Estudio cualitativo del uso de plantas medicinales en forma complementaria o alternativa con el consumo de fármacos en la población rural de la ciudad de Bulnes, Región del Bío-Bío, Chile / Qualitative study of use medicinal plants in a complementary or alternative way with the use of among of rural population of the Bulnes City, Bío-Bío Region, Chile

In a rural population of Bulnes, Bio-Bio Region of Chile, it was assessed the daily consumption of medicinal plants and drugs. Through 168 interviews the consumption of 5 medicinal plants was evaluated, considering their application, used plant parts, type of consumption, preparation, age range of people consuming mainly medicinal plants, use of other pharmacological treatments, main diseases present in the population under study and the type of drugs consumed. The obtained results demonstrate that higher consumed medicinal plants were peppermint (Mentha piperita) chamomile (Matricaria recutita), rute (Ruta graveolens), oregano (Origanum vulgare) and pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium). The consumption of medicinal plants was mainly complementary. The therapeutic use of medicinal plants in the rural population of Bulnes, is mainly digestive and it is not necessarily related to those diseases with more prevalence or most commonly observed in the population. It is important to consider future studies to determine if medicinal plants are more likely used to reduce the digestive discomfort which arises as a lateral damage of pharmaceutical drugs.

En una población rural de la Comuna de Bulnes, VIII región de Chile, fue valorado el consumo de plantas medicinales y fármacos. A través de 168 encuestas fue valorado el consumo de 5 plantas medicinales, su aplicación, las partes mas usadas de las plantas, tipo de consumo, preparación, porcentaje del rango etáreo que consume mayoritariamente plantas medicinales, porcentaje de la población sin y con consumo de fármacos, el porcentaje de las enfermedades presentes en la población en estudio y de los fármacos consumidos. Se obtuvo que las plantas medicinales más consumidas fueron la menta (Mentha piperita), manzanilla (Matricaria recutita), ruda (Ruta graveolens), orégano (Origanum vulgare) y poleo (Mentha pulegium). El consumo de las plantas medicinales fue principalmente de tipo complementario. El uso terapéutico de las plantas medicinales en la población rural de Bulnes, es principalmente de tipo digestivo no relacionándose con las enfermedades de mayor presencia en la población. Dicho uso es probablemente para disminuir las molestias digestivas causadas por el consumo de fármacos. Es necesario realizar mas estudios tendientes a esclarecer este punto de importancia relevante.

Effects of pulp and paper mill discharges on caged rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): biomarker responses along a pollution gradient in the Biobio River, Chile.

Caging experiments were conducted using hatchery-reared, immature, female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in three previously defined areas of the Biobio River (south central Chile) representing a pollution gradient from the pulp and paper mill discharges area: a pre-impact area (upstream area, reference location), an impact area (area directly influenced), and a postimpact area (downstream area, less influenced). No significant changes were observed in the physiological index as represented by condition factor (K) and liver somatic index during different sampling times (after 11, 21, and 30 d of exposure). Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activities were significantly higher in trout caged at the impact and postimpact discharges areas (two- to fourfold) compared with the reference (pre-impact) area, and a strong inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity, reaching 50%, was observed mainly in fish caged at the impact area. A significant endocrine-disrupting effect (reproductive level) was evidenced by significant increments in gonad somatic index and plasma vitellogenin levels combined with an induction of gonad maturation (presence of vitellogenic oocytes) in trout caged at the impact and postimpact areas. These results, generated by an in situ approach, confirmed our group's findings for trout exposed to sediment in the laboratory: discharges of pulp mill effluent in the Biobio River are associated with the effects evaluated at different biological levels.

Reproductive, physiological, and biochemical responses in juvenile female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to sediment from pulp and paper mill industrial discharge areas.

Four pulp and paper mills discharge their effluents in the same section of the Biobio River in central southern Chile. Pulp mill effluents are a very complex mixture with characteristics that depend on the type of raw material, the process technology, and the effluent treatment. To investigate the effect of pulp mill effluent discharges, immature Oncorhynchus mykiss were exposed to river sediments in the laboratory for 29 d. Three sampling areas were defined in a spatial gradient in the river: Preimpact, impact, and postimpact zones relative to the pulp and paper mill discharge areas. Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activities were significantly higher in fish exposed to impact and postimpact sediments when compared to those exposed to preimpact sediments, and higher levels of vitellogenin were observed in the plasma of female fish exposed to impact and postimpact sediments. Histological analysis of the gonadal tissue showed an induction of gonadal maturation in fish exposed to sediment coming from the impact and postimpact zones (oocytes in a vitellogenic state). No site differences were observed in erythrocytes, although differences were noted in the leukocytes in the exposure areas. Finally, the biomarker approach showed evidence that the sediment associated with pulp mill effluent discharges produces some effects in fish under laboratory conditions.