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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Dried roots of Peucedanum decursivum, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has historically respiratory diseases such as cough, thick phlegm, headache, fever, and gynecological diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma., Aim of the Study: Made an endeavor to evaluate the research trajectory of P. decursivum, comprehensively discern its developmental status, and offer a guideline for future investigations., Materials and Methods: A meticulous search of literatures and books from 1955 to 2024 via databases like PubMed, Web of Science and CNKI was conducted, including topics and keywords of " P. decursivum" "Angelica decursivum" and "Zihua Qianhu"., Results: P. decursivum and its prescriptions have traditionally been used for treating phlegm-heat cough, wind-heat cough, gastrointestinal diseases, pain relief and so on. It contains 234 identified compounds, encompassing coumarins, terpenes, volatile oils, phenolic acids, fatty acids and derivatives. It exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effects, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-Alzheimer, and anti-cancer properties, primarily attributed to coumarins. Microscopic identification, HPLC fingerprinting, and bioinformatics identification are the primary methods currently used for the quality control., Conclusion: P. decursivum demonstrates anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects, aligning with its traditional use. However, experimental validation of its efficacy against phlegm and viruses is needed. Additionally, analgesic effects mentioned in historical texts lack modern pharmacological studies. Numerous isolated compounds exhibit highly valuable medicinal properties. Future research can delve into exploring these substances further. Rigorous of heavy metal contamination, particularly Cd and Pb, is necessary. Simultaneously, investigating its pharmacokinetics and toxicity in humans is crucial for the safety., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Angola has an extraordinary plant diversity and a great ethnobotanical potential. However, there is a general lack of information about the first botanical explorations in the country and their contribution to the knowledge of the medicinal flora., Aim of the Study: The main aim of this study was to unveil the ethnobotanical legacy of José Maria Antunes and Eugène Dekindt, priests of the first Catholic mission in Huíla (Angola) and shed light on their contribution to the knowledge of medicinal wild plants of the country, including information on the uses, plant parts used, and preparation methods documented in the late 19th century. The findings are discussed considering recent ethnobotanical studies to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the historical and traditional uses of plants in Angola over the last two centuries., Materials and Methods: Based on the information available in manuscripts and on the study of botanical collections preserved in herbaria of Portugal and Angola, we extracted relevant information about the species used in traditional medicine by the rural population of Huíla, the health conditions treated, and the mode of preparation and application., Results: Our results revealed that Antunes and Dekindt conducted the first ethnobotanical study in Huíla, and documented a large number of medicinal wild plants. From these, we report 191 medicinal species, including 25 endemic and four introduced species, belonging to 56 plant families and 146 genera. Fabaceae family presents the highest richness of medicinal plants (39 taxa), followed by Rubiaceae (13), Asteraceae (10), and Apocynaceae (9). The illnesses reported were classified into 15 different categories, with the highest number of species (49) corresponding to unspecific conditions, such as general pains, chills, and fever. Thirty-seven species were reported for respiratory diseases, 31 for musculoskeletal problems, and 30 for digestive issues. Leaves were the most used plant part for medicinal purposes (84 species). Infusion was the most frequently described preparation method (40 species), followed by maceration (24 species), and powdering (36 species)., Conclusions: The legacy of Antunes and Dekindt's work improves our understanding of Angola's botanical richness and traditional uses of plant resources. Our findings highlight the presence of unique medicinal resources in Angola, especially among endemic species, which hold the potential to improve the quality of life of rural communities. Moreover, our research underscores the lack of knowledge of medicinal species, emphasizing the risk of losing valuable historical information., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: For the first time in two decades, a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the medicinal and ritual plants of southern Africa is presented. This data is analysed and compared with a previous survey done in 2002., Study Aim: The main aim is to update the checklist of medicinal and ritual plants of southern Africa and to determine the number of new records since 2002. We also provide a high-level perspective on the selection of medicinal and ritual plant species in southern Africa, a taxonomic analysis of the new checklist as well as a chronological perspective on the citation of medicinal and ritual species before and after 2002., Materials and Methods: The most recently published medicinal and ritual plants checklist for southern Africa was reviewed and updated. A wide range of ethnobotanical literature, including books, field guides and electronic journals, was used. All calculations were done by using formulas and functions in Microsoft Excel and R Studio., Results: 4120 medicinal and ritual taxa and 3784 medicinal and ritual species have been recorded. Compared with the 2002 checklist, there are 1239 new taxa (1228 new species). A strong correlation between available taxa and selected medicinal taxa exists on order level, which corresponds with the results of an analysis done in 2008. The top 10 species-rich medicinal plant families of southern Africa are Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Apocynaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Asphodelaceae, Malvaceae, Lamiaceae, Poaceae, Rutaceae and Rubiaceae. Different patterns of plant family representation can be seen across certain cultural healing systems of southern Africa. The species popularity (number of citations) of Hypoxis hemerocallidea Fisch. & C.A.Mey. Has increased substantially after 2002. Other medicinal and ritual plant species have been consistently researched, such as Artemisia afra Jacq. ex Willd., Carpobrotus edulis (L.) L.Bolus, Aloe ferox Mill., Leonotis leonurus (L.) R.Br. and Gunnera perpensa L., Conclusions: The numerous new medicinal and ritual plant records that have been reported in the last two decades provide evidence of an incompletely documented ethnobotanical heritage that urgently requires documentation. Patterns of taxonomic diversity on family level indicate distinctive differences between cultural healing systems. Signs of the adaptability and dynamics of traditional healing systems in southern Africa can be seen in the changes in the citation of species over time., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Rubus idaeus Linnaeus (RI) is a Chinese herbal medicine that has been widely used in China for a long time to reinforce the kidney, nourish the liver, improve vision, and arrest polyuria., Aim of the Study: This work aims to evaluate the recent progress of the chemical composition, pharmacological activity, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and quality control and of Rubus idaeus, which focuses on the insufficiency of existing research and will shed light on future studies of Rubus idaeus., Methods: Literatures about "Rubus idaeus","Red raspberry" and "Fupenzi"are retrieved by browsing the database, such as Web of Science (http://www.webofknowledge.com/wos), Pubmed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/), CNKI (http://www.cnki.net/), and Wanfang Data (http://www.wanfangdata.com.cn). In addition, related textbooks and digital documents are interrogated to provide a holistic and critical review of the topic. The period of the literature covered from 1981 to 2022., Results: Approximately 194 compounds have been isolated from Rubus idaeus, which is rich in phenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, and fatty acids. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that Rubus idaeus exhibits many pharmacological activities, including hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic, anti-Alzheimer effect, anti-osteoporosis, hepatoprotective, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, anti-bacteria and skin care, etc. However, it is worth noting that most of the research is not associated with the conventional effect, such as reducing urination and treating opacity of the cornea., Conclusion: The effectiveness of Rubus idaeus has been proved by its long-term clinical application. The research on the pharmacological activity of Rubus idaeus has flourished. In many pharmacological experiments, only the high-dose group can achieve the corresponding efficacy, so the efficacy of Rubus idaeus needs to be further interrogated. Meanwhile, the relationship between pharmacological activity and specific compounds of Rubus idaeus has not been clarified yet. Last but not least, studies involving toxicology and pharmacokinetics are very limited. Knowledge of bioavailability and toxicological behavior of Rubus idaeus can help understand the herb's pharmacodynamic and safety profile., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The full bibliometric records of data retrieved from ethnobotanical field studies carried out in Morocco (1991-2015) was quali-quantitatively analysed. Despite the importance of traditional medicinal uses in Morocco, any comments about the methodologies and approaches adopted by reviewed studies have been undertaken. Include more data about the importance of traditional medicinal uses in Morocco., Aim of the Study: Three key points were targeted in this review: (i) to contribute to original compilation of medicinal plants traditionally used by people at whole Morocco, by gathering and documenting the current status of these ancestral medical practices, (ii) to provide a novel insight into the relationship between local and biomedical disease concepts in Moroccan society, taking into account health-related beliefs, and their influences on medicinal plant uses, (iii) to figurout the