An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in Loja and Zamora-Chinchipe, Ecuador

This paper reports the results of an ethnobotanical survey on the uses of medicinal plants by inhabitants of two southern Ecuadorian provinces, namely, Loja and Zamora-Chinchipe. In this region, two surviving ethnic groups, the Saraguros and the Shuars, and the descendants of a now extinct culture, the Paltas, have been identified. The present study reports a total of 275 plant species, having 68 different therapeutical uses.     

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the people in Nhema communal area, Zimbabwe

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This study documented the pharmaceutical importance of plant resources in Nhema communal area, particularly the significance of medicinal plants in primary healthcare. This is reflected in the great diversity of plants used for medical purposes as well as in their wide range of medicinal applications. Such rich ethnobotanical knowledge and repository of medicinal plants reinforces the need for an evaluation of their biological activity as a basis for developing future medicines.

Materials and methods

In order to document information on medicinal plants used for primary health care and to maximize the collection of indigenous knowledge in Nhema communal area, nine traditional healers were identified using the Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) approach. Data was collected through open-ended interviews with traditional healers, between January and May 2008.

Results

A total of 61 plant species representing 45 genera and 28 families were found to be commonly used in the treatment of 34 different human health problems. More than a third of the plant species were used for diarrhoea, which is a prevalent disease in the study area. The root was the most commonly used plant part while decoction was the most common method of traditional drug preparation.

Conclusions

Nhema communal area in the Midlands province, Zimbabwe is endowed with a strong culture of herbal medicine usage for primary healthcare. This is reflected in the number of medicinal plants used and the human ailments they treat. This preservation of indigenous knowledge is due to continued reliance on wild plant resources for primary healthcare by the local community. Deforestation and unsustainable rates of plant use are a serious threat on continued utilization of plant resources for primary healthcare.     

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Chandauli District of Uttar Pradesh,India

Aim of the study

Chandauli district is one of the less studied regions of India for its ethnobotanical values. The present paper synthesizes the first report related to the documentation and conservation of ethnomedicinal plants of Chandauli district and their socio-economic relationship with the forests and its resources.

Materials and methods

Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, field observations, preference and direct matrix ranking with traditional medicine practitioners.

Results

The use of 40 medicinal plants belonging to 27 families was documented in the tribal communities of Chandauli district in India. These species were used in combination of some exotic species such as Foeniculum vulgare, Prosopis spicigera, Crataeva nurvala, Curcuma longa, Punica granatum, Aloe vera, Cocos nucifera, Ocimum sanctum and Allium cepa and some medicinal stones, minerals, salts, etc. Most of the plants (94.6%) were reportedly used to treat human diseases.

Conclusions

Documenting the eroding plants and associated indigenous knowledge can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in the area. The principal threatening factors reported were deforestation (90%), agricultural expansion (85%) and overgrazing (53%).     

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants and traditional therapies on Batan Island,the Philippines

Ethnopharmacological relevance

We studied the local knowledge and uses of medicinal plants among the Ivatan people of Batan Island by documenting their traditional practices.

Aim of the study

To identify the types of medicinal plants used in self-care by the indigenous people of Batan Island, the Philippines and to investigate the extent to which the plants are used. Conservation of medicinal plants and natural resources is becoming increasingly important; thus, this research aims to collect information from local people concerning the use of medicinal plants on Batan Island.

Materials and methods

A total of 116 informants were interviewed, allowing for calculated informant consensus factors (ICF), use value (UV), and fidelity levels (FL) for each medicinal plant species used to cure various ailments. This helped to establish a consensus on which species are effective for particular ailments, as well as the species’ relative importance, and enabled us to understand the extent of the potential utilization of each species.

