Reptiles used in traditional folk medicine: conservation implications

The present work provides an overview of the global use of reptiles in traditional folk medicine and the implications for conservation. The results demonstrate that at least 165 reptile species belonging to 104 genera and 30 families are used in traditional folk medicine around the world. Some species are used as sources of drugs for modern medical science. Of the reptiles recorded, 53% are included on lists of endangered species, demonstrating the importance of understanding such medicinal uses in the context of reptile conservation as well as the need for considering socio-cultural factors when establishing management plans directed towards the sustainable use of these reptiles.     

蓼属植物的化学成分与生物活性研究进展

蓼属(Polygonum)是蓼科中的一个药用大属,我国约有120种,其中81种供药用,包括许多著名的中药和民间药。从上世纪80年代开始,对本属植物的化学成分及药理作用研究,逐渐受到了关注。本文对90年代以来,国内外对该属药用植物化学及药理活性的研究进行综述。     

耳草属植物化学成分及药理活性研究进展

本文系统地介绍了国内外对耳草属植物化学成分和药理作用方面的研究进展。     

Primates in traditional folk medicine: a world overview

• 1 Almost 50% of primate species are in danger of becoming extinct, according to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This is partly because of their consumption by humans. The reasons for hunting vary by region. One pretext is the medicinal or magical value of products derived from these animals.
• 2 In this paper, we provide an overview of the global use of primates in traditional folk medicines as well as identifying the species used as remedies associated with folk beliefs. Some important questions relating to the conservation of primates are addressed.
• 3 Our results revealed that at least 101 species of primates, which belong to 38 genera and 10 families, were used in traditional folk practices and in magic–religious rituals throughout the world.
• 4 Of the 101 species of primates recorded in our review, 12 species were classified as Critically Endangered, 23 as Endangered, 22 as Vulnerable, seven as Near Threatened, 36 as Least Concern and one as Data Deficient in the IUCN Red List. All species were also included in The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Appendices I or II, although the reasons for their inclusion were not necessarily related to their medicinal use.
• 5 The widespread utilization of primates in traditional medicine is evidence of the importance of understanding such uses in the context of primate conservation as well as the need for considering socio‐cultural factors when establishing management plans concerning the sustainable use of these mammals.

     

武夷山市药用植物资源调查及其民间传统应用分析

通过查阅文献、野外采集调查、民间走访及传统集市访查等方法，对武夷山市药用植物资源和民间传统用药的特点进行调查分析。武夷山市药用植物有1842种，分属于253科923属。其中，共收集到有实物的民间常用药用植物226种，整理鉴定后，明确其来源、入药部位、功能主治的有164种。武夷山市药用植物种类多，民间医药文化知识丰富，具有较好的发展前景。     

A review on ethno-medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The traditional medicine based on medicinal plants in the Kingdom of Arabia Saudia presents a strong relationship belonging to natural remedies, health, diet, and folk healing practice recognized by a specific culture. The aim of the current study is to carry out an ethnobotanical review on medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in the Kingdom of Arabia Saudia including information on plant species, used parts, preparation method as well as medical uses. Earlier published data in journals, textbooks, periodicals, websites, and databases written in pharmacological evidence of Suadi medicinal plants were based on gathering information. The present review work reported that 96 species belonging to 47 families have been used in Saudi Pharmacopeia. Amaranthaceae has the highest number of plant species (7) Followed by Asteraceae, Apocynaceae, and Fabaceae with 5 plant species in each. The inventoried plant species in the current work are frequently used for the treatment of various illnesses and to ensure the medication safety of Saudi people. The biological analysis of plant form used in Saudi natural remedies showed the dominance of herb and subshrub form with a percentage of 43% and 30% respectively. The most used preparation method of plant drugs, which used in Saudi Alternative medicine was decoction and infusion. The whole plant, leaves, seeds, and aerial parts were the most useful plant parts in natural preparation in Saudi traditional medicine with a percentage of 29%, 28%, 7%, and 5% respectively as reported in the present review work. The present review work gives big data about medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including data about plant species, used parts, preparation method as well as medical uses.     

