Ethnobotanical survey of medicinally important wild edible fruits species used by tribal communities of Lesser Himalayas-Pakistan

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Present survey was conducted to explore ethnomedicinal uses and cultural importance of wild edible fruits species by the inhabitants of Lesser Himalayas-Pakistan.

Materials and methods

Information was obtained through informed consent semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, market survey, focus group conversation, unceremonious dialogue and village walks with key informants. Cultural significance of each species was calculated based on use report by participants at each study site.

Results

A total of 35 wild edible fruits belonging to 21 genera and 17 families were used for the treatment of various ailments and consumed. Rosaceae was found dominating family with (8 spp.), followed by Moraceae (6 spp.), Rhamnaceae (5 spp.), Palmae and Vitaceae (2 spp. each) and remaining families were represented by one species each. Fruits (48%) were found highly utilized plant parts, followed by leaves (34%), bark, flowers and seeds (4% each), branches, latex and roots (2% each). Water was used as a medium for preparation while milk, ghee, oil, egg and butter are used for application. Modes of preparation were fall into seven categories like fresh parts eaten raw (38%), powder (24%), decoction (20%), extract (12 %), paste (4%), juice and latex (2% each). Based on cultural important index (CI) Morus nigra was found most significant species within top ten fruit plants followed by Morus alba, Olea ferruginea, Berberis lycium, Pyrus pashia, Ficus carica, Ficus palmata, Ziziphus mauritiana, Diospyros lotus and Ziziphus nummularia.

Conclusions

Traditional uses of wild edible plant depend mainly on socio-economic factors rather than climatic conditions or wealth of flora. Use reports and citation demonstrated that there is a common cultural heritage regarding the gathered food plants. Further investigation is required for Antioxidant study, essential and toxic components, pharmacological applications; dietary requirements and biotechnological techniques to improve yields.     

An assessment of the Bhutanese traditional medicine for its ethnopharmacology,ethnobotany and ethnoquality: Textual understanding and the current practices

Ethnopharmacological relevance

: This study involves the assessment of the Bhutanese traditional medicine (BTM) which was integrated with the mainstream biomedicine in 1967 to provide primary health care services in the country. It caters to 20–30% of the daily out-patients within 49 traditional medicine units attached to 20 district modern hospitals and 29 Basic Health Units in the country.

Aim of the study

: This study presents the ethnopharmacological, ethnobotanical and the ethnoquality concepts in relation to mainstream Tibetan medicine and describes the current practices of BTM.

Materials and methods

: Experienced BTM practitioners (Drung-tshos and Smen-pas) were selected using a convenience sampling method and were interviewed using an open questionnaire followed by informal discussions. The corpus of BTM, Tibetan and scientific literature was obtained and the information on ethnopharmacological, ethnoquality and ethnobotanical concepts and current practices of BTM was extracted.

Results

: This study found that the BTM shares many similarities in terms of materia medica, pharmacopoeia and the principles and concepts of ethnopharmacology and ethnobotany with its mainstream Tibetan medicine. However, the resourceful Bhutanese Drung-tshos and Smen-pas have adapted this medical system based on the local language, culture, disease trend, health care needs and their familiarity with the locally available medicinal ingredients making it particular to the country. A number of notable distinctions observed in the current practices include a code of classification of diseases (only 79 of 404 types of disorders recognized), formulations (currently used only 103 of thousands formulation types), usage of medicinal plants (only 229 species of thousands described) and selected treatment procedures (golden needle and water therapy). This BTM was found to cater to 20–30% of daily out-patients visiting 49 modern hospitals and basic health units in the country.

Conclusions

: The BTM has been evolved from the Tibetan medicine. While the pharmacopoeia, ethnopharmacology, ethnobotany and the ethnoquality aspects shares commonalities with the mainstream Tibetan medicine, there are some practices unique to BTM. Such uniqueness observed in the current practices of BTM include formulations, medicinal plants collection and usage, and the treatment procedures including golden needle and water therapy. This could be a promising source of information for the rediscovery of useful remedies, the development of modern phytotherapeutics and the establishment of efficient quality control measures.     

