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Manuscript_90a7c81dfc393ee2c7afca432c9584f4

An ethnobotanical study of traditional rice landraces (Oryza sativa L.) used for medical
treatment in selected local communities of the Philippines
Rosa Mia F. Cabantinga,1 and Loida M. Pereza
a
Genetic Resources Division, Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Central
Experiment Station, Science City of Muñoz, 3119 Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Rice (Oryza sativa L.) remains as one the most important
staple food of the Philippines with an overabundance of varieties and gastronomic use.
Despite this, no published comprehensive ethnobotanical information exists for the exclusive
subject on Philippine traditional rice varieties and their ethnomedicinal value.

Aim of the Study: To identify and collect traditional rice landrace with ethnomedicinal
application from local communities of the Philippines; and document the application,
traditional preparation and administration of these plants.

Materials and Methods: The ethnobotanical study was performed in nine areas distributed
across four provinces: Palawan, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and North
Cotabato for a period of two years (2014-2015). A total of 39 key informants were identified
and interviewed using semi-structured interviews and informal discussion. Descriptive
statistics was used to analyze and organize the collected information from the surveys.

Results: Nineteen (19) traditional rice were identified for the native treatment and control of
22 community health concerns. Predominant use of the plants collected were for the
treatment of some types of nutritional disorders (18%), digestive system disorders (18%), ill-
defined symptoms (13%); viral infections; and several cultural diseases and disorders (11%).
Grains were the most frequently used plant part and oral administration was the most
preferred mode of treatment.

Conclusion: This study is the first to formally confirm that certain traditional rice have a role
in the healthcare system of selected local communities in the Philippines. The novel findings
open a paradigm for scientists towards therapeutic investigations and development of
probable high value products from the highlighted landrace.

Keywords: ethnopharmacology, traditional medicine, ethnobotany

1Present address: Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, 3117 Philippines
E-mail: [email protected] (R. M. F. Cabanting)

