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Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine logoLink to Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
. 2006 Oct 13;2:45. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-2-45

Ethnomedicines used in Trinidad and Tobago for urinary problems and diabetes mellitus

Cheryl A Lans 1,✉
PMCID: PMC1624823  PMID: 17040567

Abstract

Background

This paper is based on ethnobotanical interviews conducted from 1996–2000 in Trinidad and Tobago with thirty male and female respondents.

Methods

A non-experimental validation was conducted on the plants used for urinary problems and diabetes mellitus: This is a preliminary step to establish that the plants used are safe or effective, to help direct clinical trials, and to inform Caribbean physicians of the plants' known properties to avoid counter-prescribing.

Results

The following plants are used to treat diabetes: Antigonon leptopus, Bidens alba, Bidens pilosa, Bixa orellana, Bontia daphnoides, Carica papaya, Catharanthus roseus, Cocos nucifera, Gomphrena globosa, Laportea aestuans, Momordica charantia, Morus alba, Phyllanthus urinaria and Spiranthes acaulis. Apium graviolens is used as a heart tonic and for low blood pressure. Bixa orellana, Bontia daphnoides, Cuscuta americana and Gomphrena globosa are used for jaundice. The following plants are used for hypertension: Aloe vera, Annona muricata, Artocarpus altilis, Bixa orellana, Bidens alba, Bidens pilosa, Bonta daphnoides, Carica papaya, Cecropia peltata, Citrus paradisi, Cola nitida, Crescentia cujete, Gomphrena globosa, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Kalanchoe pinnata, Morus alba, Nopalea cochinellifera, Ocimum campechianum, Passiflora quadrangularis, Persea americana and Tamarindus indicus.

The plants used for kidney problems are Theobroma cacao, Chamaesyce hirta, Flemingia strobilifera, Peperomia rotundifolia, Petiveria alliacea, Nopalea cochinellifera, Apium graveolens, Cynodon dactylon, Eleusine indica, Gomphrena globosa, Pityrogramma calomelanos and Vetiveria zizanioides. Plants are also used for gall stones and for cooling.

Conclusion

Chamaesyce hirta, Cissus verticillata, Kalanchoe pinnata, Peperomia spp., Portulaca oleraceae, Scoparia dulcis, and Zea mays have sufficient evidence to support their traditional use for urinary problems, "cooling" and high cholesterol.

Eggplant extract as a hypocholesterolemic agent has some support but needs more study. The plants used for hypertension, jaundice and diabetes that may be safe and justify more formal evaluation are Annona squamosa, Aloe vera, Apium graveolens, Bidens alba, Carica papaya, Catharanthus roseus, Cecropia peltata, Citrus paradisi, Hibsicus sabdariffa, Momordica charantia, Morus alba, Persea americana, Phyllanthus urinaria, Tamarindus indicus and Tournefortia hirsutissima. Several of the plants are used for more than one condition and further trials should take this into account.

