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Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder which affects millions of people every year. If diabetes is not controlled, it can cause serious damage and a number of health complications. The aim of this paper was to review published ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological evidences of Moroccan plants with antidiabetic potentials. Publications describing the medicinal plants used for the treatment of diabetes in Morocco were searched from the databases, including Google Scholar, Elsevier, Medline, Web of Science, SCOPUS and Pubmed. Other literature source was also used including books and theses available in library. About 750 literature references were studied, and only 240 research publications based on data from different Moroccan provinces published until June 2019 were included in this review. In total, 255 plants species belonging to 70 families were reported. Compositae and Lamiaceae were mentioned as the most represented families. The frequently used plant species in the dwellers of most regions of Morocco are Trigonella foenum-graecum, Artemesia herba-alba, Nigella sativa, Olea europaea, Allium cepa and Marrubium vulgare. This review provides useful information and current scientific knowledge on the medicinal plants used to manage diabetes in Morocco. Medicinal plants reported should be submitted to chemical, pharmacological and clinical studies to identify pharmacologically active metabolites and to confirm their antidiabetic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tradition Oral Literature / Boletín de Literatura Oral is the property of Boletin de Literatura Oral and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper combines ethnographic and ethnobotanical fieldwork with the edibility approach (EA), chemical ecology and Ingold's ontology of dwelling. The EA aims to "push harder onto and through the boundaries between edible plants and the human-animals that eat them to consider the outcomes produced as a result of these interacting materials" (Attala 2017, 130). This approach places ingestion in the light of multispecies entanglement. As proposed by Attala, this is still a philosophically "open" concept, of limited operational use in ethnographic (ethnobotanical) study. Our article argues for an expansion of the EA, based on this combined perspective and giving more attention to cross-species interactions placed in an environmental context. Our cases are about how people live with plants, exemplified by foraging practices of agriculturists in Ukraine, Daghestan and Argentina. The everyday social relations of our interlocutors are more-than-human interactions, and in these relations we pay a close attention to non-cultivated edible plants. We present two modes of writing ethnographies, in which we focus respectively on a single plant taxon or a group of plants, and where both people and plants are protagonists. We argue that incorporating the dwelling perspective and chemical ecology into the EA is one of the potentially fruitful approaches to the analysis of plant -- people relations. The use of language and of the tools of ecology in an attempt to present different aspects of co-dwelling of people and plants, although it may seem anchored in Cartesian dualism, in fact allows for a deeper understanding of the relations among protagonists and their co-dwellers in the environment, and hence goes against dualisms. The relations and the ways through which organisms co-create their environment are the very essence of ecology. The close collaboration of anthropologists, ethnobotanists, ecologists and chemical ecologists is postulated in the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ethnobotanical literature still contains few detailed descriptions of the sensory criteria people use for judging membership in taxonomic categories. Olfactory criteria in particular have been explored very little. This paper will describe the importance of odor for woody plant taxonomy and identification among the Aguaruna Jívaro of the northern Peruvian Amazon, focusing on the Aguaruna category númi (trees excluding palms). Aguaruna informants almost always place trees that they consider to have a similar odor together as kumpají -- 'companions,' a metaphor they use to describe trees that they consider to be related. Methods: The research took place in several Aguaruna communities in the upper Marañón region of the Peruvian Amazon. Structured interview data focus on informant criteria for membership in various folk taxa of trees. Informants were also asked to explain what members of each group of related companions had in common. This paper focuses on odor and taste criteria that came to light during these structured interviews. Botanical voucher specimens were collected, wherever possible. Results: Of the 182 tree folk genera recorded in this study, 51 (28%) were widely considered to possess a distinctive odor. Thirty nine of those (76%) were said to have odors similar to some other tree, while the other 24% had unique odors. Aguaruna informants very rarely described tree odors in non-botanical terms. Taste was used mostly to describe trees with edible fruits. Trees judged to be related were nearly always in the same botanical family. Conclusion: The results of this study illustrate that odor of bark, sap, flowers, fruit and leaves are important clues that help the Aguaruna to judge the relatedness of trees found in their local environment. In contrast, taste appears to play a more limited role. The results suggest a more general ethnobotanical hypothesis that could be tested in other cultural settings: people tend to consider plants with similar odors to be related, but say that plants with unique odors are unrelated to any other plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of plant repellents against nuisance biting insects is common and its potential for malaria vector control requires evaluation in areas with different level of malaria endemicity. The essential oils of Ocimum suave and Ocimum kilimandscharicum were evaluated against malaria vectors in north-eastern Tanzania. Methodology: An ethnobotanical study was conducted at Moshi in Kilimanjaro region northeastern Tanzania, through interviews, to investigate the range of species of plants used as insect repellents. Also, bioassays were used to evaluate the protective potential of selected plants extracts against mosquitoes. Results: The plant species mostly used as repellent at night are: fresh or smoke of the leaves