© 2016 published by Elsevier. This manuscript is made available under the Elsevier user license
https://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/
 1 1. Introduction
2
3 The Philippines is an island country in Southeast Asia with an enviable abundance of
4 natural resources. According to the Philippines’ Fifth National Report to the Convention on
5 Biological Diversity (2014), it is one of 18 megadiverse countries in the world. In addition, it
6 houses a cornucopia of an astounding variety of medicinal plants with folk medicinal uses. In
7 fact, one of the early ethnobotanical projects in the Philippines identified at least 1,297 plants
8 with ethnomedicinal value (Tan, 1980). However, unlike other countries with strong written
9 tradition, the Philippines did not develop formal records of its local herbal systems and so
10 many researchers rely on oral tradition and field research to find as much information as
11 possible.
12 To date, indigenous knowledge on the use of plant based medicines is still loosely
13 maintained in many Philippine rural communities. A plethora of studies have successfully
14 described the role of plants in the local healthcare system of some indigenous groups
15 originating from the most rural parts of the country e.g. Pinatubo negritoes of Central Luzon
16 (Fox, 1952), Mansaka tribe from Compostella Valley (Abrams, 1961), Ifugao people of
17 Northern Luzon (Conklin, 1967), Tasaday people, South Cotabato (Yen and Gutierrez, 1974),
18 Higaonon tribe from Mindanao (Olowa et al., 2012), Itawe tribe, Cagayan Valley (Rocero,
19 1982), Bontoc tribe, Mountain Province (Bodner and Gereau, 1988); Kalanguya tribe, Luzon
20 (Balangcod and Balangcod, 2011); Ivatan people of Batanes (Abe and Ohtani, 2013); and
21 Lubuagan sub-tribe, North Luzon (Banwa and Bawer, 2013). In some international studies,
22 the list of plants and their use are provided but these do not necessarily document the details
23 of use (Zaghloul and Salman, 2012; Pattanaik et al., 2009; Teklehaymanot and Giday, 2006).
24 Since ancient times, rice has been used in many countries for various therapeutic
25 purposes and methods (Umadevi et al., 2012). The ancient literature of rice-growing Asian
26 countries such as Thailand, Myanmar, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India have attributed
27 some medicinal properties to rice, in addition to it being the mainstay as food. In early
28 oriental writings, whole brown rice was mentioned as the perfect food (Lahans, 2007). In
29 China, the medicinal value of rice was known as far back as in 2,800 BC, when it was used
30 by royal Chinese physicians for healing purposes (Umadevi et al., 2012). The Medical Book
31 of Malayan Medicine also describes many uses for rice. Pounded raw rice, fine rice flour and
32 the water in which the rice was soaked were recorded in this old medical text as an eye
33 treatments (Gimlette and Burkill, 1930). In Ayurveda, the medicinal values of rice have been
34 described: rice is considered to be acrid, oleaginous, tonic, aphrodisiac, fattening, diuretic and
35 useful in biliousness (Caius, 1986). A recent review by Ahuja et al. (2008) enumerated and
36 described various Indian rices used to alleviate different ailments of the body from improving
37 the digestion to enhancing virility in men. From this list, one particular called Njavara, has
38 been extensively studied for its anti-inflammatory (Paul and Moolan, 2014; Mohanlal et al.,
39 2011) and nutritional properties (Deepa et al., 2008).
40 Recently, it was found out that unpolished rice is a rich source of important bioactive
41 compounds and nutraceuticals with numerous potential health functions. For example,
42 germinated brown rice contains <gamma>-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which may be
43 effective in preventing diabetic vascular complications such as ischemic heart disease, and
44 increase in blood glucose concentration (Hagiwara et al., 2004). Furthermore, <gamma>-
45 oryzanol found in rice bran oil may have potential for the treatment of obesity and type 2
46 diabetes (Kozuka et al., 2013), lower blood cholesterol in animals and humans (Berger et al.,
47 2005), cancer chemoprevention (Borresen and Ryan, 2014; Seetharamaiah and
48 Chandrasekhara, 1989), antibacterial (Cicero and Gaddi, 2001) as well as stimulating hair
49 growth and preventing skin ageing (Nagendra Prasad et al., 2011). Red rice in particular is
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50 gaining popularity in Japan as a functional food because of its high polyphenol and
51 anthocyanin content (Itani and Ogawa, 2004). It is notable that there are actual large
52 differences in nutrient composition within rice cultivars (Kennedy and Burlingame, 2003),
53 and the levels of bioactive compounds appear to be genotype dependent (Karladee and
54 Suriyong, 2013; Kiing et al., 2009).
55 Despite the overabundance of rice cultivars and landrace in the Philippines (around
56 15,000 collections at the National Rice Genebank, PhilRice), no published comprehensive
57 ethnobotanical information exists for the exclusive subject on Philippine traditional rice
58 landrace or simply traditional rice in this context and their ethnomedicinal value. With the
59 additional concern of the continuing loss of traditional knowledge due to urbanization,
60 industrialization and general change in lifestyle of the people, the documentation of plants
61 from their natural source for knowledge preservation becomes an urgent matter. To fill this
62 gap, this study aims to create the first record of traditional rice with ethnomedicinal use in the
63 Philippines. Specifically this study aimed to identify and collect traditional rice landrace with
64 ethnomedicinal application from local communities of the Philippines, and to compile
65 information about the application, traditional preparation, and administration of these plants.
66 This was done to provide baseline information for future pharmacological, phytochemical
67 and other related studies on rice.
68
69 2. Material and methods
70 2.1. Study area identification and description
71 The study areas were identified through research and coordination with the Upland
72 Rice Technologists (Uptechs) of PhilRice, local agricultural technicians and academics for a
73 period of two years (2014-2015). The ethnobotanical study was finally performed in nine
74 areas distributed in four provinces: Palawan, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and
75 North Cotabato (Table 1).
76 The topographic condition for each province visited can be generally described as flat
77 to gently undulating, slightly rolling to hilly and mountainous with irregular coastlines -
78 except for North Cotabato which is landlocked (Fig. 1). The highest peak in Palawan is
79 Mount Matalinhangan reaching 2,086m above sea level, Mount Dabiak in Zamboanga region
80 at 2,600m and Mount Apo at 2,954m in North Cotabato. Because of the complex
81 topography, Philippines’ overall climate varies by region. According to the Philippine
82 Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Palawan’s