weaknesses and the strengths of the conceptual approches and methods adopted by researchers in ethnobotanical field works., Materials and Methods: With the help of a computerized database querying, we conducted an extensive literature search respecting our integration criteria. We performed this bibliographic research by using the following search engines available over the Web: Google Scholar, PUBMED, Sciencedirect, Current Content Connect, SCOPUS, SPRINGER LINK, GLOBAL PLANTS, Cochrane Library and SCIRUS. The scientific names listed in the present paper have been validated according to the "The Plant List" and the African Plants Database in order to standardize ethnobotanical data on an international level. For the analysis of data gathered, quali-quantitative analyses have been performed., Results: A total of 905 medicinal plant species belonging to 116 families and 726 genera have been selected from 63 published articles. The dominant families were ASTERACEAE (111 species) followed by the FABACEAE (77 species), LAMIACEAE (75 species) and APIACEAE (46 species). The plant species listed are used to cure several public ailments. The digestive ailments represented the most important category (494 species) followed by dermatological diseases (407 species), diabetes (315 species) and urinary diseases (277 species). We assigned the importance of the plant species by several measures (including Frequency Cited (FC), Number of Uses (NU), Number of Respondents (NR) and Index of Performance (IP). The ICF (Informant Consensus Factor) calculated was important in all categories of diseases averaging 47%., Conclusion: The results obtained, which cover the whole country, delineate the profile of rich wealth of indigenous knowledge on traditional uses of medicinal plants heald by Moroccan society. The total number of 905 plant species listed in this paper, are currently being utilized as medicines and the number is expected to grow as infrastructure allows greater access to unexplored parts of the country. Furthermore, the know how, regarding the plants used, is consistent because the ICF has recorded important values for most diseases treated. Furthermore, in the present paper, we suggested, for authors, some useful recommendations for ethnobotanical field works such as the respect of ethnobotanical standards including checklist of plants with international data base, the deposited voucher specimens, sampling and collection methods., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) practices remain a common feature of South African animal husbandry, particularly in rural livestock healthcare. This review provides an update of research undertaken on South African EVM from 2009 until 2019., Aim of the Study: This review collates information and investigates trends in the increasing field of EVM research in South Africa over the last decade., Materials and Methods: A literature search was conducted using available databases including ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar. Dissertations, theses, books and technical reports were also searched., Results: In the past decade, ethnoveterinary surveys conducted in South Africa report the use of 139 plants from 50 families used against 21 animal diseases and conditions. Leaves, roots and bark have remained popular plant parts used for EVM. In terms of livestock species reported, the major focus was on cattle, goats and poultry. Only four of the nine provinces in the country have been surveyed., Conclusions: Relatively few publications reporting on ethnoveterinary surveys have originated from South Africa. These papers refer to many plants used for a variety of commonly encountered animal diseases and afflictions. With reference to recently published guidelines on conducting ethnobotanical surveys, several recommendations can be made to improve the robustness of surveys documenting the use of plants for EVM in South Africa., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Mauritania is a country in which few ethnobotanical studies have been conducted and consequently the ethnomedical data is scarce. Since the geographical region reflects the transition between tropical and Northern Africa, influenced by the Mediterranean floristic region, the traditional knowledge was influenced by several cultures from tropical Africa as well as Arab, Berber and Islamic societies., Aim of the Study: This paper aims to explore and compile the diversity of ethnomedical knowledge in one of the regions of Mauritania and to compare the data with similar studies from surrounding territories., Materials and Methods: Surveys and interviews were carried out in 11 villages of Adrar province in northern Mauritania. Data were collected through open, semi-structured interviews (with individuals and focus groups). A sample of 120 people aged between 20 and 70 years, including 24 herbalists and 28 traditional healers was included., Results: Ethnomedical data for 68 plant species belonging to 27 families were obtained. They are used to treat 50 health conditions grouped in 14 pathological groups. Remedies for digestive system disorders, skin problems and respiratory ailments were among the most frequent indications. Leaves were the most frequently used plant part and remedies generally used as a powder for the various applications and a total of 2'317 use reports were gathered. About 55% of the reported species were not cited previously in the literature focusing on Mauritania and neighbouring countries. Moreover, only 6 species are also cited by Ibn al-Baytar (13th century CE)., Conclusions: This work shows a promising perspective for future studies, shedding light on the richness and the risk for conservation of traditional knowledge of herbal medicine in Mauritania., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: This paper has two overarching aims: (1) presenting the results of studying the Albacete tariff of medicines of 1526 and (2) broadly analyzing the origin and influences of medicinal traditional knowledge in the region of Albacete, Spain. We use historical and modern literature that may have influenced this knowledge. Our primary goal was to determine the ingredients used in the pharmacy in the 16th century CE in Albacete through the analysis of the tariff, and our secondary goal was to investigate until when ingredients and uses present in pharmacy and herbals persisted in later periods., Methods: The identity of medicines and ingredients was determined by analyzing contemporary pharmacopoeias and classical pharmaceutical references. We analyzed further 21 sources (manuscripts, herbals, and books of medicines, pharmacopoeias, pharmacy inventories, and modern ethnobotanical records) for the presence/absence of ingredients and complex formulations of the tariff. Using factorial and cluster analysis and Bayesian inference applied to evolution models (reversible-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo), we compared textual sources. Finally, we analyzed the medicinal uses of the top 10 species in terms of frequency of citation to assess the dependence of modern ethnobotanical records on Renaissance pharmacy and herbals, and, ultimately, on Dioscorides., Results: In Albacete 1526, we determined 101 medicines (29 simple drugs and 72 compound medicines) comprising 187 ingredients (85% botanical, 7.5% mineral, and 7.5% zoological substances). All composed medicines appear standardized in the pharmacopoeias, notably in the pharmacopoeia of Florence from 1498. However, most were no longer in use by 1750 in the pharmacy, and were completely absent in popular herbal medicine in Albacete 1995 as well as in Alta Valle del Reno (Italy) in 2014. Among the ingredients present in different formulation are the flowers of Rosa gallica, honey (Apis mellifera), the roots of Nardostachys jatamansi, and Convolvulus scammonia, pistils of Crocus sativus, grapes and raisins (Vitis vinifera), rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, bark of Cinnamomum verum, leaves and fruits of Olea europaea, mastic generally of Pistacia lentiscus, and wood of Santalum album. The statistical analysis of sources produces four well-separated clusters (Renaissance Herbals and Pharmacopoeias, Ethnobotany and Folk Medicine, Old phytotherapy, and Modern phytotherapy including Naturopathy) confirming our a priori classification. The clade of Renaissance Herbals and Pharmacopoeias appears separated from the rest in 97% of bootstrapped trees. Bayesian inference produces a tree determined by an initial set of two well-distinct core groups of ingredients: 64, locally used in Mediterranean Europe during centuries; and 45, imported, used in pharmacy during centuries. Complexity reached its maximum in Albacete 1526 and contemporary pharmacopoeias, gradually decreasing over time. The analysis of medicinal uses of the top 10 ingredients showed low coincidence between Dioscorides and different Renaissance herbals or medical treatises and of all of them with ethnobotany in Albacete., Conclusions: Regarding our question: is there something new under the sun? In some aspects, the answer is "No". The contrast between expensive drugs, highly valued medicines, and unappreciated local wild medicinal plants persists since the Salerno's school of medicine. Old medicine in Mediterranean Europe, as reflected by Albacete 1526 tariff of medicines, involved strict formulations and preferences for certain ingredients despite other ingredients locally available but underappreciated. This confirms the fact that any system of medicine does not get to use all available resources. Ethnobiological records of materia medica, in rural areas of Albacete, describe systems with a high degree of stability and resilience, where the use of local resources, largely wild but also cultivated, is predominant in contrast with the weight of imported exotic products in pharmacy., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Reference: The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of infections is ancient. A wide variety of ethnotherapeutic properties and pharmacological actions has been attributed to Terminalia sericea. Studies by various groups of investigators reveal that it is a multipurpose medicinal plant used mostly in the treatment of diarrhoea, sexually transmitted infections, skin rashes, tuberculosis and other infections. The current paper is aimed at providing an overview of the ethnomedicinal uses, toxicology, pharmacology and the phytochemistry of Terminalia sericea., Materials and Methods: Information was retrieved using various search engines, including Pubmed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Scielo, SciFinder and Scopus. The key words used