Traditional Knowledge of Medicinal Plants Used by the Dao People in the Duc Commune, Nguyen Binh District, Cao Bang Province

Abstract: An ethnobotanical survey among the Dao community in The Duc commune, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province (currently Nguyen Binh commune, Cao Bang province) recorded 202 taxa used in traditional medicine, belonging to 76 families and 155 genera. These plants are employed to treat 16 categories of illnesses, with gastrointestinal disorders being most frequently addressed (64 taxa, 31.68%). Decoction for oral intake was the predominant preparation method (83.66%), and whole plants were used in 59.41% of cases. Regarding conservation, 64.85% of taxa were collected near households, 12.87% were cultivated in herbalists’ home gardens, and three taxa are listed in the Viet Nam Red List of Threatened Species. Notably, twelve taxa were identified as novel records for medicinal use in Vietnam. To our knowledge, pharmacological data for Saurauia macrotricha Kurz. in literature and common reference databases are currently unavailable, suggesting potential for further investigation. This study represents the first systematic documentation of Dao traditional medicinal knowledge in The Duc commune, providing a scientific basis for conservation and sustainable management of medicinal plants in the region. Keywords: Ethnobotany, Dao people, Nguyen Binh commune, medicinal plants, conservation.