Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants around Limu Mountains of Hainan Island,China

Aim of the study

The main objectives were to document traditional knowledge on the use of medicinal plants and compare medicinal plant traditions between Li and Hmong living around Limu Mountains of Hainan Island.

Material and methods

Information was obtained from semi-structured interviews, personal conversation and guided fieldtrips with herbalists. Quantitative methods, such as the coefficient of similarity (S), Chi-square analysis and the ‘informant agreement ratio’ were applied for the comparison of medicinal plant tradition between Li and Hmong.

Results

In all, 224 plant species grown in the study areas are still traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases. Euphorbiaceae (17 species), Rubiaceae (16 species), Papilionaceae and Poaceae (11 species, respectively), Verbenaceae (10 species) and Compositae (7 species) are predominant families used by herbalists. The most species were reported to be used for injuries (25.1% of all the medicinal use-reports), digestive system disorders (24.8%), infections/infestations (14.7%) and muscular-skeletal system disorders (12.3%). The coefficient of similarity (29.0%) shows a relatively high overlap of medicinal plants used by Li and Hmong. Using Chi-square analysis, it was found that habit mentions were dependent upon the culture. Infections/infestations, injuries and muscular-skeletal system disorders scored high IAR value and mention in both Li and Hmong communities.

Conclusions

Medicinal plants are of importance to indigenous people around Limu Mountains who still rely on medicinal plants to treat a wide range of illnesses. There is a close relationship of medicinal plant tradition between Li and Hmong who are culturally distinct.     

Herbalists and wild medicinal plants in M'Sila (North Algeria): An ethnopharmacology survey

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The main aim of this study was to identify, catalogue and document the large number of wild medicinal plants used in the M'Sila region (northern Algeria) for the treatment of several human pathologies. Another more ambitious aim is to contribute to overcoming the limits of an orally transmitted pharmacopoeia, attempting to exploit the large ethnopharmacology patrimony of the region for further pharmacological purposes.

Materials and methods

Our field study was carried out over a period of three years (2008–2010). During this period, herbalists were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires investigating the herbalist as a holder of information (gender, age and educational level) and about wild medicinal plants (local name, uses and part used). In addition, the relative importance value of the species was determined and informant consensus factor (ICF) was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study.

Results

A total of 83 herbalists were interviewed; men dominate the practice of traditional medicine in the region. About 41% of them are between 31 and 40 years, and about a third (34%) are illiterate. The traditional herbal knowledge is passed from generation to generation in the verbal form, a writing tradition being almost totally absent. The interviewed herbalists identified and recorded 58 plants species and 50 genera belonging to 27 plant families. Lamiaceae and Asteraceae were the most represented plant families. The aerial parts were the most commonly used plant part, while infusion and decoction were the most common method of traditional drug preparation.

Conclusions

The survey provides a veritable source of information on the herbalists and wild medicinal plants. Plants which are used in different parts of the world for the treatment of similar diseases may be deemed to be effective in pharmacological terms. These medicinal plants may be incorporated into the healthcare delivery system of the country.     

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants from Gujranwala district,Pakistan

Aim of study

This study was focused with the aim to investigate and document the indigenous medicinal knowledge and commonly used medicinal plants from Gujranwala district, Pakistan and to establish a baseline data in continuing studies aimed at more comprehensive investigations on bio-active compounds of indigenous medicinal plants.

Material and methods

Rapid appraisal approach (RAA) was used along with the interviews, group meetings with people having knowledge about indigenous uses of medicinal plants and individual meetings with herbalists were conducted, to collect the ethnomedicinal data.

Results and discussions

About 71 species of medicinal plants belonging to 38 families have been documented through 203 informants. Most favored plant part used for indigenous medicine was leaves (38%) followed by the seed (13%), whole plant (11%), flower (9%), fruit (8%), root and bark (6%) and the main source of these medicines was wild herbs (54%) followed by the wild shrubs, wild trees (13%), cultivated herbs (10%), cultivated trees (5%), cultivated shrubs (3%) and wild grasses (2%). The herbal preparations were mainly administrated orally and topically.

Conclusion

Gujranwala district has great diversity of medicinal plants and people are aware about their medicinal values. Few plants are playing vital role in the basic health care needs of study areas; such plants should be screened for detailed pharmacological studied to explore new biological compounds.     

