Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39252023›Full record

ArticleJournal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine2024

Legendary fermented herbs: an ethnobotanical study of the traditional fermentation starter of the Chuanqing people in Northwestern Guizhou, China.

Jiawen Zhao, Qinghe Wang, Zixuan Ren, Changqin Yang, Shiyu Guan, Xiaoyan Wang, Yan Huang, Ruyu Yao, Hongxiang Yin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Improvement of Esterifying Power of IsolatedFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jiawen Zhao *School of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
Qinghe Wang *School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
Zixuan RenInstitute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiangsu, 210014, China.
Changqin YangSchool of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
Shiyu GuanSchool of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
Xiaoyan WangSchool of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
Yan HuangSchool of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
Ruyu YaoKunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China. yry0255@126.com.
Hongxiang YinSchool of Ethnic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China. hongxiangy@126.com.

Funding

Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine QJJJ2022024National Natural Science Foundation of China 81573545Sichuan Research Center for Coordinated Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture 2023XT129
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPlants that contain brewing microorganisms are used in traditional fermentation starters, which are an essential part of local diet, nutrition, life, and health. Regionally, the plant species used and the microorganisms included in traditional fermentation starters are diverse, endowing local fermented drinks with different flavors and health benefits. However, related traditional knowledge has been scarcely documented or revealed.

methodsAn ethnobotanical survey was conducted in five towns of Nayong County in northwestern Guizhou, China. Snowball sampling, semi-structured interviews, free lists, and participatory observation were used to collect information on Jiuqu Plants (JPs) and jiuqu-making techniques. The PacBio platform was used to study the microbial community structure and diversity in the Chuanqing people's jiuqu.

resultsIn total, 225 informants were interviewed, including 116 who provided plants and technological processes for making Chinese baijiu jiuqu (CBJ) and 139 who provided information about making fermented glutinous rice jiuqu (FGRJ). This study found that older people have more abundant knowledge about CBJ plants. Poaceae was found to be the dominant family used in making CBJ and FGRJ (7 species each). Compared to individual plant parts, the whole plant is most commonly used in two kinds of jiuqu (19.5% in CBJ and 22.6% in FGRJ). The Chuanqing people's jiuqu is used to treat dietary stagnation and indigestion. The highest relative frequency of citation of the CBJ plant was Ficus tikoua Bureau, and the counterpart of the FGRJ plant was Buddleja macrostachya Benth. The dominant bacterial species in jiuqu were Gluconobacter japonicus (YQ1, YQ4) and Pediococcus pentosaceus (YQ2, YQ3), and the dominant fungal species was Rhizopus oryzae.

conclusionFor the first time, this study documents the unique traditional jiuqu knowledge and reveals the microbial mystery behind the FGRJ of the Chuanqing people. Therefore, this study encourages the use of online social media platforms in order to spread Jiuqu culture, the use of the new media wave in order to create multimedia databases, and also suggests that local communities should develop preservation intervention programs, in addition to nurturing the inheritors in order to prevent the disappearance of traditional Jiuqu knowledge. This research contributes to the conservation and demystification of the traditional jiuqu knowledge of the Chuanqing people and lays the foundation for further research on its microbiology, nutrition, and metabolomics.

Indexed as

EthnobotanyFermentationAdultAgedChinaFemaleFermented FoodsHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung AdultCultural protectionEthnobotanyJiuquMicrobial communityTraditional knowledge

Identifiers

PMID39252023
PMCPMC11385811

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.