Background

Latin American and Caribbean policy makers have recognised that many problems in primary health care are due to lack of knowledge and sensitivity to local health practices, and to the economic and cultural factors associated with these practices [1]. However available herbal products have no clear statement of content; or medically related information on the package labels, and have not been validated or certified by any recognised body. This concerns consumers (potential and actual) and medical practitioners who may unknowingly counter-prescribe these herbal products [1]. Not all of the plants reported to be useful are harmless. These considerations (among others) underlie the study of ethnomedicinal plants used in Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2000 [1]. This paper focuses on the plants used for diabetes, urinary problems and related problems. The World Health Organization has projected that the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago will increase from 70,000 in the year 2000 to 89,000 by the year 2010 [2]. Type 1 diabetes typically affects less than 10% of patients [3]. Both types of diabetes involve hyperglycemia and several grave complications resulting from long-term hyperglycemia [3]. Control of the glucose levels in the blood is the most effective treatment. Long term reductions in hyperglycemia reduce the likelihood of developing microvascular and macrovascular complications [3]. Type 2 diabetes mellitus has both genetic and environmental components [2]. Previous studies (including Caribbean studies) of offspring or first-degree relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes have confirmed that insulin resistance and/or hyperinsulinaemia is the antecedent biochemical marker for developing diabetes in middle age [2]. First-degree relatives of diabetic patients are more likely to develop diabetes and also have an increased cluster of biochemical metabolic syndrome risk factors [2]. Although insulin resistance is independently associated with obesity, it is more severe in obese patients (80% of type 2 diabetic patients in the West) [3]. Diabetic patients typically have delayed or impaired wound healing, and may develop chronic ulcers [4]. Diabetic ulcers of the lower limbs and feet are associated with high morbidity and amputation is a common treatment. Peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease are possible underlying factors in diabetic wound formation, but dermal atrophy is a possible contributing factor [4]. Reduced fibroblast growth, increased expression of matrix-degrading matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and decreased matrix synthesis are consequences of chronic vascular disease in diabetic skin as well as in other situations characterised by peripheral vascular disease [4]. Atrophic skin is more likely to develop wounds than healthy skin. In addition, insufficient extracellular matrix production during the proliferative phase of wound repair contributes to poor healing [4].

A 1990 Caribbean study on folk medicine used for diabetes mellitus found no difference between non-users of informal medication and those who used it in addition to, or in replacement of, formal medication to control diabetes mellitus in Jamaica [5]. The authors found that teas made from periwinkle (Catharantus species) and rice bitters (Andrographics paniculata) interfered with the control of diabetes mellitus. In a previous study by one of the authors, with more severe cases of diabetes, formal medication gave better control of the diabetes than folk medicine teas [6].

A more recent study conducted in Trinidad and Tobago examined 622 people with diabetes mellitus. Herbal remedies for diabetes were used by 152 (24%) of patients [7]. Caraaili (Momordica charantia), aloes (Aloe vera), olive bush (Bontia daphnoides) and seed-under-leaf (Phyllanthus urinaria) were the plants most frequently used. Patients who reported burning or numbness in the feet or feelings of tiredness, weakness, giddiness or dizziness used folk medicines more frequently than those who reported other symptoms [7]. Subsequent studies by the same authors have discarded folk medicine and focussed on the standards of conventional medical care for diabetes [8-10]. In a 2004 study they found that diabetes was associated with low income status and worse health status and more frequent expenditure on medical services [9]. Although the authors of this study found that the control group had access to health insurance this access is not common in Trinidad. In an earlier paper the same authors estimated the annual cost of hospital admissions with diabetes at TT10.66 million (UK 1.24 million pounds) [10], type 2 diabetes is a costly and largely avoidable problem.

In the late 1980s an IDRC-funded study examined the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in women in Trinidad [11]. They screened 4013 women older than 25 years in 3152 households and 769 had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus or hypertension. They concluded that the women's conditions were not managed adequately by the health system and that they should assume greater responsibility for managing their own health [11]. It is therefore puzzling that little research has been conducted on the medicinal plants used for diabetes and their efficacy.

Instead studies have examined ethnic or gender differences in prevalence of diabetes mellitus or compliance with conventional treatment protocols [12]. Finding alternatives is important because 10 – 20% of the population is affected. The leading causes of death and illness for the past thirty years in Trinidad and Tobago have been cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, cancer, hypertension and diabetes mellitus [13]. In a 2002 study, 2117 randomly selected patients from 35 randomly selected government health centres in Trinidad were found to be suffering from diabetes-related foot problems. Of these, 49% had burning or numbness in the feet, 1241 (59%) self-reported visual impairment and 12% had foot ulceration of whom 92 (4%) had major or minor amputation [14].

