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Most people in the world still use medicinal plants to treat and prevent disease. In Anatolia, studies have shown that people have used plants for centuries to treat many diseases. Herbal markets play an important role in the supply of medicinal plants and the transmission of cultural heritage. In this study, we investigated the traditional uses of...
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... Most herbal remedies are administered orally (75%) because this is the most common and widely used method among patients (Salhi et al. 2010;Hafsé et al. 2015;Benarba 2016;Uzun & Koca 2020). Additionally, other methods like inhalation, ointment and massage have been used in some traditional medicinal practices ( Figure 10). ...
Background: For centuries, Moroccan population uses medicinal plants as a primary source of medication to treat different human ailments. However, few investigations have been carried out to properly document and preserve this traditional knowledge. Indeed, this ethnobotanical exploration aims to establish an exhaustive inventory of medicinal plants used by the population of Taounate for the treatment of different diseases.
Methods: Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out with 500 participants distributed equally between different stations. The study participants were selected randomly and subjected to
semi-structured interviews, conducted individually over four months from January to April 2023. The socio-demographic features were evaluated using percentages and frequencies in a
simple descriptive statistical analysis. However, the ethnobotanical data involved the use of different methods, such as relative frequency of citation (RFC), family importance value
(FIV) and plant part value (PPV). In addition, the data analysis was completed using hierarchical cluster analysis to reveal the similarity between plants and rank these plants based on indexes or frequency in treating diseases.
Results: This ethnobotanical survey reported that 112 species of medicinal plants, belonging to 100 genera and 54 botanical families were used for curing a variety of illnesses. Among the
54 families reported, the most predominant are Lamiaceae, with 11 species and a FIV of 22.1%; followed by Apiaceae, with 7 species and a FIV of 1.9% and Asteraceae, with 6 species and a FIV of 8%. Based on hierarchical cluster analysis, Origanum compactum,
Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Pistacia lentiscus and Chenopodium ambrosioides (RFC= 0.366) had the highest values in FC and RFC indexes. Moreover, the heatmap indicates that these plants are primarily used for treating diseases related to the digestive tract (highest ICF values of 0.98). Furthermore, leaves are the most commonly used plant’s part (63%), followed by stem (8%), roots (7%), flowers (5%) and fruit (4%); otherwise, decoction
is the most common method (42%), followed by the use of powder (27%) and infusion (13%).The herbal preparation was mainly administered orally (75%).
Conclusion: The current study highlights the widespread use of aromatic and medicinal plants in therapy among the Taounate population, forming an integral part of the traditional healing
system. This research aims to enhance Moroccan traditional natural heritage while providing researchers with a valuable ethnobotanical database. The latter can serve as an essential
resource for more profound research into phytochemistry and pharmacology.
Keywords: Ethnobotanical survey; medicinal plants; Taounate; Ethnobotanical indexes; clustering dendrogram analysis.
... There is an increasing interest in the developed world to use plant-based drugs to overcome human ailments. In terms of ethno-gynecological studies, there is sporadic information available, and few studies reported (Qureshi et al. 2009;Sahu 2011;Mahmood et al. 2013;Ahmad et al. 2014;Adnan et al. 2015;Aziz et al. 2018;Jan et al. 2020;Uzun et al. 2020;Al-Robai et al. 2022;Jan et al. 2022;Munir et al. 2022;Rehman et al. 2022). The current study was consequently planned to record folk knowledge of medicinal plants along with their gynecological applications within the six chief arid regions (i.e. ...
