SEARCHCROSS-SECTIONALpublic health, nutrition

cross-sectional·public health, nutrition, epidemiology, food science, preclinical research·PMC10064729

Ethnobotanical study on herbal tea drinks in Guangxi, China

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine · 9 authors, 7 centres

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An ethnobotanical survey of 463 informants in Guangxi documented 155 herbal tea species used for health purposes, with 'clearing heat' being the most commonly cited health benefit.

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This cross-sectional ethnobotanical study conducted semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and structured questionnaires with 463 informants across 52 villages and 21 markets in Guangxi from 2016 to 2021. The study recorded 155 herbal tea species from 49 families, documenting used plant parts, preparation methods (decoction being most common), and 41 reported health benefits classified into eight categories. The primary finding was that 'clearing heat' was the most frequently cited therapeutic effect, attributed to 65.16% of the species. The study notes that herbal tea is a valuable traditional knowledge system for local healthcare and has potential for economic development.

STUDY TYPE

cross-sectional

SPECIALTY

public health

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10064729

Ethnobotanical study on herbal tea drinks in Guangxi, China

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine

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ABSTRACT

Background Herbal tea drinks, different from classical Camellia beverages, are a wide variety of herbal drinks consumed for therapeutic purposes or health promotion. Herbal tea is widely consumed in Guangxi. However, the documentation on the plants for herbal tea and their related health benefits is still limited. Methods An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 52 villages and 21 traditional markets in Guangxi from 2016 to 2021. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and structured questionnaires were applied to obtain ethnobotanical information of herbal tea, in which 463 informants had participated. Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and cultural food significance index (CFSI) were used to evaluate the most culturally significant herbal tea plants, and informant consensus factor (ICF) was applied to assess the agreement among informants. Results This study recorded 155 herbal tea species belonging to 49 families. The most commonly used parts included leaf (27.61%), whole plant (22.09%), branch and leaf (19.02%), and flower (13.50%). The most frequent preparation method of herbal tea was decoction. Herbal tea was very popular in Guangxi, attributing to its therapeutic value, special odor, and good taste. There are 41 health benefits classified into eight categories. Among them, clearing heat was the most medicinal effects. Local people had high consistency in tonic, removing cold and cough, improving blood circulation, and clearing heat away. Based on CFSI values of each species, the most culturally significant herbal tea species were Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex A. M. Lu & Zhi Y. Zhang, Plantago asiatica L., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Pholidota chinensis Lindl., and Morus alba L. Conclusion Herbal tea is a valuable heritage that carries the local people’s traditional knowledge, like health care and religious belief. The recorded herbal tea species in this study possess tremendous potential for local economic development in the future. Further research on efficacy evaluation and product development of herbal tea species is necessary. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13002-023-00579-3.

CITATION EXPORT

Tingyu Long, Renchuan Hu, Zhuo Cheng et al.. Ethnobotanical study on herbal tea drinks in Guangxi, China. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-023-00579-3

AUTHORS

9 · 7 CENTRES

Tingyu Long, Renchuan Hu, Zhuo Cheng, Chuangui Xu, Qimin Hu, Qingling Liu, Ronghui Gu, Yunfeng Huang, Chunlin Long

1grid.443382.a0000 0004 1804 268XKey Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Guizhou University), Ministry of Education, Guiyang, 550025 China
2grid.443382.a0000 0004 1804 268XSchool of Liquor and Food Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025 China
3Guangxi Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Quality Standards, Guangxi Institute of Traditional Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science, Nanning, 530022 China
4grid.411077.40000 0004 0369 0529College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, 100081 China
5grid.411077.40000 0004 0369 0529Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas (Minzu University of China), National Commission of Ethnic Affairs, Beijing, 100081 China
6grid.419897.a0000 0004 0369 313XKey Laboratory of Ethnomedicine (Minzu University of China), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100081 China
7grid.443382.a0000 0004 1804 268XCollege of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025 China