1. El estornudo. Fisiología, mitos, tradiciones, etnomedicina y plantas con propiedades estornutatorias.
- Author
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Waizel-Bucay, José and Waizel-Haiat, Salomón
- Abstract
A sneeze is a violent reflex act of expulsion of air from the lungs into the nostrils and mouth. It is caused by various agents or some substances which are produced by plants (named as "secondary metabolites"), which may be of the type: essential oils, phenolic acids, alkaloids, coumarins, phytosterols, flavones, flavonoids, glycosides, sesquiterpene lactones, mucilages, saponins, tannins and terpenes (mono, di, tri, sesquiterpenes), etc. Noteworthy, among them being sneezing, they are certain essential oils, sesquiterpene lactones, saponins and naphthoquinones. This property has given to some plants their common or scientific name. As an example: "arnica" (Arnica spp). These plants are used in traditional (folk) medicine for sneezing purposes in the treatment of different ailments. The objective of this paper is to constitute an approach to knowledge of sneezing, its etiology, physiology, conception and ethnomedical uses, as well as certain myths and traditions. Also, list some characteristics of plants used in different parts of the world by the traditional medicine in order to provoke it. The information obtained through literature review corresponds to 40 plants of different families, and is presented in alphabetical order according to their scientific name, includes also its popular (in different languages) denomination, and the corresponding botanical family, the part used, some observations and chemical aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2015