Background: The purpose of the present study was to document quantitative indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used for treating various gynecological disorders by the herbalist (Hakeem) and traditional communities of selected rural areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from February 2022 to January 2023. During the research work, the use of medicinal plants and their medicinal uses for curing gynecological disorders were recorded by interviewing 600 informants of different age groups (20-85 years) via semi-structured interviews. Results: In all, 60 therapeutic plants belonging to 15 families were recorded that were used by the traditional communities of study areas for the cure of various kinds of gynecological disorders. Among families, Asteraceae was the largest that contributed 17 species. The dominant life form was herbs (39 species) and the mostly used plant part was whole plant (14 species). The highest Relative Frequency Citation (RFC) was recorded for Anethum graveolens (0.96). Similarly, the highest Use Value (0.98) was recorded for Amaranthus caudatu,s Amaranthus angustifolius and the lowest (0.33) for Justicia adhatoda. Likewise, the highest Fidelity Level (FL) was recorded for Anaphalis nepalensis (100%) which was used to treat leucorrhea, and the lowest FL was recorded for Oxystelma esculentum (41.94%) in treating gonorrhea. Family importance index (FIV) indicated that Asteraceae was the dominant (96.66) in the region for contributing medicinal plants, while Zingeberaceae was the lowest one (16.66). Conclusions: The selected sites being remote areas are devoid of basic health facilities, so the natives learnt about medicinal plants to treat human diseases including gynecological problems. The current research work illustrated that the inhabitants have good knowledge about native plants for treating gynecological disorders. This research can be used as a benchmark for future pharmacological studies to discover novel herbal medicines. Keywords: Folk knowledge, Quantitative, Medicinal plants, Gynecological disorders, Punjab, Pakistan
... Têm-se observado que a utilização de plantas medicinais contribui para resultados significativos em tratamentos terapêuticos (PETRAKOU et al., 2020;UZUN;KOCA 2020). Isso ocorre principalmente devido à produção de metabólitos secundários oriundos de plantas superiores, que podem apresentar potenciais biológicos (SIMÕES et al., 2017). ...
... Têm-se observado que a utilização de plantas medicinais contribui para resultados significativos em tratamentos terapêuticos (PETRAKOU et al., 2020;UZUN;KOCA 2020). Isso ocorre principalmente devido à produção de metabólitos secundários oriundos de plantas superiores, que podem apresentar potenciais biológicos (SIMÕES et al., 2017). ...
... Bunun yanında satışa sunulan ürün çeşidi sayısının ortalama 975 adet, aktarların ortalama yıllık cirolarının 420 000TL ve aktarların aylık ortalama kazançlarının ise 11 066 TL olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Elde edilen bu sonuçlar Koca ve Uzun'un [10] da Kahramanmaraş ilinde yaptığı çalışma ile büyük oranda benzerlik gösterdiği saptanmıştır. Koca ve Uzun [2020] de, aktarların mesleki bilgilerini %50 oranda usta-çırak ilişkisinden elde ettiklerini, aktar işletmelerinin ortalama 29 yıldır faaliyet gösterdiklerini, işletmelerde çalışan ortalama kişi sayısının 1.8, ürün çeşidi sayısının ortalama 422, işletmelerin ortalama yıllık cirolarının 181 111 TL ve aylık kazançlarının da ortalama 7 611 TL olduğu ifade edilmiştir [10]. ...
... Elde edilen bu sonuçlar Koca ve Uzun'un [10] da Kahramanmaraş ilinde yaptığı çalışma ile büyük oranda benzerlik gösterdiği saptanmıştır. Koca ve Uzun [2020] de, aktarların mesleki bilgilerini %50 oranda usta-çırak ilişkisinden elde ettiklerini, aktar işletmelerinin ortalama 29 yıldır faaliyet gösterdiklerini, işletmelerde çalışan ortalama kişi sayısının 1.8, ürün çeşidi sayısının ortalama 422, işletmelerin ortalama yıllık cirolarının 181 111 TL ve aylık kazançlarının da ortalama 7 611 TL olduğu ifade edilmiştir [10]. Bu veriler bölgeler arası farklılık gösterse de ülkemizdeki aktar profilinin ortaya konması açısından son derece önemlidir. ...