The faunal drugstore: Animal-based remedies used in traditional medicines in Latin America

Zootherapy is the treatment of human ailments with remedies made from animals and their products. Despite its prevalence in traditional medical practices worldwide, research on this phenomenon has often been neglected in comparison to medicinal plant research. This review discusses some related aspects of the use of animal-based remedies in Latin America, identifies those species used as folk remedies, and discusses the implications of zootherapy for public health and biological conservation. The review of literature revealed that at least 584 animal species, distributed in 13 taxonomic categories, have been used in traditional medicine in region. The number of medicinal species catalogued was quite expansive and demonstrates the importance of zootherapy as an alternative mode of therapy in Latin America. Nevertheless, this number is certainly underestimated since the number of studies on the theme are very limited. Animals provide the raw materials for remedies prescribed clinically and are also used in the form of amulets and charms in magic-religious rituals and ceremonies. Zootherapeutic resources were used to treat different diseases. The medicinal fauna is largely based on wild animals, including some endangered species. Besides being influenced by cultural aspects, the relations between humans and biodiversity in the form of zootherapeutic practices are conditioned by the social and economic relations between humans themselves. Further ethnopharmacological studies are necessary to increase our understanding of the links between traditional uses of faunistic resources and conservation biology, public health policies, sustainable management of natural resources and bio-prospecting.     

American palm ethnomedicine: A meta-analysis

Background

Animal-based remedies constitute an integral part of Brazilian Traditional Medicine. Due to its long history, zootherapy has in fact become an integral part of folk medicine both in rural and urban areas of the country. In this paper we summarize current knowledge on zootherapeutic practices in Northeast of Brazil, based on information compiled from ethnobiological scientific literature.

Methods

In order to examine the diversity of animals used in traditional medicine in Northeast of Brazil, all available references or reports of folk remedies based on animals sources were examined. 34 sources were analyzed. Only taxa that could be identified to species level were included in assessment of medicinal animal species. Scientific names provided in publications were updated.

Results

The review revealed that at least 250 animal species (178 vertebrates and 72 invertebrates) are used for medicinal purposes in Northeast of Brazil. The inventoried species comprise 10 taxonomic categories and belong to 141 Families. The groups with the greatest number of species were fishes (n = 58), mammals (n = 47) and reptiles (n = 37). The zootherapeutical products are used for the treatment of different illnesses. The most widely treated condition were asthma, rheumatism and sore throat, conditions, which had a wide variety of animals to treat them with. Many animals were used for the treatment of multiple ailments. Beyond the use for treating human diseases, zootherapeutical resources are also used in ethnoveterinary medicine

Conclusion

The number of medicinal species catalogued was quite expressive and demonstrate the importance of zootherapy as alternative therapeutic in Northeast of Brazil. Although widely diffused throughout Brazil, zootherapeutic practices remain virtually unstudied. There is an urgent need to examine the ecological, cultural, social, and public health implications associated with fauna usage, including a full inventory of the animal species used for medicinal purposes and the socio-cultural context associated with their consumption.     

Recent progress in phytochemistry,pharmacology and biotechnology of Astragalus saponins

Saponins are widely distributed among plant kingdom and possess a wide range of pharmacological properties. Genus Astragalus is the largest in the Fabaceae family, comprising more than 2,200 species spread over the Globe. Astragalus species have been used in traditional medicine of many countries as well as in the modern one. The main use in the folk medicine of the species is due to their saponin content. The paper is focused on the above mentioned group of compounds. Details on their structure, distribution, recent information on the pharmacological properties and biotechnology of Astragalus saponins will be summarized and thoroughly discussed.     

Knowledge and Uses of African Pangolins as a Source of Traditional Medicine in Ghana

Traditional medicine has been practised in Ghana for centuries with the majority of Ghanaians still patronising the services of traditional healers. Throughout Africa a large number of people use pangolins as a source of traditional medicine, however, there is a dearth of information on the use of animals in folk medicine in Ghana, in particular the use of pangolins. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalent use of pangolins and the level of knowledge of pangolin use among traditional healers in Ghana for the treatment of human ailments. Data was gathered from 48 traditional healers using semi-structured interviews on the traditional medicinal use of pangolin body parts in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. The cultural importance index, relative frequency of citation, informant agreement ratio and use agreement values were calculated to ascertain the most culturally important pangolin body part as well as the level of knowledge dissemination among traditional healers with regards pangolin body parts. Our study revealed that 13 body parts of pangolins are used to treat various medicinal ailments. Pangolin scales and bones were the most prevalent prescribed body parts and indicated the highest cultural significance among traditional healing practices primarily for the treatment of spiritual protection, rheumatism, financial rituals and convulsions. Despite being classified under Schedule 1 of Ghana’s Wildlife Conservation Act of 1971 (LI 685), that prohibits anyone from hunting or being in possession of a pangolin, our results indicated that the use of pangolins for traditional medicinal purposes is widespread among traditional healers in Ghana. A study on the population status and ecology of the three species of African pangolins occurring in Ghana is urgently required in order to determine the impact this harvest for traditional medical purposes has on their respective populations as current levels appear to be unmonitored and unsustainable.     