included Terminalia sericea, secondary metabolites, phytochemistry, biological activity, pharmacology, ethnobotanical survey, medicinal uses, safety, toxicology and other related words., Results: Terminalia sericea is an important medicinal plant which possesses anti-HIV, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anticancer, lipolytic, wound healing, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity, as the most valuable biological activities, thus lending pharmacological support to the plant's folkloric uses in indigenous medicine. Toxicologically, the extracts and isolated compounds from the plant species may have mild toxic effects. Phytochemically, the plant species possesses valuable compounds including triterpenes, alkaloids and flavonoids which may well contribute to its biological activity., Conclusions: Terminalia sericea contains secondary metabolites which are valuable in the treatment of a variety of human infections, including community acquired infections which may be prevalent in developing countries. The degree of toxicity reported in various extracts warrants further exploration of the cytotoxicity of the plant species, both against normal human cell lines and in vivo. Moreover, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory and anti-inflammatory effects also need to be further investigated as there are only a few reports from the literature on these aspects. There is also a need to further understand the mode of action of the extracts against various enzymes relating to inflammation. Antioxidant activity of the plant extracts against various forms of free radicals needs to be investigated. Although T. sericea is reported to be used for ethnoveterinary infections, there are no scientific reports on the anti-parasitic activity of the plant species against common animal parasites., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Crinum macowanii is a deciduous bulbous plant which grows in east, central and southern Africa. Crinum macowanii has been used as herbal medicine by the indigenous people of east and southern Africa has for several centuries. The bulb, leaves and roots of C. macowanii are reported to possess diverse medicinal properties and used to treat or manage various human and animal diseases and ailments throughout its distributional range. Crinum macowanii is used traditionally as a remedy for boils, diarrhoea, fever, inflammation, respiratory system problems, skin rashes, tuberculosis, wounds and urinary tract problems., Aim of the Review: The present review aims to summarize comprehensively the research that has been done on the ethnomedicinal uses, botany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of C. macowanii in different locations throughout its geographical range in east, central and southern African region so as to highlight research gaps and provide a foundation for further investigations on the plant species., Materials and Methods: A review of the literature was undertaken and an in-depth analysis of previous research on ethnobotany, therapeutic value, phytochemistry and pharmacology of C. macowanii throughout its distributional range in east, central and southern Africa. Literature sources included papers published in international journals, reports from international, regional and national organizations, conference papers, books, theses, websites and other grey literature. Electronic search engines such as Google, Google scholar, publishing sites such as Elsevier, scienceDirect, BMC, PubMed and other scientific database sites such as ChemSpider, PubChem were used as well as searching the library collections of the National Herbarium and Botanic Gardens (SRGH), Harare, Zimbabwe and the University of Fort Hare, South Africa., Results: A total of 32 ethnomedicinal uses of C. macowanii are documented in literature, which can be grouped into seven major ethnomedicinal general purpose usages, namely "fever", "wounds, sores and skin rashes", "boils and inflammation", "respiratory system problems", "blood cleansing", "urinary tract problem" and "veterinary uses". The chemical composition of C. macowanii is dominated by various isoquinoline alkaloids, which have been isolated from the bulbs, flowering stalks, leaves and roots. Major biological activities demonstrated by C. macowanii include antifungal, antiviral and antiplasmodial activities, cardiovascular effects as well as effects on the central nervous system. The population of C. macowanii is declining in the wild as the bulbs are over-collected for sale in medicinal (muthi) markets in southern Africa., Conclusion: A literature search revealed that C. macowanii has a lot of potential as a possible source of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of a wide range of human and animal diseases and ailments. Some of the alkaloids isolated from C. macowanii have demonstrated various biological activities when investigated in in vitro assays. However, some of the ethnomedicinal uses of C. macowanii still require pharmacological investigations. Therefore, further studies are required to improve our knowledge about the mechanisms of action, efficacy, toxicity and clinical relevance of the plant species as well as its bioactive compounds., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: This paper illustrates the results of an ethnobotanical study carried out in the Vesuvio National Park (VNP) (Campania, Southern Italy). It describes the medicinal uses of the plants in an ancient area rich in ethnobiodiversity investigated for the first time., Aim for the Study: The main aim of the study was to understand at what extent current knowledge on medicinal plant uses is still alive in VNP., Materials and Methods: The informations were collected using semi-structured and unstructured interviews performed on 136 persons living in the investigated area from March to November 2014 and from April to October 2015. The age of the informants ranged from 47 to 85 years old; more than half of the informants aged between 61 and 70. Local plant uses were listed and analyzed in a table and compared with uses in other localities in Italy and in other regions of the Mediterranean basin., Results: In VNP were recorded a total number of 132 plant species, belonging to 110 genera and 51 families mentioned for medicinal purposes. Among the recorded 132 plant species, 70 are spontaneous or subspontaneous and 62 are cultivated above all in the kitchen gardens or in the apartments, as food or as ornamental. Herbs represent the majority, followed by trees and shrubs or subshrubs. The investigated plants were used to cure 116 different human health diseases and 4 veterinary problems. The majority of plants are used in the treatment of gastrointestinal, skin and respiratory problems., Conclusion: The number of medicinal plants reported in this paper reflects a well-preserved traditional popular knowledge (TPK) of the elderly people living in the rural areas and in the small villages of VNP. The conservation of TPK is owed to the persistence of an oral tradition that safeguard the use of plants as herbal medicine. We realized that while the use of some wild plants is decreasing, people continue to gather some cultivated and invasive plants for preparing remedies. Researches like this are necessary to protect ancient memories, to promote the transfer of information to the younger generations, to preserve ethno-biodiversity and to provide a starting point fur further biochemical investigations on medicinal entities., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, known as Dang Gui (in Chinese), is a traditional medicinal and edible plant that has long been used for tonifying, replenishing, and invigorating blood as well as relieving pain, lubricating the intestines, and treating female irregular menstruation and amenorrhea. A. sinensis has also been used as a health product and become increasingly popular in China, Japan, and Korea., Aim of the Review: This paper aims to provide a systemic review of traditional uses of A. sinensis and its recent advances in the fields of phytochemistry, analytical methods and toxicology. In addition, possible trends, therapeutic potentials, and perspectives for future research of this plant are also briefly discussed., Materials and Methods: An extensive review of the literature was conducted, and electronic databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Reaxys were used to assemble the data. Ethnopharmacological literature and digitalised sources of academic libraries were also systematically searched. In addition, information was obtained from local books and The Plant List (TPL, www.theplantlist.org)., Result: This study reviews the progress in chemical analysis of A. sinensis and its preparations. Previously and newly established methods, including spectroscopy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC), and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis (NMR), are summarized. Moreover, identified bioactive components such as polysaccharides, ligustilide and ferulic acid were reviewed, along with analytical methods for quantitative and qualitative determination of target analytes, and fingerprinting authentication, quality evaluation of A. sinensis, and toxicology and pharmacodynamic studies. Scientific reports on crude extracts and pure compounds and formulations revealed a wide range of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory activity, antifibrotic action, antispasmodic activity, antioxidant activities, and neuroprotective action, as well as cardio- and cerebrovascular effects., Conclusions: Within the published scientific literature are numerous reports regarding analytical methods that use various chromatographic and spectrophotometric technologies to monitor various types of components with different physicochemical properties simultaneously. This review discusses the reasonable selection of marker compounds based on high concentrations, analytical methods, and commercial availabilities with the goal of developing quick, accurate, and applicable analytical approaches for quality evaluation and establishing harmonised criteria for the analysis of A. sinensis and its finished products. Compounds isolated from A. sinensis are abundant sources of chemical diversity, from which we can discover active molecules. Thus, more studies on the pharmacological mechanisms of the predominant active compounds of A. sinensis are needed. In addition, given that A. sinensis is one of the most popular traditional herbal medicines, its main therapeutic aspects, toxicity, and adverse effects warrant further investigation in the future., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.)