In this study, medicinal plants growing in Aksaray province were determined, the parts of these plants sold by herbalists, the purposes of sale, and average sales amounts were investigated and also their economic importance was revealed. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 15 volunteer herbalists out of 25 herbalists working in Aksaray and its counties. An interview form that was prepared before was applied between the dates of 07-31/8/2021. The data obtained from the interview form were analyzed with the SPSS program. In the research, the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of herbalists selling medicinal and aromatic plants and their thoughts on the sale of medicinal plants were analyzed. Accordingly, it was determined that there are 54 plant species belonging to 26 families grown in Aksaray and sold for therapeutic purposes by herbalists. The families which have the most species are Asteraceae (9 species), Lamiaceae (6 species), and Rosaceae (5 species). Moreover, the most sold medicinal plant species are St. John's wort, golden herb, and yarrow. Furthermore, it was observed that these plants were mostly used for gastrovascular and respiratory diseases and consumer demands were influenced by factors such as packaging, price, and expiration date.
... 3,5 indigenous knowledge of plants as medicines is often passed down orally from one generation to another. 6 Botanical surveys in the form of a wellstructured questionnaire are considered an essential tool for recognizing and documenting medicinal plants. 7,8 Morocco has a high ecological and flora diversity, which constitutes a rich plant reserve, with more than 4500 species of about 940 genera and 135 families. ...
Currently, many medicinal plants continue to be utilized for the treatment and prevention of
diseases. Numerous studies conducted in Morocco indicate that aromatic and medicinal plants
(MAPs) have been used for centuries to cure various ailments. The distribution of therapeutic
herbs through herbal markets plays a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage. this study was
conducted among residents of the Moulay Yaâcoub province with the aim of documenting
ethnobotanical knowledge and identifying different medicinal and aromatic plants used in
traditional herbal medicine by this community. To identify a diverse range of medicinal and
aromatic plants characteristic of the target area, open-ended interviews were conducted with locals
using semi-structured questionnaires in the form of ethnobotanical surveys. Ethnobotanical
indices, including relative frequency of citations, use value, relative importance, and informant
consensus factor, were employed to quantify the use and cultural significance of medicinal and
aromatic plants in the province of Moulay Yaâcoub. The data were analyzed using different
statistical parameters. According to the research results; the population of the Moulay Yaakoub
province utilizes 93 species of vascular plants from 41 botanical families. The most prevalent
families are Lamiaceae (17.20%), Asteraceae (8.60%), Apiaceae (7.53%), Brassicaceae,
Euphorbiaceae, and Zingiberaceae, each accounting for 4.30% of the species mentioned. This
ethnobotanical study conducted in the Moulay Yaâcoub province allows for the selection of
various medicinal and aromatic plants used in traditional phytotherapy by the local population.
Consequently, further research is needed, the main focus is on isolating and identifying particular
bioactive compounds found in plant extracts.
Keywords: Medicinal plants; Morocco; Moulay Yaâcoub; Plants; Phytotherapy
... Thus, in almost every season, they live in cold weather conditions and frequently encounter respiratory diseases such as influenza, common cold, bronchitis, and cough. A second reason may be related to air pollution (Palabaş Uzun and Koca, 2020). A report on air pollution in Turkey states that the air pollution level is 31% higher than that in Europe (UCTEA, 2019). ...
This study aims to identify medicinal plants traditionally used to treat diseases by local people living in Güce district, north-eastern Turkey. The study was carried out between 2018 and 2021 using a two-part semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire with 165 local people. Data were analysed using use–report, frequency of citation, and informant consensus factor. Informants identified 128 vascular medicinal plant taxa belonging to 54 families and 106 genera. The most common plant taxa belong to Rosaceae (16 taxa/12.5%), Asteraceae (12 taxa/9.4%), and Lamiaceae (9 taxa/7%) families. The most frequently used preparation method reported was decoction (39.8%); the most commonly utilized plant parts were leaves (40.3%). Statistical analysis reveals that women in Güce district (df = 163, p = 0.043 < 0.05) possess the most traditional knowledge. The highest frequency of citation (61) and use report (92) were recorded for Tilia rubra subsp. caucasica, and the highest informant consensus factors were cited for respiratory system disorders (0.86), digestive system disorders (0.73), and skin disorders (0.71). This study reported nine plant taxa as medicinal plants for the first time, and documented a total of 293 new therapeutic uses. However, the study indicates that the transfer of traditional knowledge to future generations is limited (F = 3.355, p = 0.020). Action should be taken as soon as possible to preserve existing traditional knowledge and to ensure its transfer to future generations.