83 western coast experiences Type I climate with distinct summer monsoonal wet season from
84 May to October and a dry season from November to April while the eastern coast at Type II
85 climate has no clear dry season with maximum rainfall in November–December associated
86 with the northeast winter monsoon. While the western areas of Zamboanga experience Type
87 III climate (intermediate between Type I and Type II), most southern areas including
88 Zamboanga (eastern part) and North Cotabato have Type IV climate which means rainfall is
89 evenly distributed throughout the year.
90 According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (2014), 50% of the workforce in the
91 areas visited is engaged in the agricultural sector, with male workers comprising about 70%
92 of the total agricultural employment. Major crops cultivated in the area include rice (Oryza
93 sativa L.), maize (Zea mays L.) and coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) along with other high value
94 crops such as fruits and vegetables. Livestock and poultry are major agricultural products in
95 these areas. Within the areas visited, the planting-harvesting of traditional rice is done once a
96 year, i.e., March to July or May to September.
97 Overall, there is richness and diversity in terms of culture, ethnicity, traditions, dialect
98 and heritage. The most prominent language in North Cotabato and Zamboanga peninsula is
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 99 Cebuano. While Tagalog is more prevalent in Palawan, there are several languages clustered
100 under the Palawano language.
101
102 2.2. Data collection and analysis
103
104 2.2.1. Sampling method and periods
105 The ethnoguided surveys including the interview, traditional rice germplasm
106 collection and in situ documentation of crop stand were carried out in two study phases:
107 Phase 1: September-October 2014 and Phase 2: August-September 2015. Request for
108 permission and assistance to conduct the study were sent out to the respective Department of
109 Agriculture provincial offices and municipal agriculturist offices. Approval and personal
110 prior consent was obtained from all informants and an orientation regarding the mission and
111 objective of the research was done among all participants of the activity.
112 The key informants were identified using a snowball method (Morilla et al., 2014;
113 Bernard, 2002). The methods used for the survey was in the form of semi-structured
114 interviews described by Cotton (1996) and the informal discussion among participants
115 inCebuano (i.e., for North Cotabato and Zamboanga), Palawano (for Palawan) and Tagalog
116 was aided by an interpreter. Altogether, 39 key informants were identified during the study
117 among whom are 24 men and 15 women, with an average age of 51.7 years. Overall, literacy
118 was high in this group (92%), and while 100% of the informants understand the national
119 language Tagalog, people from Zamboanga region and North Cotabato preferred to speak in
120 the local Cebuano or Visayan language during interviews. The main activity for men and
121 women are, primarily but not exclusively, farming and housekeeping. In addition, several of
122 the key informants participate in the local government and the trade of local goods within the
123 community. The information was recorded in a field notebook and a voice recorder for
124 accuracy. The demographic information of respondents and ethnomedicinal information of
125 the plants were collected and presented in Table 2.
126 Descriptive statistics was used to analyze and organize the collected information from
127 the surveys. The frequency of citation for each of the traditional rice and corresponding plant
128 part used per ailment was carefully recorded and plotted in matrix form.
129
130 2.2.2 Curation of plant germplasm materials
131 During the study, photographs of the plants, their habit and different parts were taken
132 while standard germplasm sample documentation and collection protocols of the National
133 Rice Genebank were applied for each traditional rice studied. The seed germplasm materials
134 collected during this study were catalogued in the archives using the PhilRice Genebank
135 collection number i.e. GRD collection number and; deposited and conserved in the National
136 Rice Genebank of the Philippine Rice Research Institute, Science City of Muñoz, Philippines
137 under restricted access. All germplasm materials were collected between September-October
138 2014 and August-September 2015.
139
140
141 3. Results and discussions
142
143 3.1. Medicinal application of traditional rice, mode of administration, dosage and side-
144 effects
145 The study revealed 19 traditional rice that are used for the native prevention and
146 treatment of 21 human and one animal health condition (Table 3). Among the 19 traditional
147 rice studied, most healthcare applications was related to the Maragaya (white variant) with
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148 nine applications, followed by Maragaya (purple variant) – eight health conditions treated,
149 Gapon gapon was used to treat seven health conditions; and Dinorado and Dalino were used
150 to treat four health conditions each. The 22 health conditions cited were grouped into 12
151 categories following the Economic Botany Data Collection Standard (Cook, 1995) including
152 some modifications proposed by Gruca et al. (2014), i.e., cultural diseases and disorder
153 (Table 4). Under this category, health concerns and problems with spiritual, supernatural and
154 culturally unique etiologies were grouped.
155 The traditional rice studied were most frequently used for the treatment and control of
156 human disorders and ethnoveterinary use (Table 4). Overall, there are seven methods of
157 remedy preparation used for the studied rice (Table 5) while the most common mode of
158 remedy is boiling the grains into regular cooked rice or porridge (43%), followed by
159 decoction (17.5%), rice wash water (12.5%), dry pulverized (7.5%), roasted/burned for ash
160 (7.5%), infusion (5%) and paste mixed with non-rice herbs/materials (5%). In most of the
161 remedies described, 82% were given orally while the remaining 18% were administered
162 topically. Many ethnobotanical surveys conducted have emphasized the preference of oral
163 remedies (Mandal and Rahaman, 2016; Ijaz et al., 2016; Tchouya et al., 2015; Abe and
164 Ohtani, 2012), nevertheless, topical application is still a significant way to administer
165 treatment for skin disorders, muscle aches, stomach pain, headaches, and pain brought by
166 measles, typhoid fever and cough. Most of the oral remedies reported were administered two
167 to three times a day until the patient recovers while application of topical remedies depends
168 mainly on the condition (mildness and severity) of the disease. Some preparations can be
169 altered to suit the age and current condition of the patient. Aside from this, the informants
170 also mentioned that grains can be used even after a year of storage provided that the samples
171 have not been exposed to pesticides and other preservatives.