This author conducted ethnoveterinary research in Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2000. During this research many ethnomedicinal plant uses were discovered that did not have comparative uses for animals. This paper deals with the twenty-two plants used for hypertension, the four plants used for jaundice and the fourteen used for diabetes. It also presents the forty-five plants for urinary problems, "cooling" and high cholesterol levels.

A substantial body of research published outside the Caribbean since 2000 has provided sufficient data to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the researched plants and this evaluation is presented in the discussion section of this paper [15]. Several (approx. 30) of the plant uses have already been recorded in an ethnomedicinal study in one rural community in the northern range of Trinidad [16] and in the study on diabetes mellitus mentioned previously [7]. Several older studies referred to in the discussion section of the paper were reviewed previously and their original references will not be given for space reasons [1].

The Trinidadian hot/cold system

Caribbean folk medicine is a marriage-α-cinq:European folkmedicine, scientific medicine, African-based practices, Amerindianmedicine and Indian-based medicine, a product of inter-group borrowing or medical syncretism [1]. Activities, food and medicines are classified in various ethnomedicinal systems as hot or cold. The Trinidadian hot/cold system is not humoral in the sense that balance must be established between hot and cold, it is cathartic in that remedies are taken to remove heat from the system [1]. Some researchers consider that the hot-cold concept of health and illness is absent in Spanish folk medicine and did not exist at the folk level in the past [1]. These beliefs are now widespread in Latin America and the Caribbean, and according to G.M. Foster were derived from the élite and scholarly Hippocratic-galenic traditions that were brought to the Spanish colonies by Spanish physicians and clergy [17,18]. The hot-cold valence refers to the traditional belief that heat opens the body and facilitates the blood's free flow, whereas cold causes the blood to stop flowing and clog the arteries, veins and womb [1,17,18]. Heat comes from the sun, work, sleeping, burns, cooking, and reproductive activities. Linked to the hot/cold dichotomy is a system of blood beliefs where an excess or lack of cold or heat in the body through exposure or diet causes illness. Blood then becomes 'bad' or dirty [1]. Female Warao herbalists in Eastern Venezuela also use the concept of bad blood [19].

Teas are used for 'cooling' if there is too much 'heat' in the body. Cooling teas are used prophylatically when they are taken to keep the body healthy by cooling the 'system', or the bladder, meaning that they remove the 'heat' or impurities in the system [1,17-20]. Cooling teas become treatment when they are taken for undiagnosed or unspecified illnesses or when feeling unwell. Purges reduce the heat further and 'clean the blood'. Thereare also 'hot' plants to stimulate the blood or to treat 'cold' illnesses, and 'hot' external applications like 'soft candle' 'grated nutmeg' and hot poultices [1,17-20]. Medicines are administered in accordance with the identity between cause and effect. Expulsion of disease-causing impurities is the primary mechanism by which bodily equilibrium is restored. Folk medicines achieve cures through 'bitterness', 'cutting', 'cooling', 'building', 'purging or washing out', and 'drawing out' [1,17-20].

Methods

This study adhered to the research guidelines and ethical protocols of Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Thirty respondents, ten of whom were male were interviewed from September 1996 to September 2000. The respondents were obtained by snowball sampling, and were found in thirteen different sites, 12 in Trinidad and one in Tobago. Snowball sampling was used because there was no other means of identifying respondents and because the research covered the entire island-area rather than concentrating on one village. The chief objective of the sampling method was to identify knowledgeable respondents; no priority was given to extrapolating the data to the wider population to establish prevalence of use. No statistical analysis was applied to the data.

Twenty respondents were interviewed once, the other ten (who were healers) were interviewed three or four times. Healers were also asked to reconstruct the circumstances and contexts of the plant uses so that the means of administration of the plants could be identified. No interview schedule of questions was used but a more qualitative, conversational technique. Plants were collected when available to verify that the common names used by each respondent were the same in each ethnic group as those recorded in the literature. The majority of the plants were identified at the Herbarium of the University of the West Indies but voucher samples were not deposited. This ethnomedicinal study was part of a larger research project on ethnoveterinary medicine; other data collecting techniques were used in the larger study [1].

