The first comprehensive ethnozoological study of animal-based medicines in Iran: Therapeutic applications in the Turke Dava system
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This research is the first comprehensive investigation in Iran to examine the use of traditional remedies derived from animals to treat a variety of diseases. The objective of this study is to examine the applications of animal-derived medicinal products in traditional Azerbaijani medicine and in remote and inaccessible villages of the Azerbaijan region in Iran. The indigenous people of Azerbaijan hold this intangible human heritage in high regard, as it has been passed down from father to son. The value of this study is further demonstrated by the examination and recording of these ancient medical models, which are currently being lost in some cases. Between April and June 2019, this investigation was conducted in Azerbaijani Turkish through semi-structured interviews with twelve renowned and experienced traditional healers residing in twelve villages in the Azerbaijani Turkic regions of Iran. Valuable information, including the production of medicines, the use of animal-derived medicines, and the specifics of the methods of application of medicines, including topical, oral, and spiritual, was obtained and documented during the interviews. Some treatment sessions involving medications that are still in use today were observed. Consequently, various treatments for 77 distinct health issues by using 60 animal species were documented. The quantitative indicators “Information Consensus Factor” (ICF) and “Utilization Value (UV)” were employed to analyze the collected results. Twelve general disease categories were established to categorize diseases that were treated with animal-derived medications. The goat, sheep, and leech exhibited the maximum utilization values, with 1.84, 1.75, and 1.60, respectively, according to the results obtained. This suggests the unique and widespread cultural and medicinal significance of these animal species in the traditional medicine and culture of Turke Dava. Additionally, the consensus coefficient of informants was 0.60, and skin diseases and wound recovery exhibited the highest citation percentage at 25%. Additionally, the category of anal and rectal disorders exhibited the highest consensus coefficient of informants, with a citation percentage of 6%. These data suggest that there is a significant cultural consensus regarding these diseases. Additional intriguing and uncommon information is concealed within the paper’s core. Topical treatment is the most prevalent approach, followed by oral treatment and spiritual treatment. Approximately 5% of cases are treated. The primary objective of this research was to describe the traditional medical practices common in the community, rather than to assess or clinically validate them. The cited medicinal practices rely on information passed down verbally and empirically over centuries, and their efficacy has not been definitively established by contemporary medical standards.
Author: Eslam Mostafavi Maresht
Institutions: Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412814971