Medicinal plant knowledge and its erosion among the Mien (Yao) in northern Thailand

Ethnobotany and phytochemistry of plants used to treat musculoskeletal disorders among Skaw Karen, Thailand

CONTEXT

Musculoskeletal system disorders (MSD) are prevalent around the world affecting the health of people, especially farmers who work hard in the field. Karen farmers use many medicinal plants to treat MSD.

OBJECTIVE

This study collects traditional plant-based remedies used by the Skaw Karen to treat MSD and evaluates their active phytochemical compounds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The ethnobotanical study was conducted in six Karen villages in Chiang Mai province using semi-structured interviews were of 120 informants. The data were analyzed using ethnobotanical indices including use values (UV), choice value (CV), and informant consensus factor (ICF). Consequently, the 20 most important species, according to the indices, were selected for phytochemical analysis using LC-MS/MS.

RESULTS

A total of 3731 use reports were obtained for 139 species used in MSD treatment. The most common ailments treated with those plants were muscular pain. A total of 172 high-potential active compounds for MSD treatment were identified. Most of them were flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and steroids. The prevalent phytochemical compounds related to treat MSD were 9-hydroxycalabaxanthone, dihydrovaltrate, morroniside, isoacteoside, lithocholic acid, pomiferin, cucurbitacin E, leonuriside A, liriodendrin, and physalin E. Sambucus javanica Reinw. ex Blume (Adoxaceae), Betula alnoides Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don (Betulaceae), Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (Asteraceae), Plantago major L. (Plantaginaceae) and Flacourtia jangomas (Lour.) Raeusch. (Salicaceae) all had high ethnobotanical index values and many active compounds.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

This study provides valuable information, demonstrating low-cost medicine plants that are locally available. It is a choice of treatment for people living in remote areas.

Folklore use of medicinal plants for the treatment of gynecological diseases in Pakistan-a review

Background

Gynecological issues and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose significant challenges to women's health, particularly in developing nations. These challenges are exacerbated by limited access to modern reproductive healthcare facilities, economic constraints, and entrenched cultural norms. Consequently, most of the Pakistani population relies on traditional ethno-medicinal healthcare systems. This preference stems from the ease of access, affordability, widespread availability, and inherent trust placed in these alternative healthcare methods.

Aim/objective

The inquiry aimed to report details on the application of conventional uses of plants in the health field in rural areas that could contribute to advancing the natural discovery of drugs. The objective of this analysis is to provide researchers with information on conventional and empirical knowledge of plant species concerning women's diseases.

Methodology

Information on the common use of medicinal plants in treating women's diseases was gathered from electronic databases. As a keyword for the quest, ethnobotany, and ethnopharmacology were used together with gynecological complications.

Result

The work of the current analysis has revealed that 217 plant species belonging to 89 families have been used in Pakistan's rural communities. The majority of plant species belong to the Apiaceae family, followed by the Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Solanaceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, and other families. The biological interpretation of plants used in rural communities of Pakistan revealed that herbs and trees are the dominant forms with 58 % and 23 % respectively while shrubs and sub-shrubs with a low percentage of 17 % and 2 %. In natural preparation, leaves 29 %, flowers 22 %, seeds 14 %, fruits 14 %, roots 13 %, bark 7 %, and stems 5 % were the most used parts respectively and aerial parts, dried pericarp, bulb, bud, berry, latex, wood, rhizome, husk, fruit coat, oil, resins, twigs, and shoot were also used in minimum percentage. A multitude of plant species have found extensive application in the management of diverse women's health issues. These encompass concerns such as fatigue, mood fluctuations attributed to menstrual problems, gonorrhea, complications related to pregnancy, cravings for specific foods, throbbing breast pain, abdominal and pelvic cramps, excessive vaginal discharge, mastitis, irritability, abortion-related matters, headaches, uterine hemorrhage, Menorrhagia, Amenorrhea, Menopause, Vomiting Abortion, infertility and lactation challenges, as well as the regulation of lochia flow.

Conclusion

This review provides remarkable information about the use of medicinal plants against women's diseases in the rural communities of Pakistan. It opens the gateway for the discovery of natural drug development.

Ethnomedicinal Plants and Herbal Preparations Used by Rural Communities in Tehsil Hajira (Poonch District of Azad Kashmir, Pakistan)

The present study emphasizes the importance of documenting ethnomedicinal plants and herbal practices of the local rural communities of Tehsil Hajira (Pakistan). The aim was to document, explore and quantify the traditional ethnomedicinal knowledge. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires and analyzed using various quantitative indices. The results showed that 144 medicinal plant species from 70 families and 128 genera play an important role in herbal preparations. The most common type of preparation was powder (19.0%), followed by paste (16.7%), aqueous extract (15.7%), decoction (14.7%) and juice (11.0%). Fragaria nubicola (0.94) and Viola canescens (0.93) had the highest relative frequency of mention (RFC), while Berberis lycium (1.22) and Fragaria nubicola (1.18) had the highest use value (UV). Geranium wallichianum (85.5), Ligustrum lucidum (83) and Indigofera heterantha (71.5) were the most important species in the study area with the highest relative importance (RI) value. The diseases treated were categorized into 17 classes, with diseases of the digestive system and liver having the highest Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) value, followed by diseases of the oropharynx and musculoskeletal system. Important plants mentioned for the treatment of various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are Zanthoxylum alatum, Berberis lycium, Mentha longifolia, Punica granatum, Rubus ellipticus and Viola canescens. New applications of rarely documented plants from this area are: Oxalis corniculata paste of the whole plant to treat vitiligo, Carthamus tinctorius flowers to treat chicken pox, Dioscorea deltoidea tuber powder to treat productive cough, Inula cappa root decoction to treat miscarriage, Habenaria digitata tuber juice for the treatment of fever, Viola canescens leaves and flowers for the treatment of sore throat and Achillea millefolium root and leaf juice for the treatment of pneumonia. These plants may contain interesting biochemical compounds and should be subjected to further pharmacological studies to develop new drugs. Traditional medicinal knowledge in the area under study is mainly limited to the elderly, traditional healers and midwives. Therefore, resource conservation strategies and future pharmacological studies are strongly recommended.

Study of medicinal plants used in ethnoveterinary medical system in riverine areas of Punjab, Pakistan

BACKGROUND

The use of medicinal plants to treat various veterinary illnesses has been practiced for millennia in many civilizations. Punjab is home to a diverse ethnic community, the majority of whom work in dairy farming, agriculture, and allied professions and have indigenous practices of treating animal illnesses using native flora. This study was designed to (1) document and preserve information about the applications of medicinal plant species in ethnoveterinary remedies among inhabitants of Punjab, Pakistan, and (2) identify popular plants for disease treatment by quantitative analysis of the obtained data and to assess the pharmacological relevance of these species.

METHODS

To collect data from informants (N = 279), questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used. The ethnoveterinary data were analyzed using principal component analysis, relative frequency citation, fidelity level, relative popularity level, and rank order priority.

RESULTS

A total of 114 plant species utilized in the ethnoveterinary medicinal system were found, which were divided into 56 families and used to treat 16 different illnesses. The Poaceae family, with 16 species, was the most common in the region. The most commonly employed growth form in herbal preparation was herb (49%). The most used part in ethnoveterinary remedies was leaves (35%), while powder was the most commonly used way for preparing ethnoveterinary remedies (51 applications). According to principal component analysis, the most typically used species in the research region were grasses. Five grasses (Arundo donax, Desmostachya bipinnata, Eleusine indica, Hordeum vulgare, and Pennisetum glaucum) showed a 100% FL value when used to treat diuretics, helminthiasis, digestive problems, fever, cough, worm infestation, indigestion, galactagogue, oral infections, and genital prolapse. The maximum value of disease cured level (DCL%) was recorded at 87.6% for endo- and ecto-parasitic ailments in the study area.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that medicinal plants play an important part in satisfying farmers' animal healthcare demands, making it a feasible practice. The study also provides a wealth of knowledge regarding ethnoveterinary methods for further planning and application, providing an option for farmers who cannot afford allopathic therapy.

Ethno-Dentistry of Medicinal Plants Used in North Waziristan, Pakistan

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed at recording therapeutic plant species used by inhabitants to treat dental disorders in the district of North Waziristan, Pakistan. The indigenous people of the studied area are dependent on medicinal plants for their basic health care needs including dental care.

METHODS

Ethnomedicinal data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaires, and in addition 130 local informants were interviewed. The collected data were evaluated using various quantitative indices, including use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), fidelity level (FL%), and Jaccard Index (JI).

RESULTS

A total of 69 plants belonging to 48 plant families used in dental disorders were identified. The Lamiaceae was the leading family that shared 7 species, followed by Solanaceae (4 spp).The dominant life form used was herbs (47.83%), folowed by leaves (43.90%) in preparing remedies for different dental disorders. Decoction was the most common mode of preparation (34.21%), followed by pastes (21.05%). The highest RFC (0.36) was reported for Bergenia ciliata, followed by Salvadora oleoides (0.35). The majority of the plants (36 spp) were utilised as herbal medicine to treat toothache, followed by 13 species for periodontal (gum) infections, 11 species used for teeth cleaning, and 9 species for halitosis (bad breath).

