Markets Survey On Traditional Medicine of Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, China

Background: Traditional markets are important trading places for medicinal plants, and market surveys often engage in ethnobotanical research to record the herbal plants used locally and related traditional knowledge. However, information on the market traded medicinal plants is not well documented from traditional markets in Lijiang City, Yunnan. This research is an ethnobotanical survey focusing on medicinal plants traded in traditional markets of Lijiang City, and contributes to the understanding of medicinal plants and related information used by the Naxi people. Methods: Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out during two years (2019-2020). Three traditional markets in Lijiang City were investigated. The methods we used include literature research, participatory surveys, key insider interviews and group discussions. Results: As a result, 318 medicinal plants were recorded including 29 unidentied medicines. The plant medicines were from medicinal plants of 97 families belonged to Angiosperm, Gymnospermae, Pteridophyta, Bryophyta, Lichenes and Fungi. Asteraceae provided the maximum numbers of medicinal plants. Among them, there were 258 species (89.27%) of wild plants, 15 species (5.19%) were cultivated, and 16 species (5.54%) were wild or cultivated. There were 22 species of national protected plants in China, including 3 species of national rst-level protected plants and 19 species of national second-level protected plants. Among the recorded diseases, 58.13% of medicinal plants are used to treat musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and digestive system diseases. A total of 31 kinds of medicinal plants can be found in or Conclusion: This study surveyed herbal medicine in the market of Lijiang City, analyzing and revealing resource compositions and current market situations. The medicinal plants used by the Naxi people are diverse and are used to treat a wide spectrum of body disorders. There are many wild medicinal plants, and in order to ensure sustainable development, its natural protection should be strengthened. Knowledge of medicinal plants recorded in Naxi medical classics has ethnobotanical value and should be further developed.


Study area
Lijiang City is located in the northwest of Yunnan Province, the city center is located at E100°25' and N26°86', with a total area of 20,600 square kilometers (Fig. 1). Lijiang is an area where many ethnic groups live together. Apart from the Han nationality, there are 22 ethnic minorities living in Lijiang, among which two thirds of Naxi people live in Lijiang. Lijiang City is located in the Hengduan Mountains, with mountains, river valleys, and tableland alternate. The soil is fertile, sunshine time is long and abundant rainfall. Chinese medicinal materials are very rich in resources.

Data collection
From August 2019 to December 2020, we completed the investigation of the three medicinal material trading markets in Lijiang City. The methods that we adopted included literature research, participatory investigation, key informant interviews, and group discussions.

Data analysis
The data collected in this study were analyzed and graphed by using Microsoft O ce Excel (2010) spreadsheet and RStudio software.

Floristic diversity
In the market, we have encountered 318 medicinal plant products, of which 289 have been identi ed with a clear base source (Table 1), and 19 have not been identi ed (Table A1)

Medicinal parts
In this market survey, the types of medicinal parts included radix and rhizome, stem, bark, leaf, fruit, seed, whole plant, ower, etc., all these re ected the diversity of medicinal parts of medicinal plants used by Naxi people in Lijiang. Radix and rhizome as the main organs for organic storage, there were 122 kinds of medicinal plants from plant Radix and rhizome, accounting for 42.21% of the total number of species investigated, followed by whole grasses, with 70 species, accounting for 24.22% in contrast, leaf and seed were relatively few (Fig. 4). These data were similar to previous studies (Zhang et al. 2015). However, root and whole grass from wild plants are not conducive to the sustainable development of medicinal plants, and it is necessary to promote arti cial planting.

Medicinal applications
The therapeutic uses of 289 medicinal plants were divided into 15 medical categories (Table A2), which were adapted from the catalogue of International Classi cation of Diseases made by the WHO(World Health Organization). A kind of medicine can have multiple therapeutic uses.
For example, Oxalis corniculata can treat musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases, gynecological system diseases and skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases, etc. This shows the diversity of herbs for use by Naxi people in Lijiang area. Among the 15 medical categories, 289 medicinal plants have the most medicine for the treatment of musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and digestive system diseases(58.13%). For example, the drugs used to treat external injury and rheumatic diseases such as Dipsacus asper, Eucommia ulmoides, Polygonum cuspidatum, and Hemiphragma heterophyllum, etc., The medicines used to treat digestive diseases include Rumex nepalensis, Scutellaria barbata, etc., which were inseparable from the local climate and natural environment. This was consistent with the trend of the survey results in the Honghe area (Lee et al. 2008). The second was the treatment of Infectious and parasitic diseases (49.13%), such as the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, malaria, etc.. There were also many medicines used to treat gynecological diseases (47.06%), skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases (43.60%), and respiratory diseases (43.25%). In addition, 33 of the 289 kinds of medicinal plants were used to treat snake bites, such as Lysimachia congesti ora, Evodia lepta, Paris polyphylla, etc. These were also local specialty medicines. (Fig.5) 3.4 Literature survey