Results

We describe the therapeutic effects of 112 plant species used medicinally against 13 categories of ailments. The highest ICF value (1.00) was cited for diseases of the ear and respiratory system and for use during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. The maximum FL of 100% was found for Carica papaya, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Musa sapientum, and Pedilanthus tithymaloides, used for the treatment of constipation, cuts and wounds, diarrhea, and dislocations and fractures, respectively. The highest UV was for Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (0.67). All plants with high UV were used for exogenous diseases, certain infectious and parasitic diseases, injuries, poisonings and other consequences of external factors, and diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. In addition to its use for endogenous disease and lifestyle-related diseases and illnesses, Moringa oleifera is also used for diseases of the circulatory system, with a UV of 0.57 and Cocos nucifera is used for diseases of the genitourinary system, with a UV of 0.56.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that many plant species play an important role in local healing practices and that knowledge of traditional medicine is still utilized and plays a significant role on Batan Island. The documentation of this rich traditional ethno-medicinal knowledge has furnished us with novel information that not only will provide recognition of this undocumented knowledge but also could provide new avenues for pharmacological investigations to improve healthcare for a range of ailments.     

Ethnobotanical study on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-Western Serbia,Zlatibor district

Ethnopharmacological relevance: This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on medicinal plant uses in the Zlatibor district, South-Western Serbia.     

Ethno-veterinary survey of medicinal plants in Ruoergai region, Sichuan province, China

Aim of study

In this study we aimed to survey and investigate the medicinal plants which are used to treat the veterinary diseases in Ruoergai region, Sichuan province, China. Meanwhile, the important medicinal plants were collected and identified for the further study.

Materials and methods

Twenty folk veterinary practitioners from 8 township animal husbandry and veterinary stations in Ruoergai region were investigated and interviewed. The important local medicinal materials, including plants, animals and mineral drugs, were collected by scientific methods and identified by the pharmacognosist of Lanzhou University, China.

Results

According to the investigation, only 20 folk veterinary practitioners still used 129 species of traditional medicine to treat the livestock`s diseases. In these medicine, 93 species were native and Ranunculaceae (12, 12.90%), Compositae (11, 11.83%), Papaveraceae (7, 7.53%) were the predominant families. At the same time, herbs (36.56%) are the most widely used part of plant, and respiratory diseases (21.02%) and gastrointestinal diseases (19.89%) were the main animal’s diseases in this region.

Conclusion

Ethno-veterinary medicine made an extraordinary contribution to the sound development of animal husbandry in Ruoergai. But the inherit, protect and development should be paid more attentions in the future, and the species which have not been studied should be developed priority to find biological activities and new bioactive compounds further.     

Ethnobotanical survey of antidiarrhoeal plants of Parinche valley,Pune district,Maharashtra, India

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Maharashtra is the third largest state in India with a large tribal population. Documentation of traditional knowledge through ethnobotanical studies is important for conservation and utilization of indigenous knowledge. Diarrhoeal diseases are the second largest cause of morbidity in rural India. Medicinal plants given by the traditional healers of Parinche in Pune district, Maharashtra are known to be efficacious for many common ailments, including diarrhoeal diseases.

Aim of the study

Ethnobotanical survey of antidiarrhoeal plants from Parinche valley towards the documentation and conservation of traditional knowledge.

Materials and methods

Interviews and inquiries were conducted amongst traditional healers, indigenous communities and village elders.

Results

One hundred and eighty two plants used by tribes and natives for different ailments were documented of which 28 flowering plants were for diarrhoea. Leaf was the most preferred plant part. Amongst the 28 plants, antidiarrhoeal activity of five plants viz., Caesalpinia sepiaria, Dioscorea pentaphylla, Launaea pinnatifida, Syzygium rubicundum and Ziziphus jujuba has not been reported previously. Two species viz., Ziziphus xylopyra and Syzygium rubicundum are endemic to India.

Conclusion

Parinche valley is an ethnobotanically rich area with abundant availability and knowledge of medicinal plants that can serve as a model for low cost health care.     

Ethnobotanical survey of biopesticides and other medicinal plants traditionally used in Meru central district of Kenya

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The purpose of this study was to carry out a survey and document plants used in Meru-central district by traditional healers with emphasis on those used as biopesticides.

