Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Yi people in Mile, Yunnan, China.

BACKGROUND: The Yi people are a sociolinguistic group living in Mile City, which is their typical settlement in southeastern Yunnan, China. Over the long history of using medicinal plants, the Yi people have accumulated and developed a wealth of traditional medicinal knowledge, which has played a vital role in their health care. However, only a few studies have been performed to systematically document the medicinal plants commonly used by the Yi people. This study provides fundamental data for the development and application of ethnomedicine as well as supports the conservation of the traditional medical knowledge of the Yi people. METHODS: This study was conducted from May 2020 to August 2022 and involved five townships in Mile. Information regarding medicinal plants was obtained through semistructured interviews, key informant interviews, and participatory observation. The collected voucher specimens were identified using the botanical taxonomy method and deposited in the herbarium. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, and fidelity level. RESULTS: In total, 114 informants distributed in five townships of Mile were interviewed. The Yi people used 267 medicinal plant species belonging to 232 genera and 104 families to treat various diseases. Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Fabaceae were the most commonly used plant families by the Yi people. In addition, herbs were most commonly used by the Yi people. Whole plants and roots were the preferred medicinal parts. Decoctions were the most common method of herbal medicine preparation. There are 49 different recorded diseases treated by Yi medicinal plants, and among them, respiratory diseases, rheumatism, traumatic injury, fractures, and digestive system diseases have the largest number of species used. A quantitative analysis demonstrated that plants such as Zingiber officinale, Lycopodium japonicum, Aconitum carmichaelii, Panax notoginseng, Cyathula officinalis, and Leonurus japonicus played crucial roles in disease prevention and treatment. CONCLUSION: Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants is closely associated with the social culture of the local Yi people. The medicinal plants used for health care in the study area were diverse. Local healers were skilled at using medicinal plants to treat various diseases. Their treatment methods were convenient and unique, exhibiting distinctive regional characteristics. However, the inheritance of their traditional medicinal knowledge and protection of wild medicinal plant resources are facing serious challenges, including the decreasing number of local healers, aging of healers, lack of successors, and excessive harvesting of medicinal plant resources. This ethnobotanical survey provides a useful reference for the sustainable utilization and protection of medicinal plant resources in Mile and the inheritance of traditional medicinal knowledge of the Yi people.

Medicinal plants meet modern biodiversity science.

Plants have been an essential source of human medicine for millennia. In this review, we argue that a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to the study of medicinal plants that combines methods and insights from three key disciplines - evolutionary ecology, molecular biology/biochemistry, and ethnopharmacology - is poised to facilitate new breakthroughs in science, including pharmacological discoveries and rapid advancements in human health and well-being. Such interdisciplinary research leverages data and methods spanning space, time, and species associated with medicinal plant species evolution, ecology, genomics, and metabolomic trait diversity, all of which build heavily on traditional Indigenous knowledge. Such an interdisciplinary approach contrasts sharply with most well-funded and successful medicinal plant research during the last half-century, which, despite notable advancements, has greatly oversimplified the dynamic relationships between plants and humans, kept hidden the larger human narratives about these relationships, and overlooked potentially important research and discoveries into life-saving medicines. We suggest that medicinal plants and people should be viewed as partners whose relationship involves a complicated and poorly explored set of (socio-)ecological interactions including not only domestication but also commensalisms and mutualisms. In short, medicinal plant species are not just chemical factories for extraction and exploitation. Rather, they may be symbiotic partners that have shaped modern societies, improved human health, and extended human lifespans.

Traditional utilization of bamboo in the Central Siwalik region, Nepal.

Bamboo are the fastest growing perennial woody grasses that have versatile applications. Most of the local people inhabiting the riverine area of the Siwalik region of Nepal rely on bamboo products for economic benefits and medicinal uses. Our objective was to identify the diversity of bamboo species, their ethnomedicinal practices, and economic and ecological importance. Data were collected by direct observation, key informant interviews, participatory rural appraisal, inventory technique, focus group discussions, and a household survey using semi-structured and structured questionnaires. We recorded four genera and nine species of bamboo, of which eight species have been used for agriculture, five for medicine, four for construction, food, fodder, artifacts and religious purpose, three for river embankment, and two for ornamental purpose. As the local people in the study area were deprived of medical facilities, using traditional herbal medicine to cure various diseases was a common practice. The inhabitants responded that they use bamboo-based primary ethnomedicinal care even against snake and scorpion bites. Similarly, they use bamboo young culm for reducing body weight and control diabetes. The value of the informant consensus factor was found to be maximum for the bamboo against snake and scorpion bites (1.0) and minimum for weight loss (0.81). This study concludes that the traditional utilization of all kinds of bamboo in the region is vast despite their less diversity. The recorded bamboo species are used not only for food and fodder but also in preparing artifacts, soil nutrients restoration in the fallow land, construction materials for the rural people, river embankments, and religious and spiritual purposes. Therefore, if grown on a large scale, bamboo can provide sustainable benefits for the local users and ecological aspects. Bambusa tulda and Dendrocalamus strictus have a broad spectrum of pharmacological agents. Considering the multifaceted application of bamboo in the Siwalik area, it is worthwhile to encourage the local people to bamboo plantation, which would contribute to supplement their household requirements and be one of the alternative livelihood options.