Ethnomedicinal knowledge and relative importance of indigenous medicinal plants of Cholistan desert,Punjab Province,Pakistan

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Ethnomedicinal studies are significant for the discovery of new crude drugs from indigenous reported medicinal plants. The current study aimed to report the indigenous medicinal knowledge of plants and herbal remedies used as folk medicines in Cholistan desert, Punjab Province, Pakistan.

Material and methods

Rapid appraisal approach (RAA), semi-structured interviews, group meetings with herbalists, landowners and local people having awareness about the medicinal action of plants were employed to collect the data.

Results and discussions

This study reports 70 medicinal plants belonging to 27 families that were disseminated among 60 different genera and Poaceae was the predominant family over others with 13 reported medicinal plants. Among plant parts, leaves were the dominant over others with 26.4% used in herbal preparations followed by the stem (25.2%), fruit (21.5%), flower (16.3%), seed (6.5%), bark and pod (02%). Haloxylon recurvum exhibited the highest use vale (UV) 0.83 while least UV was exhibited by Mollugo cerviana that was 0.16.

Conclusion

Important medicinal plants, reported in this study have been screened for phytochemical and pharmaceutical activities in different parts of the globe. It is recommended that reported medicinal plants having potent action for cancer and hepatitis must be screened for pharmacological activities.     

Relative importance of indigenous medicinal plants from Layyah district,Punjab Province,Pakistan

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Ethnomedicinal reports are important for the discovery of new crude drugs from reported medicinal plants with high use value. The current study aimed to document the medicinal flora as well as medicinal knowledge of indigenous plants of local communities from Layyah district, Punjab Province, Pakistan.

Material and methods

Rapid appraisal approach (RAA), semi-structured interviews, group meetings with herbalists, landowners and local people having awareness about the medicinal action of plants were employed to collect the data. Use values (UV) and frequency of citation (FC) were calculated to check the relative importance of plants.

Results and discussions

The current ethnomedicinal study reported 125 medicinal plant species diversified from 106 genus belonging to the 43 different families and Poaceae was the predominant family over others with 16 reported medicinal plants. Wild herbaceous plants were the predominant over other life forms while among plant parts, leaves contributed 32% followed by the stem (27%), fruit and flowers (15%). Allium sativum exhibited the highest use vale (UV) 0.92 while the lowest UV was exhibited by Lasiurus scindicus which was 0.15.

Conclusion

Local communities of district Layyah still have a strong faith on herbal medicines for basic healthcare needs. Indigenous plants having high UV and FC should be subjected to the detailed phytochemical investigations to explore new natural drugs.     

Ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants in the highlands of Soan Valley,Salt Range,Pakistan

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Two thirds of the world’s population relies on medicinal plants for centuries for several human pathologies. Present study aimed to identify, catalogue and document the large number of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in Soan Valley, Salt Range, Pakistan.

Materials and methods

Informal interviews were conducted involving a total of 255 villagers (155 male and 65 female and 35 herbalists) to elicit the knowledge and use of medicinal plants.

Results

Local communities possessed knowledge of fifty eight (58) medicinal plant species belonging to thirty five (35) families to treat fifteen ailment categories. Whole plant and leaves were the most frequently used plant parts (24%) followed by seed (14%), root (12%), flower (7%), bulb (6%), fruit (4%), stem (3%), latex and rhizome (2%) and sap and gum (1%). Frequently used growth forms of medicinal plants were wild herbs (63%) followed by cultivated herbs (14%), wild trees (11%), wild shrubs (10%) and wild and cultivated herbs (2%). Preparations were administrated generally through oral and topical routes. Local people were familiar mostly with the species in order to deal common ailments particularly cough, cold, digestive problems, fever, headache, and skin infections. Complex ailments were treated by traditional healers. Justica adhatoda, Olea ferruginea, Amaranthus viridis and Mentha royleana were identified as plants with high use value (UV).

Conclusions

This study revealed that the area harbors high diversity of medicinal flora. Despite gradual socio-cultural transformation, local communities still hold ample knowledge of plants and their uses. The reliance on traditional medicines was associated with the lack of modern health care facilities, poverty and the traditional belief of their effectiveness. Medicinal plants play a significant role in management of various human diseases in the study area. A high degree of consensus among the informants was an indicative that plant use and knowledge were still strong, and preservation of this knowledge showed good foresight in the future. Awareness was thus needed to be raised among local people on sustainable utilization and management of plant resources.     