... Similarly, ethnobotanical research surveys conducted in Morocco revealed that leaves were a major dominant plant part used in the preparation of traditional remedies [21,39,42,44,45]. Similar findings were reported in other international ethnobotanical studies in Ghana [56], Lebanon [57], and Turkey [58]. e common traditional use of one part over another varies depending on its active fraction. ...
... Other modes of administration, such as inhalation and massage, were also used in some traditional recipes. ese findings have also been reported in national and international traditional pharmacopeias, indicating that the oral route is the most common and acceptable mode for patients to receive plants [39,48,49,58]. ...
Cancer has become one of the medical challenges that have left an intolerable death toll around the world. In Morocco, medicinal plants continue to meet a pivotal therapeutic role despite the development of modern sanitation systems. In the current study, an ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the Moroccan national institute of oncology, Rabat, and we aimed on (1) establishing an exhaustive inventory of indigenous knowledge of Moroccan medicinal plants used to manage cancer and (2) confirm the reported ethnopharmacological uses through bibliometric review. The data were collected during a period of 4 months, from February to Mai 2019, through semi-structured interviews. Ethnobotanical indices, including Informant Consensus Factor (FIC), Use Report (UR), relative frequency citation (RFC), Botanical Fam-ily Use Value (FUV), Fidelity Level (FL), and Index of Agreement on Remedies (IAR) were employed in data analysis. The survey revealed 39 medicinal plants belonging to 27 botanical families and 38 genera were used to treat cancer. The most used ethnospecies were Aris-tolochia Longa with the highest RFC value (13%), followed by Nigella sativa, Ephedra alata, Euphorbia resinifera, and Lavandula dentata, with the RFC values of 9.8%, 7.5%, 6.1% and 6.1%, respectively. In regard to the plant families, Lamiaceae was contributed by the highest number of plants with five species (FUV= 0.034), followed by Asteraceae (4 species; FUV= 0.020), and Fabaceae (4 species; FUV= 0.020). The leaves are the most preferable plant parts by the studied population against cancer; otherwise, decoction was the most employed method for remedies preparation and the highest FIC was noticed for uterine cancer treatment (0.86). In light of these findings, further investigations on the recorded plants species should be per-formed to assess phytochemical constituents and pharmaceutical benefits, in order to identify their active compounds for any drug formulations.
... Fruits are served as animal's food, their aqueous extracts are used to treat eye and skin diseases, and leaves extract is used for the same purpose. Similarly, an extensive use is reported by Palabaş Uzun S, et al. [15] from Kahramanmaraş region in Turkey. All parts of the tree are used, and their decoctions are used to treat urinary disorders, anemia, and sexual problems. ...
Carob has been used by humans since antiquity. Its major use is food, but traditional medicines
of many nations used it for treatments of various health disorders. The fruits (pods or kibbles)
were the main source for nutrition and medicinal uses, but decoctions and extracts were prepared
from other parts of the tree, especially leaves. Modern science has analyzed most of the chemical
compositions of the different parts, and among the phytochemicals that were found, antioxidants
play very important roles in Carob nutritional and medicinal activities. So, in addition to having strong
antioxidant activity and due to it, these natural products, their extracts, and foods that contain them,
have anticancer, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, antiaging, skin care, antidiabetic, and others.
Phenolics and carbohydrates are the strongest antioxidants, but some volatile compounds have
the same activity, to some extent. However, this review will present Carob antioxidants, their major
nutritional and medicinal activities, and suggest future horizons for their use in human wellbeing.
