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Italy and Tunisia (Africa for the Romans), facing each other on the opposite sides of the Mediterranean Sea, have been historically linked since the ancient times. Over the centuries both countries were mutually dominated so the vestiges and traces of a mutual influence are still present. The aim of the present study is to conduct a comparative ana...
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Citations
... For instance, medicinal plants identified in our survey for treating a certain ailment were mentioned for dissimilar curative properties in other European countries: A. sativum, mentioned as an antiparasitic agent in our study, was found to be effective for whooping cough in Italy (Muhe et al., 1994); C. carvi used as Frontiers in Pharmacology frontiersin.org 18 carminative for children in Southern Romania, was employed for enuresis in Italy (Leporatti and Ghedira, 2009); C. majus, utilized for curing warts in our study, was reported in Poland for treating jaundice and digestive tract parasites (Zielińska et al., 2018); H. perforatum, used by Romanian mothers for treating children's liver diseases, was used in Poland for burns treatment (Coppock and Dziwenka, 2021); U. dioica, popular for treating pediatric weakness and anemia in the geographic area investigated herein, was noted to be used as an antitussive in Spain (Rigat et al., 2015), whereas V. tricolor, utilized as an antialergic in our study, was used for treating seborrhoea of the scalp in nursing infants in Poland (Witkowska-Banaszczak et al., 2005), and as an expectorant in Ukraine (Herasymova et al., 2022). ...
There is a limited number of studies focusing on ethnomedical practices in children, particularly in Eastern Europe. Romania has a rich history of using medicinal plants in ethnopediatric care, and our objective was to identify the medicinal plants currently employed in treating childhood illnesses in the southern region of the country.
Material and methods Our investigation used structured interviews, focusing on respondent demographics, local names of therapeutically employed herbs, the specific plant part(s) utilized, methods of preparation and administration, and local folk indications of taxa. A total of 326 mothers with children aged 0 to 18, hospitalized in the “Grigore Alexandrescu” Children Emergency Hospital Bucharest and residing in Southern Romania, were enrolled in the study. Use Value Citation Index (UV c ), Informant Consensus Factor (Fic), and Fidelity Level (FL) were calculated.
Results Twenty-five plants were identified for treating children’s diseases in Southern Romania. The majority of informants resided in urban areas, and mothers primarily acquired knowledge from family members and healthcare professionals. The herbs most frequently employed were Mentha spp. (UV = 0.509) for diarrhea, Matricaria spp . (UV = 0.301) for skin infections (Fic = 0.99) and digestive diseases (Fic = 0.98), and Calendula officinalis L. (UV = 0.365) for skin diseases (Fic = 0.99). Less utilized were Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus (L.) Domin in respiratory diseases, Prunus avium (L.) L. stalks in urinary tract ailments, Helianthus annuus L. in ear infections, Allium sativum L. in intestinal parasitosis, Viola tricolor L. in hives, Triticum aestivum L. in dermatitis and Allium ursinum L. as a tonic. In 184 cases herbal treatment was used in conjunction with conventional medications. Education level correlated with the number of employed plants and the variety of treated ailments, while residency (rural vs. urban) did not. Both residency and education influenced plant procurement methods: rural background and, surprisingly, higher education were linked to a preference for harvesting rather than purchasing plants.
Conclusion Botanical remedies are still commonly used in the treatment of pediatric diseases in Southern Romania, although the variety of taxa seems reduced compared to the past. Further exploration is essential to unlock the maximum benefits of ethnopediatric practices.
... Since antiquity, cumin seeds have been widely utilized in traditional therapy worldwide, as well as in culinary spices and herbal infusions ( Figure 1) [2]. For instance, in Italy, cumin is used as a digestive aid and laxative, while it is regarded in Tunisian medicine as a blood pressure-lowering herb, a contraceptive, and lactogenic [3]. The seeds are used in most medical prescriptions as antidiarrheal medications and antiacids, as stimulants, and to relieve symptoms of bloating and discomfort in traditional Arabic medicine. ...