Validation of practices

A preliminary validation of ethnomedicinal practices is considered a preliminary step to establish which plants are safe or effective and which uses should be discontinued. It also ensures that clinical trials are not wasted on plants that are used for cultural or religious reasons. This is important not only because of the waste of time, money and energy, but because negative results can lead to the discrediting of further effort [1].

Anthropologists like Posey [21] and Hastrup and Elsass [22] claim that anthropologists should not decide whether indigenous beliefs and practices are or are not scientific as this has colonial overtones. Other anthropologists claim that indigenous knowledge systems represent the cultural dimension of development and cannot be reduced to the empirical knowledge that they contain [23]. These anthropological reservations have some value; however validation of traditional medicines is important since most scientists will not use local medicines without some form of validation and they have discouraged the use of these medicines leading to their disuse and eventual loss [1]. A framework of indigenous/ethnoveterinary knowledge that can interface with science and technology is more likely to influence scientific research agendas and development work [1,24].

The validation of the remedies was conducted with a non-experimental method [25]. This method consists of:

1. obtaining an accurate botanical identification,

2. determining whether the folk data can be understood in terms of bioscientific concepts and methods,

3. searching the chemical/pharmaceutical/pharmacological literature for the plant's known chemical constituents and to determine the known physiological effects of either the crude plant, related species, or isolated chemical compounds that the plant is known to contain.

This information is used to assess whether the plant use is based on empirically verifiable principles or whether symbolic aspects of healing are of greater relevance. If ethnobotanical data, phytochemical and pharmacological information supports the folk use of a plant species it can be grouped into the validation level with the highest degree of confidence.

Four levels of validity were established [25]:

1. If no information supports the use it indicates that the plant may be inactive; or no research has been done on the plant.

2. A plant (or closely related species of the same genus), which is used in geographically or temporally distinct areas in the treatment of similar illnesses, attains the lowest level of validity, if no further phytochemical or pharmacological information validates the popular use. Use in other areas increases the likelihood that the plant is active against the illness.

3. If in addition to the ethnobotanical data, phytochemical or pharmacological information also validates the use in Trinidad and Tobago, the plant may exert a physiological action on the patient and is more likely to be effective than those at the lowest level of validity.

4. If ethnobotanical, phytochemical and pharmacological data supports the folk use of the plant, it is grouped in the highest level of validity and is most likely an effective remedy.

Results

Plants used for urinary problems

Forty-five plants were used for urinary problems, "cooling" and high cholesterol levels. The term "stoppage of water" means urinary retention. Four plants were used for bladder problems:Costus scaber, Pilea microphylla, Kalanchoe pinnata and Cocos nucifera. Two plants were used for high cholesterol levels: Solanum melongena and Portulaca oleraceae.Bauhinia cumanensis/Bauhinia excisa and Capraria biflora were used for gall stones.

Twenty-four plants were used for "cooling": Musa species, Begonia humilis, Bontia daphnoides, Cissus verticillata, Coleus aromaticus, Commelina elegans, Cuscuta americana, Cyperus rotundus, Desmodium canum, Entada polystachya, Justicia pectoralis, Momordica charantia, Peperomia pellucida, Ruellia tuberosa, Sansevieria guineensis, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Scoparia dulcis, Cassia alata, Capraria biflora, Kalachoe pinnata, Mimosa pudica, Lepianthes peltata, Tournefortia hirsutissima and Solanum americanum.Bauhinia cumanensis, Bauhinia excisa and Capraria biflora were used for gall stones, while Hibiscus sabdariffa was used to "clean the liver and blood".