of O. suave and O. kilimandscharicum (Lamiaceae), Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae), Eucalyptus globules (Myrtaceae) and Lantana camara (Verbenaceae). The most popular repellents were O. kilimandscharicum (OK) and O. suave (OS) used by 67% out of 120 households interviewed. Bioassay of essential oils of the two Ocimum plants was compared with citronella and DEET to study the repellence and feeding inhibition of untreated and treated arms of volunteers. Using filter papers impregnated with Ocimum extracts, knockdown effects and mortality was investigated on malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles gambiae, including a nuisance mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus. High biting protection (83% to 91%) and feeding inhibition (71.2% to 92.5%) was observed against three species of mosquitoes. Likewise the extracts of Ocimum plants induced KD90 of longer time in mosquitoes than citronella, a standard botanical repellent. Mortality induced by standard dosage of 30 mg/m² on filter papers, scored after 24 hours was 47.3% for OK and 57% for OS, compared with 67.7% for citronella. Conclusion: The use of whole plants and their products as insect repellents is common among village communities of north-eastern Tanzania and the results indicate that the use of O. suave and O. kilimandscharicum as a repellent would be beneficial in reducing vector biting. The widespread use of this approach has a potential to complement other control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín de la Sociedad Argentina de Botánica is the property of Sociedad Argentina de Botanica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Our paper addresses the complex set of issues affecting rice grain preservation at archaeological sites. Through a set of carefully controlled carbonization experiments using wild and domesticated species, we demonstrate that dried, dehusked grains survive intact within a small window of heating conditions and, contrary to previous studies, are not substantially reduced in size by the carbonization process. The rice accessions included in this study are part of an extensive botanical collection from the Ban Chiang region, Thailand, which provides unique ethnobotanical information for traditional rice cultivars, their growing conditions, and specific attributes favored by local farmers. The Ban Chiang rice study provides a new lens for considering the history of rice cultivation in Southeast Asia regarding the chronology, archaeology, and cultural importance of Oryza sativa ssp. japonica and Oryza sativa ssp. indica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present paper is a brief survey on the ethnobotanical works published by the Authors since 1981, concerning the research carried out in some southern and central Italian regions. Before Roman domination these territories were first inhabited by local people, while the southern areas were colonized by the Greeks. These different cultural contributions left certain traces, both in the toponyms and in the vernacular names of the plants and, more generally, in the culture as a whole. Methods: Field data were collected through open interviews, mainly of farmers, shepherds and elderly people, born or living in these areas for a long time. Voucher specimens of collected plants are preserved in the respective herbaria of the Authors and in the herbarium of "Roma Tre" University. Important contributions have been made by several students native to the areas under consideration. A comparative analysis with local specific ethnobotanical literature was carried out. Results: The paper reports several examples concerning human and veterinary popular medicine and in addition some anti-parasitic, nutraceutic, dye and miscellaneous uses are also described. Moreover vernacular names and toponyms are cited. Eight regions of central and southern Italy (particularly Latium, Abruzzo, Marche and Basilicata) were investigated and the data obtained are presented in 32 papers. Most of the species of ethnobotanical interest have been listed in Latium (368 species), Marche (274) and Abruzzo (203). The paper also highlights particularly interesting aspects or uses not previously described in the specific ethnobotanical literature. Conclusion: Phyto-therapy in central and southern Italy is nowadays practised by a few elderly people who resort to medicinal plants only for mild complaints (on the contrary food uses are still commonly practised). Nowadays therapeutic uses, unlike in the past, are less closely or not at all linked to ritual aspects. Several plants deserve to be taken into consideration not only from the anthropological or cultural point of view, but also for further phyto-chemical investigation. Our studies, as well as those of other authors, try to provide an original picture of the local ethnobiodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiopteris esculenta is one of the most important wild substitute plant for staple food in Dulong's communities(the least populated ethnic group in Yunnan Province, China)for centuries. The Dulong people collect the underground parts of A. esculenta to extract flour and make it into food. In order to study and record the traditional knowledge of Angiopteris esculenta, ethnobotanical methods were employed to investigate and document the traditional knowledge about A. esculenta, and approaches of food science were used to reveal the basic components, morphology, physicochemical properties, and gelatinization characteristics of A. esculenta flour in the present paper. The results were as follows:(1) A. esculenta was a multipurpose plant in the traditional livelihood of Dulong people. Local people employed this plant for edible, medicinal, ornamental purpose and woody purposes. Quantitative analysis showed that the relative frequency of citation(RFC)of the edibleness was much higher than that of other uses, indicating that it was mainly used as staple food.(2)The traditional uses of fern flour extracted from the underground part of A. esculenta imply rationality. There was high starch content in the flour, and the total starch content was 86.2%, and A. esculenta flour contained various mineral elements necessary for human body.