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the local people of Alaşehir (Manisa) in Turkey

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This paper represents the first large-scale ethnobotanical study in the Ala?ehir and its surrounding (Manisa/Turkey). There are scarcely any studies for using plants. There is urgency in recording such data. This is the first ethnobotanical study in which statistical calculations about plants are done by ICF (Informant Consensus Factor) method. This study aimed to identify plants collected for medicinal purposes by the local people of Ala?ehir, located in the Aegean Region of Turkey, and to document the traditional names, preparation and uses of these plants.

Materials and methods

Field study was carried out over a period of approximately 2 years (2010–2012) in Ala?ehir. During this period, 137 vascular plant specimens were collected. Demographic characteristics of participants, local plant names, utilized parts and preparation methods of the plants were investigated and recorded. In the scope of the study, medicinal plant species and related information were collected; herbarium materials were prepared; and the specimens were entitled. Field research was conducted by collecting ethnobotanical information during structured and semi-structured interviews with native knowledgeable people in territory. In addition, the relative importance value of species was determined and ICF was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study.

Results

A total of 137 medicinal plants belonging to 58 families were identified in the region. Among them, 105 species are wild and 32 species are cultivated plant. The most dominant medicinal plant families were Asteraceae (>13%), Lamiaceae (>11%), Rosaceae (>7%), and Fabaceae (>4%), again; the most common preparations were infusion and decoction. It was found that Origanum onites L., Urtica urens, Thymus zygioides Griseb., Matricaria chamomilla L., Salvia tomentosa Mill., Cerasus avium (L.), Tilia argentea Desf. ex DC., Hyoscyamus niger L., Urtica pilulifera L., Anethum graveolens L., Euphorbia rigida Bieb., Hypericum perforatum L., Paliurus spina-christi Mill., Rosa canina L., Viscum album L. subsp. austriacum (Wiesb.) Vollman, Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn., Elymus repens (L.) Gould and Juglans regia L. were the most commonly used species. The traditional medicinal plants have been mostly used for the treatment respiratory tract diseases (14.1%), gastro-intestinal diseases (10%), kidney problems (7.3%), diabetes (7.1%), cholesterol (5%), rheumatism (4%), cancer various (4%), cardiovascular problems (3.1%) and burn (3%).

Conclusion

Gathering, processing and consuming wild edible plants are still practiced in all the studied Ala?ehir areas. These plants, used in the treatment of many different diseases, are freely harvested in this region at abundant amounts. Due to the increasing health service facilities in the area, herbal medicine, seemed to be more related to health care and disease prevention than cure.     

Traditional uses of medicinal plants in Solhan (Bingöl—Turkey)

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This study has identified not only the wild plants collected for medical purposes by local people of Solhan District in the Eastern Anatolia Region, but also the uses and local names of these plants. It tried to provide a source for researchers studying in ethnobotany, pharmacology and chemistry by comparing the information obtained from traditionally used herbs with previous laboratory studies.

Aim of the study

This study aims to identify wild plants collected for medical purposes by the local people of Solhan District located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey and to determine the uses and local names of these plants.

Materials and methods

A field study had been carried out for a period of approximately 2 years (2011–2012). During this period, 214 vascular plant specimens were collected. Demographic characteristics of participants, names of the local plants, their utilized parts and preparation methods were investigated and recorded. The plant species were collected within the scope of the study; herbarium materials were prepared; and the specimens were entitled. In addition, the relative importance value of the species was determined and informant consensus factor (FIC) was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study. Our research area also includes people with Kurdish and Zaza ethnic origins.

Results

82 plants were found to be used for medical purposes before in the literature analysis of the plants used in our study, while 9 plants were found to have no literature records. The most common families are Asteraceae (12 plants), Rosaceae (10 plants), and Lamiaceae (9 plants). The medicinal uses of Anthriscus cerefolium (L.) Hoffm., Arum elongnatum Steven, Astragalus lamarckii Boiss., Chaerophyllum bulbosum L., Crataegus atrosanguinea Pojark., Hordeum bulbosum L., Pastinaca armena Fisch. & Mey., Prunus kurdica Fenzl ex Fritsch, Sium sisarum L. var. lancifolium (M. Bieb.) Thell. that we found were used in our study area and recorded for the first time. No information could be obtained regarding the names of two wild plants that are being used in Solhan. In Turkey, local plant names display differences especially due to local dialects. The plants used in Solhan are known by the same or different local names in various parts of Anatolia.