Ethnopharmacological studies of indigenous medicinal plants of Saravan region,Baluchistan, Iran

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This study was aimed to explore the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plant species of Baluch tribes in Saravan region, Baluchistan province, Iran.

Material and methods

Rapid appraisal approach along with the semi-structured open ended questionnaire, interviews and personal observations were used to collect the indigenous medicinal information. Quantitative analysis including the informant consensus factor (ICF) and use value (UV) was performed to evaluate the valued medicinal plants.

Results and discussion

A total 64 medicinal plants belonging to 30 families were reported from the study area. Among families, Lamiaceae dominated over other families and leaves dominated with 31% over other plant parts used as herbal remedies. Rhazya stricta and Datura stamonium (0.35) attributed the higher UV, followed by Otostegia persica (0.33) and Teucrium polium (0.32). Results of the ICF showed that cold/flu/fever (0.71) and blood disorders (0.57) were the most common diseases of the study area.

Conclusion

The use value and informant consensus factor substantiated that the relative importance of plant species and sharing knowledge of herbal therapies between different tribal communities of this area is still rich.     

Ethno-medicinal uses and screening of plants for antibacterial activity from Similipal Biosphere Reserve,Odisha, India

Ethnopharamcological relevance

The present study examined the variety and the extent of medicinal plants used in the health care system of tribal inhabitants of Similipal Biosphere Reserve. In addition to this, such plants were also screened for antibacterial properties against common pathogenic bacteria.

Material and methods

Semi-structured interview was carried out with 42 informants (mean age 42, 86% male, 14% female) at 24 locations in and around SBR, regarding the use of plants for the treatment of various human ailments. Antibacterial screening is adopted with the documented ethnomedicinal plants using methanol and aqueous extracts against eight bacterial strains.

Results

A total of 187 plant species belonging to 74 families were documented for frequent medicinal uses against common ailments such as stomach problems, fever, skin diseases, diarrhea and dysentery. Although all parts of plant are used, leaves and bark are most common. Tribals used the plant parts both in form of decoction (taken orally as in internal problems) and paste (external use). Out of 187 plant species, 120 plants recorded antibacterial activity against test bacterial strain.

Conclusions

This study revealed that self care using medicinal plants is a common practice by the tribes of SBR. About 64% of the used plants have scientifically proved medicinal values with respect to the antibacterial properties.     

Traditional uses of medicinal plants against malarial disease by the tribal communities of Lesser Himalayas–Pakistan

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Malaria is among the most prevalent infectious diseases in the developing countries of world. Estimated number of annual malaria episodes in Pakistan is 1.5 million, but very little is known about medicinal plant species of Pakistan, which have great potential against malarial disease. Present study was aimed to document medicinal plant species used by the local inhabitants of Lesser Himalayas–Pakistan to treat malaria.

Materials and methods

Data were collected through interviews, questionnaires and contributor observation. A total of 55 informants aged between 25 and 80 years who were familiar with malarial disease participated in the survey.

Results

A total of 84 plant species belonging to 69 genera and 50 families were recorded to treat malaria. Asteraceae was found as most cited botanical family with (11.9%) representation, followed by Lamiaceae (5.9%), Solanaceae and Verbenaceae (4.7%) and Violaceae (3.5%) respectively. About 60% of the inhabitants prefer herbal treatment by local herbalists or self-treatment with locally available medicinal plant species. Of the plants identified during present investigation against malaria, Azadirachta indica, Swertia chirayita and Swertia ciliata exhibited uppermost frequency of encounter (36.3%) and corresponding PR value 5. About 67.2% of the botanical taxa are reported for the first time in the treatment of malaria. It was observed thatover harvesting is the foremost threat to medicinal plant species of the study area.

Conclusion

Present survey indicates that traditional knowledge about the use of plant species against various diseases and particularly to treat malaria is in decline. Similarly anthropogenic pressure, over exploitation and grazing of the botanical taxa are the major concerns regarding medicinal plant biodiversity loss. Frequently utilized plant species with significant malarial reduction should be authenticated by in vitro and in vivo standard tests     

Cultural significance of medicinal plant families and species among Quechua farmers in Apillapampa,Bolivia

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Medicinal plant use was investigated in Apillapampa, a community of subsistence farmers located in the semi-arid Bolivian Andes.

Aim of the study

The main objectives were to identify the culturally most significant medicinal plant families and species in Apillapampa.