172 Among the documented unique remedy preparations, the most frequently used plant
173 part was the unpolished grain (80%), followed by roots (12.5%) and rice straw (5%) and a
174 combination of grains and roots (2.5%). In many studies worldwide, the leaves are the most
175 frequently used part of the medicinal plant (Tchouya et al., 2015; Blasco et al., 2014;
176 Vijayakumar, 2014; Abe and Ohtani, 2012; Balangcod and Balangcod, 2011). However in
177 rice, the unpolished grains are much more used. The results indicate concordance with the
178 described Ayurvedic remedy preparations which mostly involve rice grains for various health
179 concerns in India (Das and Oudhia, 2001; Ahuja et al., 2008). From a scientific point of view,
180 antioxidants such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins,
181 tocopherols, tocotrienols, <gamma>-oryzanol, and phytic acid are mainly found in the grain
182 and rice bran. It is clear that to maximize the intake of antioxidant compounds, rice should
183 be preferentially consumed in the form of bran or as whole grain. (Goufo and Trindade,
184 2014). Moreover, according to the informants, using rice grains is more beneficial as they can
185 be stored for a long period of time without affecting the therapeutic effect, unless of course,
186 the bran is striped off which according to them will lead to some loss of rice’s therapeutic
187 quality.
188 Apart from Dinorado, which is reported to aggravate the existing fever of patients
189 when administered, no side effects on the remaining plants studied were reported by the
190 informants. Nevertheless, there is a lack of specific details for standard measurements and
191 general consensus on the dosages since there was no written document for the standard
192 procedures of preparation especially with treatments involving rituals and ceremonies. This
193 leaves some questions as to what extent the effect of heat and the amount of other remedy
194 components have on the overall effect of the treatment with regards to the physicochemical
195 composition and phytochemical activity of the plant.
196
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197
198 3.2. Comparative analysis with ethnobotanical literature
199 Nutritional disorders reported were mainly fatigue and muscle aches. Interviewed
200 respondents attributed the cause of fatigue and muscle aches to too much physical work (field
201 activities in particular) with an empty stomach. For the traditional rice studied, nutritional
202 disorder remedies were administered either orally or topically (Table 3). This coincides with
203 the described tonic effect of five traditional Indian rice used in Ayurveda as described by
204 Ahuja et al. (2008) which are administered as boiled rice along with the starchy water and a
205 pinch of salt.
206 Digestive system disorders described such as constipation, gas pain and more serious
207 disorders such as typhoid fever and hematemesis (vomiting of blood) were orally remedied
208 with cooked rice or porridge; and grain root decoctions and infusion; while topical
209 application was done using dry pulverized rice grains. These findings are concordant with
210 Chinese records dating back to 2,800 BC stating that dried, sprouted rice grains can be used
211 to aid in digestion, tone muscles and expel gas from the stomach and intestine. The Chinese
212 believe rice strengthens the spleen as well as stomach, increases appetite, and cures
213 indigestion (Umadevi et al., 2012).
214 Meanwhile ill-defined symptoms of sickness such as fever and cough as well as
215 headaches (nervous system disorder) were treated with cooked rice, oral infusions and paste
216 made of rice and herbs. Previous rice ethnobotanical surveys in Ghhatiisgarh, India, reported
217 the use of Resari and Baisoor rice for prolonged cough and headaches (Das and Ouidha,
218 2011). The reported preparation of topical paste made from a mixture of rice grains and
219 freshly harvested herbs is also similar to the Sri Lankan method of mixing red rice with
220 specific weeds for improved memory power and jaundice and hemorrhoid treatment
221 (Ediriweera, 2007).
222 In this study, the locals reported health concerns that were caused by witchcraft in the
223 form of hex or spells, evil eye or curse from malevolent stare, and bulong or incantations;
224 spirits or supernatural beings; and hidden diseases present in the body from an unknown
225 cause (Table 5). There were no existing clear cut category for these culture bound
226 syndromes/illnesses (Mathez-Stiefel et al., 2012; Carel and Cooper, 2010) within the
227 westernized standard medicinal categories found in the Economic Botany Data Collection
228 Standard (Cook, 1995); to amend this, the proposed category: cultural diseases and disorders
229 by Gruca et al., (2014) was adapted. These findings are one of the novel results of the study
230 as there are no works done previously for the ethnomedicinal attributes of Philippine rice,
231 more so on its relevance in the spiritual aspects of traditional medicine in the community.
232 Viral infections mentioned in this study such as measles, influenza and common colds
233 are managed through internal and external dosage forms using the grain (boiled/ roasted),
234 wash water, herbal infusion of roots and rice straw, and rice straw ash. Surprisingly, a
235 similar treatment of measles reported by Ahuja et al. (2008) in the Orissa-West Bengal
236 Region prescribes a paste of roots and long pepper. In this regard, rice may also serve as an
237 immune system booster. Unpolished rice contains considerable amount of minerals, vitamins
238 and macronutrients (Umadevi et al., 2012) that make it a suitable food for patients with
239 weakened immune system and micronutrient deficiency, e.g., beriberi.
240 In our findings, rice has been reported as a treatment for painful urination and other
241 symptoms of urinary tract disorder. The frequent use of plants for the treatment of
242 genitourinary disorders and pregnancy/birth/puerperium disorders especially among women
243 in rural areas is recognized worldwide (Ijaz et al., 2016; Adnan et al., 2015; Shah et al., 2015;
244 De Beer and Van Wyk, 2011; De Wet and Van Wyk, 2008; Chaudhury and Rafei, 2001).
245 This trend may be deduced from the fact that most women in rural areas, especially in the
5
246 Philippines, are living under poor conditions with poor sanitation and little access to
247 westernized medical attention thus the prevalence of using traditional plants as alternative
248 treatment for urinary tract infections and pregnancy disorders (Blasco et al., 2014; Balangcod
249 and Balangcod, 2011). As a sexual tonic, traditional rices Tres Marias and Makaitot were
250 believed to increase the libido of an individual caused by sexual dysfunction (unrelated to
251 infertility). In Sri Lanka, the fragrant Kurulu Thuda and Suwandel are said to improve
252 bladder function and enhance male sexual potency while special preparation of the Indian
253 Sashtika rice mixed with honey and other ingredients was said to improve sexual vigor
254 (Valiathan, 2003).

