Table 4.
Proportion of Use of Each Plant Species for Cancer-Related Symptoms (Symptomatic HM) and for Other Health Purposes (Regular HM).
| Plant Speciesa | Proportion (%) of Use for General Health (Regular HM) | Proportion (%) of Use for Liver Cancer–Related Symptoms (Symptomatic HM) | Overall Ranking [Citation Number] | Distributional Range in Peru38 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allium cepa L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Allium sativum L. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. | 3.6 | 20 | 10 [15] | Introduced |
| Aloysia citrodora Palau | 10 | 0 | 11 [14] | Indigenous |
| Ambrosia peruviana Willd. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. | 2.1 | 0 | 25 [3] | Indigenous |
| Annona muricata L. | 2.8 | 14 | 15 [11] | Introduced |
| Apium graveolens L. | 2.1 | 0 | 25 [3] | Introduced |
| Artemisia absinthium L. | 0.7 | 2 | 32 [2] | Introduced |
| Averrhoa carambola L. | 1.4 | 0 | 32 [2] | Introduced |
| Bidens pilosa L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Bixa orellana L. | 3.6 | 4 | 17 [7] | Indigenous |
| Caesalpinia spinosa (Molina) Kuntze | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Camellia sinensis | 2.1 | 0 | 25 [3] | Introduced |
| Carica papaya L. | 1.4 | 0 | 32 [2] | Introduced |
| Carya illinoiensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Cestrum auriculatum L’Herit. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All. | 30.7 | 4 | 1 [45] | Introduced |
| Cichorium intybus L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Citrus aurantium L. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Citrus limon (L.) Burm. fil. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Clinopodium pulchellum (Kunth) Govaerts | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Clinopodium speciosum (Hook.) Govaerts | 1.4 | 0 | 32 [2] | Indigenous |
| Copaifera sp. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Croton lechleri (Mull.) Arg. | 0 | 4 | 32 [2] | Indigenous |
| Cucurbita pepo L. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf. | 20.7 | 0 | 2 [29] | Indigenous |
| Cynara scolymus L. | 2.1 | 6 | 19 [6] | Introduced |
| Daucus carota L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants | 3.6 | 0 | 21 [5] | Introduced |
| Equisetum sp. | 13.6 | 2 | 6 [20] | Indigenous |
| Erythroxylum coca Lam. | 1.4 | 0 | 32 [2] | Indigenous |
| Eucalyptus sp. | 8.6 | 0 | 14 [12] | Introduced |
| Foeniculum vulgare L. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Furcraea andina Trel. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Gentianella alborosea (Gilg) Fabris | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Hordeum vulgare L. | 10 | 8 | 9 [18] | Indigenous |
| Lepidium meyenii Walp. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Linum usitatissimum L. | 12.8 | 8 | 5 [22] | Introduced |
| Malus pumila Mill. | 1.4 | 0 | 32 [2] | Introduced |
| Malva sp. | 3.6 | 0 | 21 [5] | Introduced |
| Medicago sativa L. | 1.4 | 0 | 32 [2] | Introduced |
| Melissa officinalis L. | 1.4 | 0 | 32 [2] | Introduced |
| Mentha sp. | 4.3 | 0 | 19 [6] | Introduced |
| Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb. | 12.8 | 4 | 6 [20] | Indigenous |
| Morinda citrifolia L. | 0 | 14 | 17 [7] | Introduced |
| Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Ocimum basilicum L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Oenothera rosea L’Héritier ex. Aiton | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Origanum vulgare L. | 7.8 | 4 | 12 [13] | Introduced |
| Passiflora edulis Sims | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Peperomia sp. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Persea americana Mill. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Petroselinum crispum | 0 | 4 | 32 [2] | Introduced |
| Peumus boldus Molina | 14.3 | 18 | 2 [29] | Introduced |
| Phalaris canariensis L. | 0.7 | 2 | 32 [2] | Indigenous |
| Phyllanthus sp. | 4.3 | 10 | 15 [11] | Indigenous |
| Pimpinella anisum L. | 16.4 | 4 | 4 [25] | Introduced |
| Piper sp. | 3.6 | 0 | 21 [5] | Indigenous |
| Plantago sp. | 9.3 | 14 | 6 [20] | Indigenous |
| Rosmarinus officinalis L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Ruta chalepensis L. | 0.7 | 2 | 32 [2] | Introduced |
| Salvia officinalis L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Sambucus peruviana Kunth | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Schinus molle L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Schkuhria pinnata (Lam.) Kuntze ex Thell. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Senecio sp. | 0.7 | 2 | 32 [2] | Indigenous |
| Solanum peruvianum L. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Indigenous |
| Solanum tuberosum L. | 2.8 | 0 | 24 [4] | Indigenous |
| Spartium junceum L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Taraxacum campylodes G.E. Haglund | 0 | 6 | 25 [3] | Indigenous |
| Thymus vulgaris L. | 0 | 2 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Tilia sp. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| UI | 9.3 | 22.2 | n/a | n/a |
| Uncaria tomentosa (Willd. ex Schult.) D.C. | 4.3 | 14 | 12 [13] | Indigenous |
| Urtica urens L. | 0.7 | 0 | 44 [1] | Introduced |
| Valeriana sp. | 2.1 | 0 | 25 [3] | Indigenous |
| Zea mays L. | 2.1 | 0 | 25 [3] | Indigenous |
Abbreviations: n/a, not applicable; UI, unidentified plant species.
a
Plants are presented in alphabetical order according to their scientific name.33 For further details on the vernacular name and collected data of the unidentified plant species, see Supplemental Table S1. Percentages are expressed as the proportion of interviewees that listed the considered plant species as part of their treatment allocation; that is, regular and/or symptomatic HM. Number of interviewees (patients + comparatives) using regular HM (n = 140); number of interviewees (patients) taking symptomatic HM (n = 50).