Medicinal plants in Central Chile

A list of 131 species with medicinal uses in the province of Talca, VII Maule Region in Central Chile, is given. Sixty-six of these are native and the rest introduced.     

Medicinal plants, conservation and livelihoods

Many types of action can be taken in favour of the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants. Some of these are undertaken directly at the places where the plants are found, while others are less direct, such as some of those relating to commercial systems, ex situ conservation and bioprospecting. In the latter cases, actions taken will not lead to in situ conservation unless they feedback to improvements in the field. Probably the single most important role for medicinal plants in biological conservation is their use to achieve conservation of natural habitats more generally. This stems from the special meanings that medicinal plants have to people, related to the major contributions that they make to many people's lives in terms of health support, financial income, cultural identity and livelihood security. Problems associated with biopiracy or (the other side of the coin) excessive restrictions on research have come to assume policy prominence in the general thematic area of medicinal plant conservation and use. The fair and equitable sharing of benefits from bioprospecting is required under the Convention on Biological Diversity, but it is not always easy to achieve these ideals in practice. While experience is accumulated in how this may practically be achieved, it is important, at the present time, that controls imposed on scientific research to prevent biopiracy or theft of local and indigenous intellectual property do not unduly restrict research that has little or nothing to do with these matters.     

Medicinal plants in southwestern Saudi Arabia

Folk medicine practiced in southwestern Saudi Arabia has helped people prevent and cure various diseases and sicknesses such as rheumatism, asthma, diabetes, stomach problems, constipation, eye and ear problems, colds, fever, measles, bladder and urinary diseases, toothache, epilepsy, and skin allergy. The most common medicinal plants found in the region belong to the Leguminosae, Labiatae, Compositae, and Euphorbiaceae.     

Medicinal plants of Paraguay: Underground organs

We have identified underground organs belonging to 13 species in 9 families that are being sold as medicinal in the Market #4 of Asunción currently known as “Pettirossi.” Eleven of those 13 species grow wild in Oriental Paraguay, one is naturalized, and one is only cultivated. These organs are locally used to combat rheumatism, diabetes, hepatitis, syphilis, stomachache, flatulence, arthrosis, parasites, diarrhea, and throatache, and as postfebril cooling, diuretic, and laxative.     

Medicinal plants in the fight against leishmaniasis

Despite the tremendous progress mode in the understanding o f the molecular biology of Leishmania and the clinical possibilities presented by some experimental chemotherapeutic agents, no new drugs have been developed for the treatment of leishmaniasis since the introduction of the pentovalent antimoniols more than 50 years ago. As reviewed here by Maurice M. Iwu, Joan E. Jackson and Brion G. Schuster, recognition of the current extensive use of herbal therapy in Leishmania-endemic regions has renewed interest in evaluation of plant remedies used in traditional medicine as sources of potential antileishmanials.     

福建万木林自然保护区药用植物资源

经调查,福建万木林自然保护区重要的药用植物有100种,分属89科。各种药用植物分布、数量相差甚大。其中金线莲、七叶一枝花等经济价值较高,可开发利用。     

Medicinal plants of Mt. Pelion,Greece

This study focuses on plants used for medicinal purposes in the Mt. Pelion area of Greece; however other plant uses were noted when discovered. A total of 225 taxa representing 77 families are presented along with habitat data and ethnobotanical information when relevant. Some notes on related species are also included. In addition to ethnobotanical field research which included collection of voucher specimens, ancient literature pertaining to plant usage was also consulted. Local markets that sold wild plants or their products were investigated as well. Some plants not known to be ethnobotanically significant were also collected in order to learn more about species distribution on Mt. Pelion. It is possible that ancient plant usage information that was lost due to the destruction of classical literary works has survived in the oral tradition in the Mt. Pelion area and elsewhere in Greece. A number of little known psychoactive and narcotic plant uses (including ivy as an additive to wine) are reported in this publication.     

Medicinal plants of Paraguay: Underground Organs,II

We have identified additional underground storage organs belonging to 17 species in 12 families that are being sold as medicinal in the market #4 of Asunción currently known as “Pettirossi.” All of them grow wild in Paraguay. These organs are used locally to combat ulcers, gastritis, cough, tonsillitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis, cancer, syphilis, amenorrhea and rheumatism. They are also used as abortives, hemostatics, hypotensives, expectorants, diuretics, and as refreshing beverages.     

Medicinal and other economic plants of the Paya of Honduras

To collect information regarding Paya plant use practices, especially ethnomedical applications, an ethnobotanical study was conducted at the Santa Maria del Carbon community in north-central Honduras. Scientific and Paya names have been provided for 68 plants used for medicine, 40 used for food, 23 used as sources of wood, 8 used for beverages, 7 used in artifact manufacture and 10 used in other ways. Also, a list of 25 species is included for which the Paya have a name but no known use.     

Medicinal plants of the sierra madre: Comparative study of tarahumara and Mexican market plants

Of the 47 medicinal plants that originate from the Sierra Madre Occidental of Chihuahua, Mexico, and that are sold in Chihuahuan markets, about three-fifths are used in a similar manner by both the urban Mexicans and the Tarahumara. This pattern suggests that these plants produce satisfactory effects on certain human systems, are reliable, and hence are repeatedly employed by both ethnic groups. Such plants that are used for similar ailments by 2 cultural groups with different ethnomedical concepts may be of interest for intensive research.     

Medicinal plants used to treat malaria in Southern Benin

People in Benin who cannot resort to allopathic medicines provided by the pharmaceutical industry use many species of plants to alleviate malaria symptoms. Complicated mixtures of different parts of several plant species are employed orally or as a bathing substance. The inventory of 85 species and 30 mixtures bought by us in southern Benin is by no means exhaustive, but the lists serve as examples of the widespread uses in medicine in a restricted area.     

Medicinal plants: traditions of yesterday and drugs of tomorrow

Plants have provided Man with all his needs in terms of shelter, clothing, food, flavours and fragrances as not the least, medicines. Plants have formed the basis of sophisticated traditional medicine systems among which are Ayurvedic, Unani, Chinese amongst others. These systems of medicine have given rise to some important drugs still in use today. Among the lesser-known systems of medicines are the African and Australian, Central and South American amongst others. The search for new molecules, nowadays, has taken a slightly different route where the science of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacognosy are being used as guide to lead the chemist towards different sources and classes of compounds. It is in this context that the flora of the tropics by virtue of its diversity has a significant role to play in being able to provide new leads. Nonetheless the issue of sovereignty and property rights should also be addressed in line with the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD). This paper highlights the above, provides an overview of the classes of molecules present in plants and gives some examples of the types of molecules and secondary metabolites that have led to the development of these pharmacologically active extracts. The paper also presents some data on the use of plant products in the development of functional foods, addresses the needs for validation of plant extracts and always stressing on safety, efficacy and quality of phyto-medications.