contained European lexical items, enslaved Africans have recognized a substantial part of the neotropical flora. Twenty percent of the Sranantongo and 43% of the Maroon plant names strongly resemble names currently used in diverse African languages for related taxa, represent translations of African ones, or directly refer to an Old World origin. The acquisition of new ethnobotanical knowledge is captured in vernaculars derived from Amerindian languages and the invention of new names for neotropical plants from African lexical terms. Plant names that combine African, Amerindian, and European words reflect a creolization process that merged ethnobotanical skills from diverse geographical and cultural sources into new Afro-American knowledge systems. Our study confirms the role of Africans as significant agents of environmental knowledge in the New World.

Knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and practices differences regarding HIV in populations living along the Maroni river: particularities of operational interest for Amerindian and Maroon populations.

The Maroni basin, an isolated region delineating the border between Suriname and French Guiana has been affected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic 10 years after coastal French Guiana. However, the rise in HIV prevalence was sharp, exceeding 1% within 10 years. The aim of the present study is to compare, using the first quantitative data from the general population in remote villages, the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding HIV between Maroon and Amerindian populations, the two most frequent populations living along the Maroni. Data were collected in 2012 using a structured questionnaire among a random sample of 896 individuals residing in the remote villages on the Maroni river. Proportions were compared between the Maroni and the coastal general population, and between Maroon and Amerindian populations. The present study shows significant differences between territories and between communities living on the Maroni river: the multiple sexual partnerships, more common among population living on the Maroni river, were more frequently reported in Maroons than in Amerindians. Condom use was more frequently reported among men on the Maroni river than on the coast, but these findings were reversed for women. Moreover, among people living on the Maroni river, condom use was more frequently reported among Maroons than among Amerindians. Regarding genital factors that may affect transmission, penile implant seemed to have no ethnic boundaries, steam baths seemed specific to Maroon women. The present results should help to improve community-based specific interventions.

Adaptive ecological knowledge among the Ndjuka Maroons of French Guiana; a case study of two 'invasive species': Melaleuca quinquenervia and Acacia mangium.

BACKGROUND: To understand how local ecological knowledge changes and adapts, here in the case of the recent introduction of plant species, we report the knowledge and perceptions of the Ndjuka (Maroon) of French Guiana concerning two tree species, Acacia mangium and niaouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia), which are categorized as "invasive alien plants" in the savannas of their territory. METHODS: To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted between April and July 2022, using a pre-designed questionnaire, plant samples and photographs. The uses, local ecological knowledge, and representations of these species were surveyed among populations of Maroon origin in western French Guiana. All responses to closed questions collected during the field survey were compiled into an Excel spreadsheet in order to perform quantitative analyses, including the calculation of use reports (URs). RESULTS: It appears that the local populations have integrated these two plant species, which are named, used and even traded, into their knowledge systems. On the other hand, neither foreignness nor invasiveness seem to be relevant concepts in the perspective of the informants. The usefulness of these plants is the determining factor of their integration into the Ndjuka medicinal flora, thus resulting in the adaptation of their local ecological knowledge. CONCLUSION: In addition to highlighting the need for the integration of the discourse of local stakeholders into the management of "invasive alien species," this study also allows us to observe the forms of adaptation that are set in motion by the arrival of a new species, particularly within populations that are themselves the result of recent migrations. Our results furthermore indicate that such adaptations of local ecological knowledge can occur very quickly.

The legacy of traditional rice cultivation by descendants of Indian contract laborers in Suriname.

BACKGROUND: Some 35,000 indentured laborers from India were recruited to work on plantations in Suriname between 1868 and 1916. It is likely that most were familiar with farming before they were shipped to this former Dutch colony in the Caribbean. Around 1900, those who did not return received a piece of land where most of them started growing rice as a staple crop. Agronomists characterized their traditional landraces as inferior and infested with weedy rice and started to 'purify' these landraces. No research has been done on whether these ancient rice varieties still exist. We aimed to document the rice varieties (both landraces and more modern cultivars) grown currently or in the recent past by (descendants of) Hindustani smallholders in Suriname, their origin, morphological and agronomic characters, local uses and cultural and spiritual relevance. Given the rapid decline in small-scale rice cultivation in the past 40 years, we wanted to know why people continued or abandoned rice farming and what aspects of traditional practices still survived. METHODS: We interviewed 26 (former) small-scale Hindustani farmers and asked about the varieties they cultivated and traditional agricultural practices. We collected seed samples, local names and associated information, and compared these to information from agricultural reports from the colonial period. We also interviewed 11 Maroons, one Javanese farmer, and three persons of mixed ethnicity, who were somehow involved in the cultivation of East Indian rice varieties. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Hindustani smallholders in Suriname largely lost their traditional rice landraces. Most of the interviewed farmers grew modern cultivars, developed after 2000. Some cultivars from the 1950s were still planted for fodder, but these were heavily mixed with weedy rice and other weeds. Maroon farmers in the interior, however, still actively cultivated varieties with names like 'coolie rice', which probably descend from landraces introduced by the Indian contract laborers, although this needs to be confirmed by molecular research. Although traditional cultivation practices seem to have been lost, smallholders still retain pleasant memories of the manual planting, harvesting, and processing of rice, as well as the gender-based practices and beliefs associated with the cultivation of the crop. The oral history of former rice farmers and traditional rice varieties (possibly obtained from Maroon fields) could play a role in museum settings as living vehicles for memories of the descendants of Asian contract labourers in Suriname and Guyana.