(1) Background: Cumin seeds, extracted from the plant Cuminum cyminum, are abundant in phenolic compounds and have been extensively researched for their chemical makeup and biological effects. The objective of this research is to enhance the water extraction of polyphenols through the water bath (WB) technique and to evaluate the antiradical, antibacterial, and anticancer effects of the extract. (2) Methods: Response Surface Methodology was used to find the best parameters to extract polyphenols. Three experimental parameters, time, temperature, and solid-liquid ratio, were tested. The disc diffusion method has been used to determine the antimicrobial activities against Salmonella Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The antiradical activity was performed using the DPPH method, while total phenolic content was performed using Folin–Ciocalteu. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was conducted to analyze the phytochemical profile of WB extracts. The anticancer activity of the lyophilized extract was assessed against three cancer cell lines (colon (HT29), lung (A549), and breast (MCF7) cancer cell lines).; (3) Results: The optimal conditions for water extraction were 130 min at 72 °C. The total phenolic compounds yield (14.7 mg GAE/g DM) and antioxidant activity (0.52 mg trolox eq./mL) were obtained using a 1:40 solid–liquid ratio. The primary polyphenols identified were the flavonoids rutin (0.1 ppm) and ellagic acid (3.78 ppm). The extract had no antibacterial or antifungal activities against the microorganisms tested. The extract showed anticancer activity of about 98% against MCF7 (breast cancer cell line), about 81% against HT29 (colon cancer cell line), and 85% against A549 (lung cancer cell line) at high doses. (4) Conclusions: Extraction time and a high solid–liquid ratio had a positive impact on polyphenol recovery and in maintaining their quantity and quality. Furthermore, the optimal aqueous extract exhibited strong antiradical activity reflected by the inhibition of free radicals in addition to a significant specificity against the tested cancer cell lines.
... At least 80% of developing countries rely mainly on local traditional medicine to prevent and treat various diseases in humans and animals [5]. Medicinal plants are an important basis for the emergence and development of Chinese medicine [6][7][8]. Ethnoveterinary medicines are generally defined as those used based on folk expertise, beliefs, knowledge, practices, methods related to animals' health, and to cure various ailments in the ethnic group areas [9]. Ethnoveterinary medicine is not only an important part of traditional medicine but also an indispensable part of local animal health and the most basic veterinary services [10,11]. ...
Background
The Bai people in Yunlong County, northwest Yunnan, China, have used medicinal plants and traditional remedies for ethnoveterinary practices. The Bai have mastered ethnoveterinary therapeutic methods in livestock breeding since ancient times. The Bai’s traditional ethnoveterinary knowledge is now facing extinction, and their unique ethnoveterinary practices have rarely been recorded. This study documented animal diseases, EMPs, and related traditional knowledge in Yunlong County, China.
Methods
Ethnobotanical fieldwork was conducted in six villages and townships of Yunlong County between 2021 and 2022. Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews, participatory observations, and keyperson interviews. A total of 68 informants were interviewed, and the informant consensus factor and use reports (URs) were used to evaluate the current ethnoveterinary practices among the local communities. Information on livestock diseases, medicinal plants, and traditional ethnoveterinary medicine knowledge were also obtained.
Results
A total of 90 plant species belong to 51 families, 84 genera were recorded as being used as EMPs by the Bai people, and Asteraceae plants are most frequently used. A total of 68 informants were interviewed, including 58 men (85.3%) and 10 women (14.7%). The most commonly used EMPs parts included the roots, whole plants, leaves, and stems, and the common livestock diseases identified in this field investigation included trauma and fracture, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, parasitic diseases, miscellaneous, venomous snake bites, reproductive diseases, infectious diseases, skin disease, and urinary diseases. Most of the EMPs are herbs (77.78%). Courtyard is one of the habitats of medicinal plants in Yunlong County.
Conclusion
Traditional knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicine is related to the local sociocultural characteristics of the Bai. Plants are used in cultural traditions, which, in turn, nourish the plant culture. Cultural diversity and biodiversity are interdependent. This traditional knowledge is at risk of disappearance because of the increasing extension of Western veterinary medicine, lifestyle changes, and mainstream cultural influences. Therefore, it is important to continue research on ethnoveterinary practices.
... Summaries are given by Guarrera's encyclopedia of traditional and folk medicine in Italy (Guarrera, 2006), Ghirardini et al. (2007), who reported on wild food plant consumption in 21 local communities across the country, and Monari et al., (2022), who present a dataset of wild and cultivated plants traditionally used as medicinal remedies in Italy. Comparative studies between Italy and Bulgaria (Leporatti & Ivancheva, 2003) and Italy and Tunisia (Leporatti & Ghedira, 2009) show considerable convergence in therapeutic uses of many species, signaling shared heritage between Italy and other nations. Noteworthy is the database for Italian wild edible plants of Paura et al., (2021), in which 1103 taxa are documented to be used as alimurgic species, a significant contribution to the understanding of the wealth of uses of edible vascular plants throughout Italy. ...
