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

Inflammation Clinical Trial

Official title:

Dominican Herbal Medicine: Plants Used for Inflammation

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00109980
• Other study ID #: R21AT001889-01A1
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: May 3, 2005
• Last updated: October 30, 2013
• Start date: March 2005

Study information

• Verified date: October 2013
• Source: New York Botanical Garden
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: United States: Federal Government
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

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.

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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 320
• Est. primary completion date: July 2011
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Dominican ethnicity

• Have knowledge of Dominican medicinal plants

Study Design

Observational Model: Ecologic or Community, Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Inflammation

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Associates in Internal Medicine Clinic, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University	New York City	New York

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
New York Botanical Garden

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (6)

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. — View Citation

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. — View Citation

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. — View Citation

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.

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Identification of culturally important medicinal plants		June 2010	No