Hidden Rice Diversity in the Guianas.

Traditional crop varieties are an important source of genetic diversity for crop adaptation and modern breeding. Landraces of Asian (Oryza sativa) and African (Oryza glaberrima) rice have been well studied on the continents where they were domesticated. However, their history of cultivation in northern South America is poorly understood. Here, we reveal the rice diversity that is maintained by Maroons, descendants of enslaved Africans who fled to the interior forests of the Guianas ca. 300 years ago. We interviewed subsistence farmers who practice shifting cultivation along the Maroni and Lawa rivers that form the natural border between French Guiana and Suriname, and used ethnobotanical and morphological methods to identify around 50 varieties, of which 15 were previously undocumented. The genetic origin of these varieties was explored using the Angiosperms353 universal probe set. Despite the large distances between sites and relative inaccessibility of the area, phenotypic and genetic diversity did not display any geographic structure, which is consistent with knowledge of seed exchange among members of the same ethnolinguistic group. Although improved US cultivars were introduced in Maroon villages in the 1940s, these have not displaced the traditional landraces, which are cherished for their taste and nutritious qualities and for their importance in Maroon spiritual life. The unique agricultural and ritual practices of Maroons confirm their role as custodians of rice diversity, a role that is currently under threat from external pressures and encroaching globalization. We expect that the rice diversity uncovered in this study represents only a fraction of the total diversity in the Guianas and may constitute a large untapped resource that holds promise for future rice improvement. Further efforts to inventory and preserve these landraces will help to protect a precious cultural heritage and local food security.

Herbal bathing: an analysis of variation in plant use among Saramaccan and Aucan Maroons in Suriname.

BACKGROUND: Herbal baths play an important role in the traditional health care of Maroons living in the interior of Suriname. However, little is known on the differences in plant ingredients used among and within the Maroon groups. We compared plant use in herbal baths documented for Saramaccan and Aucan Maroons, to see whether similarity in species was related to bath type, ethnic group, or geographical location. We hypothesized that because of their dissimilar cultural background, they used different species for the same type of bath. We assumed, however, that plants used in genital baths were more similar, as certain plant ingredients (e.g., essential oils), are preferred in these baths. METHODS: We compiled a database from published and unpublished sources on herbal bath ingredients and constructed a presence/absence matrix per bath type and study site. To assess similarity in plant use among and within Saramaccan and Aucan communities, we performed three Detrended Correspondence Analyses on species level and the Jaccard Similarity Index to quantify similarity in bath ingredients. RESULTS: We recorded 349 plants used in six commonly used bath types: baby strength, adult strength, skin diseases, respiratory ailments, genital steam baths, and spiritual issues. Our results showed a large variation in plant ingredients among the Saramaccan and Aucans and little similarity between Saramaccans and Aucans, even for the same type of baths. Plant ingredients for baby baths and genital baths shared more species than the others. Even within the Saramaccan community, plant ingredients were stronger associated with location than with bath type. CONCLUSIONS: Plant use in bathing was strongly influenced by study site and then by ethnicity, but less by bath type. As Maroons escaped from different plantations and developed their ethnomedicinal practices in isolation, there has been little exchange in ethnobotanical knowledge after the seventeenth century between ethnic groups. Care should be taken in extrapolating plant use data collected from one location to a whole ethnic community. Maroon plant use deserves more scientific attention, especially now as there are indications that traditional knowledge is disappearing.