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants in Melit area (North Darfur), Western Sudan.

BACKGROUND: The documentation of ethnobotanical knowledge in Sudan is restricted to specific regions, and there is a far-reaching lack of written information on the traditional use of medicinal plants in other places like Darfur State, in western Sudan. The present study was designed to document the medicinal plants used in traditional medicine of Melit area in North Darfur State. METHOD: Ethnomedicinal information was collected from 135 local informants through semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analysed for use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level. RESULTS: A total of 59 medicinal plants, belonging to 32 families and 55 genera, were recorded for their traditional uses in Melit area. Fabaceae were represented by highest number of species (13) followed by Asteraceae and Malvaceae (4 each) and Poaceae (3). Herbs comprise the main sources (50.8%) of traditional remedies. Fruits and stem bark (17.9% each) were the major plant parts used. Decoction (36.5%) is the most mode of preparation used. Geigeria alata was most commonly used species with UV of 2.37. The highest ICF values were recorded for swellings (ICF = 1.00) and respiratory system (ICF = 0.95) categories. Ten plants, namely Carica papaya, Corchorus trilocularis, Eragrostis cilianensis, Heliotropium sudanicum, Mollugo cerviana, Psiadia punctulate, Rhynchosia minima, Solanum coagulans, Solanum forskalii and Tephrosia purpurea, were cited for the first time as medicinal plants used in Sudan traditional medicine. Resins of Boswellia papyrifera, seeds of Nigella sativa, pods of Vachellia nilotica (syn. Acacia nilotica) and clove of Syzygium aromticum were used to make different preparations for the treatment of the corona virus. CONCLUSION: This is the first ethnobotanical survey conducted in this region which is always suffering from security issues, and results indicated that Melit area harbours high diversity of plants used traditionally to cure different health conditions. The present study aids in conserving such rich heritage, and it is recommended that the newly reported species worth further studying over their phytochemical and biological properties.

Keeping their own and integrating the other: medicinal plant use among Ormurs and Pathans in South Waziristan, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: In multicultural societies, traditional knowledge among minorities faces several challenges. Minority groups often face difficult situations living in specific peripheral geographies and striving to retain their biocultural heritage, including medicinal plant knowledge and practices. Folk medicinal plant knowledge is a dynamic eco-cultural complex influenced by various environmental, socio-cultural, and political factors. Examining medicinal plant knowledge among minorities has been an increasingly popular topic in cross-cultural ethnobiology. It also helps understand the dynamics of local/traditional ecological knowledge (LEK/TEK) change within a given community. The current study was designed to investigate the status of medicinal plant knowledge among two linguistic groups, i.e. Ormurs and Pathans, living in a remote valley of West Pakistan. METHODS: We recruited 70 male study participants from the studied groups for semi-structured interviews to record the medicinal plant use of their communities. Data were compared among the two studied communities using the stacked charts employing the presence or absence of data with Past 4.03 and Venn diagrams. Use reports (URs) were counted for each recorded taxon. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A total of seventy-four medicinal plants were quoted as used as ethnomedicines by the researched communities. Most of the reported plants were used to treat digestive and liver problems. The cross-cultural comparison revealed a considerable homogeneity of medicinal plant knowledge (the two groups commonly used more than seventy plants); however, comparing uses recorded for the widely utilised medicinal plants showed numerous idiosyncratic uses among Ormurs but very few among Pathans. Ormurs reported a higher number of cultivated, wild, and imported plant uses than did Pathans. These results indicate that, compared to Pathans, the Ormur linguistic minority retain more folk medicinal plant knowledge, which may be explained by the fact that they have incorporated different folk remedies: their "own knowledge" plus that of Pathans, with whom they have lived together for centuries. Moreover, the local plant nomenclature among Ormurs was highly affected by the plant nomenclature of Pathans. CONCLUSION: The current study revealed that living together for a few centuries has not implied sharing plant knowledge (as the Pathans do not seem to have learnt from the Ormurs) or, in other words, that plant knowledge exchanges have been unidirectional. The findings show that the Pashto dominant culture may have possibly put pressure on the minority groups and affected local plant-centred cultural practices, as we see in the case of local plant nomenclature hybridisation among Omuri speakers. Hence, it is imperative to employ diverse educational strategies to revitalise the decline of medicinal plant knowledge in the studied communities, especially among Ormurs, who need more attention as they face more challenges than the other group. Locally based strategies should be devised to restore the fading connection with nature, which will be advantageous for revitalising plant knowledge.

