Ethnobotany is a broad term reffering to the study of plants used by humans. This includes plants used as food, medicine and raw materials for other applications. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 80% of the worlds population is relying on traditional medicine as their primary health care needs. Traditional medicine is important over all in countries and areas which do not dispose of economic resources to built up a primary health system.

The objective of this Ph. D. project is to investigate the traditional knowledge of the Popoluca in the state of Veracruz (southern Mexico) on the use and understanding of medicinal plants. We consider medicinal plants primarily as a source for improving the public health situation of a people, by selecting plants which are particularly useful and efficacious.

Field research
Interviews with healers and other knowledgeable inhabitants will be conducted in order to collect the data on the medically used taxa. The determination of the regional diseases prevalent in respect to the indigenous disease treatment conception will be characterized. This will provide an insight into the medical importance of the collected ethnobotanical data. The central point of the ethnobotanical study is the preparation of the collected medical plants for the herbarium.

Laboratory research
In a second step the field data will be evaluated by means of ethnopharmacological databases, adequate literature and by means of biological testsystems in order to investigate and corroborate the indigenous use reports.

Collaboration / Results
A publication of a booklet, containing the applicable collected knowledge of the Popoluca and maybe important results of the laboratory investigators will be distributed to the households of the region. Together with a picture, the employment of the most important plants will be described. The purpose is to sustain the preservation of the indigenous medicinal plant knowledge and to simplify its access.

Botanically as well as culturally Mexico holds an enormous diversity. Biodiversity in Mexico however, as well as in many other countries is endangered through population and economic pressure. Biodiversity in the "Sierra de Santa Marta" is mainly endangered by cattle breeding. Together with the Non Governmental-Organization "Acción Civil SSM" we plan to investigate how far agricultural use of an area has influence on the availability and use of medical plants.

Of special interest in case of the Popoluca is the importance of the natural park "Reserva de Los Tuxtlas". The potential economic value of certain medically used Popoluca plants of this area will be estimated through a comparison between the pharmacopoeia of the Popoluca and the well documented inventory of the reserve "Los Tuxtlas". Biodiversity can prospectively best be protected in connection with the health system and vice versa. All results obtained in connection with the investigations are subject to the intellectual property rights of the Popoluca and will be exchanged with Mexican institutions.