Conclusion

In the research area, local people were found to use 82 plants from 31 families for curative purposes. The respondents of the questionnaire are Turkish citizens, with various ethnic backgrounds. Mean age of the respondents was 55 years. These plants are used in the treatment of many diseases. Comparison of the data obtained in this study with the experimental data obtained in the previous laboratory studies derived from the plants growing in Solhan proved ethnobotanical usages to a great extent. Literature review indicated that the curative plants that grow in Solhan are used in different parts of the world for the treatment of similar diseases. These plants, used for the treatment of various diseases, are abundantly found in this region. Drying of the medicinal plants enabled the local people to use them in every season of the year.     

Food consumption in rural Burkina Faso

Food diaries, kept by 13 households in Burkina Faso throughout one year, showed that rural people on average consumed between 1.8 and 2.9 meals per day typically consisting of a thick porridge, made from pearl millet or red sorghum, and a sauce of leaves mainly Corchorus spp. and Adansonia digitata, calyces from Bombax costatum, or groundnuts. Spices, such as chili, Parkia biglobosa "soumbala" and dried fish were frequently added. Vegetables and pulses were occasionally eaten, but meat and milk rarely so. Meals on average included 5.6 ingredients. The diet was monotonous with but a few frequently used products constituting the bulk of food intake. The study villages are presently changing from a traditional local based consumption pattern to an increased use of marketed products, because many traditional wild food products are increasingly difficult to find and imported products are becoming available from urban areas and fashionable to eat. In order to provide people with a well-balanced and nutritionally rich food intake and a high degree of food security, it is recommended that extension projects should work to secure the supply of nutritionally important traditional products and to diversify the food base by promoting the use of under-exploited secondary crops within existing land use systems.     

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     

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.     

Plants used for poison fishing in tropical Africa.

Fishing with the aid of poisonous plants was formerly very common in Africa. Today this easy and simple method of fishing is forbidden but still practised in remote areas. The poisonous ingredients are pounded and thrown into a pool or dammed sections of a small river. After a time which varies according to conditions the fish begin to rise to the surface of the water and can readily be taken by hand. In general, the fish can be eaten without problems. 325 fish-poisoning plants, spread among 71 plant families with 183 genera, are presented. The closely related groups of Caesalpiniaceae, Mimosaceae and Papilionaceae clearly dominate. It is also remarkable that a great proportion are Euphorbiaceae. The plants most used are Tephrosia vogelii, Mundulea sericea, Euphorbia tirucalli, Gnidia kraussiana, Adenia lobat, Balanites aegyptiaca, Swartzia madagascariensis, Neoratanenia mitis, Tetrapleura tetraptera and Strychnos aculeata. Many fishing poisons play an important part in the preparation of arrow poisons and in traditional medicine.     

Ethnobotanical survey of folk toxic plants in southern part of Jordan.

Thirteen representative phytogeographical sites in the southern part of Jordan was surveyed to recognize the folk toxic plant wealth by calculating of FL, RPL, and ROP values. One hundred and twenty-five toxic species were recorded in the area of study belonging to 56 plant families that were mentioned by three informants or more, 53 toxic species (42.4%) were popular, since they were cited by more than half of the maximum number of informants which is 30; therefore have Rank-Order Priority (ROP) value 50 or more, while 72 species (57.6%) were unpopular, since they were cited by less than half of the maximum number of informants; therefore have ROP value less than 50. Eighty species (63.5%) have known toxicity in neighboring countries while 46 species (36.5%) have not such known toxicity. Major toxic effects cited by popular species have exhibited major symptoms ranging from skin irritation, gastric and abdominal disturbances, abortion, sterility, neuralgic pains including hysteria, and fatigue. The studied area has been shown a high level of toxic species diversity, since it is dominated by at least four phytogeographical elements, which requires certain ecological awareness to protect and reserve the wild and endemic species from further threats to enhance the sustainable development.     

Traditional uses of some medicinal plants in Malatya (Turkey)

Ethnopharmacological relevance: This study has identified not only the wild plants collected for medical purposes by local people of Malatya Province in the Eastern Anatolia Region, but also the uses and local names of these plants. It tried to provide a source for researchers studying in ethnobotany, pharmacology and chemistry by comparing the information obtained from traditionally used herbs with previous laboratory studies.