Bark Stripping from Forest Tree Species in Madjadjane, Southern Mozambique: Medicinal Uses and Implications for Conservation

Abstract

Tree bark is one of the most important non-timber forest products. In less developed countries, it is used for multiple purposes, particularly in traditional medicine. This paper addresses the question of bark exploitation, uses, and impacts in Madjadjane village, southern Mozambique. For that, we have conducted an ethnobotanical survey and analysed the level of damage of the ten most exploited tree species. Bark was mainly used for medical purposes, spanning 13 different applications. Most of the species had more than one medical application constituting potential sources of valuable biocompounds. In general the level of damage caused by debarking was not critical, but should be seen with caution. An upgrade and update of the results will be of utmost importance to estimate with more accuracy the current conservation status as well as to predict future impacts and define better conservation strategies. We suggest the expansion of ethnobotanical surveys as well as their integration in broad programs aimed at the preservation and valorization of local heritage. This will encourage equitable access and benefit sharing of biodiversity as well as the promotion of bio-based economy.

Tree response to bark harvest: the case of a medicinal species, <i>Garcinia lucida</i>, as source of raw materials for plant-based drug development

“…One of these resources is the bark of tree species, most commonly employed for many purposes such as medicines, dyes, food spice, wine flavour, and a range of other uses (Tshisikhawe et al, 2012;Cunningham, 2014a;Senkoro et al, 2014). The global demand for medicinal bark is steadily growing and has caused some valued indigenous plant species, very sensitive to high levels of harvest, to become threatened (Ndoye et al, 2000;2001;Djaligue, 2007;Tshisikhawe et al, 2012;Cunningham, 2014a,b;Bodeker et al, 2014).…”

“…Therefore, there is an increasing concern about the management of medicinal bark harvesting (Pandey & Das, 2013;Baldauf & dos Santos, 2014;Mariot et al, 2014;van Andel et al, 2015;Pandey, 2015). The term bark refers to all tissues outside the vascular cambium, comprising dead and live tissue (Camefort, 1977;Senkoro et al, 2014). The dead tissue (rhytidome) corresponds to the outer layer of bark, functioning as a physical barrier that protects trees against desiccation, fire, insects, herbivores and diseases.…”

Albizia Adianthifolia: Botany, Medicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Properties

“…The exhibited minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were 0.39 mg/ml to 1.56 mg/ml for ethyl acetate extract, 0.1 mg/ml to 0.4 mg/ml (n-hexadecanoic acid 66 and oleic acid 68 ), 0.2 mg/ml to 0.8 mg/ml (docosanoic acid 65, n-hexadecanoic acid 66 and octadecanoic acid 67 ), 0.2 mg/ml to 0.4 mg/ml (compound lupeol 86 ), and 0.05 mg/ml to 0.1 mg/ml (aurantiamide acetate 9 ) [ 27 ]. The documented antibacterial activities exhibited by different extracts and compounds isolated from A. adianthifolia corroborate the traditional application of the species as herbal medicine against bacterial infections causing diarrhoea, dysentery, and stomachache in DRC, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania [ 26 , 30 – 36 ].…”

“…The bark, leaves, and stem bark of A. adianthifolia are used as herbal remedies against bronchitis, cough, respiratory problems, and sinusitis in Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Africa [ 25 – 29 ], which can be categorized as the lower respiratory infections. The bark, leaves, and roots of A. adianthifolia are used as herbal remedies against diarrhoea, dysentery, and stomach ache in the DRC, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania [ 26 , 30 – 36 ]. The leaves of A. adianthifolia are used as herbal remedies against hypertension in Togo [ 37 ], which is one of the most common chronic diseases in modern societies.…”

Strategies towards sustainable bark sourcing as raw material for plant-based drug development: a case study on <i>Garcinia lucida</i> tree species

“…Furthermore, when trees were peeling off with machete, narrow strips of bark tissues, which always remained on stem wood, allowed for sap flow to the roots, thereby contributing substantially to tree stability, as well as serving to protect the stem from insect or pathogen attack, and triggering bark regeneration. Therefore, the practice of peeling off pieces of bark with machete seem to be more suitable for tree survival and bark regeneration as damages due to peeling with machete may be superficial and affect only the outer bark and the old phloem and phlegm, permitting trees treated by this way to survive and to further recover from wounds (Camefort, 1977;Senkoro et al, 2014). The highest values recorded for ring-barked trees that bark was hardly stripped, however, does not provide conclusive evidence and was of limited value to evaluate the sustainability of ring-barking practice, as the analysis was based on a limited sample of trees.…”