Estafiate has long been central to Indigenous medicine in Mexico, valued for treating digestive and respiratory ailments, while also playing a key role in ceremony and cosmology. Documented in early codices and still widely used today, estafiate reflects the resilience of Indigenous knowledge and its ongoing dialogue with modern science.
The Living Legacy of Traditional Medicine
Traditional medicine plays a central role in Indigenous life, grounded in ancestral knowledge and a deep connection to land and spirit. For generations, Artemisia ludoviciana—known as estafiate—has been used to treat illness and support balance, reflecting a Mesoamerican view of health that integrates the physical and spiritual. Its ongoing importance in the lives of Indigenous peoples speaks to the resilience of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and their relevance in both cultural and clinical contexts.
Artemisia ludoviciana (Estafiate) in Indigenous and Modern Medicine
Artemisia ludoviciana, commonly known as white sagebrush or estafiate, holds significance in the cultural, medicinal, and spiritual traditions of North America, particularly in Mexico. The use of estafiate in both traditional medicine and spiritual practice speaks to its significance across multiple aspects of Indigenous life. It has been relied on to treat common illnesses—such as digestive and respiratory issues—while also playing a key role in ceremonial and cosmological traditions.
Its continued use in daily life reflects the resilience of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and their ongoing contributions to both traditional healing and contemporary healthcare. This article explores the plant’s botanical features, its cultural and medicinal uses, and how its role today continues to connect ancestral traditions with modern medical practices.
Botanical Profile and Traditional Uses of Artemisia ludoviciana
Artemisia ludoviciana, commonly known as white sagebrush, estafiate in Spanish, iztauhyatl in Nahuatl, quite-tes/guietee in Zapotec, and mexmitzi in Otomí, is a perennial herbaceous plant distinguished by its aromatic, gray foliage (Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad [CONABIO], n.d.; Palacios-Espinosa et al., 2021). This species typically grows to a height and spread of 2–3 feet (60–90 cm), with stems bearing lanceolate leaves that measure 2–4 inches (5–10 cm) in length. Geographically, A. ludoviciana is native to North America, thriving in diverse habitats from Canada to southern Mexico and Guatemala. The plant is well-adapted to dry conditions and thrives in rocky prairies, open-wooded slopes, and arid soils with well-drained, sandy or rocky substrates, up to elevations of approximately 3,200 meters (10,500 feet) (CONABIO, n.d.).
The use of this plant has been prominent in Mexico since before colonization, as with many other members of the Asteraceae family. Early documentation of its applications appears in the Cruz-Badiano and Florentine codices, two pivotal 16th-century colonial-era manuscripts (Cilia-López et al., 2021; Anaya-Eugenio et al., 2016). Historically, estafiate has been used to address gastrointestinal ailments (e.g., gastric discomfort, diarrhea, gastritis, intestinal pain, parasites, vomiting, poor appetite), respiratory conditions (e.g., colds, bronchitis), and inflammation. Infusions and decoctions are utilized for internal treatments, while alcoholic extracts are applied topically for pain and swelling. Inhalation of the herb using steam aids respiratory and throat-related conditions. In contemporary practice, healthcare professionals in Mexico prescribe it for stomach aches, colitis, and menstrual cramps.
The pharmacological properties of A. ludoviciana have been extensively studied, reinforcing its traditional uses and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). Its aerial parts contain over 70 bioactive compounds, including camphor, limonene, estafiatin, ludovicin, and flavonoids such as eupatilin and jaceosidin. These compounds exhibit antibacterial, antiprotozoal, antidiarrheal, and vasorelaxant properties. The plant has been shown to reduce pain, inflammation, and sensitivity while also potentially lowering blood sugar levels (Palacios-Espinosa et al., 2021).
Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Medicinal Legacy of Estafiate
The Cruz-Badiano Codex provides one of the earliest recorded references to A. ludoviciana. In this manuscript, Martín de la Cruz describes the plant as a remedy for ailments such as hand soreness, anal pain, foot injuries, excessive heat, and even lightning strikes. Similarly, the Florentine Codex details its use for treating acne, rough skin, coughs, and general aches and pains. The continued popularity and extensive discourse surrounding estafiate since pre-invasion times highlight its enduring medicinal and cultural significance, as well as its present-day commercial demand in Mexico for its oils and aerial parts (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México [UNAM], n.d.; Anaya-Eugenio et al., 2016).
Beyond its medicinal applications, A. ludoviciana holds profound spiritual and ritual significance among Indigenous communities, particularly the Mexica/Nahua. The etymology of iztauhyatl suggests meanings such as “water of the deity of salt” or “salty, bitter water,” linking the plant to cosmological and ritualistic practices. During festivals honoring water deities in the month of Etzalqualiztli and the goddess of salt in Tecuilhuitontli, participants wore garlands of the herb, emphasizing its symbolic importance. Colonial-era Spanish reports, such as those in Las Relaciones Geográficas del Siglo XVI, categorize estafiate as a “hot” plant used by the Nahua to treat atonahuiztle (water fevers), characterized by chills rather than the “hot fevers” (tetl totonqui). This classification aligns with the Mesoamerican understanding of health as an internal balance of “hot” and “cold” qualities central to their cosmovision.