Herbal medicine recorded in the Dongba Sutra
The Dongba Sutra records the contents of philosophy, history, religion, medicine, etc., and is recognized as the encyclopedia of Naxi people. Among them, a large number of medical Classics re ected the contents related to life and health in ancient times, which are the simple understanding of life, health, and medicine of ancient people, and were of great signi cance to the study of the origin of medicine. Dongba people in the primitive religion of Naxi people had mastered the Dongba words and accumulated their initial knowledge and long-term practice of medicine (Chen, 2004). At the same time, they had formed their unique diagnosis and treatment theories and valuable experience in disease prevention and treatment. In this market research, 19 of 289 medicinal materials were recorded in the Dongba Sutra (Table 2, Fig 6). All the medicines recorded in the Dongba Sutra are formulas, and it can also be known that Naxi Dongba is compatible with medicines to treat diseases. For example, to treat serious cold, Naxi Dongba use Bupleurum candollei and Pyrola forrestiana (Fig 6 A). Pueraria lobata and Melia azedarach can be used to treat malnutrition in children (Fig 6 B), Rheum palmatum, Rheum likiangense, and Wol poria cocos can be used to treat Bailin (Fig 6 C), Reineckia carnea, Sambucus williamsii, Drynaria delavayi can be combined to treat dyspepsia (Fig 6 D).

Herbal medicine recorded in Yu Long Ben cao
Yu Long Ben Cao is compiled based on the environment, climate, eating habits and other diseases where Naxi people live in. It is a precious crystallization of Naxi medicine and an important parts of Naxi medicine (Ni Ping, 2019). In this market research, 12 medicinal plants were recorded in Yu Long Ben Cao (Fig.7), including Cynanchum otophyllum, Rodgersia sambucifolia, Swertia punicea, Geum aleppicum, Salvia trijuga, Polygala arillata, Senecio scandens, Polygonum paleaceum, Rumex nepalensis, Arctium lappa, Ajuga forrestii, Valeriana jatamansi. Among them, Rumex nepalensis is also recorded in the Dongba Sutra, In the Dongba Sutra, Rumex nepalensis is mashed, mixed with honey and smashed green onions, to treat men with hernia (Fig 8). In Yu Long Ben Cao, the indications of Rumex nepalensis are different, mainly treating skin eczema, sweat spots, acute tonsillitis, constipation, etc. (He Deshao, 2018). In the theory of TCM(State Pharmacopoeia Committee,2020), the indications of Rumex nepalensis are roughly the same as those recorded in Yu Long Ben Cao. Yu Long Ben Cao was written in Chinese by an author of Naxi people, and is the product of the combination of the culture of Naxi medical culture and Han medical culture (Zhang et al., 2006).
Lijiang is located in the northwest of Yunnan Province, at the junction of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet. It is a multi-ethnic place. In addition to Han and Naxi, there are 21 ethnic minorities such as Tibetan, Bai, and Yi. Some medicinal materials are also used in these ethnic minorities, such as Rumex nepalensis, Tibetans are used to treat Soreand Ulcer, recorded in Jingzhu Materia Medica(Dan, 2012), Bai people are used to treat Constipation, Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage, Eczema, etc. (Jia and Zhang, 2016). Naxi people also have this usage (He, 2018). These phenomena reveal the interrelationship between the Naxi medical culture and the medical culture of the surrounding ethnic groups.