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first-ever record of ethnomedicinal applications for the treatment of dental diseases from Pakistan. Some of the forgeoing hebal medications should be further evalauted for the development of pahrmaceutical bio-products for the treatment of dental disorders.

Ethnoveterinary practises of medicinal plants used for the treatment of different cattle diseases: A case study in East Khasi Hill district of Meghalaya, North East India

Introduction

For generations, the inhabitants of Meghalaya have relied on medicinal plants to maintain the health of their livestock and treat various illnesses that may afflict their animals. Due to the lack of survey for use and documentation, these plants have never been undertaken. Therefore, it is imperative to explore the diversity, utilization, and phytochemical profile of these plants and quantitatively analyse the data to identify important medicinal plants. By doing so, we can better understand the potential of these plants for developing novel drugs.

Methods

Frequent field trips were made for the collection of ethnoveterinary data of medicinal plants from local animal-keepers, traditional healers (THs) and inhabitants of different age groups. This information was gathered through semi-structured interviews, individual discussions, direct field-use observation, and questionnaires. A total of 52 informants (35 females and 17 males) were interviewed from seven rural villages and the information obtained from them were quantitatively analysed using the informant consensus factor (ICF), and fidelity level (FL). Additionally, for each documented plant, available published literature was extensively surveyed to identify the presence of bioactive chemical compounds responsible for their therapeutic effects.

Results

During the present study, a total 96 plants, distributed into 87 genera and 43 families were identified and recorded for their use in ethnoveterinary practices against more than 25 diseases. Out of the recorded plant species, the Fabaceae family was found to be the most dominant with seven species, followed by Poaceae and Lamiaceae with six species each, and Moraceae with five species. The leaves (50.00%) and seeds (12.50%) were the most frequently used plant parts, while the paste (30 species) was the common mode of application. Aegle marmelos Correa exhibited a fidelity level (FL) of 100% for indigestion, while Tagetes erecta L. had a fidelity level of 94.11% for wound treatment, making them the most promising candidates for further study. The highest FIC value of 1.00 was recorded for the treatment of neurological disorder (1.00), followed by foot and mouth disease (FIC 0.91), which depicted that some species were frequently utilized to treat multiple livestock ailments.

Conclusion

The study presents trustworthy information about medicinal plants and their associated indigenous ethnoveterinary knowledge. It has been scientifically proven that these plants contain bioactive compounds responsible for their therapeutic properties. However, this knowledge is in danger of being lost due to factors like socioeconomic changes, environmental and technological alterations, and lack of interest from younger generations. Therefore, it is essential to document this empirical folklore knowledge systematically and take measures to protect and conserve it.

Women's wellness in the mountains: An exploration of medicinal plants among tibeto-burman groups in Thailand

Ethnopharmacological relevance

This study offers valuable insight into the traditional healing practices of women's healthcare within four Tibeto-Burman groups. By focusing on women's wellness, the research sheds light on the often-neglected yet significant contributions made by women in the field of traditional medicine.

Aims of the study

The study seeks to address the gap of studies on the ethnobotany of women healthcare of the Tibeto-Burman groups in Thailand and to analyst the factors that could affect the diversity of ethnobotanical knowledge.

Materials and methods

The study compiled data from 15 group-informants residing in 12 different villages. The information gathering process involved a combination of free-listing, semi-structured interviews, group discussion, and the walk-to-the-wood method. To analyze the data, the researchers used various methods such as use-reports, Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Relative Importance Index (RI), and Cluster analysis.

Results

This study identified 200 plant species used in traditional women's healthcare practices, with leaves being the most frequently used part. Drinking was the most common method for internal use, while bathing and steam were the most emphasized for external use. Blumea balsamifera and Buddleja asiatica had high RI and RFC. Cluster analysis revealed that group-informants were divided by ethnicity and geographical location.

Conclusion

This study contributes to the understanding of traditional healthcare practices among Tibeto-Burman groups in Thailand, with a particular focus on women's wellness. The results provide insight into the ethnobotanical knowledge of these communities and highlight the important role played by women in traditional medicine. The study underscores the need for continued research in this field to preserve and utilize this valuable knowledge.

Characterization of Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Compounds of Cratoxylum formosum ssp. pruniflorum and Optimization of Extraction Condition

Cratoxylum formosum ssp. pruniflorum (Kurz.) Gogel (Guttiferae), called kuding tea, is widely distributed in Southeast Asia. In this study, the constituents and biological activity of C. formosum ssp. pruniflorum were investigated. Extract of its leaves, roots and stems showed antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Interestingly, comparison of the metabolite profiles of leaves, roots and stems of C. formosum ssp. pruniflorum by LC-MS analysis showed a great difference between the roots and leaves, whereas the roots and stems were quite similar. Purification of the roots and leaves of C. formosum ssp. pruniflorum through various chromatographic techniques resulted in the isolation of 25 compounds. The structures of isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis as 18 xanthones, 5 flavonoids, a benzophenone and a phenolic compound. Among them, a xanthone (16) and a benzophenone (19) were first reported from nature. Evaluation of biological activity revealed that xanthones had a potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, while flavonoids were responsible for the antioxidant activity. To maximize the biological activity, yield and total phenolic content of C. formosum ssp. pruniflorum, extraction conditions such as extraction solvent, time and temperature were optimized using response surface methodology with Box-Behnken Design (BBD). Regression analysis showed a good fit of the experimental data, and the optimal condition was obtained as MeOH concentration in EtOAc, 88.1%; extraction time, 6.02 h; and extraction temperature 60.0 °C. α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity, yield and total phenolic content under the optimal condition were found to be 72.2% inhibition, 10.3% and 163.9 mg GAE/g extract, respectively. These results provide useful information about C. formosum ssp. pruniflorum as functional foods for oxidative stress-related metabolic diseases.

Cross-cultural diversity analysis: traditional knowledge and uses of freshwater fish species by indigenous peoples of southern Punjab, Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Fisheries have tremendous cultural and educational importance in human societies. The world is undergoing fast environmental and cultural changes, and local knowledge is being lost. Understanding how people interpret environmental change and develop practices in response to such change is essential to comprehend human resource use. This study was planned with the intent to document and conserve the knowledge about the uses of the freshwater fish fauna among the residents in South Punjab, Pakistan.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were conducted to collect data from informers (N = 88). Principal component analysis, relative frequency citation, fidelity level, relative popularity level, rank-order priority, and similarity index were used to analyze the fish data.

RESULTS

Overall, a total of 43 species of fishes were utilized in the study region, but only 26 species were utilized ethnomedicinally to treat a variety of illnesses such as asthma, body weakness, burn, chicken pox, cold, cough, eyesight, hepatitis, impotence, joint pain, night blindness, skin burn, spleen treatment, stomach infection, and weakness. The uses of fishes were analyzed employing various indices. The highest use value (UV) of 0.86 was calculated for spotted snakehead (Channa punctata), whereas the lowest UV of 0.05 was attained by karail fish (Securicula gora). Moreover, Channa punctata, Cyprinus carpio, Labeo rohita, Oreochromis niloticus, Wallago attu, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Rita rita, Sperata seenghala, Notopterus notopterus, Labeo dyocheilus, Systomus sarana, Puntius punjabensis, Securicula gora, Ompok bimaculatus, and Ompok pabda were the most popular species with RPL = 1.0. Out of the total, 20 species had a "zero" similarity index, while the ethnomedicinal use of 12 species (i.e., Labeo dyocheilus, Labeo boggut, Systomus sarana, Puntius punjabensis, Aspidoparia morar, Securicula gora, Crossocheilus diplochilus, Mastacembelus armatus, Ompok bimaculatus, Ompok pabda, Labeo gonius, and Sperata seenghala) was documented for the first time for a variety of diseases (i.e., body weakness, stomach infection, skin burn, joint pain, impotence, asthma, spleen treatment, and chicken pox).

CONCLUSION

Our findings showed that the local people of the study area hold noteworthy traditional knowledge about the medicinal and cultural uses of fish species. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis of active chemicals and in vivo and/or in vitro activities of chemicals derived from ichthyofauna with the highest FC as well as UVs could be interesting for research on new drugs.

Medicinal plants used by rural Thai people to treat non-communicable diseases and related symptoms

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are becoming more common in remote regions, whereas previously they were more common in middle-class to wealthy societies. The rising prevalence and severity of NCDs has increased the demand for medical innovation in this space. In this regard, knowledge of traditional medicines used in the treatment of NCDs, by people in the remote communities of Thailand, represents an innovation opportunity. This study aims to use data on ethnomedicinal plants used by local Thai people to identify plant candidates for study of safety and efficacy against a range of specified NCDs. Data were taken from both the literature and interviews from 230 locations in Thailand. The consulted literature was published in the years from 1990 to 2020. Ethnomedicinal field observations were made in person, in villages in Nan and Chiang Rai provinces, in 2021. Data includes names of plants used to target NCDs, and names of target diseases. Important plant species were identified based on the number of use reports and use values together with results from Bayesian approach. A total of 766 plant species were recorded in the treatment of NCDs. Most of the species that were described by informants were used to target diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory and renal diseases. This study proposes several plant species that have potential as treatments against NCDs. Many of these important species have insufficient scientific data to support their uses. The study suggests that assessment of efficacy and safety should be the next logical steps.