Materials and methods

The study was carried out at Igane and Gatuune sub-locations, Abothuguchi East division of Meru-Central district, Kenya. The data collection involving 23 traditional healers was done using semi-structured questionnaire, focused group discussion and transect walks. Plants samples were collected and botanically identified at the herbarium of the Department of Land Resource Management and Agriculture Technology in the University of Nairobi.

Results

The results of the ethnobotanical survey revealed that herbalists belonged to both gender with the majority being male (82.6%) and female (17.4%). Their ages ranged from 28 to 82 years. Seventy (70) plant species, belonging to 35 families, were identified as being used as biopesticides and also as medicinal. The families encountered were Asteraceae (10%), Euphorbiaceae (8.6%), Lamiaceae (8.6%), Fabaceae(8.6%), Caesalpiniaceae (5.7%), Rubiaceae (5.7%), Liliaceae (4.3%), Apocynaceae (2.9%), Flacourtiaceae (2.9%), Verbenaceae (2.9%) and the rest of the 24 families had 1.4% each. These medicinal plants were used to treat and manage a wide range of diseases and conditions including parasitic, microbial, helminthosis, protozoa, cuts and wounds, fractures, dental, arthritis, allergic, snake bites, reproductive as well as metabolic. Among the plants used, shrubs were the commonest at 42.8%; trees were 32.9%, while herbs and liana were at 22.9% and 1.4%, respectively. Majority of the respondents used leaves, roots and bark to make their herbal preparations with only a few using seeds, flowers, whole plant, flower sap and pods. The plants that were cited by the respondents to be used as biopesticides were Prectranthus barbatus Andr. (47.8%), Tephrosia vogelii Hookf. (39.1%), Ocimum gratissimum L (34.7%), Vernonia lasiopus O.Hoffm. (8.7%), Cascabella thevetia( L.)Lippold (4.3%) and Oncoba routledgei Sprague (4.3%).

Conclusion

Meru central district is rich in biodiversity of biopesticides and other medicinal plants and there is need for further pharmacological studies to validate their use as potential drugs for pests and disease control.     

Ethnopharmacological survey of wild medicinal plants in Showbak,Jordan

Two main research questions are framing this investigation: (1) the main taxa of the medicinal importance value altered the Showbak forest stand and species composition? (2) The most safe species and what are the toxic ones (unsafe). These two research questions are the vital ones to draw a clear image about the wild medicinal plants of this investigated area of Showbak region in Jordan.     

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Yaegl Aboriginal community in northern New South Wales, Australia

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Documentation of Australian bush medicines is of utmost importance to the preservation of this disappearing and invaluable knowledge. This collaboration between the Yaegl Aboriginal community in northern New South Wales (NSW), Australia and an academic institution, demonstrates an effective means of preserving and adding value to this information.

Materials and methods

Questionnaire-guided interviews were performed with community Elders under a framework of participatory action research. Medicinal plant knowledge was collated in a handbook to aid interviews and to be used as an ongoing resource by the community. Specimens for all non-cultivar plants that were discussed were collected and deposited in herbaria with unique voucher numbers. This medicinal knowledge was checked against the literature for reports of related use and studies of biological activity.

Results

Nineteen Elders were interviewed, leading to discussions on fifty four plant preparations used for medicinal purposes. These plant preparations involved thirty two plants coming from twenty one families, reflecting the botanical diversity of the area. The plants retained in the Yaegl pharmacopoeia correspond to their accessibility and ease of preparation, reflected in their ongoing utilisation. Several plant uses did not appear elsewhere in the literature.

Conclusions

This study is the first comprehensive documentation of the medicinal knowledge of the Yaegl Aboriginal community. It has been conducted using participatory action research methods and adds to the recorded customary knowledge of the region. The customary medicinal knowledge retained by the Yaegl Aboriginal community is related to the evolving needs of the community and accessibility of plants.     