(3)The flour had good physicochemical properties, among which the retrogradation and freeze-thaw stability were strong, which could be used in the production and process of frozen food and starch products. The regeneration value and attenuation value of starch were much lower than that of common starch, which indicated that it had good stability of hot paste and cold paste, and not easy to regenerate, thus imply the good processability in food industry. In conclusion, A. esculenta flour has a good potential for utilization and further development. It is expected to play a positive role for increasing local residents' income and for rural revitalization in remote areas, through the approaches of artificial cultivation. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent processing and utilization of A. esculenta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of natural resources in the highland region of Jujuy province, Argentina, is highly represented in various activities and practices. In this context, plant species have great relevance and roles in vernacular architectures and evidence a whole cultural conception, ways of connecting with the environment and exploitation logics. This paper aims at reflecting upon public policies related to the conservation of plant species in the Quebrada and Jujuy Puna. To achieve this, the role of plants in local constructive culture was characterized and state policies that have regulated these resources over time were reviewed. The ethnobotany classic methodology was used, with an intensive field work and ethnographic approach. Results show that the articulation of local and state criteria are the two necessary elements to guarantee the conservation of natural resources and the continuity of practices associated with them. It is necessary to reformulate the current regulations, which are restrictive and marginalizing of local traditions, and issue new regulations that control sustainable use respecting and promoting the traditional practices that characterize the region, in particular those related to the constructive culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Plants, People, Planet is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A growing body of literature recognises the importance of exploring the uses of plants in historical written sources. The Chilean native plant culén (Otholobium glandulosum) has a long history of medicinal use, with various parts of the plant, including its leaves, aerial parts, and roots, employed to treat numerous ailments. This study undertakes a Critical Discourse Analysis of historical sources, specifically books published between the 17th and early 19th centuries (1646–1810), focusing on the medicinal applications of culén. The research highlights the circulation of plant knowledge over time by adopting an interdisciplinary approach that bridges historical ethnobotany, environmental history, and the history of knowledge and ignorance studies. The study reveals how the evolution of the ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal knowledge of culén reflects the broader environmental ignorance, wherein the scientific community excluded and oppressed the indigenous and local knowledge of the plant. This work underscores the importance of integrating historical studies into modern environmental and botanical research, emphasising the value of understanding past knowledge systems to inform contemporary conservation efforts and sustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wild edible plants hold a significant position in the lives of local residents, serving as a primary food source or supplement. Laifeng County, located in the hinterland of the central mountainous area of China, boasts abundant wild edible plant resources. The Tujia people, residing here for generations, have accumulated a wealth of traditional knowledge in the long-term practice of utilizing wild edible plants. The aim of this study is to document and organize the traditional utilization of wild edible plants by the Tujia ethnic group in Laifeng. Methods: An ethnobotanical investigation, comprising semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and participatory observations, was conducted in 26 traditional villages in Laifeng County from May 2023 to June 2024. A total of 252 informants were interviewed, from whom information about wild edible plants, including edible parts, food categories, consumption modes, and multiple uses was collected. The relative frequency of citation (RFC) and the cultural food significance index (CFSI) were calculated to identify the cultural importance of wild edible plants. Results: A total of 163 species of wild edible plants consumed by the Tujia people in Laifeng, belonging to 64 families and 118 genera and related traditional knowledge were collected, including vegetables (78), fruits (52), wine-soaking plants (12), spices (11), food substitutes (9), tea substitutes (6), nuts (5), coagulants (2), and oil (1). The most frequently used families were Rosaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae, with 23, 10, and 10 species, respectively. The most commonly utilized plant parts were fruits, leaves, and stems. RFC and CFSI analyses identified 14 species of wild edible plants with high cultural importance in the local diet, such as Alliummacrostemon, Houttuyniacordata, and Hoveniaacerba. Conclusions: The Tujia ethnic group in Laifeng demonstrates extensive knowledge in their traditional usage of wild edible plants, offering unique and robust insights into the harvesting, processing, and consumption of these resources. Over time, this practice has become an integral part of the local food culture. These findings contribute to the preservation of the Tujia culture of wild edible plants in Laifeng and the conservation and development of wild edible plant resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains matter. Rural subsistence communities living in areas with high biodiversity, such as mountains, are hotspots of ecological knowledge. However, modern lifestyles may threaten this unique cultural heritage. Our study aimed to document and analyze information on plants used to fulfill the everyday needs of the people in three rural communities in NW Portugal. Fieldwork was carried out for a period of one year and information was collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. A total of 98 species, belonging to 46 families, were identified, and 142 vernacular names were recorded. Ethnobotanical richness was similar among the studied communities. The five most frequently cited species were: Pterospartum tridentatum, Erica arborea, Ruta graveolens, Zea mays and Chamaemelum nobile. Phanerophytes and hemicryptophytes comprise nearly 81% of the list. The top three uses categories (total 14) were: medicine, fuel and ritual. Digestive, skin