Understanding old herbal secrets: The renaissance of traditional medicinal plants beyond the twenty classic species?

The use of traditional medicinal plants plays an important role especially in remote rural and marginalized landscapes at different latitudes. In the development of nature conservation strategies based on local knowledge and sustainable resource management, medicinal herbs have been hypothesized to be cultural key stone species. Environmental education is a crucial driver for fostering environmental literacy and preserving local knowledge across generations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the Autonomous Province of Bozen-South Tyrol (N Italy) to gain insights into, and reflections on, the cultural value of traditional medicinal plants and their interplay within the local landscape, nature conservation and their role in environmental education and knowledge transfer across generations. We also used a combination of purposive and snowball sampling to identify relevant actors. The different voices collected in the study clearly highlight the role of medicinal herbs in healthcare, for cultural identity of local communities and demonstrate a growing commercial market niche that maintains the local economy and services, including widespread offers related to environmental education, that have not, unfortunately, been used yet in the formal curricula of local schools. The latter is crucial for a holistic approach taking medicinal plants as an ideal vehicle to connect especially children with nature and history of South Tyrol, strengthening health education and overall environmental literacy, including species knowledge. However, the revival of herbal medicine and related knowledge do not prevent the continuous loss of local traditional knowledge regarding medicinal plants, recipes and use. More species and their uses are being forgotten due to superficialisation of knowledge and of mainstreaming and homogenization of the global market of herbal medicine. Safeguarding the natural and cultural treasures of South Tyrol for future generations is in the hands of the local communities.

Diversity, distribution, and sustainability of traditional medicinal plants in Kaski district, western Nepal

Medicinal plants are the primary source of traditional healthcare systems in many rural areas mostly in developing countries. This study aimed to document and analyze the diversity, distribution, and sustainability of the traditional medicinal plants used by the Gurung people of the Sikles region in western Nepal. Ethnobotanical data were collected through focus group discussions and individual interviews, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Prior informed consent was obtained before each interview. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, and use values were also calculated. A possible association among these indices was tested using correlation analysis. A total of 115 wild medicinal plant species belonging to 106 genera and 71 families were documented. Asteraceae and Rosaceae were the dominant families whereas herbs were the most dominant life form. Roots were the most used plant part, paste was the most common method of preparation, and most of the medical formulations were taken orally. The highest number of medicinal plants were used to treat stomach disorders. The average informant consensus value of 0.79 indicates a high consensus among respondents in selecting medicinal plants. Lindera neesiana, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, Paris polyphylla, and Bergenia ciliata were found to be high-ranking medicinal plants based on the relative frequency of citation and use value. The genders did not affect medicinal plants' knowledge but age had a significant correlation. Most of the informants agreed that medicinal plants are under pressure due to overharvesting and a lack of proper forest management practices. The number of medicinal plants reported from the study area indicates that the Gurung people possess rich traditional knowledge, and the vegetation of the Sikles region constitutes rich diversity of medicinal plants.

An updated and comprehensive review on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity and toxicological profile of Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook. f. & Thomson

Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook. f. & Thomson (Menispermaceae) is a plant indigenous to Africa and South-East Asia. It is widely used in ethnomedicine to alleviate various diseases including hypertension, diabetes, rheumatism, jaundice, inflammation, fever, fractures, scabies, and urinary disorders. A total of 167 phytoconstituents, belonging to 12 different chemical categories, including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic compounds have thus far been isolated from various parts of T. crispa. Numerous in vitro and in vivo investigations have already established the antidiabetic, anticancer, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, analgesic, antipyretic, antihyperuricemic, and pesticidal activity of this plant, as well as its effects on the cardiac and the central nervous system. Most pharmacological investigations to date have been carried out on plant extracts and fractions. The exact identity of the phytoconstituents responsible for the observed biological effects and their mode of action at the molecular level are yet to be ascertained. Toxicological studies have demonstrated that T. crispa is relatively safe, although dose-dependent hepatotoxicity is a concern at high doses. This review presents a comprehensive update and analysis on studies related to the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity and toxicological profile of T. crispa. It provides some critical insights into the current scientific knowledge on this plant and its future potential in pharmaceutical research.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants of Pashat Valley, Bajaur, along Pakistan–Afghanistan border: a mountainous region of the Hindu Kush Range

Medicinal plants are the primary and effective source to cure various human ailments throughout the globe. The remote area of the Pashat valley at the Pakistan–Afghanistan border is still unexplored to document ethnomedicinal knowledge and practices. In the current study, the contemporary investigation recorded the native acquaintance of remedial plants. A total of 73 plant species belonging to 68 genera and 46 families were used by traditional communities for the treatment of 40 different kinds of human diseases including digestive, respiratory, urinary, skeletal, muscular systems, etc. The family Lamiaceae was found dominant with 9 species followed by Leguminosae and Solanaceae with 4 species each, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, Rhamnaceae and Rosaceae with three species each. The most frequently used parts of plants were leaves (35.7%) followed by fruits (22.4%), seeds (12.2%), roots (7.14%) and plants as a whole (6.12%). Whereas the remedy preparation approaches were in powder form (28.46%), decoction (26.15%), extract (20%) and a paste (11.54%). The quantitative ethnobotanical indices i.e. used value (UV), relative frequency citation (RFC), family importance value (FIV) and Jaccard index (JI) were calculated for all plant species. The used value (UV = 0.04) was found highest for Berberis lyceum, Myrtus communis, Punica granatum and Dodonea viscosa. Similarly, the maximum RFC value of 0.25 was investigated for Foeniculum vulgare and Olea ferruginea each. Besides, the highest FIV of 96.08% and 58.17% values were calculated for the family Lamiaceae and Solanaceae. This study shows that the corresponding area is rich in medicinal plants and could contribute to ethnomedicinal knowledge. The collected data will establish a baseline for the comprehensive investigation of active molecular constituents of the medicinal flora of the area. Soon, the exploration of these medicinal plants could discover new herbal drugs in the field of pharmacology.

A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Medicinal Plant Utilization among the Four Ethnic Communities in Northern Regions of Jammu and Kashmir, India

Medicinal plants are utilized around the globe for the treatment of a wide range of ailments. This study is an attempt to document the utilization of medicinal plants across the four different cultural groups residing in the rural and remote villages of the northern districts of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. To gather information related to medicinal plants and health care practices among the local folk, field surveys were conducted from February 2018 to May 2021. The ethnomedicinal information was gathered through semi-structured interviews and group discussions. During the study, a total of 109 plant species belonging to 35 families were recorded as commonly utilized by the local population, with Asteraceae reported as the dominant family. The most common growth form was herbs, with a percentage contribution of 86%. Leaves (38%) were the most commonly used plant part for the preparation of traditional remedies, and most of the remedies were prepared as paste and applied topically. The highest use value of 0.30 was reported for Capsella bursa-pastoris. Greater similarity (14% species) in the usage of plants was shown by Bakerwal, Gujjar, and Pahadi ethnic groups, whereas the least similarity (1%) was observed between Bakerwal and Kashmiri ethnic groups. Based on the results obtained in the present study, further phytochemical and pharmacological analysis of plants is recommended to confirm the efficacy and safety of the remedies used and to possibly elucidate candidates for the development of new drugs.

Factors affecting local plant knowledge in isolated communities from Patagonian steppe: Metacommunity theory is revealed as a methodological approach

The Patagonian steppe is a refuge for several indigenous peoples who live in relatively isolated communities, depending heavily on natural resources for their activities, health, and food security. The local ecological knowledge is a reservoir that generates full wellbeing and for which it must be the object of protection and local development. In this study, we aimed to find which factors can influence local ecological knowledge from a metacommunity on the Patagonian steppe. We analyzed variation in knowledge about cultivated and gathered plants used as medicinal, edible, and firewood according to multiple factors widely discussed in the ethnobiological literature: age, gender, formal education, occupation, indigenous identity, contact with urban centers, use of biomedicine, hunting, and handcrafted textile production. We conducted semi-structured interviews with local experts, accessed by the snowball technique. We found that formal education is a key factor in the variation of local ecological knowledge among people. In addition, we found that knowledge varies between people who practice activities inside and outside the home, concentrating knowledge between cultivated and gathered plants, respectively. Our urbanization proxies did not point to an influence of this factor on local knowledge, but specialists living in a larger community with signs of internal urbanization processes had much less knowledge. Our results allowed us to visualize the importance of studying metacommunities as a whole, to verify complexities and intersections of overlapping factors. Studies in metacommunities open up a range of possibilities for ethnobiological analysis.

Medicinal waterbirds in the traditional healthcare system: an assessment of biodiversity-cultural linkages in Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is home to a vast range of medicinal and edible waterbird species due to its diverse geographical environment. Waterbird species have been used for various ailments and cultural practices since ancient times, while ethno-pharmacological applications and cultural uses of waterbird species in this area have seldom been documented. This study is the first ethnomedicinal and cultural assessment of waterbird species, and the first compilation and listing of all known data on these species in Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

METHODS

Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data from native respondents (N = 100). To analyze the data, principal component analysis (PCA), relative frequency of citation (RFC), fidelity level (FL%), relative popularity level (RPL), rank order priority, and similarity index were used.