The following fourteen plants were used for kidney and other urinary problems: Kalachoe pinnata, Mimosa pudica, Chamaesyce hirta, Flemingia strobilifera, Peperomia rotundifolia, Petiveria alliacea, Nopalea cochinellifera, Apium graveolens, Cynodon dactylon, Zea mays, Theobroma cacao, Lepianthes peltata, Eleusine indica, Gomphrena globosa, Pityrogramma calomelanos and Vetiveria zizanioides.

The results are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1.

Ethnomedicinal plants used for "cooling", high cholesterol and urinary problems in Trinidad and Tobago

Scientific name Family Common name Part used Use
Apium graveolens Apiaceae Celery Kidney tonic
Bauhinia cumanensis /excisa Fabaceae Monkey step Bark Gall stones
Begonia humilis Begoniaceae Lozeille Cooling
Bontia daphnoides Myoporaceae Olive bush Leaves Cooling
Capraria biflora Scrophulariaceae Du thé pays Leaves Gall stones, cooling
Cassia alata Fabaceae Senna Leaves Cooling with cloves & ginger
Chamaesyce hirta Euphorbiaceae Mal nommée Kidney problems
Cissus verticillata Vitaceae Blister bush Vine Cooling
Cocos nucifera Arecaceae Coconut Root Bladder stones
Coleus aromaticus Lamiaceae Spanish thyme Leaves Cooling
Commelina elegans Commelinaceae Water grass Plant Cooling
Costus scaber Zingiberaceae Wild cane Cleans bladder
Cuscuta americana Convolvulaceae Love vine Vine Cooling
Cynodon dactylon Poaceae Dube Stoppage of water
Cyperus rotundus Cyperaceae Nut grass Cooling
Desmodium canum Fabaceae Sweet heart bush Plant Cooling
Eleusine indica Poaceae Dead man's grass Root, Leaves Urinary
Entada polystachya Fabaceae Mayoc chapelle Cooling
Flemingia strobilifera Fabaceae Kidney bush Kidney problems
Gomphrena globosa Amaranthaceae Bachelor button Leaves Urinary problems
Hibiscus sabdariffa Malvaceae Sorrel Flower & seed Cleans liver and blood
Justicia pectoralis Acanthaceae Carpenter grass Leaves Cooling
Kalachoe pinnata Crassulaceae Wonder of the world Leaves Cooling, Bladder stones
Lepianthes peltata Piperaceae Lani bois Leaves Tea
Mimosa pudica Fabaceae Ti marie, mese marie Cooling, Kidney problems
Momordica charantia Cucurbitaceae Caraaili Vine Cooling
Musa species Musaceae Banana Dry leaf Boil for cooling
Nopalea cochinellifera Cactaceae Rachette Joint Kidney stones
Peperomia rotundifolia Piperaceae Giron fleur, mowon Kidney problems
Peperomia pellucida Piperaceae Shining bush Cooling
Petiveria alliacea Phytolaccaceae Mapourite, kudjuruk Kidney problems
Pilea microphylla Urticaceae Du thé bethelmay Leaves Bladder cleanser
Pityrogramma calomelanos Pteridaceae Fern Urinary problems
Portulaca oleraceae Portulacaceae Pussley Plant Cholesterol, shortness of breath
Ruellia tuberosa Acanthaceae Minny root Root Cooling
Sansevieria guineensis Agavaceae Langue bouef, lash Leaves Cooling
Scoparia dulcis Scrophulariaceae Sweet broom Plant Cooling for babies
Solanum americanum Solanaceae Agouma, gouma Plant Cooling, provides iron
Solanum melongena Solanaceae Melongene Fruit Cholesterol
Stachytarpheta jamaicensis Verbenaceae Vervine Leaves Cooling
Theobroma cacao Sterculiaceae Cocoa Core Eat for urinary problems
Tournefortia hirsutissima Boraginaceae Chigger bush Leaves Cooling
Vetiveria zizanioides Poaceae Vetivert Urinary problems
Zea mays Poaceae Corn silk Stigma Diuretic
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Plants used for high blood pressure, diabetes and jaundice

Twenty-nine plants are used for diabetes and hypertension including four for jaundice.