and respiratory symptoms were the most often conditions treated with plants. Medicinal plants were used fresh and dried, mostly as infusions. The insights gathered here are important for the preservation of the cultural heritage of the local communities. Moreover, the data are of considerable scientific interest because it provides the fundaments for future studies that aim to validate/invalidate specific uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin diseases in Norway represents an important area of study due to their incidence and prevalence, yet ethnobotanical research in this context remains scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of Norwegian traditional medicine regarding the treatment of skin diseases and cosmetic purposes through a comparative analysis with EMA monographs. Participants were surveyed using semi-structured interviews. The two samples comprised 22 individuals from Bodø and 26 individuals from other Norwegian communities, all of whom use medicinal plants for the treatment of skin diseases and cosmetic purposes. The indications for skin diseases identified in the study were compared with the European Union herbal monographs published by the European Medicines Agency. Fieldwork was conducted between June 2022 and September 2023, during which 42 plant species from 22 families were recorded. More than half of these plant species (65.38%) were used without European Medicines Agency-approved medical indications. From a public safety perspective, ensuring the safety of self-treatment for skin diseases is a critical research focus for future ethnobotanical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plants that contain brewing microorganisms are used in traditional fermentation starters, which are an essential part of local diet, nutrition, life, and health. Regionally, the plant species used and the microorganisms included in traditional fermentation starters are diverse, endowing local fermented drinks with different flavors and health benefits. However, related traditional knowledge has been scarcely documented or revealed. Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in five towns of Nayong County in northwestern Guizhou, China. Snowball sampling, semi-structured interviews, free lists, and participatory observation were used to collect information on Jiuqu Plants (JPs) and jiuqu-making techniques. The PacBio platform was used to study the microbial community structure and diversity in the Chuanqing people's jiuqu. Results: In total, 225 informants were interviewed, including 116 who provided plants and technological processes for making Chinese baijiu jiuqu (CBJ) and 139 who provided information about making fermented glutinous rice jiuqu (FGRJ). This study found that older people have more abundant knowledge about CBJ plants. Poaceae was found to be the dominant family used in making CBJ and FGRJ (7 species each). Compared to individual plant parts, the whole plant is most commonly used in two kinds of jiuqu (19.5% in CBJ and 22.6% in FGRJ). The Chuanqing people's jiuqu is used to treat dietary stagnation and indigestion. The highest relative frequency of citation of the CBJ plant was Ficus tikoua Bureau, and the counterpart of the FGRJ plant was Buddleja macrostachya Benth. The dominant bacterial species in jiuqu were Gluconobacter japonicus (YQ1, YQ4) and Pediococcus pentosaceus (YQ2, YQ3), and the dominant fungal species was Rhizopus oryzae. Conclusion: For the first time, this study documents the unique traditional jiuqu knowledge and reveals the microbial mystery behind the FGRJ of the Chuanqing people. Therefore, this study encourages the use of online social media platforms in order to spread Jiuqu culture, the use of the new media wave in order to create multimedia databases, and also suggests that local communities should develop preservation intervention programs, in addition to nurturing the inheritors in order to prevent the disappearance of traditional Jiuqu knowledge. This research contributes to the conservation and demystification of the traditional jiuqu knowledge of the Chuanqing people and lays the foundation for further research on its microbiology, nutrition, and metabolomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The field of traditional medicine encompasses a wide range of knowledge, skills, and practices that are deeply rooted in the theories, beliefs, and experiences of different cultures. The research aimed to identify traditional medicinal plants used in Guraferda District and assess the threats they face. Method: A total of 96 individuals, 80 males and 16 females, were interviewed to gather ethnobotanical data. Statistical tests like independent t tests, ANOVA, correlation, and regression were conducted using R software version 4.3.2 to compare informant groups. Result: The study found 81 medicinal plant species in the district from 71 genera and 38 families, with Asteraceae and Solanaceae families having the most species. Leaves were the most commonly used plant part for medicine. Significant differences in plant knowledge were observed across genders, age groups, education levels, and experiences. The highest ICF value was for Dermal and Cutaneous ailments, and Cissampelos mucronata A. Rich and Bidens pilosa L. had the highest fidelity levels. Conclusion: The study highlighted the importance of traditional medicinal plants in treating ailments but noted threats like overharvesting, habitat destruction, and climate change. Conservation efforts and sustainable harvesting practices are crucial to ensure the availability of these plants for future generations. Further research is needed to explore their potential for modern medicine and develop sustainable use strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Resources & Ecology is the property of Journal of Resources & Ecology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To document the dynamics of biocultural heritage, we studied traditional uses of plants on a segment of the Andean Road System, or Qhapaq Ñan, within the central Andes of Ecuador, home of the Kichwa community of Nizag. Here, residents preserved a rich diversity of plants within their agricultural fields, or chakra, of the Andean landscapes, upholding a culture steeped in traditional knowledge. Wild and domesticated plants are a cornerstone for the community, prompting the development of ethnobotanical management strategies with a conservation approach. The diverse plant uses aim to revalue their culture, fortify their self-identification as an indigenous