RESULTS

In total, 64 waterbird species were utilized in cultural practices, of which 40 species are used to cure different infectious and chronic diseases such as cold, cough, flu, fever, respiratory disorders, asthma, TB, gastric ulcers, kidney stones, male impotency, obesity, paralysis, piles, cancer, arthritis, body pain, and weakness. PCA showed significant differences in the use of waterbird species among the local inhabitants of the study area, separated along the axis-2 (p < 0.05). The FL% of waterbird species varied from 12 to 100%. 100% FL was analyzed for four waterbird species, i.e., Charadrius mongolus (cold), Gallicrex cinerea (asthma), Anas platyrhynchos (cancer), and Esacus recurvirostris (body weakness). In this study, Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) was the most popular species used in the healthcare system of Eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with high RFC (4.06), FL% (100), and RPL (1.0) values.

CONCLUSION

We concluded that waterbird species are more used for medicine and food purposes in the study area. However, in vitro/in vivo assessment of biochemical activities of waterbird species with a maximum FL% might be significant to produce novel drugs. Recent research shows important ethno-ornithological information about native people and their links with waterbird species, which might be helpful for the sustainable use of waterbird diversity in the research area.

Cultural and Medicinal Use of Amphibians and Reptiles by Indigenous People in Punjab, Pakistan with Comments on Conservation Implications for Herpetofauna

Simple Summary

Humans have interacted with reptile and amphibian species for millennia. The current study was designed to collect knowledge about the use of amphibian and reptile species by the native peoples residing along the Jhelum and Chenab rivers in Punjab, Pakistan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first quantitative assessment of the cultural uses of amphibian and reptile species in the study area. However, hunting, trade, and cultural use are the greatest threats to the diversity of the amphibians and reptiles in the studied area. These threats can potentially lead to their extinction. It is important to protect the highly endangered and vulnerable species employed in therapeutic medications, more specifically in terms of their conservation.

Abstract

Amphibians and reptiles have interacted with humans for millennia. However, humans interact with amphibian and reptile species in different manners, which depend on their culture and traditions. This study was designed to better understand the interactions between amphibian and reptile species and their usage among the native peoples in the vicinity of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers, Pakistan. Information was collected through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, and was analyzed by using different indices, including the frequency of citation, corrected fidelity level, fidelity level, relative importance level, and informant major ailment. Two amphibians and twenty-six reptile species were used in therapeutic medicine in the study area. Based on the cultural analysis, we found that Naja naja (black cobra) was highly cited across all cultural groups. A 100% Fidelity Level was calculated for the following species: Naja naja (eye infection), Varanus bengalensis (joint pain), Eurylepis taeniolatus (cataract), and Acanthodactylus cantoris (cancer). We found five endangered species in the study area, i.e., Aspideretes gangeticus, A. hurum, Chitra indica, Varanus flavescens, and Geoclemys hamiltonii, that were used to cure joint pain, muscle stretching and pain, backbone pain, paralysis, and psoriasis, respectively. Likewise, Lissemys punctata andersoni, a vulnerable species as labelled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, was extensively used for the treatment of joint pain, body pain, paralysis, and arthritis in the study area. In terms of conservation, it is critical to protect the highly vulnerable and endangered species that are being used in therapeutic medicines. Our findings may be helpful for the conservation of amphibian and reptile species by helping to make an effective plan to prevent their extinction. The main threats to the diversity of amphibian and reptile species in the area are hunting, trading, and cultural use. These threats could potentially lead to the extinction of these species. Therefore, with the involvement of concerned authorities, e.g., local stakeholders, the Ministry of Climate Change, provincial wildlife departments, academia, and conservation managers, immediate conservation measures should be taken for the protection and sustainable utilization of medicinal species.

Easy Access to Biomedicine and Knowledge about Medicinal Plants: A Case Study in a Semiarid Region of Brazil

We aimed to evaluate how proximity to urban areas interferes with the relationship between socioeconomic variables and various aspects of medicinal plant knowledge. The study was conducted in six communities of the Catimbau National Park (PARNA Catimbau) in the state of Pernambuco. Eighty participants were interviewed. The communities were divided into two groups according to their distance from the nearest urban center. Socioeconomic data and information on medicinal plants were collected through semistructured interviews. Subsequently, generalized linear models were generated to verify the influence of the interaction between the variables on medicinal knowledge. We observed that proximity to the urban center influenced the relationship between the level of education and the knowledge of body systems treated by medicinal plants. We concluded that environmental variables can generate a differentiated effect on the influence of socioeconomic factors on one's knowledge of medicinal plants.

In silico profiling of analgesic and antihyperglycemic effects of ethanolic leaves extract of Amischotolype mollissima: Evidence from in vivo studies

The aim of this study is to assess the antioxidative profile and related pharmacological potentialities of the ethanolic extract of Amischotolype mollissima leaves, traditionally used in treating pain, injury, malarial fever, epilepsy and hyperacidity, followed by a computational approach for the analysis of bioactive compounds identified by GC–MS. In GC–MS analysis, the extract yielded ten compounds, with 4,6-di-t-butyl-2-alpha-methyl benzyl phenol having the highest amount. In vitro investigation of the antioxidative properties of the plant was conducted with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays. The amounts of secondary metabolites phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins were measured at 142 mg GAE/g, 534 mg QE/g, and 110 mg GAE/g, respectively. An acute toxicity study was carried out on mice, which revealed no toxicity up to the dosage of 4000 mg/kg bw. For the dosages of extract at 250 and 500 mg/kg bw, the writhing response test induced by acetic acid exhibited a statistically significant (p < 0.05) analgesic effect in mice. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and alpha-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory activity assay were used to examine the antihyperglycemic potential, in which the extract reduced the blood glucose level to 6.22 mmol/l and 3.82 mmol/l, at dosages of 250 and 500 mg/kg bw, respectively at 60 min in OGTT even though no activity was observed in the α-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory assay. In an antibacterial assay, the extract's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus was determined to be 8, 16, and 8 µg/ml, respectively. This study shows that the usage of A. mollissima leaves in folklore medication is justified.

Phytotoxicological study of selected poisonous plants from Azad Jammu & Kashmir

Poisonous plants cause tremendous economic losses to the livestock industry. These economic losses are deterioration in their health, decreased productivity, deformed offspring, and reduced longevity. The current study is the first comprehensive report on poisonous plants of Azad Jammu and Kashmir which systematically documents the phytotoxicological effect and mode of action in livestock. The information was gathered from 271 informants including 167 men and 104 women through semi-structured interviews and literature search through available databases. The data collected through interviews was analyzed with quantitative tools viz. the factor informant consensus and fidelity level. A total of 38 species of flowering plants belonging to 23 families and 38 genera were reported. Family Asteraceae (5 spp) was the most dominant, followed by Solanaceae (4 spp), Fabaceae (4 spp), Euphorbiaceae (4 spp) and Convolvulaceae (3 spp). Among all the species collected, herbs were the dominant life form (22 spp, 57.89%), trailed by shrubs (11 spp, 28.95%), and trees (5 spp, 13.16%). Whole plant toxicity was reported to be the highest (15 spp, 39.47%), followed by leaf toxicity (12 spp, 31.58%), seed toxicity (4 spp, 7.89%), fruit toxicity (3 spp, 10.53%), latex toxicity (2 spp, 5.26%), flowers toxicity (1 spp, 2.63%), and berries toxicity (1 spp, 2.63%). The most toxic route of administration was found oral (39 spp, 40.63%), followed by intraperitoneal (24 spp, 25%), and intravenous (21 spp, 21.88%). The most commonly affected organ was found liver (20.41%), followed by gastrointestinal tract (20.341%), CNS (16.33%), skin (14.29%), kidneys (12.24%), lungs (4.04%), reproductive organs (2.04%), spleen (1.75%), blood (1.75%), heart (1.75%), urinary tract (1.75%), and pancreas (1.75%). The maximum Fic value was found for dermatological disorders (0.91), followed by the endocrine system (0.90), gastrointestinal (0.82), neurology (0.77), nephrology (0.67), cardiovascular (0.67), urinary (0.67), respiratory (0.60), sexual (0.60) disorders. Senecio vulgaris, and Ageratum conyzoides were the most important plants with fidelity level (0.95) and (0.87). Nerium oleander, Lantana camara, Leucaena leucocephala, and Ricinus communis were the important poisonous plant with maximum fidelity level (100%). Ricinus communis with reported lowest LD50 (<20 mg/kg) was the top-ranked poisonous plant followed by Lantana camara and Justicia adhatoda (25-50 mg/kg), Nerium Oleander (157.37 mg/kg), and Datura innoxia (400 mg/kg). We found that knowledge about poisonous plants is less prevailing in the rural areas of Azad Kashmir compared to the knowledge about medicinal plants and poisonous nature of reported plants is due to production of toxic substances and presence of essential oils.

Cultural consensus and intracultural diversity in ethnotaxonomy: lessons from a fishing community in Northeast Brazil

BACKGROUND

Traditional fishing communities are strongholds of ethnobiological knowledge but establishing to what degree they harbor cultural consensus about different aspects of this knowledge has been a challenge in many ethnobiological studies.