... The most frequently adopted preparation methods were decoction (32.35%) and infusion (27.94%). These methods are commonly used for the preparation of remedies from medicinal herbs in different MENA countries (Eddouks et al. 2017;Alqethami et al. 2017;Palabaş Uzun & Koca 2020;Sadat-Hosseini et al. 2017 Whereas other medicinal herbs were prepared using both decoction and infusion, especially species consumed as herbal teas such as Mentha spicata L., Mentha pulegium L., Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi, Salvia officinalis L. and Thymus vulgaris L. are usually consumed after Iftar at soirees. In addition, other applications are reported in this enquiry including powder, raw material, oil, syrup, fermentation, juice, and steam. ...
Background: The fasting month of Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam. This religious practice is characterized by a specific style of life, culinary and phytotherapeutic habits in Muslim societies. The aim of this research is to document information about the traditional medicinal knowledge of herbal species used during the holy month of Ramadan in the region of Chlef, north-west Algeria. Methods: This ethnobotanical survey was conducted during the holy month of Ramadan in 1442 Hijrah, corresponding to 13 April–12 Mai 2021. The information was gathered through semi-structured interviews with 100 fasting Muslim informants ranging in age from 18 to 71 years. The obtained data were analyzed using the following indices: Use Value (UV), Family Use Value (FUV) and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). Results: In the current and first Ramadanian ethnobotanical survey, 38 herbal species distributed into 22 families were recorded in the Chlef region, north-west Algeria. Lamiaceae was the dominant botanical family explored in phyto-folk medicine, with 8 species. Leaves and aerial parts (22.22% each) represent the main plant parts valorized. Decoction (32.35%) and infusion (27.94%) were the principal preparation methods adopted for making remedies from medicinal herbs. Species supported by Quran verses and prophetic orientation are widely consumed during the month of Ramadan and record UVs indexes superior to 0.5. The highest UV values were assigned to Phoenix dactylifera L. (0.98), Hordeum vulgare L. (0.92) and Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck (0.89). The analyses revealed a high and common ICF among the local population during the month of Ramadan for 14 disease categories due to the religious guidance of informants. Conclusions: The month of Ramadan is characterized by a rich patrimony of herbal medicine and harmonious knowledge among informants based essentially on religious orientation. Further investigations into possible interactions between the health benefits of fasting and the therapeutic virtues of medicinal herbs are suggested in the future. Keywords: Ethnomedicine, Iftar, Suhur, Ramadan, Prophetic medicine.
... MAPs are considered the most valuable among the vast array of non-timber forest products (Larsen et al. 2005). Traditionally used, plant derived medicine has been estimated worth US $83 billion in the year 2008 (Shakya 2016), and in China alone the contribution from medicinal plants export is US$23.71 billion (Ji et al. 2020;Uzun & Koca 2020). Total income of poor households from the sale of wild medicinal herbs is between 15%-30% (Hamilton 2004). ...
Background: District Swat, Pakistan is a potential hub of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) which can substantially contribute to social, economic and cultural uplift of local communities. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explore the market potential for MAPs in the study area.
Methods: Interviews were conducted with medicinal plant collectors, dealers and hakims to gather information about medicinal properties, pattern of collection and market status of MAPs in the study area. For this purpose, extensive field surveys were carried out in the study area and questionnaires were developed as a tool for interviews and data collection.
Results: The study reported 58, 38 and 64 plant species at collectors’, dealers’ and hakims’ level. These plants are being used as medicines by local inhabitants to overcome their health problems and traded to subsidize low income for their basic needs. However, it was revealed that collectors had very little marketing skills and were unaware of high market value of their products, therefore, received minimum financial reward in the trade chain of medicinal plants. Increasing pressure on natural resources and decreasing trend in availability of important MAPs was also observed.
Conclusion: An urgent need to investigate links between overexploitation of species and quality of herbal medicines in the global market and to develop conservation strategies for MAPs is suggested. It is also recommended to develop training programs for collectors of medicinal plants in order to improve sustainability, trade monitoring and community participation in natural resource management.
