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Medicinal plants represent as an alternative treatment to various diseases, and their use is increasingly prevalent throughout the world. Due to the large number of plant species with medicinal properties, some sciences have emerged such as medicinal herbalism, which has allowed the wide development of traditional medicine in some countries. The traditional uses attributed to each medicinal plant depend on where the plant is consumed and the social groups that use them. In this chapter a review on medicinal plants is presented as well as their application at a global level. The information was obtained from databases and scientific sources. In addition, a case study in a locality with an indigenous population in the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, is presented, in which a qualitative study was conducted on the traditional use of medicinal plants at the precise sale places of said plants. The collection of the data was carried out through structured interviews, which allowed to document the knowledge and main traditional uses attributed to medicinal plants. The information presented here can be useful for initiating ethnobotanical studies in places where there is greater traditional knowledge about medicinal plants.

Self-medication during pregnancy represents a serious threat for mother and child health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and the factors associated with self-medication among Mexican women living in the central region of Mexico. This is a descriptive interview-study of 1798 pregnant women or women who were pregnant no more than 3 years ago, when the interview was carried out. Data analysis was carried out with chi-square analysis and odds ratio. The prevalence of self-medication (allopathic drugs, medicinal plants, and other products, including vitamins, food supplements, among others) was 21.9%. The factors associated (p

Ethnopharmacological relevance The use of medicinal plants in Mexico has been documented since pre-Hispanic times. Nevertheless, the level of use of medicinal plants by health professionals in Mexico remains to be explored. Aim of the study To evaluate the use, acceptance and prescription of medicinal plants by health professionals in 9 of the states of Mexico. Materials and methods Direct and indirect interviews, regarding the use and acceptance of medicinal plants, with health professionals (n=1614), including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and odontologists from nine states in Mexico were performed from January 2015 to July 2016. The interviews were analyzed with the factor the informant consensus (FIC). Results The information obtained indicated that 46% of those interviewed feel patients should not use medicinal plants as an alternative therapy. Moreover, 54% of health professionals, and 49% of the physicians have used medicinal plants as an alternative therapy for several diseases. Twenty eight percent of health professionals, and 26% of the physicians, have recommended or prescribed medicinal plants to their patients, whereas 73% of health professionals were in agreement with receiving academic information regarding the use and prescription of medicinal plants. A total of 77 plant species used for medicinal purposes, belonging to 40 botanical families were reported by the interviewed. The results of the FIC showed that the categories of diseases of the digestive system (FIC=0.901) and diseases of the respiratory system (FIC=0.898) had the greatest agreement. Conclusions This study shows that medicinal plants are used for primary health care in Mexico by health professionals.

The consumption of medicinal plants has notably increased over the past two decades. People consider herbal products as safe because of their natural origin, without taking into consideration whether these plants contain a toxic principle. This represents a serious health problem. A bibliographic search was carried out using published scientific material on native plants from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, which describe the ethnobotanical and toxicological information of medicinal plants empirically considered to be toxic. A total of 216 medicinal plants belonging to 77 families have been reported as toxic. Of these plants, 76 had been studied, and 140 plants lacked studies regarding their toxicological effects. The toxicity of 16 plants species has been reported in clinical cases, particularly in children. From these plants, deaths have been reported with the consumption ofChenopodium ambrosioides,Argemone mexicana, andThevetia peruviana. In most of the cases, the principle of the plant responsible for the toxicity is unknown. There is limited information about the toxicity of medicinal plants used in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. More toxicological studies are necessary to contribute information about the safe use of the medicinal plants cited in this review.

Ethnopharmacological importance Medicinal plants have been a source of medicinal compounds since ancient times. This study documented the use of plant species in traditional medicine in the municipality of Aquismon, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Materials and methods Direct interviews were performed with inhabitants from Aquismon. The interviews were analyzed with two quantitative tools: (a) the informant consensus factor (ICF) that estimates the level of agreement about which medicinal plants may be used for each category and (b) the relative importance (RI) that determines the extent of potential utilization of each species. Results A total of 73 plant species with medicinal purposes, belonging to 37 families and used to treat 52 illnesses and 2 cultural filiations were reported by interviewees. Nineteen mixtures with medicinal plants were reported by the interviewers. Matricaria recutita was the most used plant for combinations (five mixtures). The results of the ICF showed that diseases of the digestive and respiratory systems had the greatest agreement. The most versatile species according to their RI are Ruta graveolens , Tagetes erecta , Ocimum basilicum and Erigeron karwinskianus. Conclusion This study demonstrates that plant species play an important role in healing practices and magical–religious rituals among inhabitants from Huasteca Potosina. Further studies with medicinal flora, including mixtures, from Aquismon are required for the experimental validation of their traditional uses.