Ethnopharmacological importance of local flora in the traditional medicine of Jordan: (A mini review)

Abstract

Traditional knowledge of medicinal plant use in Jordan is poorly described. During the last years, many phytochemists and botanists from Jordan have conducted qualitative and quantitative several studies, to gather information from the local people in the different rural regions where herbal medicine flourishes. To assess the effectiveness of the specific plants used in the treatment of certain diseases, several ethnopharmacological studies were carried out in different regions of Jordan. The reported use value (UV) and informant’s consensus factor (Fic) of these studies were analysed and summarised. Artemisia and Achillea species scored the highest UV (above 0.8). Ajloun area, rich in medicinal plants, showed the highest average UV, followed by the rural area of Badia. Among all reported illnesses dental pain has achieved the highest homogenity of the information (Fic 0.97). This ethnopharmacological review revealed that despite the availability of modern medicine in Jordan, traditional medicine is also widely practiced, especially in the rural areas of the country.