community, and ensure the transmission of ancestral knowledge. This research aims to ascertain the ethnobotanical applications of this venerable community. Employing participatory action research, semistructured interviews were conducted with 43 community informants to gather ethnobotanical data on the flora applied within their territory, spanning categories such as food, agriculture, crafts, living fences, construction, fuel, ornamental, environmental, technological, and medicinal services. The findings indicate that age, rather than educational level and gender, significantly influences the variation in plant usage knowledge. In total, 142 plant species were cataloged, comprising herbs (58%), shrubs (23%), trees (15%), and climbers (4%). The most represented families were Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, and Poaceae. Notably, 96% of these species provide some type of environmental service or fulfill a niche within the socioecological system. Medicinal uses were reported for 89% of the plants, while 56% served agricultural purposes, primarily in fertilizer production and forage. Additionally, 44% of the plants are utilized as food, typically consumed fresh. Among the medicinal plants, leaves are the most used part (58%), prepared as infusions and poultices. The prevalent ailments addressed include respiratory and urinary system conditions, with Borago officinalis, Carica pentagona, Vasconcellea pubescens, and Origanum mejorana being the most frequently employed plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coldenia procumbens L. (family Boraginaceae, genus Coldenia) is a medicinal plant traditionally used to treat various ailments. It has been indicated in the indigenous system of medicine for treating rheumatic swellings, boils, pains, immature abscesses, wounds, menorrhagia, and snake bites. This study aims to summarize up-to-date botany, traditional uses, phytochemical compounds, pharmacological activities, and toxicology. The relevant information about the C. procumbens plant, such as ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology, was collected via several scientific databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, PubMed) and online databases of botanicals (Plants of the World Online, Flora of China, eFlora of India, Biodiversity in India, World Flora Online, Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora). Modern pharmacological studies have revealed that C. procumbens exerts antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, analgesic, anti-cancer, anti-hyperlipidemic, and hepatoprotective activities. More than 100 phytoconstituents have been discovered, including terpenes, sterols, coumestan, nitrile/cyano glucosides, fatty acids, and other compounds. This study has attempted to comprehensively describe C. procumbens in terms of ethnobotany, phytochemical profile, and pharmacological effect. These specific and valuable suggestions warrant further investigation to utilize their inherent potential for novel product development and immense utilization in medicine, cosmetics, and health supplements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild food plants (WFPs) are crucial for the subsistence of many human populations. While there are at least 7000 edible plant species in the world, only approximately 420 are considered food crops. WFPs are often studied from the phytochemical and pharmacological point of view, because they include available food components with nutraceutical value. The present study aims to highlight the nutritional value of WFPs traditionally used in the Catalan linguistic area, providing detailed insights and discussing the significance of these properties. Information about the nutritional properties of 93 taxa, coming from ethnobotanical prospection, has been collected through an extensive bibliographic research. The results reveal that WFPs are rich in nutrients, especially micronutrients. Furthermore, in selected species, those for which nutritional information and a cultivated homologue are available, the nutrient content in wild taxa exceeds than of phylogenetically related crop plants with similar use. Traditional wild plant preparation forms for food and the nutritional value of a menu constituted by wild food plants are presented. This research represents a preliminary step toward selecting certain taxa that could be developed into new small- or large-scale crops or sustainably harvested in the wild, contributing to food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bark, leaves, and roots of Albizia adianthifolia are highly sought after in tropical Africa as herbal medicines. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the botany, medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of A. adianthifolia so as to provide baseline data required for evaluating the therapeutic potential of the species. Information on the botanical profile, medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of A. adianthifolia was undertaken using databases such as ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Pubmed, Google Scholar, Medline, SCOPUS, EThOS, ProQuest, OATD, and Open-thesis. Preelectronic literature search of conference papers, scientific articles, books, book chapters, dissertations, and theses was carried out at the University library. Literature search revealed that A. adianthifolia is used as purgative and herbal medicine for diabetes, eye problems, gastrointestinal problems, haemorrhoids, headache, neurodegenerative disorders, reproductive problems in women, respiratory problems, wounds and pain, skin diseases, sexually transmitted infections, and ethnoveterinary medicine. Phytochemical compounds identified from the species include apocarotenoids, chalcone, dipeptide, elliptosides, essential oils, fatty acids, flavonoids, histamine, imidazolyl carboxylic acid, prosapogenins, steroids, triterpene saponins, and triterpenoids. Pharmacological studies revealed that A. adianthifolia extracts and compounds have acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitory, anthelmintic, antiamoebic, antibacterial, antimycobacterial, anti-sexually transmitted infections, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anxiolytic, and antidepressant, cognitive-enhancing, haemolytic, hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic, immunomodulatory, and cytotoxicity activities. Detailed studies on the pharmacokinetics, in vivo, and clinical research involving compounds isolated from A. adianthifolia and extracts of the species are required.

