Plant extracts as a natural treatment against the fish ectoparasite Neobenedenia sp. (Monogenea: Capsalidae).

The toxicity of water-ethanol extracts of garlic (Allium sativum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), basil (Ocimum basilicum), bitter chaparro (Castela tortuousa), onion (Allium cepa) and papaya (Carica papaya) against adults, eggs and oncomiracidia of Neobenedenia spp. parasites was examined. Parasites were exposed to continuous immersion and treated as follows: extracts were tested at three dilutions: 1:10, 1:50 and 1:100 made with filtered seawater (35 g l-1); ethanol (70%) was evaluated at the same dilutions of 1:10 (7% ethanol), 1:50 (1.4% ethanol) and 1:100 (0.07% ethanol) and a seawater (35 g l-1) control. The antiparasitic effect was measured on: (1) adult survival, egg production and time to detachment from the culture vessel; (2) egg development and cumulative egg hatching; and (3) oncomiracidia survival. All three dilutions of ginger and dilutions 1:100 and 1:50 of basil extract reduced adult survival in vitro, time to detachment from the surface of the culture vessel, egg production and oncomiracidia survival. Bitter chaparro extract reduced adult egg production and oncomiracidia survival. Hatching success was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in basil extract (1:100) to 86.6% compared to the seawater control (100%). Dilutions 1:10 of ginger and basil exhibited the highest impact on the biological parameters of Neobenedenia sp. Our study demonstrates that water-ethanol extracts of ginger, basil and bitter chaparro are toxic against Neobenedenia sp. life stages.

Estudio etnobotánico de las plantas medicinales utilizadas por los habitantes del corregimiento de Genoy, Municipio de Pasto, Colombia / Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the inhabitants of the village of Genoy, Municipality of Pasto, Colombia

Entre octubre de 2011 y enero de 2012 se llevó a cabo un estudio etnobotánico enfocado al conocimiento de las especies utilizadas con fines etnobotánicos, así como la relación cultural en torno a su empleo por parte de los habitantes del Corregimiento de Genoy, ubicado en el municipio de Pasto, departamento de Nariño. La información se obtuvo de 38 personas: 27 mujeres y 11 hombres, mediante encuestas semiestructuradas, de las cuales 4 fueron informantes clave. Todos los informantes fueron seleccionados al azar. Se determinó la importancia relativa de especies medicinales (IRE), así como otros índices etnobotánicos que permitieron calcular el valor de reconocimiento de uso para cada especie (RUV). Como resultado se registró información para 63 plantas de uso medicinal, distribuidas en 31 familias botánicas y 56 géneros, siendo Lamiaceae, Asteraceae y Apiaceae las familias más importantes. Con relación a las partes de la planta, las más utilizadas fueron: hojas (89,47%), y flores (21,05%). Un mayor número de especies se utilizan para tratar afecciones de tipo gastrointestinal, reproductivo, cutáneo y respiratorio. Las plantas medicinales que son ampliamente utilizadas por la población local presentaron valores más altos de IRF y RUV: cedrón (Aloysia citriodora), manzanilla (Matricaria hamomilla) y orégano (Origanum vulgare).

Between October 2011 and January 2012 an ethnobotanical study focused on the knowledge of ethnobotanical species used for ethnobotanical purposes, as well as the cultural relationship around the use of those species by the inhabitants of Genoy Township located in San Juan de Pasto, Nariño was carried out. 38 people were interviewed using a semi-structured survey: 27 women and 11 men of whom 4 were key sources of information. All the participants were randomly selected. The relative importance of medicinal species (RIE) was estimated, as well as other etnobotanical indices that allowed calculating the value of recognition of use for each species (RUV). As a result, information for 63 medicinal species was recorded and distributed in 31 botanical families and 56 genres. The most important families, in order, were: Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Apiaceae. The most used parts of the plant were leaves (89.47%) and flowers (21.05%). A greater number of the species were used to treat gastrointestinal, reproductive, skin and respiratory disorders. The following medicinal plants that are widely used by local people showed the highest RIE and RUV values: cedron (Aloysia citriodora), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and oregano (Origanum vulgare).