Study Background: The Amazon basin is a mosaic of different environments. Flooded riparian and upland forests play a significant role for the establishment of human settlements. Riparian communities in the Amazon have evolved depending on the use of plants applied for therapeutic purposes, thus developing important knowledge about their management and preparation., Aim of the Study: This paper describes and analyzes the use and management of medicinal plants in order to establish links to environmental conservation. The categorization of habitats of occurrence and categories of diseases were held in five riparian communities at Rio Jauaperi, in the border between Roraima and Amazonas states in Brazil. The study sight is poorly investigated in terms of scientific research., Materials and Methods: Quantitative and qualitative ethnobotanical field inquiries and analytical methods including observations, individual and focus group discussions, individual interviews, preference ranking by free listing tasks, guided tours and community mapping were applied. Sutrop's cognitive salience index was applied in order to check the most important ethnospecies and diseases. The survey was conducted from February to December 2012., Results: A total of 62 informants were interviewed, resulting in 119 botanical species documented. The most salient medicinal species are usually wide distributed and recognized transculturally. Arboreal habit was the most important corresponding to 47% of total species used. The most frequent accessed environments were terra-firme (upland forest), vargeado (flooded forest), poultry (regenerating forest) and restinga (seasonally flooded forest) which together provides 59% of the total medicinal plant species. Exotic species played a secondary role with only 20% of the total. Thirty seven percent of the species were cultivated. Plants at homegardens are usually associated with children's or women's disease. Xixuaú is the community with improved ability to environmental preservation using more forestry species. The most worrying disease was malaria. Biomedical assistance is precarious in the region and many diseases and healing rituals are culturally built., Conclusions: Ethnobotanical surveys of medicinal plants can indicate the level of biodiversity conservation and human health by integrating social and ecological analytical elements. Considering a predominance of management for subsistence, the higher richness of native medicinal species availability indicates that biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge are better preserved. The methods applied here might contribute for the decision-making process regarding conservation public policies and medical assistance in remote areas of the Amazon basin., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Sokoto is known for its diverse traditional medicinal wealth and international market of traditional medicines in Africa. However, information of the folk knowledge, especially for the treatment of diabetes, is not documented., Aim of the Study: This survey identified and documented the information on traditional medicinal plants used by Hausa-Fulani community of Sokoto for the treatment of diabetes., Materials and Method: Demographic data and information about the medicinal plants were collected via administration of semi-structured oral questionnaires. Willing herbal medical practitioners/traditional healers were interviewed. The medicinal plants mentioned by herbalists were collected and authenticated by a taxonomist and the voucher specimens were preserved., Results: Fifty one informants across the state divulged information on traditional medicinal plants and practices used in diabetes and revealed 54 species, belonging to 33 families, with Cassia sieberiana being cited the most (19 times) and ranked first (39%). Azadirachta indica, Ficus exasperata and Schwenckia americana ranked second (15%), each cited 8 times., Conclusion: The survey documented the rich wealth of knowledge and usage of plants for the treatment of diabetes in Sokoto. The paper will not only serve as a source of information but will also help to make the knowledge accessible for further drug screening and development, and at the same time underlines the need for biodiversity conservation of this traditional wealth., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: During the last few decades there has been an increasing interest in the study of medicinal plants with their traditional use and related pharmacological research all over the World. This paper enumerated folk medicinal plants used by Malayali tribal people in an unexplored and biodiversity rich region of Eastern Ghats in southern India., Aim of Study: The aim of this study is to collect and identify the plants used in medicinal therapy by the local people and professional traditional healers with quantitative analysis., Materials and Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was carried out during January to December 2014 among the Malayali tribal people in four villages of Palamalai region in Eastern Ghats, India. The information was obtained through open and semi-structured face-to-face interviews with the local knowledgeable people and professional traditional healers. The statistical analysis, use value, family use value, informants' consensus factor, fidelity level, frequency of citation, relative frequency citation and informants' agreements ratio were calculated for the quantitative study of ethnomedicinal data., Results: A total of 118 plant species belonging to 95 genera and 55 families dominated by the families like Leguminosae, Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were enumerated with detailed information on parts used, method of preparation, mode of administration and ailments treated. Leaves were mostly used plant part and predominantly used herbal preparations were decoction and paste. Moringa oleifera Lam. was reported by all the interviewed informants and gives the highest UV of 3.9 with 78 use reports due to its diverse medicinal uses., Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the need for importance of documenting the traditional knowledge of forest dwelling people. As a result of the study, Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet., Andrographis echioides (L.f.) Nees., Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst., Canarium strictum Roxb., Centella asiatica (L.) Urban., Senna auriculata (L.) Roxb. and Tribulus terrestris (L.) were recommended for further ethnopharmacological studies since these plants were recorded with high UV, IAR, RFC and FL values., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: A survey was undertaken in Jamaica to document medicinal plants frequently used in the treatment or prophylaxis of illness and trends in their use, following the methodology established by the TRAMIL network. TRAMIL, a Caribbean-wide applied research programme, scientifically evaluates and documents the efficacy and safety of medicinal plant remedies used for primary health care. Initial results from this survey, on an aspect of safety, focusing on the concomitant use and prevalence of medicinal plant use in combination with pharmaceutical drugs in Jamaica, were published in an earlier paper in 2011. This paper now reports survey results on the ethnobotanical use of medicinal plants by Jamaicans., Materials and Methods: A survey using a structured and modified TRAMIL questionnaire was administered to 407 adults selected randomly from systematically selected households within randomly selected clusters. The clusters were selected from each of the three areas that were purposefully selected., Key Findings: Respondents identified their use of 107 botanically identified medicinal plants distributed in 51 plant families to treat illnesses or maintain health in the previous twelve months. Fourteen plants, with significant use equal to or greater than 20% for a specified health issue were shortlisted, representing Jamaica׳s first submission to the TRAMIL database. Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees (Rice Bitters) was reported as a plant remedy with significant use for the first time in a TRAMIL survey. Informant consensus factor (ICF) values were high for a number of health issues such as mental health (nerves, insomnia, etc.), respiratory system (cold/flu/cough etc.) and for health maintenance with tonics (washout and blood cleanse), indicating strong cultural coherence in medicinal plant selection for these categories. Forty two per cent (113/270) of medicinal plant users utilised mixtures, combining more than one plant. Leaf material was the most commonly used plant part (69%), with fresh material (98%) most commonly prepared as a tea for internal use by decoction (87%). The majority of medicinal plant respondents sourced plants from their backyards (75%) and cited grandmothers (33%) and mothers (32%) as their main sources of information. Jamaicans reported limited use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), supporting the assertion that a significant number of citizens in developing countries continue to rely on the use of medicinal plants for primary healthcare., Conclusions: Medicinal plant use continues to play an important role in primary healthcare in Jamaica. Fourteen plant remedies with significant use are reported, five previously reported elsewhere and recommended (REC) for the same health condition. Eight plant remedies, including one Jamaican endemic, are reported for different health issues for the first time to TRAMIL and will be investigated (INV) for the new health conditions, together with one plant remedy reported for the first time. This latest survey will be followed by literature reviews, appropriate laboratory screens (TRIG) and community outreach activities (TRADIF) in Jamaica., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological relevance Mixtures of wild food plants, part of the Mediterranean diet, have potential benefits for their content in bioactive compounds, minerals and fibers. In Italy, wild plants are still consumed in various ways, for their taste, effects on health and nutritional value. In this paper, we provide a list of wild plants used in vegetable mixtures, indicating their phytochemical and nutritional profile, highlighting those not yet studied. Aim of the study We provide a first complete review of traditional uses of wild food plants used as vegetables and their preparations (e.g., salads, soups, rustic pies). We also highlight their phytochemical constituents. Materials and methods We carried out an extensive literature review of ethnobotanical publications from 1894 to date for finding plants used in traditional vegetable mixtures. We also performed an online search for scientific papers providing the phytochemical profile of plants that were cited at least twice in recipes found in the literature. Results We list a total of 276 wild taxa used in traditional vegetable mixtures, belonging to 40 families. Among these, the most represented are Asteraceae (88), Brassicaceae (33), Apiaceae (21), Amaranthaceae (12). Many plants are cited in many recipes across several Italian regions. Among the most cited plant we note: Reichardia picroides (L.) Roth , Sanguisorba minor Scop. , Taraxacum campylodes G. E. Haglund, Urtica dioica L. Tuscany is the region with the highest number of food recipes that incorporate wild plants used as vegetables. We also list the phytochemical constituents and some pharmacological activities of the plants cited at least twice. Finally, we discuss topics such as the taste of plants used in the recipes. Conclusions Nineteen edible wild plants, such as Asparagus albus L. , Campanula trachelium L., Hypochaeris laevigata (L.) Benth. & Hook f. , Phyteuma spicatum L. , Scolymus grandiflorus Desf., are not yet studied as regards their phytochemical and nutritional profile. Some plants should be avoided due to the presence of toxic compounds such as Adenostyles alliariae (Gouan) A. Kern or Ranunculus repens L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The paper presents information about the earliest botanical work from Poland, Warsavia physice illustrata which takes bryophytes into account. It was elaborated by a German physician Christian Heinrich Erndtel and issued in 1730 in Dresden. That time understanding of bryophytes was imprecise and in many cases they were confused with lichens and club mosses., Materials and Methods: Bryophyte taxa polynomials (18 names) were identified using pre- and post-Linnaean botanical monographs from years 1590 to 1801. Their current names and pharmacological value are provided, as well as the old ethnobotanical data about bryophytes (cited from 18th-century sources)., Results: Altogether 18 bryophyte species were identified from the vicinity of Warsaw (17 mosses and 1 liverwort). Some of them are still abundant in this area (for example Climacium dendroides, Plagiomnium undulatum and Polytrichum juniperinum) while some other are rare or extinct (for example Neckera crispa and Rhodobryum roseum)., Conclusions: Despite the technical ability to observe specific microscopic differences among bryophytes, physicians of 18th century were hardly interested in using any of them as medicinal stock. It may be concluded that the competences in pre-Linnaean bryology did not put into practice using moss-derived materia medica of 18th century (the only exceptions were Fontinalis antipyretica and Polytrichum spp.)., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