Background: Herbal tea is widely consumed in Jianghua, a Yao autonomous county in Hunan Province, China, to prevent and treat diseases. The materials in herbal tea at the traditional medicinal markets at the Dragon Boat Festival remain unknown. The aims of the paper were (1) to specifically investigate the materials of herbal tea used by Yao nationalities in Hunan Province, (2) to record the most common and the culturally important medicinal plant species in the markets, and (3) to compare the medical plant tradition both used for herbal tea between the Jianghua and Lingnan regions., Methods: During 2016-2017, 215 vendors were interviewed at traditional medicinal markets at the Dragon Boat Festival in Jianghua to record plants used for herbal tea and to document traditional knowledge of their medicinal function, habitat, and conservation status. Bunches of medicinal plants were purchased to identify the species and to prepare voucher specimens. Cognitive salience (CS) based on free-lists and use value (UV) were calculated to analyze the cultural importance of medical plants; other quantitative methods (coefficient of similarity and chi-square analysis) were applied for comparison of herbal tea tradition between the Jianghua and Lingnan regions., Results: A total of 169 species belonging to 66 families and 142 genera were recorded in herbal tea to treat health conditions in the study area. There were 30 health conditions that were recorded, with heat-clearing and detoxifying being the most common medicinal function, followed by treating rheumatism and promoting blood circulation. Of the 169 species, 97 were herbs. The whole plant was the most commonly used plant part in the preparation of herbal tea. According to the national evaluation criteria, three of these species are listed on "China's red list" and registered as vulnerable (VU). By comparing the coefficient of similarity of herbal tea plants and the number of mentions for part(s) used in Jianghua and Lingnan, the medicinal plant tradition is different in two areas., Conclusions: Herbal tea in Jianghua reflects the cultural diversity of the Yao people and the plant diversity of the region. Future research on the safety, efficacy, and the adulterants of herbal tea are needed for sustainable utilization.

Background: The inhabitants of western Sudan use traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments due to lack of medical doctors and unaffordable prices of pharmaceutical products. The present study is the first documentation of the traditional plant knowledge on medicinal uses of plants by healers in Algoz (South Kordofan), Sudan., Method: Ethnobotanical data were collected over a period from March to November 2015 using semi-structured interviews with 30 healers (24 male and 6 female) living in the investigated area. Quantitative indices such as use categories, use value (UV) and informant consensus factor (ICF) were intended to evaluate the importance of medicinal plant species., Results: A total of 94 medicinal plants, which belong to 45 families and 81 genera, were recorded in the study area. The most represented families are Leguminosae with 20 species followed by Combretaceae (6 species), Rubiaceae (5 species) and Asteraceae (4 species). The reported species were belonging to herbs (43%), trees (28%), shrubs (22%), climbers (4%) and parasites (3%). Root and stem (21% each) were the most plant parts used. A majority of remedies are administered orally (67%) where infusion (36%) and maceration (32%) are the most used methods. The highest ICF (0.87) was reported for poisonous animal bites followed by urinary system diseases (0.89), blood system disorders (0.88) and gynaecological diseases (0.87). Anastatica hierochuntica, Ctenolepis cerasiformis, Echinops longifolius, Cleome gynandra, Maerua pseudopetalosa, Martynia annua, Oldenlandia uniflora, Opuntia ficus-indica, Solanum dubium, Sonchus cornutus, Tribulus terrestris and Drimia maritima were reported for the first time in this study., Conclusion: The number of medicinal plants reported in this paper reflects evidence that Algoz area had a high diversity of medicinal plants which will continue to play an important role in the healthcare system in the study area.

The present paper was a part of Ph.D research work, conducted during the year 2014, in which 87 poisonous plants belonging to 54 genera, were collected, documented and preserved in the herbarium of Bannu, Department of Botany UST, Bannu Khyber Pakhtunkwa Pakistan. The plants were identified botanically, arranged alphabetically along with their Latin name, family name, common name, poisonous parts, toxicity, affects, toxin and their effects. Aim of the study was to induce awareness in the local people of district Bannu about the poisonous effects of the commonly used plants. Data about poisonous effect were collected from the local experienced and mostly old age people through questionnaire. Some information were collected from a number of veterinary texts and literature. The most important plants genera studied in the area were Brassica 6 species (11.11%), Lathyrus 5 spp (9.26%), Astragalus, Euphorbia and Prunus were with 4 spp (7.40%). Datura, Jatropha, Ranunculus, Solanum and Sorghum were with 3 spp (5.56%) while Allium, Amaranthus, Chenopodium, Melilotus and Taxus were with 2 spp (3.70%). These 15 genera contribute 48 species (55.17 %) while the remaining 39 genera have single species each and contribute 44.83% to the total poisonous flora of the research area. Other important poisonous plants were Anagallis arvensis L., Cannabis sativa, Datura stramonium L., D. metel L., Euphorbia species, Heliotropium europaeum, Ipomoea tricolor, Jatropha curcas, Lolium temulentum L., Malus domestica, Mangifera indica L., Medicago sativa L., Melilotus alba Desr., M. officinalis (L.) Lam., Mirabilis jalapa L., Narcissus tazetta, Nicotiana tabacum L., Sorghum halepense (L) Pers., and Xanthium strumarium. It was concluded that the local population had poor knowledge about the poisonous effect of the plants and the present research work was anticipated for use by health care professionals, veterinarians, farmers, homeowners, as well as botanically curious individuals.