METHODS

We conducted an ethnobiological study in an artisanal fishing community in northeast Brazil, where we interviewed 91 community members (49 men and 42 women) with different type of activities (fishers and non-fishers), in order to obtain free lists and salience indices of the fish they know. To establish whether there is cultural consensus in their traditional knowledge on fish, we engaged a smaller subset of 45 participants in triad tasks where they chose the most different fish out of 30 triads. We used the similarity matrices generated from the task results to detect if there is cultural consensus in the way fish were classified by them.

RESULTS

The findings show how large is the community's knowledge of fish, with 197 ethnospecies registered, of which 33 species were detected as salient or important to the community. In general, men cited more fish than women. We also found that there was no cultural consensus in the ways fish were classified.

CONCLUSIONS

Both free-listing and triad task methods revealed little cultural consensus in the way knowledge is structured and how fish were classified by community members. Our results suggest that it is prudent not to make assumptions that a given local community has a single cultural consensus model in classifying the organisms in their environment.

Future Directions for the Discovery of Natural Product-Derived Immunomodulating Drugs

Drug discovery from natural sources is going through a renaissance, having spent many decades in the shadow of synthetic molecule drug discovery, despite the fact that natural product-derived compounds occupy a much greater chemical space than those created through synthetic chemistry methods. With this new era comes new possibilities, not least the novel targets that have emerged in recent times and the development of state-of-the-art technologies that can be applied to drug discovery from natural sources. Although progress has been made with some immunomodulating drugs, there remains a pressing need for new agents that can be used to treat the wide variety of conditions that arise from disruption, or over-activation, of the immune system; natural products may therefore be key in filling this gap. Recognising that, at present, there is no authoritative article that details the current state-of-the-art of the immunomodulatory activity of natural products, this in-depth review has arisen from a joint effort between the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Natural Products and Immunopharmacology, with contributions from a Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation number of world-leading researchers in the field of natural product drug discovery, to provide a "position statement" on what natural products has to offer in the search for new immunomodulatory argents. To this end, we provide a historical look at previous discoveries of naturally occurring immunomodulators, present a picture of the current status of the field and provide insight into the future opportunities and challenges for the discovery of new drugs to treat immune-related diseases.

Traditional knowledge about medicinal plant in the remote areas of Wari Tehsil, Dir Upper, Pakistan

Traditional medicine is cheaper and easily available to local people, to care for most frequent diseases in the Northern parts of Pakistan. Our study aimed at inventorying medicine from local plants, documenting their uses, and assessing their market value in 2015-2018 during spring, summer, and winter seasons. A total of 15 trips were made, 5 in each season. Semi-structured interviews with 165 inhabitant's age range between 20-80 years were conducted, analyzed the data is analyzed using Relative frequency of citation(RFC), Use Value(UV), Fidelity Level(FL), Informants consensus factor(ICF), and Jaccard index(JI) to find the most frequent and well-known used species in the area. A total of 86 species belonging to 39 vascular plant families, 33 genera were documented as medicinally important. Family Asteraceae was observed as the dominant family among all the families with 10 species, the leaf was the most used parts and decoction 36% was the most preferred preparation type. Herb was the predominant life form (67%). The maximum UV (0.92) was demonstrated by J. adhatoda L. species, while A. sativum L. shows maximum RFC (0.58), the highest ICF value represented by diarrhea and dermatitis 0.92, and high FL value is recorded 100%. According to our collections, wild species were 45%, invasive species were 38% and cultivated 17% recorded, dicots species were recorded more 81%. Seven 7 medicinal species is being economically important and export to the local and international market of the world, whereas P. integrima L. species were the most exported species according to the local dealers. The investigated area is rural and the local people depend on the area's plants for their health needs, and other uses like a vegetable, fuelwood, fodder, etc. The current result of RFC, UV, ICF, FL, and JI shows that medicinal flora needs to be pharmacologically and phytochemically investigated to prove their efficacy. The documentation of medicinal knowledge is important to preserve this precious old knowledge before it is lost forever, due to technological and environmental changes in the world.

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas: Safeguarding Medical Practices and Traditional Uses of Kashmir Regions

The present study was carried out to enlist the medicinal plants used by the local inhabitants of developing countries such as India, and the district of Kupwara of the Kashmir Himalaya has been targeted. Our research is one of the first study focusing on the statistical evaluation of the cross-cultural analysis between three different communities i.e., Dard, Kashmiri and Gujjar, of the study area. Sampling was carried out in eight villages in 2017 to 2020, and data were collected from 102 informants based on walking transects, to collect plant specimens, and semi-structured interviews. The medical usages of all collected taxa were grouped into 15 disease categories and 81 biomedical ailments. In this study, we documented around 107 plant taxa belonging to 52 families from the local inhabitants of the Kashmir Himalaya, which regulate the livelihood of the people and support cultural ecosystem services. Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Ranunculaceae, Poaceae, Solanaceae, Polygonaceae, Plantaginaceae and Brassicaceae are the top most dominant families. Herbaceous groups of plants were more common than trees and shrubs, and 71.96% of herb taxa were employed as medicine. Liliaceae, Caprifoliaceae and Portulacaceae (FUV = 0.24 each) have the highest family use value (FUV). The most prominent family was Asteraceae (seven genera, nine taxa), followed by Rosaceae and Lamiaceae (six genera, six taxa each). Persicaria Mill., Rheum L., Aconitum L. and Artemisia L. were prominent genera. Valeriana jatamansi Jones ex Roxb. (47UR), Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (45UR), Arisaema jacquemontii Blume (37UR), Asparagus racemosus Willd. (36UR) and Rumex acetosa L. (35UR) were the most important plant taxa with reference to use-reports. The ethnomedicinal applications of Aesculus indica Wall. ex Cambess., Solanum pseudocapsicum L., Ranunculus hirtellus Royle and Cormus domestica (L.) Spach plant taxa are reported here for the first time from the Himalayan Kashmiri people. We recommend further research on ethnopharmacological application of these newly recorded ethnobotanical plants. The medical usage of the plant was limited to different parts of the plant. In terms of the usage percentage, whole plant (26.17%), leaves (24.30%) and roots (19.63%) were found to have the highest utilization. The powder form (40.19%) was the most frequently employed method of drug/medicine preparation, followed by the utilization of extracted juice and/or other extracts (22.43%). The ICF values range from 0.85 to 1.00. Their use to remedy parasitic problems (PAR) and insect bites (IB) (ICF = 1.0 each) had the maximum consensus mentioned by the informants, although the number of taxa employed under this category was very limited. The different plant taxa used for the treatment of the gastrointestinal problems (GAS) was the most prominent disease category (262 URs, 16.19%, 25 taxa, ICF = 0.90). About 65% of the plant taxa studied is indigenous to the Asia or Himalayan regions, and around 35% is found to be exotic in nature. A strong positive correlation was found between age, gender, educational qualification and medicinal plant knowledge. No significant association was between people of different communities interviewed in terms of medical knowledge of the plants, p = 0.347 (>0.05) and χ2 = 2.120. No significant difference was found between the number of species documented concerning gender as p = 0.347 (>0.05) and χ2 =0.885. This study provides the comprehensive status of ethnomedicinal knowledge among three different communities of the study area. This study provided an impetus in discovering the baseline primary data for molecules which would help in drug discovery and management of various diseases, apart from conserving the genepool of plants in the investigated area.

Information flow to increase support for tidal energy development in remote islands of a developing country: agent-based simulation of information flow in Flores Timur Regency, Indonesia

BACKGROUND

Public awareness is crucial for successful deployment of tidal energy, a renewable energy source that can provide clean electricity to remote islands. However, considering public attitudes on tidal energy are not well known, especially in developing countries, a barrier exists in implementing public engagement strategies. This study aims to contribute by identifying strategies for information provision-the initial step in public engagement-and estimate how these can be engaged to enhance support for tidal energy among the local public in a remote area of a developing country, in this case, Flores Timur Regency, Indonesia, considering their socio-cultural background.

METHODS

In this paper, we employ statistical analyses using multinomial probit modelling to identify the key variables that shape information flow. The aptness of the variables is then verified using post-estimation techniques for their use as input parameters for the simulation of the information flow in the field study area. Agent-based simulation (ABS) is employed to replicate the actual conditions in Flores Timur Regency, Indonesia, and simulate the flow of information through the local community.

RESULTS

According to the multinomial probit estimations, the people belonging to the top hierarchical group show a higher probability to support tidal energy compared to the members belonging to the lower groups. Understandably, around twice as many information flow cycles are needed to disseminate information to the members of the lowest hierarchical group, compared to the members of the top hierarchical group. The results also show that increasing the amount of available information has a positive impact on information dissemination.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that information provision is highly effective with propagation of information that specifically highlights the individual benefits, rather than the community benefits of tidal energy. Additionally, savings in terms of costs, time, and efforts can be realized if the most influential members of the local community are targeted initially before including all other stakeholders. The study also indicated that locals absorb more information and increase their support for tidal energy when additional data is made available. Finally, as long-term strategy, information provision becomes most effective when the local population gains higher educational capabilities.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13705-021-00302-8.

