A Systematic Review of Iranian Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Used for Bioactivities and Industrial Applications

Abstract

Iran is a privileged country with a high rank in plant biodiversity, including 11 of the 13 globally known climates. According to botanists and researchers, there are about 8000 medicinal plants species, which is at least twice the European continent in terms of species diversity. The studies have shown that over 2300 plant species in the country have medicinal and aromatic properties and could be used as spices and in cosmetics. The high diversity of medicinal plants in Iran has made traders aim for the export of these products. The Iranian territory possesses a great abundance of plants suitable for medicinal use and remarkable heritage of knowledge handed down from generation to generation concerning natural remedies against a wide range of diseases and disorders. Nowadays, the study of this heritage is at an early stage. Current study aimed to carefully investigate the ethnobotanical knowledge Iranian Medicinal and Aromatic Plants used for Bioactivities and Industrial Applications. As reported in Table 1, the bibliographic research evidenced ethnobotanical studies conducted in the Iranian territory, Comparing ethnobotanical studies and traditional medicine-inspired scientific studies, it is evident that most of the Iranian traditional herbal remedies have not been considered from a scientific point of view yet.