As an initial step in more extensive research into the links between biological and cultural diversity in present-day Italy, we reviewed Biocultural Diversity studies that explore the relationship between biological and cultural patterns of diversity to determine whether any direct causal relationships or common drivers could be inferred. We found no significant attempts to quantitatively measure biocultural diversity in the country as a whole. Italy shows a high number of mutual interactions, but common drivers and patterns between biological and cultural diversity were not evident. This could be either a problem of quantification due perhaps to an inherent incommensurability between the two dimensions, or different causative patterns that drive biological and cultural diversity.
... There is a growing trend of integrating it into contemporary agricultural and food systems to enhance the production of superior plant-based proteins [1]. Lupin has a history of being utilized as a medicinal plant to address a range of health conditions [2]. Lupin seeds contain proteins, fatty acids, amino acids, alkaloids, minerals, and dietary fiber, and separating these components allows for the extraction of substances with proven effectivity in combating diabetes or cancer, reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and acting as antioxidants [3,4]. ...
Nodule endophytes and associated bacteria are non-symbiotic bacteria that colonize legume nodules. They accompany nodulating rhizobia and can form beneficial associations, as some of them are plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that are able to promote germination and plant growth and increase tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. White lupin (Lupinus albus) is a legume crop that is gaining relevance as a suitable alternative to soybean as a plant protein source. Eleven nodule-associated bacteria were isolated from white lupin nodules grown in a Tunisian soil. They belonged to the genera Rhizobium, Ensifer, Pseudomonas and Bacillus. Their plant growth-promoting (PGP) and enzymatic activities were tested in vitro. Strains Pseudomonas sp., L1 and L12, displayed most PGP activities tested, and were selected for in planta assays. Inoculation with strains L1 or L12 increased seed germination and had the same positive effects on all plant growth parameters as did inoculation with symbiotic Bradyrhizobium canariense, with no significant differences among treatments. Inoculation with efficient nitrogen-fixing rhizobia must compete with rhizobia present in the soil that sometimes nodulate efficiently but fix nitrogen poorly, leading to a low response to inoculation. In such cases, inoculation with highly effective PGPR might represent a feasible alternative to boost crop productivity.
... However, the Carum carviL.is widely known in traditional medicine in Asia, counting India, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan (Amiri and Joharchi 2016;Singh et al. 2016), Europe, such as Ukraine and Italy (Leporatti and Ghedira 2009;Pieroni and Sõukand 2017), and Africa counting Morocco (Najem et al. 2019) and Tunisia (Leporatti and Ghedira 2009). Concerning coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), information on the therapeutic roles of this annual has been available since ancient times (Khan et al. 2014;Sobhani et al. 2022). ...
... However, the Carum carviL.is widely known in traditional medicine in Asia, counting India, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan (Amiri and Joharchi 2016;Singh et al. 2016), Europe, such as Ukraine and Italy (Leporatti and Ghedira 2009;Pieroni and Sõukand 2017), and Africa counting Morocco (Najem et al. 2019) and Tunisia (Leporatti and Ghedira 2009). Concerning coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), information on the therapeutic roles of this annual has been available since ancient times (Khan et al. 2014;Sobhani et al. 2022). ...
Background: An extensive ethnomedicinal analysis of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) in Morocco was conducted as part of this study. We aimed to compile information on its medicinal uses and the amounts consumed by locals. Methods: Interviews were conducted in seven Moroccan sites during 2019 and 2020. To examine the gathered data, descriptive and multivariate statistics were employed. We sought participant agreement on the specified therapies for each disorder group. Results: 85 herbalist males and 600 participants ranging from 20 to 60 years old were interviewed in the study zone that uses or sells it for therapeutic purposes. The plant was primarily utilized by herbalists for food (18.93%), digestive disorders (18.93%), and laxatives (18.93%), while users use it for Dysmenorrhea (34.85%), anti-constipation (33.02%), antitussive (21.31%), and to promote Milk flow (10.82%). Other users used anise as an antitussive (12.47%) and a treatment for Dysmenorrhea (15.81%), while 14.92% of participants used it to encourage milk flow. Participants used the plant in dried form alone, and the usage form was like a Tisane or infusion in all investigated sites. However, all studied parameters varied among the tested sites. Conclusions: The new study could be of great use in expanding knowledge of the medicinal flora and conserving ancestors' knowledge in Morocco's Middle Atlas and the Saiss Plain.
... S. nigra flowers are widely used in folk phytotherapy for the treatment of bronchial diseases [7,45], colds and coughs [10,50,63], as a laxative, or for abdominal pains [50,61,62]. As a topical application, the flowers are used for burn treatments [32,74], wounds [66], and rheumatic pains [49,79,80]. Elderflowers are also widely recognized for their health benefits, which encompass protection against degenerative illnesses such as cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and diabetes [81]. ...