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.     

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants from Leepa valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

Aim of study

Ethnomedicinal studies were conducted first time in the Leepa Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan to document indigenous medicinal knowledge of most common plant species. Pakistan is diverse country by possessing a wide range of climatic and geological condition; this country also has a mammoth diversity of flora.

Material and methods

Rapid appraisal approach, semi-structured interviewees, personal observations and field work guided by local informants having sufficient knowledge of indigenous medicinal plants were employed to acquire ethnomedicinal information.

Results

In this study 61 medicinal plants belonging to 40 families have been reported through 705 informants (267 females, 393 males and 45 herbal specialists) from 17 sites of Leepa valley. The main sources of herbal medicines were wild herbs (64%) followed by trees (10%), wild shrubs (8%), cultivated herbs (3%), wild and cultivated herbs (3%), wild grasses (3%), climbing wild herbs (2%), prostate wild herbs (2%), spiny shrubs (2%), fungi (2%) and ferns (1%). The most repeatedly used plant parts were leaves (34%) followed by root (16%), seed (10%), shoot (9%), fruit (8%), flower (8%), bark (6%), whole plant (4%) and barriers, tubers, nuts, oil, milky latex (1%). Preparations of medicinal plants were administrated through oral and topical routs.

Conclusion

Leepa Valley is wealthy in its indigenous medicinal plants species and the allied traditional knowledge. Indigenous medicines play important role in the local healthcare system. Most of the local community prefers to use the traditional herbal preparation for against ailments. This is the first record of indigenous knowledge from this area and there is dare need for more studies to authenticate traditional plants used in herbal remedies of study area.     

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Nandi people in Kenya

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The study of local knowledge about natural resources is becoming increasingly important in defining strategies and actions for conservation or recuperation of residual forests. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This study therefore sought to collect information from local populations concerning the use of Nandi Forest medicinal plants; verify the sources of medicinal plants used and determine the relative importance of the species surveyed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was obtained using semi-structured forms to record the interviewee's personal information and topics related to the medicinal use of specific plants. A total of 40 medicinal plants used locally for the treatment and/or control of human ailments were collected through interviews conducted with selected traditional doctors and professional healers. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that local people tend to agree with each other in terms of the plants use and that leaf material form the major component of plant parts exploited. The other harvested materials consist of stem bark, the roots and the whole plant, though at a lower intensity for making liquid concoctions from different plants. Majority of the remedies were prepared from a single species. In most cases, the mode of administration was oral. In the forest, some of the plants collected were scarce. This scarcity was attributed to indiscriminate logging, overexploitation, poor harvesting methods and current agricultural trends. CONCLUSION: Conservation procedures and creation of awareness were identified as the main remedies to the current situation.     

吉林省农安县药用植物资源调查

采用设定样地、样方的方法对吉林省农安县药用植物资源情况进行调查。吉林省农安县具有常见药用植物资源近百种,农安县林地包括针叶林、针阔混交林及阔叶林,次生林较多,野生中药品种分布较少。仅在青山口乡及伏龙泉镇新阳顺山屯有面积较少的丘陵分布,可见到一些山区常见的品种,共15科24种。在路边、草地、耕地边及林缘,生长着大量常见的药用植物,以草本为主,各乡镇均有分布,共24科56种。在水库边缘、稻田边、路边湿地也常有药用植物分布,共5科6种。农安县药用植物资源分布相对较少,应对现有中药资源进行保护及合理利用。     

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in Rwanda for voluntary depigmentation

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Voluntary depigmentation, a very common practice in sub-Saharan Africa, often performed with pharmaceutical products diverted from their pharmacological use, may cause severe dermatological and systemic side effects. The present work aims at investigating whether and which herbs were used in Rwanda for similar purposes before the advent of the current depigmentation craze; this may give clues at herbal treatments possibly advantageous compared to current products.