Analysis and retention behaviour in high-performance liquid chromatography of terpenic plant constituents (Sideritis spp.) with pharmacological interest

Terpenoids are natural products with an important pharmacological interest, which are present in a number of medicinal plants. The species of Sideritis genus are valuable due to their high content in those compounds and they have been used in the Mediterranean area in folk medicine as anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcer agents. The present study describes a gradient elution reversed-phase method that uses diode array detection to determine ten pharmacologically active diterpenoids occurring in 12 species of Sideritis. First, we studied the chromatographic behaviour of standard diterpenoids to analyse the variation on retention time and the chromatographic properties with the mobile phase. Standard calibration curves were generated by plotting the area of peaks against a concentration range of the compounds. Second, the validated method was applied to the analyses of hexanic and methanolic extracts from 12 species of Sideritis, which were collected from different areas of Spain. Finally, we established for this plant a relationship between their use in folk medicine and their diterpenoid content.     

Ethnobotanical Survey on Traditional Knowledge of Hodgsonia macrocarpa,Xishuangbanna, SW China

Hodgsonia macrocarpa, commonly known as lardfruit, is a perennial woody vine belongs to family Cucurbitaceae. Since the food value of its kernel was reported in the early 20th century, increasing studies have been focused on the introduction and cultivation of the wild populations and chemical analysis of the edible kernel oils. While its ethnobotanical details about local nomenclaetures, gathering techniques, form of consumption and folk resouce management are left unclear. In this study we collected these ethnobotanical data from 8 ethnic groups by conducting field survey in 23 ethnic villages in Xishuangbana. Methods including key informants interview and group discussion were used for recording the traditional medicinal and culinary knowledge of lardfruit. The results show an unexpected diversity of their folk names, which indicate the long history of folk uses. The baked edible kernel is favored by all the 8 ethnic groups. The root, stem, leaf, fruit and seed are widely used as herbal medicine for the treatment of intestinal diseases and skin ailments. The diverse folk names and multiple medicinal uses practice among different ethnic groups indicate that they exploited this plant resource in various perspectives for culture, economic and social reasons.     

Cape aloes—A review of the phytochemistry,pharmacology and commercialisation of Aloe ferox

Aloe ferox Mill. (= A. candelabrum A. Berger), commonly known as the bitter aloe or Cape aloe, is a polymorphic species indigenous to South Africa. The plant has been used since ancient times as a generic chemopreventive and anti-tumour remedy in folk medicine and it has a well-documented history of use as a laxative. In addition to the plethora of traditional medicinal uses, A. ferox has recently gained popularity as an ingredient in cosmetic formulations and food supplements. Anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimalarial activities, etc. have been reported. In addition, the ability of Cape aloes to enhance the transport of poorly permeable drugs has enjoyed recent research interest. Due to its medicinal and commercial importance it has been a popular research topic for natural product scientists who have isolated several chromones and anthrones from the leaf exudate and finished product (bitters). A summary of the historical and modern day uses, commercialisation, chemical composition and biological properties of this coveted ethnomedicinally and commercially important species is presented.     

油瓜的民族植物学研究

油瓜Hodgsonia macrocarpa,葫芦科多年生木质藤本植物。自20世纪初其食用价值被发现以来,各国科学家对其油脂组成、栽培利用进行了广泛研究。而油瓜的民族植物学系统研究则鲜为报道。本文运用关键人物访谈、小组讨论等民族植物学方法对油瓜的传统知识进行深入调查。本研究对西双版纳地区23个村寨的8个民族进行多次野外调查,记录民间传统利用数据,采集凭证标本。调查结果显示,油瓜的民族民间名多样;烤熟后的种仁被各民族所喜食;油瓜的根、茎、叶、果皮、种仁均可入药,主要用于肠道类疾病与皮肤类疾病的治疗。当地名称的多样性反映了各民族认识油瓜角度的差异,各民族间在油瓜食用知识方面较为一致,在药用知识上具在一定的差异。     

Medicinal mushrooms and cancer therapy: translating a traditional practice into Western medicine

Modern medical practice relies heavily on the use of highly purified pharmaceutical compounds whose purity can be easily assessed and whose pharmaceutical activity and toxicity show clear structure-function relationships. In contrast, many herbal medicines contain mixtures of natural compounds that have not undergone detailed chemical analyses and whose mechanism of action is not known. Traditional folk medicine and ethno-pharmacology coupled to bioprospecting have been an important source of many anticancer agents as well as other medicines. With the current decline in the number of new molecular entities from the pharmaceutical industry, novel anticancer agents are being sought from traditional medicine. As the example of medicinal mushrooms demonstrates, however, translating traditional Eastern practices into acceptable evidence-based Western therapies is difficult. Different manufacturing standards, criteria of purity, and under-powered clinical trials make assessment of efficacy and toxicity by Western standards of clinical evidence difficult. Purified bioactive compounds derived from medicinal mushrooms are a potentially important new source of anticancer agents; their assimilation into Western drug discovery programs and clinical trials also provides a framework for the study and use of other traditional medicines.     