Quantitative ethnomedicinal study and conservation status of medicinal flora used by the indigenous peoples of Sultan Khail valley, Dir Upper, Pakistan.

The present study was conducted to explore the ethnomedicinal uses, quantitative analysis and conservation status of medicinal flora of Sultan Khail valley, Dir Upper, Pakistan. The data was collected during 2017-2019 using a semi-structured questionnaire. Ethnomedicinal uses of plant species were determined and the plant species were classified based on habits, parts used, and method of preparation of remedies. Frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and family importance values (FIV) were calculated. The plant species were assessed for their conservation status as per IUCN standard criteria. The inhabitants of the Sultan Khail valley use 88 plant species belonging to 57 families for the treatment of different human diseases. Lamiaceae was the dominant family represented with 8 medicinal species (9%) followed by Rosaceae (5 species, 6%). The most commonly used plant parts were leaves (33.1%) followed by fruits (16.1%), while the main method of remedy preparation was decoctions (33.3%). The highest RFC value was recorded for Geranium wallichianum (0.47), followed by Berberis lycium (0.44). Lamiaceae was the most cited family (FIV, 231), followed by Polygonaceae (73). Five plant species were found to be endangered, 39 species were vulnerable, 32 species were rare, and 12 species were found to be infrequent. The medicinal flora of the area is under severe biotic pressure and needs proper conservation; otherwise, they will be lost in the near future.

A Pragmatic Historical Assessment Tool: A New Systematic Framework for the Collation and Evaluation of Documented Empirical Effectiveness and Safety of Traditional Plant Medicines in the European Materia Medica.