Its connection to Tlaloc, the Mesoamerican god of rain and water, further underscores the plant’s significance. Tlaloc’s dominion over water and cooling energies, including illnesses like atonahuiztle, parallels A. ludoviciana’s classification as a “hot” remedy for “cold” ailments. This dual role reinforces the cosmological understanding of health as harmony between opposing forces (Pinzón & Ortega, 2024).
Within this framework, the human body is conceptualized as a microcosm of the broader Mesoamerican worldview, where imbalances between complementary forces—such as hot and cold—manifest as illness. This holistic understanding has persisted into the post-Conquest era and finds validation in pharmacological research, which demonstrates the thermoregulatory effects of herbal treatments, such as estafiate, in restoring physiological balance in conditions like fever and inflammation (Geck et al., 2017).
“Artemisia ludoviciana offers a compelling example of how traditional knowledge and modern science can inform one another.”
Contemporary Research and Ethnobotanical Applications of A. ludoviciana
Recent ethnobotanical research continues to highlight the legacy of estafiate as a versatile medicinal plant in Mexico. For example, a 2020 study conducted in the municipality of Güémez, Tamaulipas, identified estafiate as a common treatment for gastrointestinal disorders such as stomach pain and diarrhea (Jasso-Gándara et al., 2020). Similarly, a 2023 study in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, identified A. ludoviciana as a significant medicinal plant widely used to alleviate stomach aches and gastritis. In these rural communities, where formal healthcare access is often limited, traditional medicine is frequently combined with modern approaches, such as the use of estafiate alongside oxytetracycline for gastritis treatment. This example illustrates the interplay between Indigenous knowledge and modern medicine, highlighting how traditional and contemporary health practices continue to coexist (Medrano-Guerrero et al., 2023). Further research into this integration is needed to better understand their combined effects and to inform the development of more inclusive healthcare strategies, particularly in underserved communities
Bridging Traditional Medicine and Science Through Estafiate
Artemisia ludoviciana offers a compelling example of how traditional knowledge and modern science can inform one another, demonstrating the continued importance of Indigenous medicinal practices. Rooted in pre-invasion Mesoamerican traditions and still widely used in both rural healthcare and clinical studies today, estafiate continues to play a meaningful role in supporting health and well-being. Given its importance as a traditional medicine and its deep cultural significance, estafiate highlights the importance of preserving ethnobotanical traditions while fostering dialogue between traditional and modern medicine. Safeguarding and integrating this knowledge not only honors cultural heritage but also supports the development of more inclusive healthcare approaches—ones that value the strengths of both Indigenous knowledge and scientific research in promoting balance and well-being across diverse communities.
References
Anaya-Eugenio GD, Rivero-Cruz I, Bye R, Linares E, Mata R. 2016. Antinociceptive activity of the essential oil from Artemisia ludoviciana. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 179: 403-411. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jep.2016.01.008
Cilia-López, V. G., Cariño-Cortés, R., & Zurita-Salinas, L. R. (2021). Ethnopharmacology of the Asteraceae family in Mexico. Botanical Sciences, 99(3), 455-486.
Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO). (n.d.).Artemisia ludoviciana. In Malezas de México. Retrieved January 6, 2025, from http://www.conabio.gob.mx/malezasdemexico/asteraceae/artemisia-ludoviciana/fichas/ficha.htm
Geck, M. S., Cabras, S., Casu, L., García, A. J. R., & Leonti, M. (2017). The taste of heat: how humoral qualities act as a cultural filter for chemosensory properties guiding herbal medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 198, 499-515.
Jasso-Gandara, S. N., Estrada-Castillon, E., Encina-Dominguez, J. A., Villarreal-Quintanilla, J.
A., & Sierra, J. R. A. (2020). Plants used as medicinal in Güémez, Tamaulipas, north-eastern Mexico. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 48(3), 1130-1140.
Medrano-Guerrero, A., Carranza, E., Juárez-Vázquez, M. D. C., Solano, E., Joel Ruiz-Padilla,
A., Ruiz-Noa, Y., … & Josabad Alonso-Castro, A. (2023). Medicinal plants used in rural communities from the municipality of Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Mexico. Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas, 22(4).
Palacios-Espinosa, J. F., Núñez-Aragón, P. N., Gomez-Chang, E., Linares, E., Bye, R., & Romero, I. (2021). Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. mexicana and two of its bioactive components, Estafiatin and Eupatilin. Molecules, 26(12), 3654.
Pinzón, S. M., & Ortega, G. P. (2024). Calentura: Herbolaria y procedimientos de la medicina tradicional en México. Etnobiología, 22(2), 63-92.
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). (n.d.). Artemisia ludoviciana. In Atlas de las plantas de la medicina tradicional mexicana. Retrieved January 6, 2025, from http://www.medicinatradicionalmexicana.unam.mx/apmtm/termino.php?l=3&t=artemisia-ludoviciana
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