Resources status
Among the original plants of 289 kinds of medicinal materials, 266 kinds (92.39%) were from the local area and 21 kinds (6.92%) were from other places. Among them, 258 species (89.27%) were completely wild, 15 species (5.19%) were cultivated, and 16 species (5.54%) were wild or cultivated (Fig.9) (Table 3), of which 15 species sold in markets of Lijiang(78.95%) were completely from wild plants. It is worth noting that Psammosilene tunicoides, Bletilla striata, Gymnadenia conopsea and Rhodiola crenulata were classi ed as "endangered" species according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but all currently sold on the Lijiang market were collected from the wild; Dysosma versipellis, Juglans regia, Pleione yunnanensis and Gymnadenia orchidis belong to the "vulnerable" species according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and all sold in the Lijiang markets were also collected from the wild. Although Paris pubescens and Cistanche deserticola were classi ed as "endangered" species according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, but they could be cultivated and obtained at present. Reasonable utilization and effective protection for these wild species were extremely vital, or else they might be endangered in the near future. The ancestors of Naxi people attach great importance to the harmonious development of man and nature and they believe that man and nature are brothers. Experienced medicinal gatherers attach great importance to the sustainable use of resources. They generally pick large herd rather than small ones. Most of them collect herds when seeds are mature and sow seeds in the surrounding area, in order to be able to renew naturally In terms of disease treatment, the herb application of Naxi people almost covers common diseases, including dyspepsia, common cold, menstruation disturbances, fractures, etc., as well as incurable infectious diseases such as rabies and malaria, as well as current research hotspots such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. More is the treatment of common local diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, external injury, etc. In the use of medicinal plants, a versatile feature is very common, For example, Aconitum brachypodum can not only treat cancer, but also treat rheumatoid arthritis; In addition to treating rheumatoid arthritis and external injury, Toddalia asiatica can also treat diseases such as gastrointestinal bleeding and menstruation disturbances.
In the long historical development process, Naxi people have constantly learned and absorbed the advanced culture and advanced production technology of various ethnic groups in the process of communication with the surrounding ethnic groups, thereby enriching and developing their own culture and promoting their own national progress and development (He, 1989). In Dongba Sutra "Genesis"(Chuang Shiji), it is mentioned that the Tibetans, Bai and Naxi are three brothers of the same compatriot. In the Naxi's creation epic "Chongmo Chongze", it is also mentioned that the Naxi and The Tibetans are brothers (Zhang, 2006). This also fully shows that Naxi people have close exchanges with Tibetans, Bai nationalities and other ethnic groups. In this study, we found that the Naxi and Bai and Tibetans also have similarities in the application of medicinal plants. For example, both the Naxi and Tibetans use Rheum palmatum to treat constipation, dyspepsia, diarrhea, jaundice, carbuncle, amenorrhea, etc.. In addition, Naxi people also use Rheum palmatum to treat vomiting, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, tumor other diseases, and the Tibetans also use it to treat infectious diseases, fever and other diseases.  (Li et al., 2021). In this market survey, a total of 19 medicinal plants were recorded in the Dongba Sutra, including Bupleurum candollei, Pyrola forrestiana, Rheum palmatum, etc. In the survey, it was found that the 19 medicinal plants were all from the local area of Lijiang. The common medicinal materials used by the people from ancient times to the present. Naxi people have a long history of recognizing and using medicines.
Yu Long Ben Cao was rst formed in the Ming Dynasty and was written in the Qing Dynasty. It was written in Chinese by He Jieshan, a Naxi people. It was a local herbal work written under the guidance of TCM theory and his personal experience in applying medicines from Naxi people.
It is the product of the combination of Naxi culture and Han culture (Zeng, 1999). This proves that at least in the Qing Dynasty, Naxi medicine was accepted and absorbed by Chinese medicine and became an indispensable part of Chinese medicine. In this market survey, a total of 12 herbs were recorded in Yu Long Ben Cao, including Cynanchum Otophyllum, Rodgersia Sambucifolia, Swertia Punicea and so on. Some of them were also recorded in Dongba Sutra, like Rumex Nepalensis. But the usage of Rumex nepalensis in Yu Long Ben Cao is different from that in Dongba Sutra. The usage of Rumex nepalensis in Yu Long Ben Cao is closer to that of TCM. Thus it can be seen from this that Naxi medicine has absorbed the practice and theory of TCM to promote the formation and development of the national medicine.
The development of Naxi medicine has gone through a long historical process. There are records of medical knowledge in many ancient Dongba Sutra. The understanding of medicines and the treatment of diseases are derived from practice and repeatedly veri ed in practice, but it just as a record of experience. With the integration of various ethnic cultures, Naxi medicine has been deeply in uenced by various cultures such as Han, Tibetan, and Bai. Unlike other ethnic medicines, Naxi medicine is a multi-cultural medical theory,which has absorbed the practices and theories of TCM, Tibetan medicine, and other ethnic medicines, and combining the characteristics of their own ethnic.

Availability of data and materials
All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article (and its supplementary information les).
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Consent for publication
Prior and informed consent of local people's pictures had been obtained for publication.  Types and quantities of Naxi medicines in the market in Lijiang area Rumex nepalensis recorded in the Dongba sutra SupplementryTables.docx