255 In Palawan, two particular traditional rice namely, Dalino and Inowak were reported
256 as remedy for pimples. The reported methods include using the wash water to treat and
257 prevent the appearance of pimples in the skin; and using the starchy precipitate of the wash as
258 a face cream to protect the skin from sunlight during the treatment period. This preparation
259 may have some scientific merit as numerous studies have shown that rice bran contains
260 tocotrienols, which are easily absorbed in the skin and stabilize the free radicals generated in
261 the skin when exposed to oxidative rays (Nagendra Prasad et al., 2011). The traditional rices
262 reported by Ahuja et al. (2008) and Das and Oudhia (2001) report the use of rice for various
263 prenatal and post-natal care for cows. Surprisingly, in this study, we discovered the use of
264 rice called Pilit Tapul for the ethnoveterinary remedy of carabao skin disease which is
265 characterized by the appearance of inflamed small bumps in the body of the animal that arise
266 from long-term heat stress.
267
268
269 4. Conclusions and recommendation
270 This study is the first to formally confirm and document that certain traditional rice
271 landraces have a role in the healthcare system of selected local communities in the
272 Philippines. Among the 19 landraces documented the Maragaya both white and purple
273 variants and Gapon gapon were the plants with most healthcare applications. The 22 health
274 conditions documented in the study were grouped into 11 categories and it was found that
275 studied plants were most frequently used for the treatment and control of nutritional and
276 digestive system disorders. Seven methods of remedy preparation were identified where
277 grains are the most favored plant part and oral administration was the preferred mode of
278 treatment. Notable usage of traditional rice also included the following: sexual tonic for
279 libido enhancement and prevention of sexual dysfunction, facial wash and facial cream
280 against pimple, and as ethnoveterinary remedy against carabao skin disease. Currently, 16 out
281 of 19 germplasm samples of the documented traditional rice are being conserved at the
282 National Rice Genebank, PhilRice under restricted access. Meanwhile, the preservation of
283 these valuable traditional rice are being threatened with erosion of traditional knowledge due
284 to urbanization, industrialization and general change in lifestyle of the people. Therefore,
285 practical efforts to study these landrace for their associated pharmacological properties and
286 the search for other traditional rice with ethnomedicinal use are highly recommended.
287
288 Acknowledgements
289 The researcher is very grateful to the valuable contributions of the informants of the
290 study, the Department of Agriculture provincial offices of Region IVB and Region IX and the
291 municipal agriculturist officials of Arakan, North Cotabato, Rizal, Palawan, and Sergio
292 Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte, PhilRice for the financial support, Loida M. Perez for the
293 constant supervision, assistance of the UpTechs: Marlo Montero and Mike Tuico, agricultural