With approximately 2800 species, the Campania region has the richest vascular flora in southern Italy and the highest number of medicinal species reported in the Italian folk traditions. The study area is inserted in a wide rural landscape, still retaining a high degree of naturalness and is studied for the first time from an ethnobotanical point of view. By analyzing local traditional uses of wild plants in the Ansanto Valley area, the present study aims to contribute to the implementation of ethnobotanical knowledge concerning southern Italy. To gather ethnobotanical knowledge related to the Ansanto Valley, 69 semi-structured interviews were carried out through a snowball sampling approach, starting from locals with experience in traditional plant uses (key informants). A number of 117 plant species (96 genera and 46 families) were documented for traditional use from a total of 928 reports, of which 544 were about medicinal plants. New use reports on the utilization of plants for medicinal (5) and veterinary applications (8) in the Campania region and the whole Italian territory were outlined from our investigations. Sedum cepaea is reported as a medicinal plant for the first time in Italy and in the whole Mediterranean basin.
... Furthermore, PlL has been administered in the form of smoke, obtained by burning or boiling the soft wood and leaves, particularly in the cases of osteoarthritis, bronchitis, and allergies [21,25]. Moreover, using leaf extracts for beverages and mouthwash or direct chewing of the soft stems, leaves, or mastic is still used to antagonize toothache and gingival inflammation [24][25][26][27]. Additionally, powdered mastic can be applied to allow wound healing [19,20] and to antagonize gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus methicillin-resistant species [28], while the leaves EO acts with high Harsh growing conditions, dryness, and a warm environment influence on the genotype and richness of secondary metabolites of PlL. ...
... In ethno-pharmacology, different popular formulations of PlL, including the EO, the boiled extracts, the poultices of blossoms and leaves, patches of woods, and mastic resin, have been used [19][20][21][22][23][24][25]. Furthermore, PlL has been administered in the form of smoke, obtained by burning or boiling the soft wood and leaves, particularly in the cases of osteoarthritis, bronchitis, and allergies [21,25]. ...
... Furthermore, PlL has been administered in the form of smoke, obtained by burning or boiling the soft wood and leaves, particularly in the cases of osteoarthritis, bronchitis, and allergies [21,25]. Moreover, using leaf extracts for beverages and mouthwash or direct chewing of the soft stems, leaves, or mastic is still used to antagonize toothache and gingival inflammation [24][25][26][27]. Additionally, powdered mastic can be applied to allow wound healing [19,20] and to antagonize gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus methicillin-resistant species [28], while the leaves EO acts with high antibacterial capacity against gram-negative rods as Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [29]. ...
Pistacia lentiscus L. (PlL) has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. The richness in antimicrobial biomolecules of Pll derivates can represent an alternative to chemically formulated agents used against oral infections. This review summarizes the knowledge on the antimicrobial activity of PlL essential oil (EO), extracts, and mastic resin against microorganisms being of relevance in oral biofilm-associated diseases. Results demonstrated that the potential of PlL polyphenol extracts has led to increasing scientific interest. In fact, the extracts are a significantly more effective agent than the other PlL derivates. The positive findings regarding the inhibition of periodontal pathogens and C. albicans, together with the antioxidant activity and the reduction of the inflammatory responses, suggest the use of the extracts in the prevention and/or reversal of intraoral dysbiosis. Toothpaste, mouthwashes, and local delivery devices could be effective in the clinical management of these oral diseases.
... The former use has also been reported in Epirus, northwestern Greece (Vokou et al, 1993). Traditionally, N. damascena is used for treating trachoma in Tunisia and Italy (Leporatti and Ghedira, 2009). Apart from its use as herbal remedy, N. damascena is used as a condiment in several regions (Heiss and Oeggl, 2005), including in Morocco (Khabbach et al, 2011;Salehi et al, 2021). ...