Potential Toxicity of Medicinal Plants Inventoried in Northeastern Morocco: An Ethnobotanical Approach

Herbal medicine and its therapeutic applications are widely practiced in northeastern Morocco, and people are knowledgeable about it. Nonetheless, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding their safety. In this study, we reveal the toxic and potential toxic species used as medicines by people in northeastern Morocco in order to compile and document indigenous knowledge of those herbs. Structured and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, and simple random sampling was used as a sampling technique. Based on this information, species were collected, identified, and herbarium sheets were created. The collected data were analyzed using two quantitative indices: informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (Fl), as the degree of these indices give an insight into the level of toxicity of a given plant. The results revealed the knowledge of 55 species belonging to 36 families. The most represented families were Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Solanaceae, and Fabaceae. Furthermore, the majority of the species cited were herbs (67%), and the most common toxic parts were seeds, followed by leaves and roots. According to the informant consensus factor, death (0.81%) had the highest agreement, followed by the urological (0.76%) and skin (0.75%) categories. The most significant plants in terms of fidelity level were Solanum sodomaeum L. and Nerium oleander L. for death, Arisarum vulgare O. Targ. Tozz., Mentha spicata L., and Morus alba L. for the digestive category, Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss. and Citrus x aurantium L. for cardiovascular category, Urtica dioica L. for skin category, Datura stramonium L, and Ephedra altissima Desf. for neurological category, and finally Crocus sativus L. for general and unspecified category. This work highlights a valuable traditional knowledge of poisonous and potential poisonous plants in northeastern Morocco. Further phytochemical and toxicological research is needed to determine the safety of these prized herbs.

An ethno-botanical study of indigenous medicinal plants and their usage in rural valleys of Swabi and Hazara region of Pakistan

An ethnobotanical study was conducted to document indigenous medicinal plants and their usage from knowledgeable and elderly persons in Razzar and Gadoon valley of Swabi and Allai and Tanawal valley of Hazara region of Pakistan during 2016-2019. Several systematic field visits and questionnaire surveys were carried out in selected sites of the study area to gather relevant information from the local community. Rapid assessment method was adopted for data collection by interviewing the local people having enough knowledge of medicinal plants use for treatment of different ailments. UV (UV) formula was applied to calculate the relative importance of medicinal plant species in each site of the study area. In the present study, 221 medicinal plants belonging to 105 families have been reported through 580 respondents (385 males, 138 females and 57 local health healer) from the Swabi and Hazara region. The main sources of herbal medicines were leaves (21%) followed by fruits (21%), seeds (17%), whole plants (14%), roots (9%), bark (9%), flowers (7%) and gum (2%). Mentha spicata L. and Berberis lycium Royle were reported with highest UV (UV) i.e. 0.92 and 0.68 in Razzar tehsil and Gadoon valley of Swabi, whereas Mentha longifolia L and Geranium wallichianum D were reported with highest UV i.e. (0.65) and (0.88) in Allai and Tanawal valley of Hazara region, respectively. It was concluded that Swabi and Hazara region is rich in medicinal plants species and associated traditional knowledge. Moreover, ethno-medicines have played significant role in the indigenous healthcare system of the study area. However, uprooting the entire plant for ethno-medicine is a big threat to conservation of medicinal plants diversity in the study area.

An overview on ethnobotanico-pharmacological studies carried out in Morocco, from 1991 to 2015: Systematic review (part 1)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The full bibliometric records of data retrieved from ethnobotanical field studies carried out in Morocco (1991-2015) was quali-quantitatively analysed. Despite the importance of traditional medicinal uses in Morocco, any comments about the methodologies and approaches adopted by reviewed studies have been undertaken. Include more data about the importance of traditional medicinal uses in Morocco.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Three key points were targeted in this review: (i) to contribute to original compilation of medicinal plants traditionally used by people at whole Morocco, by gathering and documenting the current status of these ancestral medical practices, (ii) to provide a novel insight into the relationship between local and biomedical disease concepts in Moroccan society, taking into account health-related beliefs, and their influences on medicinal plant uses, (iii) to figurout the weaknesses and the strengths of the conceptual approches and methods adopted by researchers in ethnobotanical field works.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

With the help of a computerized database querying, we conducted an extensive literature search respecting our integration criteria. We performed this bibliographic research by using the following search engines available over the Web: Google Scholar, PUBMED, Sciencedirect, Current Content Connect, SCOPUS, SPRINGER LINK, GLOBAL PLANTS, Cochrane Library and SCIRUS. The scientific names listed in the present paper have been validated according to the "The Plant List" and the African Plants Database in order to standardize ethnobotanical data on an international level. For the analysis of data gathered, quali-quantitative analyses have been performed.

RESULTS

A total of 905 medicinal plant species belonging to 116 families and 726 genera have been selected from 63 published articles. The dominant families were ASTERACEAE (111 species) followed by the FABACEAE (77 species), LAMIACEAE (75 species) and APIACEAE (46 species). The plant species listed are used to cure several public ailments. The digestive ailments represented the most important category (494 species) followed by dermatological diseases (407 species), diabetes (315 species) and urinary diseases (277 species). We assigned the importance of the plant species by several measures (including Frequency Cited (FC), Number of Uses (NU), Number of Respondents (NR) and Index of Performance (IP). The ICF (Informant Consensus Factor) calculated was important in all categories of diseases averaging 47%.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained, which cover the whole country, delineate the profile of rich wealth of indigenous knowledge on traditional uses of medicinal plants heald by Moroccan society. The total number of 905 plant species listed in this paper, are currently being utilized as medicines and the number is expected to grow as infrastructure allows greater access to unexplored parts of the country. Furthermore, the know how, regarding the plants used, is consistent because the ICF has recorded important values for most diseases treated. Furthermore, in the present paper, we suggested, for authors, some useful recommendations for ethnobotanical field works such as the respect of ethnobotanical standards including checklist of plants with international data base, the deposited voucher specimens, sampling and collection methods.

Borders as Crossroads: The Diverging Routes of Herbal Knowledge of Romanians Living on the Romanian and Ukrainian Sides of Bukovina

Cross-border and cross-cultural ethnomedicine are novel ways to address the evolution of local ecological knowledge. As is widely acknowledged, ethnomedicinal knowledge is not static, but evolves according to several factors, including changes in ecological availability and socioeconomic conditions, and yet the effect of the political context on medicinal knowledge remains largely underexplored. Bukovina, a small region of Eastern Europe that has been divided by a border since the 1940s and is currently part of both Romania and Ukraine, represents a unique case study in which to address the impact of political contexts on ethnomedicinal knowledge. The aim of this study was to compare plant-based medicinal uses among Romanians living on the two sides of the Romanian-Ukrainian border. In addition, we performed cross-cultural and cross-border analysis with published data on the ethnomedicine of the neighboring ethnolinguistic group of Hutsuls. We conducted 59 semistructured interviews with conveniently selected Romanians living in both Romanian and Ukrainian Bukovina. We elicited preparations for treating different ailments and disorders by naming each part of the body. We also asked about the sources of this medicinal knowledge. We documented the medicinal use of 108 plant taxa belonging to 45 families. Fifty-four taxa were common to both Romanian communities; 20 were only found among Romanians living in Romania and 34 only among Romanians living in Ukraine. However, the number of recorded uses was higher among Romanians living in Romania, revealing that they make consistent use of local medicinal plants, and Romanians living in Ukrainian Bukovina use more taxa but less consistently. Comparison with the data published in our study on neighboring Hutsuls shows that medicinal knowledge is more homogeneous among Hutsuls and Romanians living in Ukraine, yet many similar uses were found among Romanian communities across the border. We argue that the 50 years during which Ukrainian Bukovina was part of the USSR resulted in the integration of standard pan-Soviet elements as evidenced by several plant uses common among the groups living in Ukraine yet not among Hutsuls and Romanians living in Romania.

Ethnobotanical characterization of medicinal plants used in Kisantu and Mbanza-Ngungu territories, Kongo-Central Province in DR Congo

BACKGROUND

The phytotherapeutic knowledge of the Kongo people in the territories of Kisantu and Mbanza-Ngungu in Kongo-Central Province (DR Congo) is rapidly eroding. To document the remaining knowledge, we conducted an ethnobotanical survey on the most important medicinal plant species and diseases treated with them, as well as plants with therapeutic potential. We also checked for the cultural similarity in medicinal plant knowledge between the two territories and how knowledge about Kongo medicinal plants differs between different social groups.

METHODS

From June 2017 until February 2018 and from February 2019 until April 2019, we conducted a survey with 188 phytotherapists, selected using the snowball method and surveyed using semi-structured interviews. Voucher specimens were taken for identification. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using medicinal use value (UVs), informant agreement ratio (IARs), informant consensus factor (ICF), and species therapeutic potential (STP). Rahman's similarity index was used for ethno-cultural comparison of medicinal plant knowledge between the two communities. Medicinal knowledge between different social groups was analyzed using non-parametric tests and Poisson regression.

