Potential Medicinal Plants Used in the Hypertension in Turkey, Pakistan, and Malaysia

Abstract

Currently, the world population is face to face with a rapid emergence of high blood pressure, which presents economic, as well as a serious current and long-term health problem. This chapter includes data on the medicinal and aromatic plants used in the treatment of hypertension in Turkey, Pakistan, and Malaysia. The medicinal plants used in the treatment of hypertension include 132 taxa. These belong to 39 families and can be grouped under 92 genera in Turkey, 86 taxa from 41 families and 76 genera in Pakistan, and 61 taxa from 34 families and 53 genera in Malaysia. Allium sativum, Viscum album ssp. album, Urtica dioica, and Olea europaea are the commonly used taxa in Turkey; Allium sativum, Cannabis sativa, Ajuga integrifolia, Caralluma edulis, Taraxacum campylodes, Heliotropium strigosum, and Tribulus terrestris in Pakistan; and Andrographis paniculata, Centella asiatica, Eurycoma longifolia, Gynura procumbens, Solanum torvum, and Tetracera indica in Malaysia. The number of taxa used in common in Turkey and Pakistan is 10, only 3 are commonly used among Pakistan-Malaysia and 2 between Turkey and Malaysia. Allium sativum is the only taxon commonly used for the hypertension treatment in all three countries. The countries under consideration here seem to embody a great potential in the use of medicinal plants. They possess interesting folk medicine culture used in the treatment of hypertension. The medicinal and aromatic plants have been traditionally used by the people in these countries for hundreds of years. This review is expected to open new horizons in the treatment of hypertension in these countries.