Medicinal Plant Use for Treating Inflammation Among Dominicans in New York City and the Dominican Republic

Dominican Herbal Medicine: Plants Used for Inflammation

The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the use of herbal medicine among Dominicans in New York City and the Dominican Republic.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Inflammation

Detailed Description

According to the 2000 U.S. Census Report, Dominicans constitute the largest Hispanic immigrant group in New York City. Studies have shown that immigrants' use of traditional and herbal medicine is close to that of native-born Americans. However, minority immigrants often have limited access to traditional health care; as a result, they may be more likely to consult with traditional healers and use medicinal plants than nonimmigrants. This study is designed to increase knowledge about immigrants' health and to contribute to more culturally-sensitive health care. The purpose of this study is to determine medical plant knowledge and use among Dominican traditional healers and patients in New York City and in the Dominican Republic.

This study will comprise two parts. In Part I, Dominican medicinal plant users and Dominican traditional healers in New York City will be questioned about the medicinal plant species they know and how they are used for prevalent illnesses. The same number of participants will be interviewed in the Dominican Republic, allowing for detailed comparisons between the two study sites.

In Part II, the most frequently-cited medicinal plant species will be subjected to a thorough literature review on their pharmacologic activity and the chemical composition of their active constituents. Two in vitro assays will be used to measure the anti-inflammatory activity of certain plant extracts, and their anti-inflammatory compounds will be isolated and characterized for the purpose of standardization of active extracts. On the basis of these results, recommendations will be formulated for future studies and community use of selected medicinal plant species.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 320

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New York
    • New York City, New York, United States, 10032
      • Associates in Internal Medicine Clinic, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Dominican community sample in New York City

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Dominican ethnicity
• Have knowledge of Dominican medicinal plants

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Identification of culturally important medicinal plants	June 2010

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: New York Botanical Garden
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Michael J. Balick, PhD, Institute of Economic Botany, the New York Botanical Garden

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Balick MJ, Kronenberg F, Ososki AL, Reiff M, Fugh-Berman A, O'Connor B, Roble M, Lohr P, Atha D. Medicinal plants used by Latino healers for women's health conditions in New York City. Economic Botany 54: 344-357, 2000.
• Balick MJ, Lee R. Looking within: urban ethnomedicine and ethnobotany. Altern Ther Health Med. 2001 Jul-Aug;7(4):114-5. No abstract available.
• Fugh-Berman A, Balick MJ, Kronenberg F, Ososki AL, O'Connor B, Reiff M, Roble M, Lohr P, Brosi BJ, Lee R. Treatment of fibroids: the use of beets (Beta vulgaris) and molasses (Saccharum officinarum) as an herbal therapy by Dominican healers in New York City. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Jun;92(2-3):337-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.03.009. No abstract available.
• Ososki AL, Lohr P, Reiff M, Balick MJ, Kronenberg F, Fugh-Berman A, O'Connor B. Ethnobotanical literature survey of medicinal plants in the Dominican Republic used for women's health conditions. J Ethnopharmacol. 2002 Mar;79(3):285-98. doi: 10.1016/s0378-8741(01)00376-2.
• Reiff M, O'Connor B, Kronenberg F, Balick M, Lohr P, Roble M, Fugh-Berman A, Johnson KD. Ethnomedicine in the urban environment: Dominican healers in New york City. Human Organization 62(1): 12-26, 2003.
• Vandebroek I, Balick MJ, Yukes J, Duran L, Kronenberg F, Wade C, Ososki AL, Cushman L, Lantigua R, Mejia M & Robineau L (2007) Use of medicinal plants by Dominican immigrants in New York City for the treatment of common health conditions. A comparative analysis with literature data from the Dominican Republic. In: A. Pieroni & I. Vandebroek, eds., Traveling Cultures and Plants: The Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacy of Human Migrations. Bergahn Books, New York, pp. 39-63.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2005
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): July 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 3, 2005
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 3, 2005
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): May 4, 2005

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE): November 1, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 30, 2013
• Last Verified: October 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Complementary Therapies; Dominican Republic; Hispanic Americans; Plants, Medicinal
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Inflammation
• Other Study ID Numbers: R21AT001889-01A1 (NIH)