Materials and methods

A total of 341 medicinal plant species was inventoried during guided fieldtrips and transect sampling. Data on medicinal uses were obtained from fifteen local Quechua participants, eight of them being traditional healers.

Results

Contingency table and binomial analyses of medicinal plants used versus the total number of inventoried species per family showed that Solanaceae is significantly overused in traditional medicine, whereas Poaceae is underused. Also plants with a shrubby habitat are significantly overrepresented in the medicinal plant inventory, which most likely relates to their year-round availability to people as compared to most annual plants that disappear in the dry season. Our ranking of medicinal species according to cultural importance is based upon the Quality Use Agreement Value (QUAV) index we developed. This index takes into account (1) the average number of medicinal uses reported for each plant species by participants; (2) the perceived quality of those medicinal uses; and (3) participant consensus.

Conclusions

According to the results, the QUAV index provides an easily derived and valid appraisal of a medicinal plant's cultural significance.     

Plants used as remedies antirheumatic and antineuralgic in the traditional medicine of Lebanon

Aim of the study

In the present investigation, ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological research of the traditional use of plants to cure antirheumatic and antineuralgic diseases was carried out in Lebanon.

Materials and methods

The information was collected from different cities and villages of the twenty-six districts “aqdya or qadaa” of the six governorates “mohaafazah” of Lebanon. The knowledge on the medicinal use of plants has been recorded directly on the basis of a detailed survey on herbalists “Attarin or dabbous”, folk healers, on older experienced people and midwives “daye”. This research was carried out for 5 years (2002–2007).

Results and conclusions

In this survey, 231 species of which 5 are endemic, distributed in 79 botanical families, currently used as antirheumatic herbal remedies, were collected and identified. Among them 53.3% are indigenous, 19.2% are cultivated and 17.5% are imported. Their latin names, local names, local medicinal uses, the used parts of the plant and the preparations and the ways of administration are described. The anti-inflammatory properties due to the plant compounds have been demonstrated and discussed.     

Ethnobotanical study of indigenous knowledge on medicinal and nutritious plants used to manage opportunistic infections associated with HIV/AIDS in western Uganda

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Traditional medicine plays an important role in the daily lives of the people of Uganda to treat a wide range of health problems. Our study presents results of an ethnobotanical inventory conducted to identify and document medicinal and nutritional plants used in the management of opportunistic infections associated with human immunodeficiency virus / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), the plant parts used, preparation and administration methods of herbal remedies.

Materials and methods

We performed semi-structured interviews with 79 respondents (women 78%, men 22%), who included specialists in medicinal plants (such as traditional birth attendants and herbalists) and non specialists with general knowledge of plant use. Respondents answered a semi-structured questionnaire regarding their knowledge of plants and general treatment practices including management of HIV/AIDS opportunistic infections. The reported plants were collected and identified. Data were analyzed using factor informant consensus and fidelity level to determine homogeneity of informants? knowledge on medicinal and nutritional plants suitable for different ailment categories and the most preferred plant species used to treat each ailment category in the study areas.

Results

The study revealed 148 plant species belonging to 54 families, most of which were herbs (50.7%). Leaves (61.6%) were the most frequently used parts in remedy preparations which were mainly administered orally (72%). The majority of plants (62%) were harvested from wild habitats. The most important species according to fidelity values are Hibiscus sabdariffa L. for anaemia, Mangifera indica L. for cough, Zehneria scabra (L. F.) Sond. for skin infections, Rhus natalensis Bernh.ex.Krauss for diarrhoea and Tarenna pavettoides (Harv.) Sim for appetite boosting. The factor informant consensus highlighted the agreement in the use of plants and showed that the respiratory infections category had the greatest agreement (0.60). Family Asteraceae accounted for 15% of the total species recorded. Sixty plant species (40%) of the plants provide nutritional support.

Conclusion

The study revealed that folk medicine is still widely practised. Fidelity level values indicate that these plants are the most preferred species for particular ailments. The high consensus value (0.6) indicated that there was high agreement in the use of plants for respiratory ailments among others. These preferred plant species could be prioritized for conservation and subjected to chemical screening to ascertain their pharmacological activities.     

Traditional knowledge on medicinal plant of the Karen in northern Thailand: A comparative study

Ethnopharmacological relevance

We studied traditional medicinal plant knowledge among the Karen in northern Thailand.