Material and methods

Sixty-one traditional healers, mostly representatives of their associations, were surveyed by questionnaires for knowledge and practice of voluntary depigmentation. Recipes or plants used, plant parts, harvest area, preparation methods, dosage and route of administration were recorded. Most of the cited herbs were harvested with the help of traditional healers and identified by comparison with voucher specimens; herbal vouchers of the five most cited herbs were deposited in official herbaria.

Results

All surveyed traditional healers have knowledge of voluntary depigmentation; the population currently practicing do not recourse to their services but obtain bleaching products directly from the market. Traditional healers disclosed recipes prescribed or self-used (often by women) in their youth; others cited recipes are used to treat skin diseases with properties of “clarification”, “black skin stain removal”, in cases of hyperpigmentation, and/or “skin softening”. Curiously, from the 28 recipes cited by traditional healers, all are mono-herbal preparations; most of the plants are mixed with butter for application to the skin.

Conclusion

Compared to other pathophysiological conditions, there is currently a very limited use of herbal preparations for depigmentation. Five herbs had a citation percentage equal or above to 50%, Brillantaisia cicatricosa Lindau (Acanthaceae), Chenopodium ugandae (Aellen) Aellen (Chenopodiaceae), Dolichopentas longiflora Oliv. (Rubiaceae), Protea madiensis Oliv. (Proteaceae) and Sesamum angolense Welw. (Pedaliaceae); in vitro experiments indicated a modulation of melanogenesis by these plant extracts, confirming the information obtained from traditional healers.     

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants in Nor-Yauyos, a part of the Landscape Reserve Nor-Yauyos-Cochas, Peru

Aim of the study

To collect, analyze and evaluate the ethnopharmacologic knowledge in Nor-Yauyos in order to protect it. This paper reports the results of an ethnopharmacological survey on the uses of medicinal plants by inhabitants of the Andean region Nor-Yauyos, Peru. In this region one surviving ethnic group, the Jaqaru-Quichuas, has been identified.

Methodology

Field work was concluded between October 1999 and March 2000, using semi-structured questionnaire and participant observation as well as transects walks in wild herbal plant collection. Interviews with 68 informants (mean age: 54; 100% men, 0% women) were performed in 12 farmers’ communities: Huancaya, Vilca, Vitis, Miraflores, Piños, Carania, San Lorenzo De Alis, Santa Rosa De Tinco, Tomás, Huancachi, Laraos and Huantán.

Results

63 species of plants belonging to 29 families were reported. More than a half of reported plants were native, endemic of the studied area. Leaves and their mixtures were the most (67.26%) commonly used plant part. Most of the remedies were prepared in infusion, and 90.08% were administered orally. Most treated disorders were the gastrointestinal (18.59%) and respiratory ones (18.22%).

Conclusions

6 species (9.52%) without pharmacological references in international scientific literature, 21 species (33.33%) with 1-2 references, 16 species (25.40%) with 3-6 references, and 20 species (31.75%) that have been already widely studied were found.     

An ethnobotanical study of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants used by the village peoples of Thoppampatti,Dindigul district,Tamilnadu, India

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This study provides significant ethnopharmacological information, both qualitative and quantitative on medicinal plants in the Thoppampatti village, Dindigul district, Tamilnadu, India. There is urgency in recording such data to conserve the traditional medicinal plants. This is the first ethnobotanical study which records the traditional important medicinal plants of Thoppampatti village. To collect, analyze and evaluate the ethnopharmacologic knowledge in Thoppampatti village in order to protect it. This study reports the results of an ethnopharmacological survey on the uses of medicinal plants by inhabitants of the Thoppampatti.

Materials and methods

The field study was carried out in a period of about one year (April 2012–May 2013) in Thoppampatti village. The information was obtained through open and semi-structured interviews with 48 (27 males, 21 females) knowledgeable local people and traditional healers (THs). The collected data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. In addition, use value (UV), relative importance (RI) and Jaccard index (JI) was determined.