6
294 technicians: James R. Dulay, Maricel Anoy and Gianipa Manupac, and PhilRice researchers:
295 Marilyn C. Ferrer, Teodora E. Mananghaya, Verna G. Dalusong and Malvin D. Duldulao.
296
297 Competing Interests
298
299 The authors declare that they have no competing interests regarding the publication of
300 this article.
301
302
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526

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527 Table 1
528 Study sites and activities conducted.
Location Coordinates of areas visited Activity conducted
A. Rizal, Palawan
-Barangay Ransang 8°53'59"N 117°31'57"E ICD
B. Sergio Osmeña Sr., Zamboanga del Norte
-Barangay Marapong 8°17'10"N 123°21'52"E ICD
-Barangay Prinsesa Freshia 8°16'5"N 123°22'40"E ICD
C. Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur
-Barangay Salambuyan 7°37'8"N 123°14'31"E I
D. Molave, Zamboanga del Sur 8°5'33.27"N 123°29'3.37"E I
E. Arakan, North Cotabato
-Barangay Kinawayan 7°23'46.4"N 125°10'20.2"E ICD

-Barangay Kinawayan (Centro) 7°23'27.30"N 125°10'36.60"E I

-Barangay Maria Caridad 7°23'00.1"N 125°09'43.4"E IC

-Barangay Naje 7°19'36.80"N 125° 4'16.90"E I
529 Legend: I-interview, C-germplasm collection and D-in situ documentation
530

12
531 Table 2
532 Demographic details of the informants.
Origin of informants

Parameters North Cotabato Zamboanga Palawan

Gender Male 8 7 9
Female 7 5 3
Age group 20-49 7 5 8
50-70 5 6 2
>70 3 1 2
Education Illiterate 0 3 0
Educated* 15 9 12
533 *Elementary undergraduate, HS undergraduate, College undergraduate, College graduate
534

13
535 Table 3
536 Traditional rice landrace and their ethnomedicinal preparation and application.
Landrace name
Parts used2 Preparation and administration Ailments treated/Effect/Uses and key informant
and GRD Collection No.