INTRODUCTION: Traditional plant medicines (TPMs) are plant-derived therapeutic products prepared and applied according to longstanding medical customs. Around the world they are widely used in primary and preventative health care. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls in its Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014-2023 for Member States to provide a regulatory framework so that the formal contribution of traditional therapeutics can be advanced in national systems of health care. Evidence of effectiveness and safety is paramount for the regulatory integration of TPMs; however, a presumed lack of such "evidence" is one obstacle for full integration. The consequential health policy question is how to systematically evaluate therapeutic claims relating to herbal remedies when the extant evidence is predominantly based on historical and contemporary clinical usage, i.e., is empiricist in nature. This paper introduces a new method along with several illustrative examples. METHOD: Our research design employs a longitudinal, comparative textual analysis of standard textbooks of the professional European medical literature from the early modern period (1588/1664) onwards to today. It then triangulated these intergenerationally documented clinical observations on two exemplars (Arnica and St. John's Wort) with corresponding listings in multiple qualitative and quantitative sources. A Pragmatic Historical Assessment (PHA) tool was developed and tested as a method to systematically collate the large amount of pharmacological data recorded in these judiciously selected sources. The evidential validity of longstanding professional clinical knowledge could thus be compared with therapeutic indications approved in official and authoritative sources (pharmacopoeias, monographs) and with those supported by contemporary scientific research (randomised-controlled trials [RCTs], experimental research). RESULTS: There was high congruency between therapeutic indications that are based on repeated empirical observations from professional patient care (empirical evidence), those approved in pharmacopoeias and monographs, and modern scientific evidence based on RCTs. The extensive herbal triangulation confirmed parallel records of all main therapeutic indications of the exemplars across all qualitative and quantitative sources over the past 400 years. CONCLUSIONS: Historical clinical medical textbooks and contemporary phytotherapeutic equivalents are the key repository of repeatedly evaluated therapeutic plant knowledge. The professional clinical literature proved to be a reliable and verifiable body of empirical evidence that harmonised with contemporary scientific assessments. The newly developed PHA tool provides a coding framework for the systematic collation and evaluation of empirical data on the effectiveness and safety of TPMs. It is suggested as a feasible and efficient tool to extend evidence typologies that substantiate therapeutic claims for TPMs as part of an evidence-based regulatory framework that formally integrates these medically and culturally important therapeutics.Traditionelle pflanzliche Arzneimittel sind aus Pflanzen gewonnene Heilmittel, die gemäß langjähriger medizinischer Praxis zubereitet und angewendet werden. Weltweit sind sie in der primären und präventiven Gesundheitsversorgung weit verbreitet. Die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) ruft in ihrer Traditional Medicine Strategy 2014­2023 die Mitgliedstaaten dazu auf, regulatorische Rahmenbedingungen zu schaffen, welche den formellen Beitrag traditioneller Therapeutika in den nationalen Gesundheitssystemen fördern. Der Nachweis von Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit ist von zentraler Bedeutung für die regulatorische Integration traditioneller pflanzlicher Arzneimittel, doch das angebliche Fehlen solcher "Nachweise" ist eine der Hürden für die vollständige Integration. Daraus ergibt sich die gesundheitspolitische Frage, wie man therapeutische Anwendungsgebiete pflanzlicher Heilmittel systematisch evaluieren kann, wenn die vorliegende Evidenz überwiegend auf deren historischer und aktueller klinischen Verwendung beruht, also empirischer Natur ist. In dieser Arbeit wird eine neue Methode mitsamt veranschaulichenden Beispielen vorgestellt.Unser Forschungsansatz beruhte auf einer longitudinalen, vergleichenden Textanalyse von Standard-Lehrwerken der europäischen medizinischen Fachliteratur ausgehend von der frühen Neuzeit (1588/1664) bis heute. Die über Generationen dokumentierten klinischen Beobachtungen wurden anhand von zwei Beispielen (Arnika and Johanniskraut) mit den diesbezüglichen Angaben in unterschiedlichen qualitativen und quantitativen Quellen trianguliert. Ein Pragmatisch­Historisches Auswertungstool (PHA) wurde als Methode entwickelt und getestet, um die großen Mengen der in diesen kritisch ausgewählten Quellen enthaltenen pharmakologischen Daten systematisch zu erfassen. Die Evidenzvalidität des langjährigen klinischen Fachwissens konnte so mit den therapeutischen Anwendungsgebieten verglichen werden, die in offiziellen und autoritativen Quellen (Pharmakopöen, Monografien) zugelassen sind, sowie mit denjenigen, die durch zeitgenössische wissenschaftliche Forschung gestützt werden (randomisierte kontrollierte Studien [RCTs], experimentelle Forschung).Es bestand ein hohes Maß an Kongruenz zwischen den therapeutischen Anwendungsgebieten, welche auf wiederholte empirische Beobachtung aus der professionellen Patientenversorgung beruhen (empirische Evidenz), den zugelassenen Indikationen in Pharmakopöen und Monographien sowie der aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Evidenz basierend auf klinischen Studien. Die umfassende pflanzenbezogene Triangulation bestätigte parallele Aufzeichnungen aller wesentlichen Anwendungsgebiete der untersuchten Beispiele in allen qualitativen und quantitativen Quellen über die letzten 400 Jahre hinweg.Historische Lehrbücher für klinische Medizin und zeitgenössische phytotherapeutische Äquivalente sind die wichtigsten Quellen von wiederholt evaluiertem therapeutischem Wissen zu Heilpflanzen. Die klinische Fachliteratur erwies sich als zuverlässiger und verifizierbarer Korpus empirischer Evidenz, der mit aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen übereinstimmte. Das neu entwickelte PHA-Verfahren bietet ein Kodierungs­Instrument für das systematische Erfassen und Auswerten empirischer Daten zur Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit von traditionellen pflanzlichen Arzneimitteln. Das PHA­Verfahren wird als praktikables und effizientes Instrument zur Erweiterung der Evidenz­Typologien empfohlen, indem es therapeutische Indikationen für traditionelle pflanzliche Arzneimittel untermauern kann, so dass diese medizinisch und kulturell wichtigen Therapeutika in einen evidenz-basierten regulatorischen Rahmen integriert werden können.

Sustaining Traditional Ethnomedicinal Knowledge and Protected Areas in Synergy: A Case Study of Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary in Kashmir Himalaya.

The ethnic communities living near protected areas are critically dependent on medicinal plants for their healthcare. Although several ethnomedicinal studies are available from the Himalaya, quantitative studies focusing on protected areas in this region are largely overlooked. In this study, we aimed to document the ethnomedicinal plants of the Overa-Aru wildlife sanctuary in Kashmir Himalaya. We conducted a systematic field survey in the study area during 2020 - 2021 to collect primary data from 110 participants through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The data was analyzed using quantitative indices and Pearson's correlation. We recorded 64 plant species used against 8 human disease categories, including some first-time reports from the region. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most dominant families and herbs were the dominant growth form. The most common plant part used were leaves, and the main method of preparation was decoction. Plant species with the highest relative frequency of citation was Achillea millifolium (0.83). Informant consensus factor for each disease category ranged from 0.94 to 0.97. We found a strong positive correlation between participants' age and citations (r = 0.85), but a negative correlation between the participants' education status and citations (r = - 0.11). Our results revealed that the younger generation possesses the least ethnomedicinal information. We recommend that the species with high use values and fidelity level merit priority in phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies. Our findings highlight that protected areas, besides their prime importance in biodiversity conservation, play a pivotal role in providing the healthcare provisioning ecosystem services to the ethnic communities.