Aim of the study

To compare traditional medicinal knowledge in 14 Karen villages in northern Thailand and determine culturally important medicinal plant species in each Karen village.

Materials and methods

We interviewed 14 key informants and 438 non-specialist informants about their traditional knowledge of medicinal plants. We tested normality of the data and correlations with distance to the nearest city using Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Cluster analysis and cultural importance index (CI) were calculated for the similarity of medicinal plant used and culturally importance medicinal plant species among Karen villages respectively.

Results

In total 379 medicinal plant species were used. Number of medicinal plants used positively correlate with distance to the nearest city. Relatively low similarities of medicinal plant species and different CI values for species among the different areas were found.

Conclusions

Traditional medicinal plants still play an important role in medicinal practice of the Karen. Local environments, availability of medicinal plant and distance between Karen villages and the nearest city affect the amount of traditional medicinal knowledge in each Karen village. The medicinal plants in this study with high CI values might give some useful leads for further biomedical research.     

Medicinal plants used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat diarrhoea in the Limpopo Province,South Africa

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This paper provides ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants used to treat diarrhoea in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Documentation of this nature usually provides the basis for selecting medicinal plants for future phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies aimed at developing new, effective and affordable plant-derived diarrhoea remedies.

Aim of the study

To record and document medicinal plants used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat diarrhoea in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Materials and methods

In order to record and document medicinal plants used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat diarrhoea, 51 healers from 17 municipalities covering Capricorn, Sekhukhune and Waterberg districts in the Limpopo Province, South Africa were interviewed between January and July 2011. Data collected included the names of plants, plant part(s) used, methods of herbal preparation, administration, dosage and duration of treatments. Voucher specimens of the plants used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat diarrhoea were collected, identified and deposited as future reference material at the Larry-Leach Herbarium (UNIN), University of Limpopo.

Results

A total of 20 plant species representing 16 families and 20 genera were found to be commonly used by the Bapedi traditional healers to treat and manage diarrhoea in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The largest proportion of the medicinal plants belonged to the families Anacardiaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Malvaceae (10% each). The most frequently used species were Punica granatum (39.2%), Grewia bicolor (33.3%), Dombeya rotundifolia (21.6%), Commiphora marlothii (19.6%) and Acacia senegal (13.7%). The roots were the most commonly used plant part (50%), followed by leaves (20%), bark (15%), fruits (10%), pericarp, seed, tuber and whole plants (5% each). Mono therapies based on preparations made from a single plant species were the most dominant (90%). All medicinal preparations were taken orally for 1 week or until diarrhoea subsided. The therapeutic claims of the medicinal plants documented in this study are well supported by literature, with 70% of the species having anti-diarrhoeal properties or are used as diarrhoea remedies both in South Africa and also in other countries.

Conclusion

This study reveals that local communities in the Limpopo Province, South Africa still depend on traditional medicines for basic healthcare; and the use of traditional medicines is still an integral part of their socio-cultural life.     

Plant genetic resources and traditional knowledge on medicinal use of wild shrub and herbaceous plant species in the Etna Regional Park (Eastern Sicily,Italy)

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This paper illustrates the results of a study carried out in the Etna Regional Park (Eastern Sicily, Italy) concerning the traditional knowledge on medicinal use of wild plant species. It contains the results of a quantitative analysis carried out for the first time. A total of 71 wild species are used for medicinal purposes. Two species, Astracantha sicula (Biv.) Greuter and Trifolium phleoides Willd., are little known as medicinal in the Mediterranean area. The main aim of the study was to understand to what extent current knowledge on the medicinal use of plants is still an element of the culture within the elderly population of the Etna Regional Park. A further aim was to identify species not previously reported as medicinal in the Mediterranean area with a potential agricultural interest.

Methodology

The information was obtained using a semi-structured interview format performed on a sample of 196 people over the age of 60 who were considered experts in rural traditions. The plant uses were compared with other medical-ethnobotanical studies carried out in other areas of Sicily, Italy and various other Mediterranean countries. A number of quantitative indices were also used in order to verify the incidence of the species cited in the study within the culture and traditional medicine.

Results

Local communities currently use a total number of 71 wild species (34 families) as remedies for medicinal purposes. Most of the species were used as treatments against metabolic disorders and for general health. The leaves and the aerial parts of plants are the most-used parts of the plant and the most common preparation methods are decoction and direct application of plant parts. Astracantha sicula and Trifolium phleoides have never been documented as a species with medicinal properties in the Mediterranean literature.