Multiple-plant remedies are used for several conditions including one used for jaundice which combined white bachelor button (Gomphrena globosa), olive bush (Bontia daphnoides), small white vere michelle (unidentified), and fine-stemmed rather than thick-stemmed love vine (Cuscuta americana).

The following plants are used to treat diabetes: Antigonon leptopus, Bidens alba, Bidens pilosa, Bontia daphnoides, Carica papaya, Gomphrena globosa, Bixa orellana, Catharanthus roseus, Cocos nucifera, Laportea aestuans, Momordica charantia, Morus alba, Phyllanthus urinaria and Spiranthes acaulis.

Apium graveolens is used as a heart tonic and the following plants are used for hypertension: Aloe vera, Annona muricata, Artocarpus altilis, Bixa orellana, Bidens alba, Bidens pilosa, Bontia daphnoides, Carica papaya, Cecropia peltata, Citrus paradisi, Cola nitida, Crescentia cujete, Gomphrena globosa, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Kalanchoe pinnata, Nopalea cochinellifera, Morus alba, Ocimum campechianum, Passiflora quadrangularis, Persea americana and Tamarindus indicus. Low blood pressure is treated with Apium graveolens.

Jaundice is treated with the following plants (many of which are also listed above): Bixa orellana, Bontia daphnoides, Gomphrena globosa and Cuscuta americana.

The ethnomedicinal plants used in Trinidad and Tobago for diabetes are summarised in Table 2.

Table 2.

Ethnomedicinal plants used for high blood pressure, jaundice and diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago

Scientific name Family Common name Plant part used Use
Aloe vera Liliaceae Aloes Leaf gel Hypertension
Annona muricata Annonaceae Soursop Leaves Hypertension
Antigonon leptopus Polygonaceae Coralita Vine Diabetes
Apium graveolens Apiaceae Celery Heart tonic, Low blood pressure
Artocarpus altilis Moraceae Breadfruit Leaves Hypertension
Bidens alba/Bidens pilosa Asteraceae Needle grass Leafy branch Hypertension, Diabetes
Bixa orellana Bixaceae Roucou Leaves, root Hypertension, Diabetes, Jaundice
Bontia daphnoides Myoporaceae Olive bush Leaves Diabetes, Jaundice, Hypertension
Carica papaya Caricaceae Papaya Green fruit Hypertension, Diabetes
Catharanthus roseus Apocynaceae White Periwinkle Diabetes
Cecropia peltata Cecropiaceae Bois canôt Leaves Hypertension
Citrus paradisi Rutaceae Grapefruit Peel Hypertension
Cocos nucifera Arecaceae Coconut Shell, flower Diabetes
Cola nitida Sterculiaceae Obie seed Seed Hypertension
Crescentia cujete Bignoniaceae Calabash Leaves Hypertension
Cuscuta americana Convolvulaceae Love vine Vine Jaundice
Gomphrena globosa Amaranthaceae Bachelor button Leaves Jaundice, Diabetes, Hypertension
Hibiscus sabdariffa Malvaceae Sorrel Leaf Hypertension
Kalanchoe pinnata Crassulaceae W/world Leaf Hypertension
Laportea aestuans Urticaceae Red stinging nettle Leaves Diabetes
Momordica charantia Cucurbitaceae Caraaili Diabetes
Morus alba Moraceae Pawi bush Diabetes, Hypertension
Nopalea cochinellifera Cactaceae Rachette Joint Hypertension
Ocimum campechianum Lamiaceae Ti bom Leaves Hypertension
Passiflora quadrangularis Passifloraceae Barbadine Leaves Hypertension
Persea americana Lauraceae Avocado Leaf Hypertension
Phyllanthus urinaria Euphorbiaceae Red seed under leaf Diabetes
Spiranthes acaulis Orchidaceae Lapsogen Early-stage diabetes
Tamarindus indicus Fabaceae Tamarind Seed Hypertension
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Discussion

Non-experimental validation

For each species or genus the ethnomedicinal uses in other countries was examined but will not be presented in the table due to space constraints. Only the most relevant clinical trials are presented. The non-experimental validation is summarised in Tables 3 and 4. Table 4 is an additional file (see Additional file 1).