Patterns in medicinal plant knowledge and use in a Maroon village in Suriname.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditional medicine plays an important role in the primary health care practices of Maroons living in the interior of Suriname. Large numbers of medicinal plants are employed to maintain general health and cure illnesses. Little is known, however, on how knowledge of herbal medicine varies within the community and whether plant use remains important when modern health care becomes available. AIM OF THE STUDY: To document the diversity in medicinal plant knowledge and use in a remote Saramaccan Maroon community and to assess the importance of medicinal plants vis a vis locally available modern healthcare. We hypothesized that ailments which could be treated by the village health center would be less salient in herbal medicine reports. METHODS: During three months fieldwork in the Saramaccan village of Pikin Slee, ethnobotanical data were collected by means of participant observations, voucher collections and 27 semi-structured interviews and informal discussions with 20 respondents. To test whether knowledge of medicinal plant species was kept within families, we performed a Detrended Correspondence Analysis. RESULTS: In total, 110 medicinal plant species were recorded, with 302 health use reports and 72 uses, mostly related to general health concerns (42%), diseases of the digestive system (10%), musculoskeletal system and fever (each 7%). Bathing was the most important mode of application. Most health use reports related to cure (58%) and health promotion (39%), while disease prevention played a minor role. Traditional medicine not only treated cultural illnesses, but also health concerns that could be treated with locally available modern medicines. Knowledge of medicinal plant species is not strictly kept within families, but also shared with friends. Certain recipes and applications, however, may be specific family knowledge. CONCLUSION: Medicinal plants play a very important role in the daily lives of the Pikin Slee villagers. Plant use reflects actual health concerns, but as modern medicines are available for most of these concerns, the use of herbal medicines seems to be a deep rooted cultural preference, especially when concerned with cultural illnesses and health promotion. Locally provided healthcare could be enriched if traditional knowledge, illness concepts, and medicinal plant uses could fit into a larger, community-oriented framework.

Ethnopharmacological evaluation of medicinal plants used against malaria by quilombola communities from Oriximiná, Brazil.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Malaria is the most important parasitic disease in the world, including in the Amazon region, due to its high incidence. In addition, malaria is difficult to control because of the geographical characteristics of the endemic Amazon region. The quilombola communities of Oriximina, located in remote rainforest areas, have extensive experience with medicinal plants due to their close contact with and dependence on local biodiversity as a therapeutic resource. To search for active bioproducts against malaria, based on in vitro tests using blood culture-derived parasites and plants selected by an ethno-directed approach in traditional quilombola communities of Oriximiná, in the Amazon region of Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethnobotanical data were collected from 35 informants in the quilombola communities of Oriximiná, Brazil, by a free-listing method for the survey of species locally indicated to be effective against malaria and related symptoms. Data were analyzed by salience index (S) and major use agreement. The activity of extracts from 11 plants, selected based on their Salience values (four plants with S>1; seven plants with S<0.1), was measured in vitro in cultures of W2 clone Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to chloroquine. RESULTS: Thirty-five ethnospecies comprising 40 different plants belonging to 23 botanical families and 37 genera were listed as antimalarials by the ethno-directed approach. Among these, 11 species selected based on their S values were assayed against P. falciparum. The most active plant extracts, with an IC50 as low as 1.6µg/mL, were obtained from Aspidosperma rigidum (Apocynaceae), Bertholletia excelsa (Lecythidaceae) and Simaba cedron (Simaroubaceae), all of which displayed an S value>1. CONCLUSION: A strong correlation between the consensus of the informants from quilombola communities living in a malaria endemic area and the salience index indicating antiplasmodial activity was observed, where the ethnospecies mostly cited to be effective against malaria produced the most active plant extracts in vitro. It was also evident from the data that these groups approached the treatment of malaria with an holistic view, making use of purgative, depurative, emetic and adaptogen plants.

Ethnopharmacological studies of Lippia origanoides

Lippia origanoides Kunth. Verbenaceae, is of great importance in the Brazilian traditional medicine. Because of it, this work had the purpose to contribute to the ethnopharmacological knowledge of L. origanoides through an ethnobotanical survey conducted within quilombola (maroon) communities of Oriximiná, Pará, Brazil. Among 254 plants cited in the survey, L. origanoides stood out among the ten most versatile species. The agreed main uses were to treat menstrual cramps, stomachache, and baby and postpartum colic. This could indicate a consensus of the informants to possible antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of L. origanoides.Therefore, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of L. origanoides extract (aerial parts) were assessed through thermal (hot plate) and chemical (formalin and acetic acid) models of nociception. A dose-dependent reduction in acetic acid-induced writhing was observed after treating mice with L. origanoides extract. The same extract also inhibited significantly formalin-induced licking response and proved to have a central antinociceptive effect, in the hot plate test. This work demonstrates that L. origanoides is used specially by quilombola women from Oriximiná for disorders of the genitourinary system and that biological activities of this species could contribute to these uses. Furthermore, it was also observed antispasmodic, analgesic and antimicrobial uses of other species of the genus Lippia (Goniostachyum section), rich in thymol and carvacrol.