Ethnobotanical study on herbal tea drinks in Guangxi, China.

BACKGROUND: Herbal tea drinks, different from classical Camellia beverages, are a wide variety of herbal drinks consumed for therapeutic purposes or health promotion. Herbal tea is widely consumed in Guangxi. However, the documentation on the plants for herbal tea and their related health benefits is still limited. METHODS: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 52 villages and 21 traditional markets in Guangxi from 2016 to 2021. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and structured questionnaires were applied to obtain ethnobotanical information of herbal tea, in which 463 informants had participated. Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and cultural food significance index (CFSI) were used to evaluate the most culturally significant herbal tea plants, and informant consensus factor (ICF) was applied to assess the agreement among informants. RESULTS: This study recorded 155 herbal tea species belonging to 49 families. The most commonly used parts included leaf (27.61%), whole plant (22.09%), branch and leaf (19.02%), and flower (13.50%). The most frequent preparation method of herbal tea was decoction. Herbal tea was very popular in Guangxi, attributing to its therapeutic value, special odor, and good taste. There are 41 health benefits classified into eight categories. Among them, clearing heat was the most medicinal effects. Local people had high consistency in tonic, removing cold and cough, improving blood circulation, and clearing heat away. Based on CFSI values of each species, the most culturally significant herbal tea species were Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex A. M. Lu & Zhi Y. Zhang, Plantago asiatica L., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Pholidota chinensis Lindl., and Morus alba L. CONCLUSION: Herbal tea is a valuable heritage that carries the local people's traditional knowledge, like health care and religious belief. The recorded herbal tea species in this study possess tremendous potential for local economic development in the future. Further research on efficacy evaluation and product development of herbal tea species is necessary.

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by indigenous knowledge holders to manage healthcare needs in children.

Childhood diseases remain an increasing health problem in many developing countries and also associated with an enormous financial burden. In South Africa, many people still rely on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare. However, inadequate documentation of medicinal plants used to manage childhood diseases remain a prominent gap. Hence, the current study explored the importance of medicinal plants to treat and manage childhood diseases in the North West Province, South Africa. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted with 101 participants using semi-structured interviews (face-to-face). Ethnobotanical indices such as Frequency of citation (FC), Use-value (UV) and Informed Consensus Factor (ICF) were used for data analysis. A total of 61 plants from 34 families were recorded as medicine used for managing seven (7) categories of diseases resulting from 29 sub-categories. Skin-related and gastro-intestinal diseases were the most prevalent childhood health conditions encountered by the study participants. Based on their FC values that ranged from approximately 0.9-75%, the most popular medicinal plants used by the participants were Aptosinum elongatum (75.2%), Commelina diffusa (45.5%), Euphorbia prostrata (31.6%) and Bulbine frutescens (31.7%). In terms of the UV, A. elongatum (0.75), C. diffusa (0.45), E. prostrata (0.31), H. hemerocallidea (0.19) and E. elephantina (0.19) were the dominant plants used for treating and managing childhood diseases. Based on ICF, skin-related diseases dominated with the highest ICF value of 0.99. This category had 381 use-reports, comprising 34 plants (55.7% of total plants) used for childhood-related diseases. Particularly, B. frutescens and E. elephantina were the most-cited plants for the aforementioned category. Leaves (23%) and roots (23%) were the most frequently used plant parts. Decoctions and maceration were the main preparation methods, and the plant remedies were mainly administered orally (60%) and topically (39%). The current study revealed the continuous dependence on the plant for primary health care relating to childhood diseases in the study area. We generated a valuable inventory of medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge for child healthcare needs. However, investigating the biological efficacies, phytochemical profiles and the safety of these identified plants in relevant test systems remain essential in future research.

Diversity of Medicinal Plants Used by the Local Communities of the Coastal Plateau of Safi Province (Morocco).