广西龙胜红瑶传统药用植物的民族植物学知识

瑶族是一个拥有悠久历史和灿烂文化的民族,红瑶是其中一个分支,因妇女服饰上的花纹图案以大红色为主而得名,其生活习俗饱含民族特色,对植物尤其是药用植物的利用方式,与其他民族不同。该研究采用经典的民族植物学理论和方法,访问调查了广西龙胜红瑶传统药用植物种类,根据植物拉丁名、中文名、当地名、用途、用法及药用部位,对其进行民族植物学编目,并与《中国药典》作了比较。结果表明:共记录到药用植物95种,隶属于57科83属,其中蔷薇科、百合科种类最多,分别含有7种,显示龙胜红瑶传统药用植物资源的多样性;全株入药的植物种类41种,占总数的43.16%;根入药的种类为23种,占总数的24.21%;叶入药的种类为13种,占总数的13.68%。药用植物的药用部位以全株、根及叶为主;治疗风湿类疾病的药物比重最大,为23.47%,推测与其生活的环境有关;与《中国药典》比较,发现71种植物未被其收录,另有17种虽被收录但主治功效不同,有7种被收录且主治功效大致相同,为新型中药的研发提供了借鉴。同时,还探讨了龙胜红瑶传统药用植物的药用价值、资源现状及文化传承的问题。     

Food, feed or medicine: The multiple functions of edible wild plants in Vietnam

Many of the edible wild plants that are included in local food baskets have both therapeutic and dietary functions. Such medicinal foods have been part of Eastern medicinal theories since ancient times and have recently received attention in the USA and Europe within the fields of functional foods, neutraceuticals and phyto-nutrients. This paper provides an example from Vietnam of the continued use of a multitude of edible wild vegetables. Vietnamese traditional medicine also holds an important position within the health care system and many of the plants that are used have both dietary and medicinal functions. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques (Rapid Rural Appraisal and Food Frequency Questionnaires), information on over 90 species of edible wild plants was obtained from 4 villages in the Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands. About a third of the plants also had therapeutic roles, forty percent were used also as livestock feeds and one fifth were used as food/livestock feed/ medicine. From a nutrition viewpoint it is important to pay attention to this group of traditional foods for several reasons. Their direct nutritional contribution is often significant but neglected. Very little is known about the health benefits of regular consumption of small quantities of medicinal foods and an important “medicinal role” of traditional plant medicines may be the contribution of small quantities of trace minerals and vitamins. The parallel functions as livestock feeds make animal products more accessible to poor households and help improve the quality of their diets.     

Folk Phytotherapy in Paediatric Health Care in Central and Southern Italy: a Review

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) consists of systems and practices used to prevent or treat illness, and/or promote health and wellbeing, generally with herbal remedies. In recent decades, ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological surveys have received increased attention among populations in central and southern Italy traditionally highly conservative regarding knowledge of folk medicine. This review highlights the use of wild and cultivated plants in paediatric health care. From a search of articles published between 1978 and 2017 we found a total of 34 containing reports of medicinal plants specifically used for treating children’s diseases, listing 83 taxa belonging to 37 families in 116 recorded cases of medicinal plant use. Tuscany has the highest number of plant use reports and the highest number of species used in a single region, followed by Campania and Sicily. Allium sativum is the most widely reported species, cited in eight regions. We identified eight ailment categories. Plants used as anthelmintics and for gastro-intestinal and skin diseases are widely used.     

Ethnobotany of caiçaras of the Atlantic Forest coast (Brazil)

Caiçaras are inhabitants of the Atlantic Forest coast in SE Brazil. We studied the uses of plants by five Caiçara communities and compared medicinal plant citations by informants in coastal and island communities. We use diversity indices to evaluate the use of plants and to compare communities. There is a high diversity of plants used in the Atlantic Forest coasts: we found 276 species used for food, medicine and construction. Caiçaras rely on folk medicine, and medicinal plants were especially cited in interviews. Following predictions of island biogeography theory, we found a lower diversity of medicinal plants cited in islands compared to continental communities.