Table 3.

Validation of plants used for "cooling", high cholesterol and urinary problems in Trinidad and Tobago

Scientific name Common name Use Validation score
Apium graveolens Celery Kidney tonic 3 for pain
Bauhinia cumanensis /excisa Monkey step Gall stones 3 for pain
Begonia humilis Lozeille Cooling 2
Bontia daphnoides Olive bush Cooling 2
Capraria biflora Du thé pays Gall stones, cooling 3 for pain
Cassia alata Senna Cooling with cloves and ginger 2
Chamaesyce hirta Malomay, Mal nommée Kidney problems 3 diuretic; 3 sedative
Cissus verticillata Blister bush Cooling 3 diarrhoea; 3 gastric ulcers
Cocos nucifera Coconut Bladder stones 2
Coleus aromaticus Spanish thyme Cooling 2
Commelina elegans Water grass Cooling 2
Costus scaber Wild cane Cleans bladder data needed
Cuscuta americana Love vine Cooling 2
Cynodon dactylon Dube Stoppage of water 2
Cyperus rotundus Nut grass Cooling 3
Desmodium canum Sweet heart bush Cooling 3
Eleusine indica Dead man's grass Urinary 2
Entada polystachya Mayoc chapelle Cooling 2 data needed
Flemingia strobilifera Kidney bush Kidney problems 2 data needed
Gomphrena globosa Bachelor button Urinary problems 2 data needed
Hibiscus sabdariffa Sorrel Cleans liver and blood 3 hypertension; 3 liver problems
Justicia pectoralis Carpenter grass Cooling Data needed
Kalachoe pinnata Wonder of the world Cooling, Bladder stones 3 jaundice
Lepianthes peltata Lani bois Tea Data needed
Mimosa pudica Ti marie, mese marie Cooling, Kidney problems 2
Momordica charantia Caraaili Cooling Data needed
Musa species Banana Boil for cooling 2
Nopalea cochinellifera Rachette Kidney stones 2 data needed
Peperomia rotundifolia Giron fleur, mowon Kidney problems 3
Peperomia pellucida Shining bush Cooling 3
Petiveria alliacea Mapourite, kudjuruk Kidney problems Data needed
Pilea microphylla Du thé bethelmay Bladder cleanser 2
Pityrogramma calomelanos Fern Urinary problems Data needed
Portulaca oleraceae Pussley Cholesterol, short breath 3 pain; 3 gastroprotective
Ruellia tuberosa Minny root Cooling Data needed
Sansevieria guineensis Langue bouef, lash Cooling Data needed
Scoparia dulcis Sweet broom Cooling for babies 3 pain; 3 diuretic
Solanum americanum Agouma, gouma Cooling, provides iron 2 data needed
Solanum melongena Melongene Cholesterol Not proven
Stachytarpheta jamaicensis Vervine Cooling Data needed
Theobroma cacao Cocoa Eat for urinary problems Data needed
Vetiveria zizanioides Vetivert Urinary problems Data needed
Zea mays Corn silk Diuretic 3 diuretic
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Conclusion