Traditional herbal medicine is still used for basic healthcare by a significant portion of the population in developing countries. This study aimed to explore the medicinal plant's diversity and to document related traditional knowledge in the Safi region of Morocco. We used semi-structured questionnaires to interview 222 informants living in the study area. To perform data analysis, we used quantitative indices like use value (UV), family use value (FUV), fidelity level (FL), the relative popularity level (RPL), rank of order priority (ROP), and informant consensus factor (ICF). We reported the ethnomedicinal uses of 144 medicinal plants belonging to 64 families. According to the findings, the dominating families were Lamiaceae (17 taxa), Asteraceae (15 taxa), and Apiaceae (12 taxa). The most commonly utilized plant part (48%) was leaves. The decoction was reported as the main preparation method (42%). Highly cited plant species were Marrubium vulgare (UV = 0.56), Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (UV = 0.47), Thymus serpyllum (UV = 0.32), and Dysphania ambrosioides (UV = 0.29). Papaveraceae (FUV = 0.26), and Urticaceae (FUV= 0.23), Geraniaceae (FUV = 0.17), Oleaceae (FUV = 0.17), Lamiaceae (FUV = 0.17) had the highest family use-values. Gastrointestinal disorders (88%), respiratory diseases (85%), and anemia (66%) have the greatest ICF values. This study reveals the indigenous people's reliance on plant-derived traditional medicine to prevent, alleviate, and treat a broad range of health concerns. Our findings will provide a scientific basis for ethnomedicinal legacy conservation and further scientific investigations aimed at new natural bioactive molecules discovery.

Bamboo leaf: A review of traditional medicinal property, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and purification technology.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bamboos are perennial evergreen plants that belong to the subfamily Bambusoideae of the true grass family Poaceae, with more than thousands of species distributed around the world. They are used as a traditional medicine with demonstrated effects of anti-oxidation, free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory, liver protection and ameliorating cognitive deficits. Bamboo leaf is mainly used for the treatment of atherosclerotic, diabetic and nervous system diseases. AIM OF THE STUDY: This review aims to provide up-to-date information on the traditional medicinal properties, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and purification technologies of bamboo leaf. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant information on bamboo leaf was obtained by an online search of worldwide accepted scientific databases (Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, SpringerLink, ACS Publications, Wiley Online Library and CNKI). RESULTS: More than 100 chemical compounds, including flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides, volatile components, phenolic acids, polysaccharide, coenzyme Q10, phenylpropanoid and amino acids have been reported to be present. These compounds were usually extracted by column chromatography and membrane separation technologies. Preparative high performance liquid chromatography (PHPLC), high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC), simulated moving bed chromatography (SMB) and dynamic axial compression chromatography (DAC) were the advanced separation technologies have been used to isolate C-glycosides from bamboo leaf flavonoid, the main bioactive ingredient of bamboo leaf. Currently, bamboo leaf is mainly used for the treatment of atherosclerotic, diabetic, hepatic diseases and nervous system related symptoms, which are attributed to the presence of bioactive components of bamboo leaf. CONCLUSIONS: Phytochemical and pharmacological analyses of bamboo leaf have been revealed in recent studies. However, most of the pharmacological studies on bamboo leaf have focused on bamboo leaf flavonoids. Further studies need to pay more attention to other phytochemical components of bamboo leaf. In addition, there is lack of sufficient clinical data and toxicity studies on bamboo leaf. Therefore, more clinical and toxicity researches on this plant and constituents are recommended.

Successful treatment of refractory erythrodermic psoriasis with traditional Thai herbal medicine.

BACKGROUND: Thai herbal formulations have been used traditionally in Thailand for the treatment of psoriasis. However, there is still a lack of scientific data supporting the effects of Thai herbal formulations in psoriasis treatment. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to demonstrate the therapeutic effects of Thai herbal formulations for the treatment of erythrodermic psoriasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All Thai herbal formulations (haematic tonic, lymphatic treatment, skin treatment) were obtained from a traditional Thai medicine doctor, Mr. Somporn Chanwanitsakul. The effects of Thai herbal formulations in a patient with erythrodermic psoriasis were assessed for four weeks. Primary outcome, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and secondary outcome, safety data and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) measurements were evaluated at baseline and four weeks. Then, in vitro biological activities (antioxidant, anti-microbial, cytotoxic effects, and anti-inflammatory) of Thai herbal formulations were determined to promote the therapeutic effects. RESULTS: Thai herbal formulations were safe and effective in the treatment of erythrodermic psoriasis and had a modest positive impact on the DQLI of the patient. In addition, in vitro studies have shown that all Thai herbal formulations revealed remarkable anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory potential to support their therapeutic activities. However, the Thai herbal formulations possessed weak intrinsic antibacterial activities against all tested bacterial strains (MIC and MBC E. coli, S. aureus, S. pyogenes, P. aeruginosa: > 256 µg/ml). CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that successful treatment of erythrodermic psoriasis with Thai herbal formulations was involved in their anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. They could be considered as an alternative treatment for refractory erythrodermic psoriasis.