RESULTS

A total of 231 plants (i.e., 227 botanical species, representing 192 genera and 79 families) were reportedly used to treat 103 diseases. Most abundant taxa were reported for the Fabaceae family (including 11.9% of species and 10.9% of genera). Most reported species (45.0%) were from anthropized areas. Leaves (39.4%), herbs (37.1%), decoction (41.7%), and oral ingestion (72%) were the most frequently cited plant part, botanical form, preparation, and administration method, respectively. Four of all inventoried species showed high UV_S (> 0.05), whereas eight had an IAR of one. According to ICF, 31 diseases were mentioned. Highest ICF (≥ 0.4) was observed for hemorrhoids (0.44), amoebiasis (0.43), and itchy rash (0.42). Fifty-four plant species were identified as likely possessing an interesting therapeutic potential. Low ethno-cultural similarity in medicinal knowledge (RSI = 16.6%) was found between the two territories. Analysis of the Kongo medicinal plant knowledge showed that the mean number of reported species and diseases vary considerably depending on gender, type, and residence of therapists (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Results prove that the Kongo phytopharmacopeia makes use of interesting medicinal plant species that could be further studied for conservation and pharmacological applications.

Ethnomedicinal and folklore inventory of wild plants used by rural communities of valley Samahni, District Bhimber Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

The current study describes ethnobotanical (EB) and traditional ethnomedicinal (TEMs) uses of medicinal plants (MPs) of Tehsil Samahni area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Indigenous inhabitants of the area mostly reside in remote mountainous areas and depend on wild plants for life necessities and treatment of different diseases. This paper presents first quantitative ethnobotanical study describing the popularity level of MPs in indigenous communities by using relative popularity level (RPL) and rank order of priority (ROP) indices. The data of TEMs and EB uses were collected from 200 interviewees consisting of traditional herbal practioners (110) and farmers (90) from study area using structured and semi-structured interview methodology during year 2019. It was found that illiterate peasants have more knowledge and practice of TEMs than other people. A total of 150 plant species belonging to 58 families with botanical and local names, parts used, mode of recipes preparation, administration mechanism and TEMs uses were documented in systematic manner. It was explored that highest number (7.69%) of plants of Moraceae were used in TEMs and followed by species of Asteraceae (6.29%). The ethnobotanical data was analyzed by using quantitative ethnobotanical tools viz: informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), relative frequency of citation (RFC), use value index (UVI), relative importance of plants (RIP), relative populatiry level (RPL) and rank order of popularity (ROP). The leaf ranked first (36.49%) and fruit 2nd (12.07%) being used in TEMs while prevalent use-form was decoction (29.28%), followed by tea (23.05%) and preferably taken as oral (46.66%). ICF analysis proved that diabetes, hypertension, rabies, snake sting and joint pains were the most prevalent occurring infirmities. The highest RFC (0.95) was found for Acacia modesta, followed by Boerhavia procumbens (RFC:0.87) and Berberis lycium (RFC:0.85). The relative importance of MPs was calculated by using UVI and Moringa oleifera showed highest (1.38), followed by Zanthoxylum armatum (1.25) and Withania somnifera (1.24) use-values. High UVI of plants depicts that these species are predominantly used in local health care system. The plants Phyllanthus emblica, Morus macruora, Justicia adhatoda and Melia azedarach depicted high values (1.00) of FL and RPL proving that these taxa are commonly used in indigenous medicines by local inhabitants and have better potential for drug discovery by ethnopharmacological analysis. Out of total, 26 species had more than 50% ROP index and Phyllanthus emblica and Flacourtia indica (ROP = 100) followed by Morus macruora (ROP: 97) were used to cure 'hypertension and hyperlipidemia' and 'cough, chest infection', respectively. It was found that 30% of total species were previously reported as medicinal while 70% plants were first time reported to be used in TEMs and authenticated by using of quantitative ethnobotanical tools. Ethnopharmacological potential of indigenous plants was confirmed by RIP and RPL indices which had been used to cure one or more body systems and were promulgated in the local herbal medicine system. The research provides clues to screen these plant species by using latest phytochemical and pharmacological analysis for novel drug discovery. This study will also be useful for conservation of bioculture traditional knowledge of indigenous communities and the most important is to conserve medicinal plants of the study area for future generations.

Ethnobotanical, phytochemistry, and pharmacological property of Waltheria Indica Linn

Background

In modern therapeutics, various human pathological disturbances were treated with the plant-based products. Waltheria indica Linn, a perennial herb, was commonly used in traditional medicine worldwide against various ailments such as cough, dysentery, diarrhea, bladder disorder, hemoptysis, inflammations, neuralgia, wounds, and ulcers.

Main body

The shrub was majorly distributed in tropical, subtropical regions and exists in many distinct local forms. Both the crude extracts and purified compounds from the whole plant and its parts showed wide pharmacological properties like antioxidant, analgesic, sedative, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic. The phytochemical profile and traditional usage highlight the potency of the plant in the treatment of microbial infections and inflammatory diseases. Yet, additional studies are required for the confirmations of its traditional uses against other diseases. More detailed understanding of anti-cataract, anti-diabetics, asthma, anemia, and anti-cancer mechanism has to be explored. Though many research articles on the proposed plant are available, there has been a rising concern in the therapeutic property, especially on the alkaloids and flavonoids from this plant for drug design.

Conclusion

This article aims in a systematic and updated review on distribution, botany, traditional uses, phytocompounds, and relevant biological activities from each part of the plant. The information was collected from databases like PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Google Scholar, books, dissertation, and reports via academic libraries that included more than 100 articles published since 1937. This ethnopharmacological study of the plant may create new insight into drug discovery to develop important novel leads against various biological targets.

Are Mixtec Forgetting Their Plants? Intracultural Variation of Ethnobotanical Knowledge in Oaxaca, Mexico

Are Mixtec Forgetting Their Plants? Intracultural Variation of Ethnobotanical Knowledge in Oaxaca, Mexico. Erosion of ethnobotanical knowledge in indigenous communities has been reported increasingly in recent decades. This study quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed the variation of ethnobotanical knowledge in communities of the high Mixtec subregion. We interviewed 64 Mixtec about edible and medicinal plants. We evaluated the knowledge (names and knowledge of use) and the active application of the use among people of different ages, gender, education level, migrants, and non-migrants. In general, increasing age, female gender, decreasing formal education, and non-migration are positively correlated with the knowledge and use of plants. The most alarming finding concerns the knowledge of the Mixtec names of plant-people under 30 years old no longer know them. We envision a process of transition and adaptation of the knowledge and uses of plants, but inevitably enormous ethnobotanical knowledge is quickly disappearing along with the Mixtec language. ¿Los mixtecos están olvidando sus plantas? Variación intracultural del conocimiento etnobotánico en Oaxaca, México. La erosión del conocimiento etnobotánico en las comunidades indígenas se ha informado cada vez más en las últimas décadas. Este estudio analizó cuantitativa y cualitativamente la variación del conocimiento etnobotánico en comunidades de la subregión Mixteca alta. Entrevistamos a 64 mixtecos sobre plantas comestibles y medicinales. Evaluamos el conocimiento (nombres y conocimiento de uso) y la aplicación activa del uso entre personas de diferentes edades, género, nivel educativo, migrantes y no migrantes. En general, el aumento de la edad, el género femenino, la baja educación formal y la no migración se correlacionan positivamente con el conocimiento y uso de las plantas. El hallazgo más alarmante se refiere al conocimiento de los nombres mixtecos de las plantas: las personas menores de 30 años ya no los conocen. Visualizamos un proceso de transición y adaptación del conocimiento y usos de las plantas, pero inevitablemente un enorme conocimiento etnobotánico está desapareciendo rápidamente junto con el idioma mixteco.

Nutrient and Mineral Compositions of Wild Leafy Vegetables of the Karen and Lawa Communities in Thailand

Wild food plants are commonly used in the traditional diets of indigenous people in many parts of the world, including northern Thailand. The potential contribution of wild food plants to the nutrition of the Karen and Lawa communities remains poorly understood. Wild food plants, with a focus on leafy vegetables, were ranked by the Cultural Food Significance Index (CFSI) based on semi-structured interviews. Twelve wild plant species were highly mentioned and widely consumed. The importance of the wild vegetables was mainly related to taste, availability, and multifunctionality of the species. Their contents of proximate and minerals (P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) were analyzed using standard methods. The proximate contents were comparable to most domesticated vegetables. The contents of Mg (104 mg/100 g FW), Fe (11 mg/100 g FW), and Zn (19 mg/100 g FW) in the wild leafy vegetables were high enough to cover the daily recommended dietary allowances of adults (19-50 years), whereas a few species showed Mn contents higher than the tolerable upper intake level (>11 mg/100 g edible part). The wild leafy vegetables, therefore, are good sources of minerals and we recommend their continued usage by indigenous people. Further research on these wild leafy vegetables' contents of antioxidants, vitamins, heavy metals, anti-nutrient factors, and food safety is recommended.

Connaraceae: An updated overview of research and the pharmacological potential of 39 species

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

An interdisciplinary scientific investigation of biologically active agents is fundamental to search for natural substances with therapeutic action. This review collected the most relevant information on traditional knowledge related to the use of plants of the Connaraceae family. This work is the first to compile all the published ethnobotanical, chemical, pharmacological, and toxicological information about this important plant family.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Our objective was to provide the scientific community with an up-to-date overview of the pharmacological potential of Connaraceae species.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We searched NCBI Pubmed Central, Google Scholar, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), ScienceDirect, SciFinder, and Scopus databases to review the research on ethnobotanical, chemical, pharmacognostical, pharmacological, and toxicological studies with Connaraceaes. Books that address the theme were also included.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The literature review indicated that 39 species of Connaraceaes have pharmacological potentiality. Ethnobotany reports listed 36 of the 39 species discussed. Pharmacognostical studies have been conducted with 23 species and isolates, and chemical compounds have been identified for only 15 species. At least one study has been published concerning the pharmacological activities for 20 of the 39 species analyzed. For Agelaea pentagyna, Cnestis ferruginea, Connars suberosus, and Rourea minor, pharmacological activity experiments were performed using isolated compounds, which have the highest current pharmacological potential. Studies employing a toxicological approach cover only 10 of the 39 Connaraceaes species. Thus, scientific community should conduct much more research for a broader understanding of this plant family.

