Analysis of traditional knowledge for wild edible mushrooms consumed by residents living in Jirisan National Park (Korea)

Ethnopharmacological relevance: This study aims to record and analyze the traditional knowledge of wild edible mushrooms utilized by residents living in Jirisan National Park (Korea). Materials and methods: Data was collected through participant observations and in-depth interviews with semi-structured questionnaires. Quantitative comparative analyses were accomplished through informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), and inter-network analysis (INA). Results: The amounts of traditional knowledge recorded from the communities were 158 practices classified within 22 families, 33 genera, and 38 species. The representative families were Tricholomataceae (23.20%) followed by Pleurotaceae (13.10%), Polyporaceae (8.21%), and Hymenochaetaceae (6.33%). The results revealed 24 modes of preparation for the mushrooms, with the most common methods being for preparing them as, seasoned cooked mushrooms (40.75%), soups (13.84%), teas (12.18%), simmered (9.19%), and roasted (6.20%). The informant consensus factor (ICF) values in the ailment categories were birth-related disorders (1.00), genitourinary system disorders (1.00), other conditions (0.91), circulatory system disorders (0.76), and diabetes (0.33). In terms of fidelity levels, five mushroom species showed 100% of fidelities. Regarding the inter-network analysis (INA) of mushrooms and ailments, the positions of medicinal mushrooms is distributed into three main groups. Also, regarding the network of mushrooms and foods, the location of edible mushrooms is distributed into two main food groups. Conclusion: The utilization of the inter-network analysis has been used typically within the social sciences for the analysis of social trends and phenomena through the interrelationship of specific social components, from this study it is being applied for the interpretation of traditional knowledge utilizing mushrooms in the local communities. Through this study, we are confident that the useful application of the inter-network analysis has been successfully proven. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.