Traditional and Complementary Medicines Methods Used by Patients Diagnosed with COVID-19.

AIM: This study aimed to determine traditional and complementary medicines (T&CM) methods used by patients before and after being diagnosed with COVID-19. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out between 27 March 2021 and 2 July 2021, in the community health services unit of Düzce Province, Central District, in the western Black Sea region. 547 people participated in the study. Two forms prepared by the researchers, the "Participant Identification Form" and the "Assessment Form for the Use of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Methods," were used to collect the data. RESULTS: Before the diagnosis of COVID-19, patients reported that they consumed the highest rate of medicinal plants (56.1%) and fruits (40.4%) and prayed (40.4%) to prevent disease. After the diagnosis of COVID-19, they stated that they consumed the highest percentage of medicinal plants (68.4%) and fruit (53.0%) and prayed (48.4%) to reduce disease symptoms. It was seen that herbal products/herbal mixtures (medicinal plants [p < 0.001], fruits [p < 0.001], and fruit vinegars [p < 0.001]), and T&CM methods such as supplements like C, E, D, and other vitamins (p < 0.001), prayer (p < 0.001), massage (p < 0.001), and apitherapy (p < 0.001) were found to be statistically significant after COVID-19 diagnosis compared to before. CONCLUSION: In this study, it was determined that the patients often used T&CM methods such as herbal products (especially medicinal plants and fruits) and prayer before and after COVID-19 diagnosis, and the use of these T&CM methods increased significantly after diagnosis.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Kenyah community of Borneo.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sarawak is located in one of the world's most biodiverse regions and is home to more than 40 sub-ethnic groups that each have their own distinct culture, language and lifestyle. This has given rise to numerous, unique ethnobotanical systems. However, due to rapid urbanization, this traditional knowledge is at a risk of extinction. Yet, ethnobotanical studies in Sarawak are almost non-existent, especially among Orang Ulu communities like the Kenyah. AIM OF STUDY: Therefore, this study was conducted to document the ethnomedicinal knowledge of the Kenyah community. The main objectives of this study are: 1) To determine and document the diversity of medicinal plants used by the Kenyah community, 2) To determine whether the availability of modern medicine has affected Kenyah traditional medicine, and 3) To identify plants which have not been previously cited or used for previously unreported medical uses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted repeated interviews and field surveys at the Asap-Koyan Resettlement Area, Belaga Sarawak. A total of 24 respondents from four Kenyah longhouses were interviewed in this study. Individuals possessing extensive traditional medicinal knowledge were identified via preliminary interviews or by viva voce. Translators were employed to ensure that there was no miscommunication. The results were evaluated based on the plant's total use-reports and number of respondents citing the plant. The data was also evaluated based on use-reports by ailment category. RESULTS: Over 95% of the respondents were 40 years and older (58.21 years old ± 11.21). This was due to the younger members of the community (40 years old and below) admitting that they had almost no knowledge regarding traditional medicine, as they preferred relying on modern medicine. A total of 61 plant species were mentioned by the 24 respondents Seven plants had five or more respondents citing it, which was more than 20% of the respondents. These plants were Piper betle, Homalomena cordata, Senna alata, Annona muricata, Derris elliptica, Blumea balsamifera and Coscinium fenestratum. CONCLUSION: Almost all of the cited plants had been previously recorded to be used in either Ayurvedic, Chinese herbal medicine, Malay traditional medicine or other Asian ethnomedicinal systems. However, there were four highly cited species that were used for treatments that were scarcely reported in past literature. These were piper betle (used by Kenyah to treat fever), Sauropus andrognus (used by Kenyah to treat fever), Derris elliptica (used by Kenyah to treat fever and influenza) and Coscinuim fenestratum (used by Kenyah to treat toxic effects from non-medical substances).