Results

A total of 139 species of plants, mostly trees and herbs, belonging to 54 families were identified in this study. This is used to treat 142 diseases and ailments. These ailments were categorized into 18 major categories. Leaves were the most frequently used parts, while decoction and juice are the most common method of preparation to treat various diseases. Based on IUCN Red data the identified medicinal plants include 11 least concerned species, 3 vulnerable species and one endangered species. The most important species according to their use value were Cynodon dactylon (0.79), Azadirachta indica (0.73), Ocimum tenuiflorum (0.71), Moringa oleifera (0.68), Coriandrum sativum (0.62), Abelmoschus esculentus (0.61), Acalypha indica (0.59) and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (0.59).

Conclusion

As a result of the present study, medicinal plants play an important role in the health care of Thoppampatti village inhabitants; they rely on medicinal plants to treat various ailments. In addition, the medicinal plants with high RI values might give some useful leads for further pharmacological investigations. Deforestation and overexploitation of a particular plant species leads to extinction so sustainable utilization of medicinal plants is recommended in the study area.     

Medicinal plants of the Meinit ethnic group of Ethiopia: An ethnobotanical study

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The majority of the Ethiopian people, including the Meinit ethnic group, are highly dependent on medicinal plants for their day-to-day public healthcare and veterinary needs. The existence of medicinal plants and the associated knowledge is, however, currently being threatened mainly due to deforestation, environmental degradation and acculturation. Thus, there is an urgent need to document and analyse the knowledge.

Aim of study

The aim of this study was to record and analyse local knowledge of the Meinit people of Ethiopia on the use of plants to treat or cure diseases of humans and domestic animals.

Materials and methods

Ethnobotanical data were gathered through series of individual interviews conducted with selected informants representing different social groups within the Meinit Community. Fidelity Level (FL) values were calculated to estimate the healing potentials of claimed medicinal plants.

Results

The study revealed 51 medicinal plants, most of which were herbs. Root was the most frequently used part in remedy preparation. The majority of medicinal plants were not cultivated. Significantly higher numbers of medicinal plants were cited by men than women, by older people than younger ones and by illiterate people than literate ones. Rumex nepalensis Spreng., Leucas deflexa Hook.f. and Embelia schimperi Vatke were the medicinal plants that scored the highest FL values.

Conclusions

Acculturation of the young generation has been found to be the major treat to the continuation of traditional medical knowledge and practice in the study area. Efforts should, therefore, be made to incorporate traditional medicine in school curricula so that younger people could appreciate its usefulness. Priority for further Pharmaco-chemical investigation should be given to plants that scored highest FL values, as such values could indicate better efficacy.     

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Turgutlu (Manisa—Turkey)

Ethnopharmacological relevance

A comprehensive ethnobotanical study was made in Turgutlu. This paper contains folk medicinal plants and ethnopharmacological information of this ethnobotanical study.

Aim of study

The aim of this study is to collect and identify the plants used in therapy by the local people and to reveal information on traditional herbal medicine.

Materials and methods

This study was made between 2010 and 2011 and its materials were the plants collected during the field work. The information was obtained through open and semi-structured interviews with the local people. In addition, informant consensus factor (FIC) and use value (UV) were calculated.

Results

76 Folk medicinal plants belonging to 44 families were identified in this study. Among them, 68 species are wild and eight species are cultivated plants. The most common families are Asteraceae (11.8%), Rosaceae (9.2%), Lamiaceae (7.9%), Apiaceae (3.9%) and Malvaceae (3.9%); the most common preparations were infusion (37%) and decoction (18.5%). A total of 177 medicinal uses (remedies) was recorded. Digestive system disorders have the highest FIC (0.73). According to use value (UV) the most important plants were Rosa canina (0.75), Ficus carica subsp. carica (0.74), Tilia platyphyllos (0.71) and Vitex agnus-castus (0.70).

Conclusion

In the research area the use of traditional folk medicine is still prevalent in the community especially in the villages.