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., (© 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Vapour-based medicines are an aspect of traditional medicine in North East India. However, no collective studies on this therapy in the region have been attempted. With the changing perception of traditional knowledge, documenting these herbal preparations and the subsequent development of baseline data for applications in further ethnopharmacological research are needed., Aims of the Study: To survey and document the plant species associated with vapour therapy in Manipur, North East India, and to evaluate these traditional practices., Materials and Methods: Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect information from the Meitei community in the Imphal valley and the Jiribam area in Manipur. Traditional disease concepts were studied along with their corresponding medical terminologies. Plant samples collected from fields, healers' private collections and home gardens were identified. Evaluation of the ethnobotanical data was performed with a modified fidelity level index., Results: In the study, 41 traditional disease complexes were treated by 13 different routes of administration using 48 mono-ingredient and 17 multi-ingredient compositions. Preparation methods included boiling in water (28%), burning the materials (48%), crushing the materials to release the aroma (21%) and slight heating of the materials (3%). Some of the mono-ingredient recipes reported in the study were observed to have similar uses in other parts of the world, whereas polyherbal remedies were found to be unique without any similar report., Conclusion: Many compositions mentioned in the paper are still used by the Meitei community. Traditional healers follow their own criteria for selecting medicinal plants. Plants recorded in this ethnobotanical study can suggest methods for selecting and identifying potentially effective plants for future drug candidates. Scientific characterisation of the herbal remedies can contribute to the endorsement of traditional vapour-based therapies in the modern health care systems. Findings from these "new usage" reports of plants and unique combinations of polyherbal compositions indicate the importance of such documentation efforts., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on medicinal plant uses in the Zlatibor district, South-Western Serbia., Materials and Methods: A survey was performed using questionnaires with 220 informants (mean age 47, 79% female, 21% male). In addition, the use value and the relative importance of species were determined and the informant consensus factor was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study. Intended plants usage was compared with previous ethnobotanical literature, with reference to the neighboring areas of Zlatibor district., Results: The informants provided data for 69 medicinal plants belonging to 36 families. Rosaceae, Lamiaceae and Asteraceae were the predominant locally used families. The species with the highest use value were Mentha piperita, Matricaria chamomilla, Hypericum perforatum and Achillea millefolium. The most frequently reported medicinal uses were ones for treating gastrointestinal ailments, respiratory problems and skin diseases. Usually, the administration was primarily oral followed by topical applications. All different plant parts were utilized, however leaves were the most exploited parts of the plants., Conclusions: Folk medicine in South-Western Serbia, Zlatibor district is intended mainly as a mode of primary health care in healing of minor illnesses. The results indicate a slight reduction in the ethnobotanical and medical knowledge in this area, when compared with neighboring regions., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim of Study: This paper reports an ethobotanical survey of the traditional uses of medicinal and useful plants in an area of the National Park of Cilento and Vallo di Diano, Campania, Southern Italy., Materials and Methods: This study conducted between 2009 and 2011, gathered information on the medicinal plants traditionally used in Southern Italy (Campania Region). In all, we interviewed 70 key informants, whose age ranged between 50 and 85 years. This people belonged to families which had strong links with traditional activities of the area., Results: The research resulted to the identification of 192 plants belonging to 64 families. Among the species reported, 86 are used in human medicine, 15 in veterinary medicine, 69 as human foods, 18 as animal feed, 61 for domestic and 8 for agricultural uses., Conclusion: A survey of the available literature on Southern Italy ethnobotany reveals that some species have been never reported and about 10% of cited uses are new. Data obtained show that in the studied area the folk use of plants is alive and still derives from daily practice., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Renal disease is a significant public health concern that affects people all over the world. The main limitations of conventional therapy are the adverse reaction on human health and the expensive cost of drugs. Indeed, it is necessary to develop new therapeutic strategies that are less expensive and have fewer side effects. As a consequence of their natural compounds, medicinal plants can be used as an alternative therapy to cure various ailments including kidney diseases. of the study: This review paper has two principal goals: (1) to inventory and describe the plants and their ancestral use by Moroccan society to cure renal problems, (2) to link traditional use with scientific confirmations (preclinical and clinical). To analyze pharmacological effects, phytochemical, and clinical trials of plants, selected for renal therapy, a bibliographical search was undertaken by examining ethnobotanical investigations conducted in Morocco between 1991 and 2019 and consulting peer-reviewed papers from all over the world. Approximately 290 plant species, spanning 81 families and 218 genera have been reported as being utilized by Moroccans to manage renal illness. The most frequently mentioned species in Morocco were Herniaria hirsuta subsp. cinerea (DC.), Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss and Rosmarinus officinalis L. The leaves were the most frequently used plant parts, followed by the whole plant. Decoction and infusion were the most popular methods of preparation. A record of 71 plant species was studied in vitro and/or in vivo for their therapeutic efficacy against kidney disorders, including 10 plants attempting to make it to the clinical stage. Twenty compounds obtained from 15 plants have been studied for the treatment of kidney diseases. Medicinal herbs could be a credible alternative therapy for renal illness. However, additional controlled trials are required to confirm their efficiency in patients with kidney failure. Overall, this work could be used as a database for future exploration. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on medical plants in the Western Region of Turkey. There is urgency in recording such data. This is the first ethnobotanical study in which statistical calculations about plants are done by FIC method in western part of Turkey., Aim of Study: This study aimed to identify plants collected for medical purposes by the local people of Edremit Gulf, located in the Western Region of Turkey, and to document the uses and local names of these plants., Materials and Methods: This study, conducted between 2007 and 2010, gathered information on the medicinal plant species traditionally used in Edremit Bay, Turkey and the local names of these plants. In the scope of the study, medicinals 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 informant consensus factor (FIC) was calculated for the medicinal plants included in the study., Results: A total of 118 medical plants belonging to 50 families were identified in the region. Among them, 99 species are wild and 19 species are cultivated plant. The most common medicinal plant families were Lamiaceae (>18%), Asteraceae (>11%), Rosaceae (>7%); the most common preparations were infusion and decoction. It was found that Hypericum perforatum, Lavandula stoechas, Salviatomentosa, Origanum onites, Origanum vulgare, and Teucrium polium were the most commonly used species. A total of 218 medicinal uses (remedies) were recorded. The traditional medicinal plants have been mostly used for the treatment of abdominal and stomach pain (17%), cough and cold (12%), diabetes (6%), kidney ailments (5%), wounds (4%)., Conclusion: The use of traditional medicine was still widespread among the people interviewed during this study. 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., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on pharmaceutical plant uses in the Middle Navarra (Iberian Peninsula). Collect, analyze and evaluate the ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants in this area with 3622.2 km(2) and 404,634 inhabitants., Materials and Methods: We performed semi-structured interviews with 276 informants (mean age 72; 46% women, 54% men) in 111 locations, identified the plant reported and analyzed the results, comparing them with those from other territories., Results: The informants reported data on 198 medicinal plants belonging to 60 botanical families. This work is focused on human medicinal plant uses, which represent 98% of the pharmaceutical uses (1401 use reports). The species with the highest number of cites are Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. squarrosa, Jasonia glutinosa and Chamaemelum nobile with a long tradition of use in Navarra. All different plant parts are used; aerial part is exploited more frequently than other plant parts. Most of the listed remedies use a single ingredient, typically soaked in water. The most common mode of administration is oral, while the second most common is topical., Conclusions: The main ailments treated are digestive troubles, wounds and dermatological problems, and respiratory affections. Informants reported 80 new or scarcely cited uses for 14 medicinal plants. For 36% of the species (5) we have not found bibliographical references in the scientific literature and 64% (9) have only one to three references., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim of the Study: The aim of this paper is to compare the changes in the utilization of species from various hemeroby categories (indicating the degree of sensitivity of the plant to human impact) using historical data concerning the years 1888-1994., Materials and Methods: The authors digitised 8808 handwritten reports, reflecting local ethnopharmacological knowledge from 8 selected collections from the Estonian Folklore Archives of the Estonian Literary Museum. They were semi-quantitatively analyzed according to the sensitivity to human impact of 540 taxa that could possibly be related to the plant vernacular names given in the reports., Results: Although in different periods of time the number of ethnopharmacologically used plants has changed, the proportion of plants utilized from each group has remained relatively same, consisting on average of: 23% anthropophytes, 42% apophytes, 32% hemeradiaphores and 3% hemerophobes. Comparison of the application of the most used plants revealed considerable changes of plant utilization, in which the varied use of the most popular anthropophytes increased and the applied scope of the most popular hemeradiaphores and hemerophobes decreased almost by twofold in one century. Case studies on seven taxa are presented, of them, use of Allium sativum L., Aesculus hippocastanum L. and Mentha xpiperita L. increased, whereas the use of Hordeum L., Orchidaceae, Paris quadrifolia L. and Briza media L. decreased greatly., Conclusions: This research contributes to the better understanding of the cognitive and human ecological concepts underlying the use of medicinal plants in Estonia. Strong increase in the ethnomedical utilization of plants depending on human influence, and a decrease in the use of taxa that do not prefer human activities indicates that, despite some of the population still have access to natural resources and diverse knowledge of the medical use of plants, the majority relies on a very narrow selection and a rather restricted herbal landscape., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim of the Study: This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on pharmaceutical plant uses in the Riverside of Navarra. Thereby, it will extend and complement a recent previous study carried out in the Northern Navarra. This paper aim to collect, analyse and evaluate the ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants in the Riverside of Navarra (Iberian Peninsula) with 2554.4km(2) and 144,674 inhabitants., Material and Methods: We performed semi-structured interviews with 147 informants (mean age 76 years; the percentage of men and women was almost 50%) in 34 locations, identified the plants reported and analyzed the results, comparing them with those from other territories., Results: The informants reported data on 90 medicinal plants belonging to 39 botanical families. This work is focused on human medicinal plant uses, which represent 99% of the pharmaceutical uses (541). The species with the highest number of cites are Santolina chamaecyparissus ssp. squarrosa, Thymus vulgaris, Rosmarinus officinalis and Urtica dioica. All different plant parts are used; aerial part is exploited more frequently than other plant parts. Most of the listed remedies use a single ingredient, typically soaked in water. The percentage of internal uses is three times higher than external uses., Conclusions: The main ailments treated are digestive troubles, dermatological problems, and respiratory affections. Informants reported 11 new or scarcely cited uses for 8 medicinal plants. For 50% of the species (4) we have not found bibliographical references in the scientific literature and 50% have only one or two references., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims of Study: The aim of this paper is to compare the presence of wild green vegetables in four ethnobotanical questionnaires. This range of surveys offers a rich diachronic perspective, possibly unique in ethnobotany., Materials and Methods: Four archival questionnaires (by other researchers), whose results have been only partly published, were analyzed. They are Rostafiński's questionnaire of 1883-1909, the Gajek team's questionnaires of 1948-1949 and 1964-1969, and Stolicná and Kłodnicki's questionnaire of 2000-2003., Results: Green shoots or leaves of least 58 species (belonging to 43 genera) of wild plants have been used as green vegetables or culinary herbs for nutritional purposes since the 19th century. The disappearance of wild green vegetables from the Polish diet was a gradual process, in which the sequence of disappearance of the species from diet was as follows: (1) Aegopodium & Heracleum, (2) Cirsium, Sinapis & Raphanus, (3) Urtica, (4) Chenopodium, (5) Oxalis, (6) Rumex. In Poland, within the studied time scale, there was no tradition of incorporating more than a few species of wild greens in one dish. Local people usually utilized a small number of taxa, but in large quantities, resorting to some other available species only in times of famine., Conclusions: The relatively low number of wild green vegetables utilized has gradually decreased to practically none, mainly due to replacement by a few cultivated vegetables. This process must have started well before the 19th century, but became most dramatic throughout the 20th century., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The use of kinos, a class of polyphenol-rich, characteristically coloured astringent plant exudates, is a feature of many ethnomedical systems. Though once well-regarded in formal health care systems, since the mid 20th century they have declined in popularity. In view of the current interest in traditional medicines as a source of new therapeutic agents and the information published in the past 30 years in respect of the bioactivity of compounds known to occur in kinos, a review of the current knowledge of this class of plant exudates is overdue. This paper therefore presents information on the history, botany, natural formation, chemistry and pharmacology as well as technical and potential medical applications of kinos, with particular reference to those of Australian Eucalyptus species and Aboriginal ethnomedical and also early European settlers' practices., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: This paper provides significant ethnobotanical information on pharmaceutical plant uses from a tourist and industrialised region, where some degree of acculturation exists, so that there is urgency in recording such data., Aim of the Study: To collect, analyze and evaluate the ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants in a north-eastern Iberian region (Alt Empordà, 1358 km(2), 129,160 inhabitants)., Methodology: We performed 101 semi-structured interviews with 178 informants (mean age 69; 71% women, 29% men), identified the plant taxa reported and analyzed the results, comparing them with those from other territories., Results: The informants reported data on 518 species. Of these, 335, belonging to 80 botanical families, were claimed as medicinal. This work is focused on human medicinal plant uses, which represent 98% of the pharmaceutical uses (3581 out of 3643 use reports). Around 800 medicinal uses, concerning 200 species, have not, or have very rarely been cited as medicinal; of these, 32 uses of 30 species have been reported by three or more independent informants., Conclusions: The folk knowledge about medicinal plant use is still alive in the studied region, and a number of scarcely reported plant uses has been detected, some of them with promising phytotherapeutical applications.