Ethnopharmacological survey of endemic plants used in ethnomedicinal knowledge of Soqotra Island.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Due to the long biogeographical isolation since ancient times, Soqotra Island (southern Yemen) is rich in medicinal endemic plants. However, information on their traditional therapeutic knowledge is scarce in scientific literature and still not completely documented. AIM OF THE STUDY: (1) Documentation and search the native traditional therapeutic knowledge focusing on the medicinal plants which are endemic to Soqotra (2) Identification of the important endemic plants treating diseases by quantitative analysis of the collected data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethnobotanical data were collected from 105 local informants through open interviews, semi-structured questionnaires and field survey in February 1990 to document the traditional medicinal plants in Soqotra Island. Of them we reported in this study the data of the endemic species, due to their wide biodiversity in the island. The quantitative data were analyzed for use reports (URs) and the informant consensus factor (ICF). The reported diseases were classified according to the International Classification of Primary Care-2 (ICPC-2). New reported medicinal plants in this study were identified compared to literature review. The level of traditional Soqotri knowledge among Islanders was observed during 1990-2003. RESULTS: In the study, 86 medicinal endemic plants with 7654 therapeutic URs were explored for 69 ailments types belongs to 11 (ICPC-2) groups. The highest ICF value (0.99) were calculated for both eye and ear diseases categories, followed by general and unspecified ailments (0.98), digestive and skin (0.97 for each), and musculoskeletal ailments (0.96) among all diseases categories. While the highest URs (2276) were identified for skin diseases, followed by digestive diseases (URs = 2146). All the 86 recorded medicinal plant species were endemic to Soqotra, belonging to 57 genera and 29 families. Euphorbiaceae and Burseraceae were the dominant families, followed by Apocynaceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Shrubs were the dominant growth form (41 species, 47.67%), followed by herbs (27; 31.4%), and trees (14; 16.28%). Leaves (45 species; 31.25%) were the most frequently used parts, followed by stems (34 species; 23.61%) and barks (species 23; 15.97%). The most cited preparation method was paste for 51 species followed by liquid exudates (48 species) and powder (26 species). Based on the comparative literature review, we recorded 36 new endemic medicinal plants and reported new traditional therapeutic uses for the remaining 50 endemic plants for the first time. On the other hand, all the reported endemic medicinal plants have been enlisted in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, of them 21 endemic species enlisted as highest threatened species. CONCLUSION: According to the quantitative data analyzed, Soqotra Island has a valuable traditional knowledge in several medicinal endemic plants that used by local people in the primary health care until the study time at 1990. This study emphasizes the importance of early time in documenting traditional indigenous knowledge before losing and to protect and conserve the endemic plants against highly endangered. Consequently, these ethnomedicinal data could be used in the future as guide for pharmacological and phytochemical studies to discover new therapeutic drugs.

Ethnobotanical study of traditionally used plants in the municipality of Zavidovici, BiH.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a country with a highly diverse ecosystem, containing over 5000 confirmed taxa of vascular plants. The traditional medicinal use of plants has always played a crucial role and gained in importance in the time of war in the 1990s due to a lack of medical facilities. Still nowadays, the health care system is poorly developed, which altogether makes the region interesting for ethnopharmacological researches. AIM OF THE STUDY: Focusing on the area of Zavidovici Municipality in the central part of the country, we aimed to document the diversity of the used medicinal plants and the knowledge of their therapeutic usages. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data was collected in individual open and semi-structured interviews. Therapeutic uses were classified into 14 disease categories following the International Classification of Primary Care-2 (ICPC-2), a classification system recognized by the World Health Organization's Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC). Use reports have been used to evaluate the acquired knowledge. RESULTS: The findings revealed a total of 113 species belonging to 46 families. 14 informants well respected for their knowledge in the area listed 77 therapeutic uses for the indicated plants. Based on a comparison with other ethnobotanical surveys of BiH and to other important relating literature, three taxa have not been previously reported in BiH and for 19 species, new medicinal uses were stated. Based on use reports, oral application of remedies is far more common (76,7%) than external application (23,3%), the dominant mode of preparation thereby is an infusion. Usages of most concern were digestive, urological and respiratory diseases, their consensus factor ranging between 0,63 and 0,71. CONCLUSION: These results summarize the usage of traditional plants among people who are highly valued in their community of Zavidovici Municipality for their knowledge and thereby aim to preserve the indigenous knowledge associated with the medicinal plants of the area.

Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of Guarea Genus (Meliaceae).

Guarea is one of the largest genera of the American Meliaceae family, consisting of over 69 species which are widely distributed in Mexico, Argentina, and Africa and are used in traditional medicine for several diseases. Previous studies reported that the Guarea species produce secondary metabolites such as sesquiterpenoid, diterpenoid, triterpenoid, limonoid, steroid, and aromatic compounds. The preliminary chemical investigation commenced by isolating the limonoid compound, dihydrogedunin, in 1962; then, 240 compounds were obtained from the isolation and hydrodistillation process. Meanwhile, sesquiterpenoid is a significant compound with 52% of Guarea species. The extract and compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammation, antimalarial, antiparasitic, antiprotozoal, antiviral, antimicrobial, insecticidal, antioxidant, phosphorylation inhibitor, and cytotoxic biological activities. The Guarea genus has also been reported as one of the sources of active compounds for medicinal chemistry. This review summarizes some descriptions regarding the types of Guarea species, especially ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology, such as the compounds isolated from the part of this genus, various isolation methods, and their bioactivities. The information can be used in further investigations to obtain more bioactive compounds and their reaction mechanisms.