Aim. To identify mutations and evaluate the mutation frequency in Nigella damascena L. cultivars (cvs) Bereginya and Charivnytsya (M2 and M3 generation), following treatment of their seeds with ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS), nitrosomethylurea (NMU) and a new derivative of dimethyl sulfate, DG-2. Methods. Treated Nigella seeds of two cvs with the mutagens for 6 and 16 h and in concentrations of 0.01 and 0.5 % for EMS and NMU and 0.05 and 0.5 % for DG-2. Results. A wide range of mutations (59 types) was obtained, that was divided into six groups: five groups with changes in the morphological type and one group with changes in the physiological type. Among the detected mutations, there were both previously known mutations and those obtained in this culture for the first time. The high- est mutation frequency (30 %) affecting synthesis of chlorophyll and structure of stem, shoots and leaves and 20 % for physiological features, was registered for NMU at 16 h and 0.05 % in cv. Bereginya. However, this NMU concentra- tion appeared to be lethal for cv. Charivnytsya. Conclusions. The new mutagen DG-2 proved to be most effective for inducing mutations in the corolla petal color of nigella, namely 4.0 at a 0.5 % concentration of the mutagen and 16h exposure for cv. Bereginya and 4.0 % at the same concentration and exposure for cv. Charivnytsya. DG-2 caused a substantial number of mutations in all six mutation groups affecting morphological and physiological traits. The clas- sic mutagen EMS was also effective across the spectrum of mutation groups in our study; however, it caused mutations at a lower frequency. The maximum mutation frequency under influence of EMC at a concentration of 0.05 % and an exposure of 16 h in cv. Bereginya was 11.0 %, and in cv. Charivnytsya 8.0 %. For all three mutagens used, an increase in the concentration of the active substance and of exposure time led to an increase in the mutation frequency in N. damascena plants. We will select mutants with economically valuable traits, such as tall, lodging-resistant plants and early maturing ones, for further work on the development of new cultivars of N. damascena for industrial cultivation.
... However, in recent years, medicinal plants have shown the importance and potential role in the resolution, prevention, and treatment of various serious diseases such as cancer, psychiatric disorders, bacterial infections, viral infections, cardiometabolic risk, diabetes, oxidative stress, and gastrointestinal problems, by using the extracts, oils, juices, nano-composites or the pure molecule obtained from the medicinal and aromatic plant (Lenzi et al., 2018;Lu et al., 2022;Fernández et al., 2021;Wang et al., 2022;Eggers et al., 2022;Küpeli Akkol et al., 2021;Makarim et al., 2022;Seyede et al., 2021). Furthermore, Artemisia campestris L. is traditionally used in Morocco as well as in other neighboring countries for the treatment of digestive system pathologies (Fakchich and Elachouri, 2014), such as diarrhea (Sassi et al., 2007), gastric ulcer (Leporatti and Kamel, 2009) and antispasmodic (Ouelbani et al., 2016). In our previous studies, we demonstrated that the aqueous and hydroethanolic extracts of Artemisia campestris L had antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiulcer (Marghich et al., 2022a(Marghich et al., , 2022b, antidiarrheal, myorelaxant, and antispasmodic activities (Marghich et al., 2021a(Marghich et al., , 2021b. ...
Ethnopharmacological relevance:
Gastrointestinal disorders are among the most common diseases that cause discomfort to people who are affected. In Morocco, aromatic and medicinal plants are widely used to calm these pains and eliminate their symptoms. Among these plants, Artemisia campestris L. which is used in eastern Morocco to treat digestive system problems.
Aim of the study
Our study aimed to experimentally verify the traditional use of this plant by evaluating the myorelaxant and antispasmodic effects of the essential oil of Artemisia campestris L. (EOAc).
Materials and methods:
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) was performed to identify the compounds present in the EOAc. Then, these molecules were subjected to the in silico study for molecular docking. The myorelaxant and antispasmodic evaluation of the EOAc were tested in vitro on an isolated rabbit and rat jejunum mounted on an organ bath. Then, an isotonic transducer connected to an amplifier recorded the graph related to intestinal contractility.
Results:
GC-MS analysis of the essential oil of Artemisia campestris L. showed the presence of m-Cymene (17.308%), Spathulenol (16.785%), β Pinene (15.623%), α Pinene (11.352%), α.-Campholenal (8.848%) as main constituents. The EOAc gave a dose-dependent and reversible myorelaxant effect on the spontaneous contractions of jejunum isolated from rabbits, with an IC50 equal to 72.16 ± 15.93 μg/mL. This effect did not occur through adrenergic receptors. The EOAc has an antispasmodic effect on the contractions of rat jejunal induced by a medium with low (25 mM) or high concentration (75 mM) of KCl, and carbachol 10−6 M. The obtained inhibitory effects are comparable to those of a non-competitive antagonist of cholinergic receptors. The major compounds of EOAc allowed the establishment of a relationship between these phytoconstituents and the antispasmodic effect found by the EOAc. The obtained results are also supported by a docking study.
Conclusion:
The obtained results confirm favorably the use of Artemisia campestris L. in traditional Moroccan medicine for the treatment of digestive tract illness, which gives us a new route to valorize the effects obtained by a phytomedicine specific for the digestive tract.