Background: The naturally inspired treatment options for several disease conditions and human-health related disorders such as diabetes mellitus have gained considerable research interest. In this context, naturally occurring plants and herbs with medicinal functionalities have gained special place than ever before in the current medicinal world., Objective: The objective of this review is to extend the current knowledge in the clinical field related to the diabetic complications. A special focus has also been given to the anti-diabetic potentialities of ethnomedicinal plants., Method: Herein, we reviewed and compiled salient information from the authentic bibliographic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Elsevier, Springer, Bentham Science and other scientific databases. The patents were searched and reviewed from http://www.freepatentsonline.com., Results: Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders associated with the endocrine system that resulted in hyperglycemic conditions. Metabolic disorders can cause many complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and microangiopathy. Traditional botanical therapies have been used around the world to treat diabetes. Among several medications and different medicines, various herbs are known to cure and control diabetes; also have no side effects. History has shown that medicinal plants have long been used for traditional healing around the world to treat diabetes. More than 800 plants around the world are shown by ethnobotanical information as traditional remedies for the treatment of diabetes. Several parts of these plants have been evaluated and appreciated for hypoglycemic activity. Medicinal plants have been found to be more effective than conventional drug compounds with no/fewer side effects and relatively inexpensive. In this review paper, we have reviewed plants with anti-diabetic and related beneficial medicinal effects., Conclusion: This review may be helpful for researchers, diabetic patient and decision makers in the field of ethnobotanical sciences. These efforts may also provide treatment to everyone and focus on the role of traditional novel medicine plants that have anti-diabetic abilities., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

On several occasions we presented the close connection between man and the plant world and the facts that underlie the denomination and connotation in this plan. Ethnobotany is a fertile source of information for (anthropological) linguistic research. Phononymy reveals the concerns, representations and affective subconscious of the people. The plant names have been suggested to humans by the mysterious "codes" present in the morphology, chromatics, smell, taste, constitution of plant species. Other phytonyms have derived from the different properties of the plants, from their ecology, corology and phenology, from the relationships with other living beings. The fact that they were recorded in various writings is a win for both the Romanian ethnobotany, as well as for linguistics and history. Our work demonstrates the Latin origins of the Romanian language and the propagation of Latinity through botanical terminology, a phenomenon of considerable importance that has not yet been revealed. In this paper we analyze the phytonyms from Southern Transylvania and their implications in linguistic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Use of "Use Value": Quantifying Importance in Ethnobotany. Use value (UV) is an index widely used to quantify the relative importance of useful plants. It combines the frequency with which a species is mentioned with the number of uses mentioned per species, and is often used to highlight prominent species of interest. However, high-UV species are often disproportionately cultivated species, with wild-collected plants ranking lower. To better understand this pattern, and to determine if it is present in the broader ethnobotanical literature, we reviewed an array of papers with results on UV and cultivation status, and we analyzed in depth data from two large ethnobotanical studies in the Republic of Georgia in the Caucasus. In addition to looking for differences in UV by cultivation status, we compared the two best-populated categories of use (medicinal and food uses) and the components of UV (relative frequency of citation and number of uses mentioned per species). We found that UV was higher in cultivated plants than wild plants in both the Caucasus datasets and the 17 studies overall. Medicinal plants did not exhibit this trend, as medicinal wild plants had marginally higher UV than medicinal cultivated plants. Relative frequency of citation had a substantial effect on UV, in contrast to number of uses mentioned for a given plant. In sum, UV seems subject to some obscured biases which are important to consider in the context of each study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We presented on several occasions the close connection between man and the plant world and the facts that underlie the denomination and connotation in this plan. Ethnobotany is a fertile source of information for (anthropological) linguistic research. Phononymy reveals the concerns, representations and affective subconscious of the people. The plant names have been suggested to humans by the mysterious "codes" present in the morphology, chromatics, smell, taste, constitution of plant species. Other phytonyms have derived from the different properties of the plants, from their ecology, corology and phenology, from the relationships with other living beings. The fact that they were recorded in various writings is a win for both the Romanian ethnobotany, as well as for linguistics and history. Our work demonstrates the Latin origins of the Romanian language and the propagation of Latinity through botanical terminology, a phenomenon of considerable importance that has not yet been revealed. In this paper we analyze the phytonyms composed with the help of the Latin originated term „ochi” > oc(u)lus and its implications in the respective linguistic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: From time immemorial ethnic people of Purulia district of West Bengal are well acquainted with different plant resources for the treatment of various skin diseases including 'carbuncle' and others skin diseases. Carbuncle, caused by the methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is of major concern in this part of India, mostly dominated by tribes like Majhi, Munda, Santal, Birhor, Ho and Rajwar etc. Hot climate, overcrowded