“But how true that is, I do not know”: the influence of written sources on the medicinal use of fungi across the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union
Abstract Fungi have been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. This study, based on 35 historical written sources and 581 in-depth semi-structured interviews from eight countries in the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union, investigates the medicinal use of fungi by local communi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-08-01
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| Series: | IMA Fungus |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43008-024-00156-7 |
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| author | Julia Prakofjewa Matteo Sartori Raivo Kalle Łukasz Łuczaj Małgorzata Karbarz Giulia Mattalia Povilas Šarka Baiba Prūse Nataliya Stryamets Martin Anegg Natalia Kuznetsova Valeria Kolosova Olga Belichenko Muhammad Abdul Aziz Andrea Pieroni Renata Sõukand |
| author_facet | Julia Prakofjewa Matteo Sartori Raivo Kalle Łukasz Łuczaj Małgorzata Karbarz Giulia Mattalia Povilas Šarka Baiba Prūse Nataliya Stryamets Martin Anegg Natalia Kuznetsova Valeria Kolosova Olga Belichenko Muhammad Abdul Aziz Andrea Pieroni Renata Sõukand |
| author_sort | Julia Prakofjewa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Fungi have been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. This study, based on 35 historical written sources and 581 in-depth semi-structured interviews from eight countries in the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union, investigates the medicinal use of fungi by local communities. We compared the taxa and uses obtained from fieldwork and historical sources with works that advocated fungi use within Soviet herbals, representing the centralised medical system. During fieldwork, we identified eight locally used fungi and one lichen. The highest numbers of medicinal uses were documented in Russia, Estonia and Ukraine. Studies published before the Soviet era listed 21 fungal taxa and one lichen species used in the study region. However, only six of these taxa were mentioned as used by people in our field studies (Amanita muscaria, Boletus edulis, Lycoperdon, Morchella, Phallus impudicus and Cetraria islandica). Notably, these same six taxa were consistently endorsed in Soviet herbals. Of the remaining three taxa recorded in the fieldwork, none were mentioned in historical written sources. However, they were promoted either in Soviet herbals (Inonotus obliquus, Kombucha) or later popular publications (Cantharellus cibarius). This highlights the significant influence of written sources on the use of fungi for medicinal purposes within the studied local communities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-95cec177e6d7407cb07cc0458476e3c2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2210-6359 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IMA Fungus |
| spelling | doaj-art-95cec177e6d7407cb07cc0458476e3c22025-02-02T06:22:25ZengBMCIMA Fungus2210-63592024-08-0115112010.1186/s43008-024-00156-7“But how true that is, I do not know”: the influence of written sources on the medicinal use of fungi across the western borderlands of the former Soviet UnionJulia Prakofjewa0Matteo Sartori1Raivo Kalle2Łukasz Łuczaj3Małgorzata Karbarz4Giulia Mattalia5Povilas Šarka6Baiba Prūse7Nataliya Stryamets8Martin Anegg9Natalia Kuznetsova10Valeria Kolosova11Olga Belichenko12Muhammad Abdul Aziz13Andrea Pieroni14Renata Sõukand15Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceEstonian Literary MuseumInstitute of Biology, University of RzeszówInstitute of Biology, University of RzeszówDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceUniversity of Gastronomic SciencesDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of VeniceAbstract Fungi have been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. This study, based on 35 historical written sources and 581 in-depth semi-structured interviews from eight countries in the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union, investigates the medicinal use of fungi by local communities. We compared the taxa and uses obtained from fieldwork and historical sources with works that advocated fungi use within Soviet herbals, representing the centralised medical system. During fieldwork, we identified eight locally used fungi and one lichen. The highest numbers of medicinal uses were documented in Russia, Estonia and Ukraine. Studies published before the Soviet era listed 21 fungal taxa and one lichen species used in the study region. However, only six of these taxa were mentioned as used by people in our field studies (Amanita muscaria, Boletus edulis, Lycoperdon, Morchella, Phallus impudicus and Cetraria islandica). Notably, these same six taxa were consistently endorsed in Soviet herbals. Of the remaining three taxa recorded in the fieldwork, none were mentioned in historical written sources. However, they were promoted either in Soviet herbals (Inonotus obliquus, Kombucha) or later popular publications (Cantharellus cibarius). This highlights the significant influence of written sources on the use of fungi for medicinal purposes within the studied local communities.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43008-024-00156-7FungiEastern EuropeMedicinal fungiLichenHistorical ethnomycologyKnowledge circulation |
| spellingShingle | Julia Prakofjewa Matteo Sartori Raivo Kalle Łukasz Łuczaj Małgorzata Karbarz Giulia Mattalia Povilas Šarka Baiba Prūse Nataliya Stryamets Martin Anegg Natalia Kuznetsova Valeria Kolosova Olga Belichenko Muhammad Abdul Aziz Andrea Pieroni Renata Sõukand “But how true that is, I do not know”: the influence of written sources on the medicinal use of fungi across the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union IMA Fungus Fungi Eastern Europe Medicinal fungi Lichen Historical ethnomycology Knowledge circulation |
| title | “But how true that is, I do not know”: the influence of written sources on the medicinal use of fungi across the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union |
| title_full | “But how true that is, I do not know”: the influence of written sources on the medicinal use of fungi across the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union |
| title_fullStr | “But how true that is, I do not know”: the influence of written sources on the medicinal use of fungi across the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union |
| title_full_unstemmed | “But how true that is, I do not know”: the influence of written sources on the medicinal use of fungi across the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union |
| title_short | “But how true that is, I do not know”: the influence of written sources on the medicinal use of fungi across the western borderlands of the former Soviet Union |
| title_sort | but how true that is i do not know the influence of written sources on the medicinal use of fungi across the western borderlands of the former soviet union |
| topic | Fungi Eastern Europe Medicinal fungi Lichen Historical ethnomycology Knowledge circulation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43008-024-00156-7 |
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