1. Gapon Gapon (Arakan) Measles , energizer/help lessen fatigue, constipation,

G Cooked rice/Rice porridge (Oral)
Coll. No. 14216 stomach ache due to gas/bloating, influenza, fever
G Decoction (Oral) Stomach ache due to gas/bloating
RS Ash (Topical) Muscle aches
2. Bihod (Arakan) Prevent relapse/promote full recovery of the patient,
G Cooked rice/Rice porridge (Oral) energizer/help lessen fatigue, muscle aches and
Coll. No. 14215 constipation

3. Tang co (Arakan) G Rice porridge (Oral) Prevent relapse/promote full recovery of the patient
Coll. No. 14218

Prevent relapse/promote full recovery of the patient,

4. Pilit Tapul (Arakan) G Cooked rice/Rice porridge (Oral)
constipation, skin disease in carabao
Coll. No. 14221

5. Dinorado (Arakan) G Cooked rice (Oral) Release underlying cause of fever in children and
Coll. No. 14227 adults, energizer/help lessen fatigue

R, RS Decoction (Oral) Stomach ache due to gas/bloating

537
538
539
540

14
541 Table 3
542 Continued.
Landrace name
Parts used Preparation and administration Ailments treated/Effect/Uses and key informant
and GRD Collection No.
5. Dinorado (Arakan) G Cooked rice (Oral) Release underlying cause of fever in children and adults,
Coll. No. 14227 energizer/help lessen fatigue
R, RS Decoction (Oral) Stomach ache due to gas/bloating

6. Bulawan (Arakan) G Cooked rice (Oral) Prevent relapse/promote full recovery of the patient,
Coll. No. 14220 energizer/help lessen fatigue
7. Hinumay (Arakan) G Cooked rice (Oral) Prevent relapse/promote full recovery of the patient,
Coll. No. 14221 energizer/help lessen fatigue
8. Kutibos (Arakan) G Cooked rice (Oral) Release underlying cause of fever in children and adults
Coll. No. 14229
9. Makaitot (Arakan) G Cooked rice (Oral) Aphrodisiac/sexual dysfunction
Coll. No. NA
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557

15
558 Table 3
559 Continued.
Landrace name
Parts used Preparation and administration Ailments treated/Effect/Uses and key informant
and GRD Collection No.

10. Bagtok (Arakan) G Cooked rice (Oral) Illnesses with emphasis to high fevers that are caused by
Coll. No. NA spirits/ supernatural intervention

11. Salog (Arakan) G Roasted (Oral) Influenza

Coll. No. NA
12. Tres Marias (Arakan) Coll. G Cooked rice (Oral) Aphrodisiac/ sexual dysfunction
No. 14217

13. Dalino (Rizal) G Wash water (Topical) Facial pimples

Coll. No. 14233 G Decoction (Oral) Prevent relapse/promote full recovery of the patient from
several illnesses
G + NR Decoction (Oral) Promotes postpartum recovery

R Decoction (Oral) Release hidden diseases in the body from unknown causes

560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
16
571 Table 3
572 Continued.
Landrace name
Parts used Preparation and administration Ailments treated/Effect/Uses and key informant
and GRD Collection No.