Aim of the Study: This paper aimed to present a quantitative review of information on Mapuche ethnobotany published for Argentina and Chile in the period 1955-2007., Materials and Methods: Sixteen ethnobotanical articles were studied quantitatively by utilizing ethnobotanical indices, non-parametric and multivariate tests., Results: A total of 505 medicinal species, 304 native (60%) and 196 exotic (39%) were registered. Ailments were treated with both native and exotic species, although native showed higher values of consensus (between studies) than exotic, and were more frequently used in all cases. The most common ailments were gastro-intestinal pains (26%). Most cures used herbs (56%). Native species were obtained mainly by gathering in forests and ecotones (40%), and exotics by gathering in anthropogenic environments (28%). Our results demonstrate the existence of a common, shared body of knowledge of the medicinal flora at a regional level, integrating ancestral knowledge with foreign knowledge accumulated over time. Finally, reflecting cultural erosion, modern articles cited significantly fewer native plants than older articles; a trend not found with exotic species., Discussion and Conclusion: The information offered can be used as a guide for future work on promising species for health care, and as background information for the development of bio-cultural conservation strategies.

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 has been carried out in the high river Ter valley (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula) a small area located in the eastern Pyrenees, with 294 km(2) and 4526 inhabitants. Through 42 interviews with 60 informants of a mean age of 71.1, 220 species belonging to 71 botanical families were reported, 90.6% of which were used in human medicine and 7.8% in veterinary therapy. The present paper is focused on human medicinal plant uses. One fungal and four vascular plant species have not, or have very rarely been cited as medicinal, and for other taxa some very scarcely reported medicinal uses have been recorded (110 uses concerning 78 species).