households, improper sanitation, very poor economic background and frequent burn accidents are of major issues for spreading of these bacterial infections. Objective: Present authors are trying to summarize these ethno-medicinal knowledge of the local, conservative traditional healers by using structured questionnaires given to them and are trying to analyze these information from scientific perspective. Materials and Methods: Plant samples were collected from March 2014 to May 2016, mostly during their flowering stage and a total of 62 people, both male (84%) and female (16%) were interviewed. Informant consensus factor, fidelity level and use value were calculated. Results: Fifty-nine herbal plants belongs to 35 families were recorded for the cure of various skin diseases, among which 10 plants are used individually during medication whereas 9 polyherbal formulations were used in various combinations during treatment. Five species of the families Moraceae and Asteraceae was found to be the most common medicinal plants, among which 44.89% are herbaceous in habit. Leaves (55.55%) are the most common plant part for their use. Conclusion: Therefore, the present paper has been written to document this rapidly vanishing huge knowledge of folklore which should be digitally conserved for futuristic approach on medicinal plants in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saussurea lappa, CB Clarke is the root of a perennial herb commonly grew in cold and humid areas such as North Asia-Kashmir, neighboring Himalaya regions, Garhwal etc. It has been used in the treatment of various disease ailments and conditions in Unani medicine with the name of 'Qust/Kut'. In Unani medicine, qust had been used as a drug of choice in diseases such as bronchial asthma (spasmolytic), liver diseases (as liver tonic, anti-inflammatory and analgesics), nervine and brain disorders (as tonic), painful conditions (as analgesics), weakness, low body immunity (as immune enhancer), etc. This paper uniquely presents the morphological features, temperament, chemical constituents, pharmacological actions, usage in diseases, dose, adverse effects with the reference of not only the ethnobotanical data and pharmacological studies but also with the reference of Unani literature in detail. Pharmacological actions and uses of qust in Unani medicine are searched in the light of available pharmacological, cell line and clinical studies to identify those action and uses which are left to be tested and substantiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an ethnobotanical survey of the traditional uses of plants in the Reventino Massif (Calabria Region, Southern Italy). The aim of study was to record local knowledge on plants used for food, medical and other purposes based on new information provided by inhabitants in the study area. Fifty people, aged between 52 and 91 years, were interviewed between January and June 2016, using open and semi-structured ethnobotanical interviews. For each described plant species, the Italian common and local folk names, the part of the plants used, the uses and the relative use value (UV), were recorded. 76 plant species belonging to 43 families have been identified, with Asteraceae (10 species) and Lamiaceae (9 species) being most frequently used. The decoction and infusion in water, is the main preparation method for oral administration, while direct application of plants is the most important method for topical use. Several uses were never reported before. Phytotherapy in the Reventino Massif Area is nowadays practiced by a few elderly people that resort to medicinal plants only for various mild complaints such as tooth-ache, rheumatic pain, headaches; they also serve as first aid, as cicatrizing, lenitive, haemostatic agents. On the contrary, food uses are still commonly practiced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wedelia spp. belonging to the family asteraceae whereby most of the species such as W. chinensis (Osbeck) Merr., W. paludosa (Blume), W. trilobata (L.) Hitchc, W. calendulacea (L.) Less., W. prostrata Dalzell & A.Gibson etc. had been traditionally used by the ancient people for medicinal purposes. Due to that, extensive studies regarding the phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of this genus have been carried out for six decades. Most of the studies indicated that the plants from this genus have potential as medicinal herbs to treat diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart and liver failure, etc. In this paper the phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of some plants of Wedelia genus are reviewed. Tissue culture applications of this genus are not extensively studied, thus in the present review some in vitro results from these investigations are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cola nitida is a West African tree, commonly used for pharmaceutical purposes. In Benin, the species is used for many purposes ranging from traditional rituals to domestic consumption. Nowadays, the species, as well as its offspring, are hardly encountered. So far, research on the species focused on a single domain such as ethnobotany and phytochemistry. The current paper used a holistic approach to explain the species scarcity in the natural habitats using (1) the rural knowledge pattern on C. nitida and (2) the tree population structure. Semi-structured interviews (n = 170 respondents) were conducted and combined with ecological inventory (n = 38 plots) in the phyto-geographical districts of Coast and Pobè in southern Benin. The indices of diversity, equitability, and consensus quantified the range, the evenness, and the relative reliability of rural communities' knowledge. Moreover, the plant part index gave the most used part of the tree. The knowledge on the species was unevenly distributed according to the gender, while the cofactor age did not have a statistically significant effect (P = 0.902) on the pattern. In addition, seeds represented the most used plant part (PPI = 0.59). C. nitida tree demographic structure showed a low density of seedling and sapling (1.05 ± 0.47 trees ha-1). Diameter size fitted with a two-parameter Weibull distribution indicated a threat of species extinction. The multiple uses of C. nitida seeds do not allow natural regeneration of the species. The domestication of C. nitida tree and the establishment of Cola garden/orchard in the surveyed districts are suggested for sustainable use of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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