14. Kinilala (Rizal) G Wash water (Oral) Urinary tract infection/ painful urination and unusual
Coll. No. 14235 yellowing of urine, treatment for patients suffering from
various ailments caused by bulong or special incantations
and kulam or hexes/evil eye

15. Inowak (Rizal) G Wash water (Topical) Facial pimples

Coll. No. 14234 G, R Wash water and decoction (Oral) Hematemesis
16. Karikit (Rizal) G Rice porridge (Oral) Prevent relapse/promote full recovery of the patient
Coll. No. 14236 R Decoction (Oral) Beriberi or manas(inflammation)
17. Pindinga/Kandinga (Rizal) G Rice porridge (Oral) Promotes postpartum recovery
Coll. No. NA
G+R Rice porridge (Oral) Prevent relapse/promote full recovery of the patient from
several illnesses

573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
17
583 Table 3
584 Continued.
Landrace name
Parts used Preparation and administration Ailments treated/Effect/Uses and key informant
and GRD Collection No.

18. Maragaya (Sergio G + NR Paste mixed with non-rice herbs/ Measles, typhoid fever, cough
Osmeña) White variant materials (Topical)
Collection No. 14075
G Infusion (Oral) Measles, fever , headache , stomach ache due to
gas/bloating and indigestion, energizer/help lessen fatigue,
cough
G Rice porridge (Oral) Measles, Fever
G Dry pulverized (Topical) Headache, stomach ache due to gas/bloating and
indigestion
G Dry pulverized (Oral) Muscle aches
G Wash water (Oral) Common cold
G, R Rice porridge (Oral) and Ash Measles
(Topical)
R, RS Infusion (Oral) Common cold, cough

585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595

18
596 Table 3
597 Continued.
Landrace name
Parts used Preparation and administration Ailments treated/Effect/Uses and key informant
and GRD Collection No.

19. Maragaya (Sergio G No available detailed description Treatment for patients suffering from various ailments
Osmeña) Purple variant caused by bulong or special incantations and kulam or
Collection No. 14066 hexes/evil eye
G Infusion (Oral) Measles, fever , headache , stomach ache due to gas/bloating
and indigestion, energizer/help lessen fatigue, cough
G Dry pulverized (Topical) Headache, stomach ache due to gas/bloating and indigestion
G Wash water (Oral) Common cold
1
598 NA=Not Applicable
2
599 Parts used: G-grains; R- roots; RS- rice straw; G+NR- grains and non-rice materials
600
601

19
602 Table 4
603 Health concerns treated and controlled by the selected traditional rice landraces.
No. of
functional
Categories Sub-categories/ Specific health concerns
traditional
rice landrace
1. Circulatory system disorders Beriberi/Pamamanas 1
2. Digestive system disorders Ease digestion/Constipation 3
Stomach ache due to gas/bloating due to 5
gas/Bloating
Typhoid fever 1
Hematemesis 1
3. Genitourinary system disorders Urinary tract infection 1
Sexual dysfunction in males and females 2
4. Ill-defined symptoms Fever 3
Cough 2
5. Immune system disorders Prevent relapse/promote full recovery 7
from illness
6. Infections/Infestations Measles (Viral infection) 3
Influenza (Viral infection) 2
Common cold (Viral infection) 2
7. Nervous system disorders Headache 2
8. Nutritional disorders Fatigue 7
Muscle aches 3
9. Pregnancy/birth/puerperium Promotes post-partum recovery 2
disorders
10. Skin/subcutaneous cellular tissue Pimples 2
disorders
11. Cultural diseases and disorder Hex/Evil eye/Bulong 2
(Gruca et al. 2014)
Hidden diseases from the body from 3
unknown causes
Illnesses caused by Spirits/Supernatural 1
beings
12. Veterinary purpose Carabao skin disease 1
604
605
606 Table 5
607 Summary of unique methods for ethnomedicinal treatment using different plant parts.
Number of reported unique preparation per plant part used
Mode of preparation
G RS R G+R Total
Cooked rice/Porridge 16 0 0 1 17
Decoction 2 1 4 0 7
Infusion 2 0 0 0 2
Rice wash water 5 0 0 0 5
Dry pulverized 3 0 0 0 3
Paste mixed with non-rice herbs/ materials 2 0 0 0 2
Roasted/burned 1 1 1 0 3
No detail of preparation 1 0 0 0 1

20
608 Legend: G-grain, RS-rice straw, R-roots, G+R-grain and roots, R+ RS-roots and rice straw
609

21