In this paper, 126 traditional medicinal plants from Kirklareli Province in Turkey have been reported. One hundred and twenty six plant species belonging to 54 families and among them 100 species were wild and 26 species were cultivated plants. Most used families were Rosaceae, Labiatae, Compositae and the most used plants were Cotinus coggyria, Sambucus ebulus, Achillea millefolium subsp. pannonica, Hypericum perforatum, Matricaria chamomilla var. recutita, Melissa officinalis subsp. officinalis, Juglans regia, Thymus longicaulis subsp. longicaulis var. subisophyllus, Malva sylvestris, Urtica dioica, Plantago lanceolata, Rosa canina, Ecballium elaterium, Artemisia absinthium, Viscum album subsp. album, Papaver rhoeas, Helleborus orientalis, Cydonia oblonga, Prunus spinosa subsp. dasyphylla, Rubus discolor, Sorbus domestica. A total of 143 medicinal uses were obtained. The traditional medicinal plants have been mostly used for the treatment of wounds (25.3%), cold and influenza (24.6%), stomach (20%), cough (19%), kidney ailments (18.2%), diabetes (13.4%).

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.

The present paper deals with plants used in veterinary medicine in Montseny. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the Montseny massif, which is situated in north-east Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula), covers 826 km(2) and has a population of 80,000. The information was obtained through 120 ethnobotanical interviews to 180 informants. Out of 584 species reported, 351 are claimed to be used in the health field (human and veterinary medicine), 280 in human and animal food and 236 have another kind of popular use. Medicinal species represent around 16.5% of Montseny's vascular flora. In a previous paper we addressed plant use in human medicine, and the present paper deals with veterinarian uses. As a reflection of the importance of rural life in the region, at least until recent times, a substantial number of medicinal plants (89 species, representing 6% of the flora of the territory and 6.4% of all medicinal use-reports in the region) is used in veterinary medicine. These remedies are mostly for cows, calves, sheep, pigs and horses, and secondarily, to poultry, rabbits and dogs. The main ailments treated are postnatal problems, intestinal troubles, wounds and dermatological problems. In many cases, the use of these remedies in veterinary medicine is fully consistent with their use in human medicine.

In this paper we use three disparate examples to highlight the relevance of historical methods in the context of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology. Unfortunately, in ethnopharmacology we have only very few examples where such historical depth is possible. On the other hand the first hand data available through ethnopharmacological research, may be of relevance for interpreting historical information. Three distinct methods were used successfully in the retrospective exploration of diachronic data. In order to gain an insight into historical developments in the use of plant species and evolution of pharmacopoeias we used a botanico-historical approach (Rosmarinus officinalis), one that combines linguistic and statistical methods (Popoluca/Mixe), and one that uses historical documentary evidence (Ch'orti). We hope that this methodological discussion encourages a wider use of such historical methods in ethnopharmacology and related areas of research.

This paper is the result of ethnobotanical survey on the Turkmens of Golestan and Khorasan Province (Iran) conducted from June 2002 to the end of 2003. Turkmens are traditionally an isolated ethnic group residing in northern parts of Iran. We studied the folk herbal medicine among Turkmens of Iran. Totally, 136 species from 51 families were documented from which 120 species used as medicinal and 84 species mentioned by three or more informants. Information about plant uses is all summarized in Table 1. Some interesting and endemic species have been reported for medicinal uses, also some new uses for common species were documented. Some of these species are good targets for further analysis.

Based on ethnobotanical approach, the dragon's blood collected from Croton urucurana Baill. bark (Euphorbiaceae) was tested for antifungal activity against five dermatophytes by paper disk diffusion method. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) showing no visible fungal growth was also determined, using tube dilution technique. The test dermatophytes were Tricophyton tonsurans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, Microsporum canis and Epidermophyton floccossum. The dragon's blood (0.175-3.0 mg/ml) exhibited an inhibition zone range of 7.6-26.9 mm against all the tested fungi with minimal inhibitory concentrations of 1.25-2.5 mg/ml.

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the region called Pallars--consisting of two districts, Pallars Sobirà and Pallars Jussà--, situated in the Central Pyrenees, in North West Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula), with an approximate area of 2530 km(2) and a population of 19,000. Through interviews with 264 people, we obtained data on 437 plant species used for health care. We detected 867 unreported or uncommon uses corresponding to 272 plant species, 52 of which had never or very rarely been cited as medicinal. This is the second paper of a series intended to present the most important findings concerning the ethnopharmacology of the area studied; it includes unreported or very uncommon uses of known medicinal plant species. A previous paper reported the general results and the new or very scarcely reported medicinal vascular plants, and a further one will deal with medicinal non vascular plants., (Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.)

