Ethnobotany of Medicinal Seaweeds of Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Abstract

The Ilocano people of Ilocos Norte in the Philippines have high regard for seaweed use. The traditional seaweed medicines used by them are old and time-tested, albeit little explored. This study examines the selection of seaweeds associated with a defined folk knowledge and their source availability in Ilocos Norte. Thirty-four (34) seaweed species were traditionally perceived as medicinal for eight types of emic indications, almost 80% of which were edible. Three major groups, i.e. rhodophytes (16 spp.), ochrophytes (7 spp.), and chlorophytes (11 spp.), of 12 families and 20 genera constituted the list. Most species were used for digestive, pulmonary, and glandular-related complaints. The Ilocano residing Pagudpud and Burgos were the most familiar in terms of the number of used species. Caulerpa racemosa (ar-arusip) was the most familiar seaweed used as a cough or asthma reliever. Caulerpa racemosa, Hydroclathrus clathratus, and Gracilaria edulis had the highest use value, whereas Codium intricatum, Gelidiella acerosa, and C. racemosa had the highest fidelity level scores. The distribution of taxa in dry and wet seasons markedly varied per site. Gelidiella acerosa was the only species growing on all sites year-round. Correspondence between folk use and phytochemical activity was inferred in nearly all listed species. The information presented here will allow continued validations and tests of folk medicinal seaweeds for new drugs and may bring additional armamentarium to the Philippine pharmacopeia.

Inventory of Seaweeds in Selected Municipalities in the Balicuatro Area of the Province of Northern Samar, Philippines

“…In addition, the genus Halimeda was also composed of five (5) species with H. macroloba and H. opuntia being two of the most abundant (Fig. 2) and distributed seaweed in almost eight (8) or nine (9) sampling sites, since as a matterof fact Halimeda is one of the most abundant algal taxa in the tropical seas [26]. The presence of aragonite which is a natural form of Calcium carbonate on its skeletal structure which is a form plasticity that enables certain species of Halimeda to adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions (Vroom et al [27], Price et al [26] that might contribute to their great abundance in the sampling sites.…”

“…Some of the seaweeds were identified in situ based on morphological criteria. Phenotypic characteristics of the samples were determined and examined using available literature (Dumilag,[9], Dumilag and Javier, [9], Sherwood and Guiry, [15] to identify samples down to species level. The books of Calumpong [16] and Trono [2] were also used for identification and authentication.…”

“…Even though seaweeds are primary plants that do not bear flowers, roots, stems, and leaves they are considered as an important food source commodity and income in the Philippines [9]. In another study, the carrageenan extract from seaweeds is also used a precursor in the development of antibacterial biofilms that could be used as an alternative to commercially available biofilms [10,11].…”

Sea grapes (Caulerpa lentillifera J. Agardh, Chlorophyta) for human use: Structured review on recent research in cultivation, nutritional value, and post-harvest management

“…Sea grape farming has been described as a lucrative business in The Philippines, among others, with the potential for global upscaling, but limited awareness has been identified as a hurdle (Dumilag 2019;Estrada et al 2021). Ethnophycological studies are least represented in this literature review (Scientometric analysis: Number of publications, research topics and applications), even though the sea grape farmers are an essential part of the value chain of C. lentillifera, their knowledge, needs and access to scientific findings are of great interest.…”

Proximate Composition, Trace and Macro Element, and Heavy Metal Content of Edible Seaweed Solieria robusta in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines

“…One of the edible seaweeds famous among locals is the S. robusta. Locally known as 'gulaman', this red seaweed is popularly sold in the local market and is known for its delicacy prepared as a salad (Dumilag, 2019).…”