Ethnobotanical survey of the medicinal flora of Harighal, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan

BACKGROUND

The present study is the first quantitative ethnobotanical evaluation of Harighal, an inaccessible and unexplored area of District Bagh Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK). The exploration, quantification, and comparison of ethnobotanical knowledge among different rural communities of the study area were mainly focused during field survey.

METHODOLOGY

In total, 79 informants (49 men and 34 women) were selected randomly to collect data using a semi-structured questionnaire. Various quantitative indices, including use value, relative frequency of citation, relative importance, fidelity level, and informant consent factor, were employed to evaluate the gathered information. Furthermore, primary data were also compared with twenty-two papers published from adjoining areas.

RESULT

A total of 150 medicinal plants belonging to 98 genera and 60 families were documented. Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Rosaceae were the dominant families having 15 species each. Of these, 76 species were indigenous, 74 exotic, 136 were collected in the wild, 10 cultivated, and 4 both wild-collected and cultivated. Herbaceous taxa were the most used life form, and leaves were the most exploited plant part. Decoctions were the most preferred method used in preparation of herbal recipes. Three species viz. Mentha longifolia, Berberis lycium, and Galium aparine had the highest use value (1.05), relative frequency of citation (0.81), and relative importance value (96), respectively. The highest informant consensus factor (ICF) was reported for digestive disorders. Mentha longifolia, Punica granatum, Zanthoxylum alatum, and Olea ferruginea had 100% fidelity values. The Jaccard index revealed that uses of plants were more similar in two neighboring areas, i.e., Pearl Valley and Toli Peer.

CONCLUSION

Local inhabitants still prioritize herbal medicines as an effective way to treat a wide variety of ailments. Elders and health practitioners of the study area are well aware of indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants, but young people are not much interested in herbal practices. Thus, valuable knowledge about the use of plants is on the verge of decline.

Exploring Plant-Based Ethnomedicine and Quantitative Ethnopharmacology: Medicinal Plants Utilized by the Population of Jasrota Hill in Western Himalaya

Plants and natural products have played a significant role in curing and preventing a variety of ailments occurring in humans and animals, and continue to provide new bioactive leads for researchers in therapeutic discovery. This study was conducted with the aim to identify and document local healers’ practices of treating human diseases and quantitatively document indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants, as well as to highlight the species of public interest for bioprospecting potential. A total of 17 field tours were carried out in 12 regions of Jasrota hill and its adjoining areas of Himalaya. Informants (113) were interviewed using semi-structured interviews and discussions and local guided collections. The results were analyzed using ethnobotanical indices—use-reports (URs) and the informant consensus factor (ICF)—and the data were statistically analyzed. The ethnopharmacological uses of 121 plant species belonging to 105 genera and 53 families were reported for use as medicine for treating 93 types of ailments. A total of 4987 URs were mentioned by 113 informants. Fabaceae (90.09%) and Asteraceae (6.62%) were the most represented families. Herbs (46.28%) were the primary sources of medicine, decoction (33.88%) was the most common use method for utilization, and leaves (43.80%) were the most frequently used plant parts. The ICF values ranged from 0.667 to 0.974, with the highest number of species (1314UR, 55 species) being used for the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments (GIA), followed by dermatological disorders (38 species). This result showed that the exchange of knowledge could be evident among the different communities, and their medicinal uses and practices could be correlated.

Ethnomedicinal Knowledge of Traditional Healers in Roi Et, Thailand

Traditional healers in Thailand are a primary source of health care for the Thai people. Highly experienced traditional healers are generally older people and they continue to pass away without recording or passing on their knowledge. Consequently, the cumulative knowledge held by traditional healers regarding the use of medicinal plants is being eroded and could be lost. In this study, we aimed to identify and document the medicinal plants and associated ethnobotanical knowledge held by traditional healers in Roi Et in northeastern Thailand. Data and plant specimens were collected from four traditional healers of the Phu Tai people. They were selected by purposive sampling and questioned using a semi-structured interview. The interviews covered their training, the ailments treated, treatment techniques, method of preparation and in addition, several healing sessions were observed. During field walks, we searched for the medicinal plants with the healers to review and document the availability of medicinal plants at each locality and in different habitats around the villages. Use values (UV) were calculated to estimate the importance of each medicinal plant and informant agreement ratios (IAR) were calculated to understand how widely known the uses were. The four Phu Tai traditional healers knew 162 medicinal plant species in 141 genera and 63 families. The family with the most medicinal plants was Leguminosae with 15 species. The plant part that they used most commonly was the stem, which was used for 82 species (49%). The most common preparation method was decoction, which was done for 124 species (75%). The most important and widely used medicinal plants were Rothmannia wittii, which had the highest use value (UV = 1.7). Most medicinal plants were used for treating tonic (34 species (21%)). Jaundice had the highest informant agreement ratio (IAR = 0.5). The most common life form among the medicinal plants was trees (56 species (34%)). The medicinal plants were mostly collected in community forests (81 species (49%)). Considering the richness of the healer's pharmacopeia, and the fact that their profession is not being perpetuated, this study points to the urgent need to document the traditional knowledge from the old herbalists before it disappears with the last practitioners from rural communities in Thailand.

Using ICPC-2 Standard to Identify Thai Zingiberaceae of Pharmacological Interest

The Economic Botany Data Collection Standard (EBDCS) is a widely used standard among ethnobotanists. However, this standard classifies ethnomedicinal uses into categories based on local peoples’ perception. It is difficult to apply in pharmacological research. The International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC), now updated to ICPC-2, is more related to medical terms, but is rarely used among ethnobotanists. This study aims to apply the ICPC-2 to classify metadata of the ethnomedicinal uses of Zingiberaceae plants in Thailand, in order to identify important medicinal taxa for future research. Data on the ethnomedicinal uses of Thai gingers were collected from 62 theses, journal articles, scientific reports and a book, published between 1990 and 2019. Scientific plant names were updated using The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) website. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) was used to identify the medicinal issues commonly treated with gingers, and the Cultural Importance Index (CI) was used to identify species that might have pharmacological potential. We found records of 76 ginger species with ethnomedicinal uses, and together they had 771 use reports. The gingers were commonly used for treatments related to digestive system conditions, particularly abdominal pain and flatulence. Gingers remain exceedingly important in Thai ethnomedicine, with a high number of useful species. They are used to treat a variety of health conditions, but most commonly such ones that are related to the digestive system. Apart from the popular studied ginger, Curcuma longa, we identified a number of other useful gingers in Thailand.

Ethnomedicinal Plant Knowledge of the Karen in Thailand

The Thai Karen, the largest hill-tribe in Thailand, guard substantial ethnomedicinal plant knowledge, as documented in several studies that targeted single villages. Here, we have compiled information from all the reliable and published sources to present a comprehensive overview of the Karen ethnomedicinal plant knowledge. Our dataset covers 31 Karen villages distributed over eight provinces in Thailand. We used the Cultural Importance Index (CI) to determine which species were the most valuable to the Karen and the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) to evaluate how well distributed the knowledge of ethnomedicinal plants was in various medicinal use categories. In the 31 Karen villages, we found 3188 reports of ethnomedicinal plant uses of 732 species in 150 plant families. Chromolaena odorata, Biancaea sappan, and Tinospora crispa were the most important medicinal plants, with the highest CI values. The Leguminosae, Asteraceae, Zingiberaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Acanthaceae, Apocynaceae, and Menispermaceae were the families with the highest CI values in the mentioned order. A high proportion of all the 3188 Karen use reports were used to treat digestive, general and unspecified, musculoskeletal, and skin disorders.

Medicinal Plants for Treating Musculoskeletal Disorders among Karen in Thailand

Millions of people suffer from Musculoskeletal System Disorders (MSDs), including Karen people who work hard in the fields for their subsistence and have done so for generations. This has forced the Karen to use many medicinal plants to treat MSDs. We gathered data from 15 original references covering 27 Karen communities and we document 461 reports of the use of 175 species for treating MSDs among the Karen people in Thailand. The data were analyzed by calculating use values (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and informant consensus factor (ICF). Many use reports and species were from Leguminosae and Zingiberaceae. Roots and leaves were the most used parts, while the preferred preparation methods were decoction and burning. Oral ingestion was the most common form of administration. The most common ailment was muscle pain. Sambucus javanica and Plantago major were the most important species because they had the highest and second-highest values for both UV and RFC, respectively. This study revealed that the Karen people in Thailand use various medicinal plants to treat MSDs. These are the main resources for the further development of inexpensive treatments of MSDs that would benefit not only the Karen, but all people who suffer from MSD.