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the region called Pallars--constituted by two districts, Pallars Sobirà and Pallars Jussà--, situated in the Central Pyrenees, in North West Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula), with an approximate area of 2530 km(2) and a population of 19000. Through interviews with 264 people, we obtained data on 437 plant species used for health care. We detected 867 unreported or uncommon uses corresponding to 272 plant species, 52 of which had never or very rarely been cited as medicinal. This is the third paper of a series intended to present the most important findings concerning the ethnopharmacology of the area studied; it includes information on 18 pharmaceutical uses of 16 non-vascular plant species (two algae, eight fungi, five lichens and one moss). Two previous papers reported the general results and the new or very scarcely reported medicinal vascular plants, and the unreported or very uncommon uses of already known medicinal plants., (Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.)

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the region called Pallars--constituted by two districts, Pallars Sobirà and Pallars Jussà--situated in the Central Pyrenees, in North West Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula), with an approximate area of 2530 km(2) and a population of 19000. We obtained data on 437 plant species used for health care through interviews with 264 people. We detected 867 unreported or uncommon uses corresponding to 272 plant species, 52 of which had never or very rarely been cited as medicinal. To present the most important findings concerning the ethnopharmacology of the area studied, this first part includes the general results and the new or very scarcely reported medicinal vascular plants. Further papers will deal with unreported or very uncommon uses for known medicinal plant species and with medicinal non-vascular plants.

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the year 1997-1998, in the neighbourhood of the town of Chieti in the Abruzzo region (Central Italy). The information recorded in this paper has been collected by interviewing people born in the area, or who have lived there for many years, and whose knowledge of the medicinal or domestic use of plants represents a personal patrimony uninfluenced by other sources. About 80 species claimed as medicinal (not only in human therapy but also, for example, in veterinary use) and belonging to 43 families are recorded; only the use of the plants identified with certainty is reported. The study pointed out that the heritage of medicinal popular use of such plants, in spite of pharmaceutical technology, is still alive, not only in the memory of the elders and farmers, and that nowadays home-made remedies for simple diseases are still often used: Moreover, the uses of these plants are not only limited to therapeutic purposes, but also extend to domestic and surviving craft activities.

Ethnopharmacological relevance This research describes the ethnomedicinal plants as used by three Chin indigenous groups inhabiting areas at Natma Taung National Park (NTNP) in bio-culturally diverse Myanmar. The aim of this study was (1) to identify wild medicinal species and evaluate their local importance in local peoples’ healthcare as well as in protected area conservation; and (2) to compare traditional medicinal plant knowledge among the informants. Materials and methods A total of 206 Müün, Ng’gah and Daai informants from 20 villages were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Species use-reports were computed to determine plant local importance and the informant consensus factor. Descriptive and the inferential statistics Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests were employed to evaluate and compare the informants' traditional medicinal knowledge. Results A total of 75 wild ethnomedicinal taxa in 40 plant families across 16 ICPC-based disease categories were recorded. Species which recorded the highest number of use-reports appeared to play an important role not only in informants’ primary healthcare and in park conservation, but also in local livelihood. Conclusion This study presents the diversity of ethnomedicinal plants and their local importance in Chin indigenous peoples’ healthcare. This paper also recognizes the value of these plants and the local traditional knowledge for the conservation and management of NTNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Little is known about the interface of traditional (generally plant based) medicines and of commercially available pharmaceutical (and related) products. Here we provide a case study to understand how and to what extent traditional and modern medicine have been integrated in an indigenous community and whether these two categories offer a meaningful model for understanding medicine selection. Consequently, this paper explores the use and knowledge of medicinal plants and patent medicines among laypeople living in a rural Mazatec indigenous community in Oaxaca, Mexico. Methods: This paper is based on field study over a period of approximately 20 months using participant observation, unstructured and structured interviews including freelisting. The medicinal plant species and commercially available pharmaceuticals were assessed using published biomedical information. Main outcomes: The local ethnopharmacopoeias, emic concepts of illness, epidemiology, and case studies on therapeutic choice were documented. We found that self-treatment is the most common first therapeutic choice. Many of the plant species used by Mazatecs have recognized therapeutic properties, in some cases in vivo and in vitro studies point to well defined pharmacological effects, and in a few cases clinical evidence is available. Likewise, people commonly use patent medicines that are effective in the treatment of the most common health conditions. However, we also documented the medicinal use of some toxic plant species (Aristolochia spp.) and of some patent medicines that are held to be unsafe in developed countries (sodium metamizole). Conclusions: When looking at a complex pluralistic medical system an approach that goes beyond the externally imposed dichotomic categories of traditional and modern medicine can be very useful to shed light on other dimensions that underlie the local use of medicines. With the increasing integration of the Mazatecs with the outside world, the concomitant use of both types of resources is constantly changing and helps the Mazatecs in their struggle for health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reports an ethnobotanical study conducted in the year 2000 in the Natural Park of “Serra de Sa˜o Mamede” (Portugal). Informal interviews involving 45 informants provided data about 165 useful plants, 150 of which had medicinal and/or aromatic use. Two hundred and twenty-four popular names were noted, 98 of which had not been documented before. The most relevant plants are mentioned in this paper, along with their local names, the parts of them used, popular uses (or troubles treated), preparation and administration processes, and citation frequency. This is the first study of medicinal and aromatic plants in Portugal to use ethnobotanical methodology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. ex Schult. (Apocynaceae) is widely used in traditional medicine in the different parts of the Indian subcontinent due to the various biological activities attributed to its different parts, especially the roots. It has traditionally been used for treating snakebites, scorpion stings, diabetes, urinary diseases, dyspnea, menorrhagia, oligospermia, anorexia, fever, abdominal colic and pain, dysentery, diarrhea, cough, rheumatism, headache, inflammation, pyrosis, skin diseases, leprosy, sexually transmitted diseases and cancer. In Ayurveda, the plant is used in the treatment of bone-loss, low body weight, fever, stress, topical wound and psoriasis. Besides, Ayurvedic literature also depicts its use as anti-atherogenic, anti-spasmodic, memory enhancing, immunopotentiating and anti-inflammatory agents. In this review, we aim to present a comprehensive update on the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, specific pharmacology, and toxicology of H. indicus and its bioactive metabolites. Possible directions for future research are also outlined in brief. Popular and widely used international databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar and JSTOR were searched and traditional literature were consulted using the various search strings to retrieve a number of citations related to the ethnopharmacology, biological activity, toxicology, quality control and phytochemistry of H. indicus. All studies on the ethnobotany, phtochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of the plant up to 2019 were included in this review. H. indicus has played an important role in traditional Indian medicine (including Ayurveda) and also in European medicine. The main pharmacological properties of H. indicus include hepatoprotective, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-ophidian, cardioprotective, nephroprotective, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Phytochemical evaluations of the root have revealed the presence of aromatic aldehydes and their derivatives, phenolics, triterpenoids and many other compounds, some of which were attributed to its bioactivity. This review also compiles a list of Ayurvedic formulations and commercial preparations where H. indicus has been used as an active ingredient. We have included the critical assessment of all the papers cited in this manuscript based on experimental observation and other important points which reflect the loop-holes of research strategy and ambiguity in the papers reviewed in this manuscript. The study presents an exhaustive and updated review on the traditional, pharmacological and phytochemical aspects of H. indicus with notes on its quality control and toxicological information. Although the crude extracts of H. indicus exhibit an array of pharmacological activities, it is high time to identify more active phyto-constituents by bioactivity-guided isolation besides elucidating their structure-activity relationship. More designed investigations are needed to comprehend the multi-target network pharmacology, to clarify the molecular mode of action and to ascertain the efficacious doses of H. indicus. Moreover, H. indicus is not fully assessed on the basis of its safety and efficacy on human. We hope this review will compile and improve the existing knowledge on the potential utilization of H. indicus in complementary and alternative medicine. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]