Conclusions

Only very few medicinal uses are widely known by all the informants and, on many occasions, a specific medicinal use is cited by only very few people. The quantitative analysis shows that the level of traditional knowledge on medicinal use of plants in the study area is poor, highlighting a considerably advanced state of cultural erosion.     

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants in Jordan,Mujib Nature Reserve and surrounding area

Aim of the study

Medicinal plants are an important element of indigenous systems in Jordan. These resources are usually regarded as part of a culture's traditional knowledge. Therefore, the aim of this study is to collect information from local population concerning the use of medicinal plants of the Mujib region; identify the most important medicinal plants used; determine the relative importance of the species surveyed and calculate the informant consensus factor (F_ic) in relation to medicinal plant use.

Materials and methods

Qualitative tools were used for data collection and to record the interviewee's personal information and topics related to the medicinal use of specific plants. The collected data were used to calculate the F_ic and the plant use values.

Results and conclusions

Fifty-eight plants were identified to be still in use in traditional practice in Mujib. Our results showed that the highest use values were recorded for the species Artemisia sieberi Bess. and Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn., while the highest F_ic was cited for digestive problems. Anthropologically, women were the primary gatherers while healers were reported to be both females, predominantly, and males; yet, herbalists are deficient in this local community.     

Ethnobotany and trade of medicinal plants in the Qaysari Market, Kurdish Autonomous Region, Iraq

Aim of study

Marketplaces epitomize a region's culture and trade, and can give a rapid insight into traditions and salience of commercialized medicinal products. The Qaysari bazaar, bordering the citadel in Erbil city in the Kurdistan Autonomous Region, Iraq, has 21 herbalist shops trading natural medicinal products, wild-crafted and cultivated from all over the Middle East and Asia Minor.

Materials and methods

Freelist surveys were conducted with 18 of these herbalists to determine diversity and salience of traded traditional medicinal plants. Interviews were conducted to document use, trade volume, origin, stock and value of the reported species. Plant species were identified using a combination of morphological identification and molecular barcoding using the ITS region.

Results

Vouchers were collected for a total of 158 samples, corresponding to 82 species of plants, 5 animal products, 8 types of stones, minerals or chemicals, as well as 16 mixtures of plant products. Consensus Analysis of the herbalist interviews shows strong support for a single culture of herbalist plant use.

Conclusions

Most reported plant species are known to have been used since antiquity, and uses are identical or similar to previously documented uses. Herbalists report a steady year-on-year increase in trade due to the economic stability in recent times. A majority (64%) of medicinal plants is imported from outside Iraq, and the data shows that imported plants trade at a higher price than locally-sourced species, and that these species are stocked in higher volumes by the herbalists to ensure a steady supply to consumers. A strong tradition of herbal medicine exists in Kurdistan today exemplified by the diverse and vigorous trade in medicinal plants commercialized from the provinces around Erbil to countries as far away as India, Spain and Libya.     

Ethnobotany of medicinal plants used in Xalpatlahuac,Guerrero, México

Ethnopharmacological importance

Medicinal plants have been used for centuries for the empirical treatment of many diseases. This study documented the use of plant species in traditional medicine in the municipality of Xalpatlahuac, Guerrero, México.

Materials and methods

Direct interviews were performed with inhabitants from Xalpatlahuac. The interviews were analyzed with two quantitative tools: (a) the informant consensus factor (ICF) that estimates the level of agreement about which medicinal plants may be used for each category and (b) the relative importance (RI) that determines the extent of potential utilization of each species.

Results

A total of 67 plant species with medicinal purposes, belonging to 36 families and used to treat 55 illnesses and 3 cultural filiations were reported by interviewees.Nineteen mixtures with medicinal plants were reported by the interviewers. Mentha piperita was the most used plant for combinations (4 mixtures). The results of the ICF showed that diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems had the greatest agreement. The most versatile species according to their RI are Marrubium vulgare, Mimosa albida and Psidium guajava..

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that plant species play an important role in healing practices and magical–religious rituals among inhabitants from Xalpatlahuac, Guerrero, Mexico. Furthermore, pharmacological, phytochemical and toxicological studies with medicinal flora, including mixtures, are required for the experimental validation of their traditional uses.