May 18, 2011 - October 2000 Menemen â Izmir Turkey, pp. 113-125. Saribas M (2007). Ethnobotanic research in Bartin Province. Proceedings of International ...
Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 5(10), pp. 2054-2063, 18 May, 2011 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JMPR ISSN 1996-0875 ©2011 Academic Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Consumer preferences for medicinal and aromatic plant products: Surveys of urban consumers and sellers in western mediterranean region of Turkey Mehmet Korkmaz1*, Huseyin Fakir1 and Bilgin Guller2 1
Department of Forest Engineering, Faculty of Forestry, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32260, Turkey. Department of Forest Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Forestry, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta 32260, Turkey.
2
Accepted 14 February, 2011
The aim of this study is to determine the consumer preferences for medicinal and aromatic plant products in three city centers located in the Western Mediterranean Region in Turkey. The consumer preferences were considered together with the consumption purposes, factors that constitute the consumption habits, the plants preferred in consumption and how they are consumed, how such products are provided and in means of the seller and preferences in purchasing. Survey method used to obtain data. In such scope, a number of consumers (N = 408) and sellers (N = 48) were surveyed. Data was evaluated through the percentage evaluation and the chi-square test to determine whether there were any relationships between the socio-economic and demographic variables in statistical means in consumer preferences. According to the results of the study; (1) consumers benefit from such plants in order to gain health, to provide treatment and for their pleasure; (2) the way of consumption is generally as in infusion and decoction, (3) there is a great lack of conscious about the dosages and side effects of these products consumed, (4) the products are preferred to be consumed in the natural way as they are collected from nature, (5) the effective factors that constitute consumption habits are mainly due to the advises received from relatives and close friends. There were no statistical differences found about the age, gender, educational status and income levels of consumers and their purpose in consuming and habits (Chi-square test, p>0.05). The level of consciousness about the poisonous matters that is included in the products increase in parallel with the rise seen in the level of educational status (Chi-square test, p0.05). Factors affecting the constitution of the consumption habits Almost half of the consumers (52.53%) living in the area gained consuming habits of the products. When having examined the situation in means of the products it can be observed that generally the same specie of the plants were consumed with a rate of 88.58%. Thus, it is possible to claim that there is no regular consumption of species of plants. It is an important issue about how consumers got to start using the MAPPs. This is so because there are various factors that are considered in the subject. Some of these factors can be listed as the environment, experiences from the past, medical advices; internet, television, magazines, books and many more written and visual material seem to draw people’s attention. The factors that most affect the consumption habits for people can be said to be the advice taken from those close in relation and past experiences (Figure 3). 88.78% of the consumers support the idea of advising products that they had previously used and gained benefits from. Moreover, the written and visual press and tools that came along with the development seen in technology also constitute important factors in gaining habits over the
Korkmaz et al.
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Table 1. Ages, education levels and income class of survey participants (consumers).
Age 18 to 25 26 to 45 46 to 65 >65 Total
Distribution (%) 31.73 42.91 23.49 1.87 100.00 **
Education level Elementary school High school ** University (UG) *** University (G)
Distribution (%) 26.01 38.52 28.49 6.98 100.00
Income class (TL*/month) 0 to 500 501 to 1000 1001 to 2000 >2000
Distribution (%) 34.27 39.34 23.58 2.81 100.00
***
*Approx. 1TL = 0.67 US $, UG: Under graduate, G: Graduate.
Figure 2. Percentage distribution of consumption aims for MAPPs
Figure 3. Factors affecting the constitution of consumption habits for MAPPs.
usage of the products and come over the lacking information in various field and subjects. There has been
no statistical difference found between the factors affecting the constitution of consumption habits and the
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J. Med. Plant. Res.
age, gender, educational status and income class of consumers (Chi-square test, p>0.05). Popular MAPPs and their forms of consumption Consumers demand and utilize different parts (that is flowers, leaves, fruit, bark and stems) of plants belonging to varieties of families (Table 2). The flowers, leaves, fruit, stems and the other parts of plants are preferred in consumption. In the ethnobotanical studies applied at the Western Mediterranean region similar results were reached and the fact that a combination of different products were used and preferred in means of species was detected. The usage of more products together is also more popular and wide spread (Fakir and Guller, 2006; Buyukgebiz et al., 2008; Fakir et al., 2009). Most of the products are consumed in means of infusion and decoction (Figure 4). Infusion is applied with a cup of hot boiled water (0.2 L) poured over an amount of plant approximately 5 g and decoction is gained in the same way but the application of cold water poured over 5 g of plant and then heated with low temperature (Baydar, 2005). Furthermore, it is also possible to state the usage of such products combined with food by extracting its sap. Most of the consumers (78.54%) prefer consuming plants with no application but just as they have collected them from nature and the environment. There is a great lack of knowledge about the suitability for people and safety dosage for suitable ones. This is claimed because only 36.04% of the consumers are aware of the dosages to be consumed. Moreover, most of the consumers also unaware about the side effects of the products they consume (70.52%). There was a statistical difference found between the educational status of the consumers and the fact of the poisonous matters that the products include (Chi-square test, p0.05). The knowledge and awareness about the poisonous effects of products level increased as the educational status of the participants were higher. In fact, there were also statistical differences found among the age, gender and level of income and the knowledge about the side effects of products (Chisquare test, p