From the 1930s the impact of western medicine in the Caribbean has been that of a dominant paradigm that was not totally accepted, but which offered elements that were selectively appropriated in a process of indigenisation [117,118]. The concepts of 'structural superiority' and 'functional strength' imply that western medicine acquired élite status because of its ability to control diseases (or suppress symptoms), while the folk medicinal system retained functional strength because it was more accessible and available to those isolated communities that existed well into the twentieth century [1,117,118]. However this explanatory model, western medicine, has become the dominant medical system; the main means of establishing whether a technology works and how. The non-experimental validation of the ethnoveterinary medicines was undertaken in recognition of that fact. Validation of traditional medicines is important since most scientists will not use local medicines without some form of validation and they have discouraged the use of these medicines leading to their disuse and eventual loss [1]. This loss is exacerbated by the death of knowledgeable elders. A framework of indigenous knowledge that can interface with science and technology is more likely to influence scientific research agendas and development work, leading to the integration of indigenous knowledge into modern life [1,24].

More data is necessary to evaluate the safety of the following plants used to treat urinary problems, "cooling" and high cholesterol levels: Costus scaber, Cynodon dactylon, Entada polystachya, Flemingia strobilifera, Gomprena globosa, Justicia pectoralis, Lepianthes pelata, Momordica charantia, Nopalea cochenillifera, Petiveria alliacea, Pityrogramma calomelanos, Ruellia tuberosa, Sansevieriea guineensis, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Theobroma cacao and Vetiveria zizanioides.

Little data was found to support the use of the following plants to treat urinary problems: Justicia pectoralis, Lepianthes pelata, Momordica charantia, Petiveria alliacea, Pityrogramma calomelanos, Ruellia tuberosa, Sansevieriea guineensis, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Theobroma cacao and Vetiveria zizanioides.

The following plants have established analgesic or sedative effects: Apium graveolens, Bauhinia cumanensis, Capraria biflora, Chamaesyce hirta and Portulaca oleraceae.

Chamaesyce hirta, Cissus verticillata, Kalanchoe pinnata, Peperomia spp.,

Chamaesyce hirta, Cissus verticillata, Kalanchoe pinnata, Peperomia spp., Portulaca oleraceae, Scoparia dulcis, and Zea mays have sufficient evidence to support their traditional use for urinary problems, "cooling" and high cholesterol. Cuscuta americana also merits more study.

The plants used for hypertension, jaundice and diabetes that may be safe and justify more formal evaluation are Annona squamosa, Aloe vera, Apium graveolens, Bidens alba, Carica papaya, Catharanthus roseus, Cecropia peltata, Citrus paradisi, Hibsicus sabdariffa, Momordica charantia, Morus alba, Persea americana, Phyllanthus urinaria, Tamarindus indicus and Tournefortia hirsutissima. Several of the plants are used for more than one condition and further trials should take this into account. The use of eggplant extract as a hypocholesterolemic agent has some support but needs more study.

It is likely that medical practitioners in Trinidad and Tobago are counter-prescribing the majority of these remedies and should learn more about them.

Competing interests

The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests.

Supplementary Material

Additional File 1

Table 4. Non-experimental validation of plants used in Trinidad and Tobago for diabetes and urinary problems. The data provided represents the chemical/pharmaceutical/pharmacological literature of the plant's known chemical constituents to determine the known physiological effects of either the crude plant, related species, or isolated chemical compounds that the plant is known to contain, and also any relevant clinical trials.

Click here for file (72.3KB, pdf)

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgements

This data collection was part of a larger study for a Ph.D. at Wageningen UR, the Netherlands. The fellowship support provided is appreciated. The Herbarium staff of the University of the West Indies provided essential plant identification. Dr. Lionel Robineau helped with the database searches. Dr. A.J.J. van den Berg provided invaluable editorial and pharmacological help.

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Supplementary Materials

Additional File 1

Table 4. Non-experimental validation of plants used in Trinidad and Tobago for diabetes and urinary problems. The data provided represents the chemical/pharmaceutical/pharmacological literature of the plant's known chemical constituents to determine the known physiological effects of either the crude plant, related species, or isolated chemical compounds that the plant is known to contain, and also any relevant clinical trials.

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