Uses, Abundance Perception and Potential Geographical Distribution of Smilax Aristolochiifolia Mill (SMILACACEAE) on the Totonacapan Region of Puebla, Mexico

Abstract BackgroundEdible wild plants have been displaced or eliminated from the traditional production systems in Mexico, mainly by the changes in land use, monoculture booming, and by changes in the traditional foods and diets of the new generations of indigenous populations. One of the millennial species which has been used in traditional medicine and food recipes by Mesoamerican cultures is Smilax aristolochiifolia (SMILACACEAE), known by the Totonac culture as “Kgentsililh”. These species are part of traditional Totonac recipes where the tender stems are still used in local medicine to treat menstrual pain, to deal with dysentery, and to prevent hair loss. This current ethnobotany and ecological investigation recorded the abundance perception and use value as a food diet ingredient and traditional medicine in the context of Totonac culture families and further estimation of the potential geographical distribution of S. aristolochiifolia in the State of Puebla, Mexico. MethodsWere applied to 260 interviews in 13 locations in the northern Sierra of the State of Puebla. Variables taken into account in the interview have related to the consumption frequency of the species, abundance perception, reasons, or arguments by the indigenous population about the decrease presence of specimens of S. aristolochiifolia, dates of collection, cutting prices of Kgentsililh at a community level and local markets. The relative abundance of S. aristolochiifolia determined through 22 samples in quadrants of 500 m2, later, was estimated the potential distribution in the state of Puebla by using the Maxent Program ® Ver. 3.3.3. ResultsFrom 260 interviews, 82 indigenous families stopped consuming Kgentsililh in the last two years, and consumption frequency decreased to once by a year, and there were no significant differences between communities. In traditional medicine, the stem sap of S. aristolochiifolia currently employed to help treat baldness, and from the sweet potato to prepare a tea infusion to treat dysentery. All persons interviewed argued that the main reason leading to an overall decline of species are: changes in land use, herbicide applications, especially on coffee plantations and milpa agroecosystems, climate change, overcollection of the species, and the increase of the urban stain. The average cost of plant guides varies from 10.00 to 40.00 Mexican pesos by one bunch (around 0.5 to 1.8 USD dollars). From all 22 locations of sampling and collection of S. aristolochiifolia, we were able to recognize a total of 32 specimens. The highest abundance was recorded on acahual agroecosystems with a specimen presence value of 1.8, and milpa with a value of 1.0. According to our analysis on the Maxent Program®, eight physical and climatic variables have a direct relationship in the potential distribution of the species. ConclusionsSmilax aristolochiifolia remains as a species of socio-economic importance among Totonac culture within the state of Puebla, mainly by concerning food issues but not in medicinal items. There is a low abundance of specimens of the species since of the collective perspective of indigenous people, provoked by changes in land use, herbicide applications on different units of production, and climate change. Ecological evidence shows that in 37 municipalities of northern of the state of Puebla, there are potential areas with suitable habitat to take conservation programs in situ of S. aristolochiifolia.