Unveiling the cellular and molecular mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in hepatic fibrosis.

Information concerning contact with the Tupinambá indigenous people and the flora in the state of Maranhão (Brazil) during the period of French occupation (17th century) is recorded in the chronicles of the Capuchin missionaries Claude d'Abbeville (?-1632) and Yves d'Évreux (1577-1632). These chronicles interrelate characters, spaces, environments, times, and events, based on the conceptual model of historical ethnobotany and memory. The aim of this work was to identify the vernacular names of medicinal plants found in the chronicles, considering a diachronic approach to investigate whether these medicinal species reported by the Tupinambá and mentioned by the missionaries are still present and used in the state of Maranhão today. The translated Portuguese versions of the chronicles "History of the Mission of the Capuchin Fathers on the island of Maranhão and their surroundings" and "Journey to Northern Brazil", were analyzed. Information was extracted on medicinal plants and their uses, and botanical identifications were made based on similarities between vernacular names and morphological characteristics, medicinal indication, and area of ​​occurrence. Using scientific nomenclature, a search was made in databases and specialized literature on traditional uses. Nine vernacular names were located in the chronicles, eight of which were identified. Fabaceae was the most represented family. Most identified species are native to Brazil (n = 6). Medical indications included, among others: digestive and dermatological problems, infections, and mood disorders. According to data found in the literature, some plants and their indications are still part of the traditional medicine systems in the current territory of the State of Maranhão. The documentary analysis of the information recorded by the missionaries in their chronicles more than 400 years ago highlighted the timelessness of the Tupinambá indigenous knowledge. This study brought to light elements of indigenous cultural heritage that can strengthen and value traditional knowledge about native flora.

Senecio scandens Buch. - Ham.: A comprehensive review of botany, phytochemistry, biological activity, toxicity, quality control, application, and practical domain.

Anti-inflammatory properties of Dendrobium: A systematic review of pharmacological mechanisms.

In Konso (Ethiopia), people use their ethnobotanical knowledge to gather (semi-)wild food plants ((S)WFPs). This study provides a comprehensive list of (S)WFPs and crop parts that are only consumed when food is scarce, based on free-listings by 220 informants and botanical surveys, provides an overview of the habitats in which they occur, and of their cultural salience. Moreover, we provide information on occurrence, abundance, species diversity, seasonal availability, methods of processing, parts consumed, and marketability of (S)WFPs. We highlight pakanna (Amorphophallus spp.), an abundant, perennial tuber-bearing SWFP, playing a crucial role in times of food shortage in Konso. We used free-listing supplemented with semi-structured interviews, field observations, focus group discussions, interviews with key informants based on local names and botanical surveys in 15 habitats, identified during a reconnaissance mission, based on scientific names of plants collected for identification by a taxonomist. We calculated the cultural salience index per species, species richness, and the Shannon-Wiener index, documented abundance, and seasonal availability, and surveyed the presence of (S)WFPs in local markets. The study recorded 152 (S)WFPs, crop parts that are only consumed under food stress, crop residues, and recycled food items. Sixty-six plant species or plant types occurred in the 15 habitats. Only five species occurred in all habitats, while 28% of the (S)WFPs occurred only in one of the habitats. The cultural salience analysis highlighted pakanna (Amorphophallus spp.), karsata (Dobera glabra (Forssk.) Juss. ex Poir.), and maraeta (Portulaca spp.) as most salient. Thirty-two (S)WFPs were sold in local markets. (S)WFP densities were highest for the yellas (fertile, wet plots in small depressions), but were also high in other crop plots before weeding. Pakanna (Amorphophallus spp.) was the most abundant species, especially in springs, crop plots, and yellas. Abundance and diversity of (S)WFPs was large and varied among habitats. Many species are unique for specific habitats. Pakanna (Amorphophallus spp.), however, occurred everywhere, was most abundant, and most culturally salient. While the sustainable availability and use of the (S)WFPs are threatened, conservation strategies should consider the importance of specific habitats of (S)WFPs.

Botanists use accepted scientific names from authoritative databases to standardise taxonomic classifications. As taxonomic understanding evolves, these databases are updated, causing accepted names to change over time. A key decision when creating datasets about plants is whether to store the scientific names as originally recorded in a data source or to resolve them to currently accepted names. This decision partly depends on the transitivity of name resolution across taxonomic database versions: if name A resolves to B as the 'accepted' name in one version, and B to C in a later version, will A also resolve to C in that later version? Using the World Checklist of Vascular Plants and World Flora Online, we demonstrate that this transitivity fails for approximately 1% and 6% of names, respectively, and that the number of these discrepancies increases as new taxonomy versions are released. We recommend that botanical datasets store verbatim names as found and resolve them to accepted names as close to the point of end-use as possible, using the most recent taxonomic database.

An Explanatory Dictionary of Plant Names Based on Selected Examples of Classical Persian Poetry

This article examines the system of floral images in the lyric poetry of Yuri Kublanovsky, their semantics, symbolism, functionality, and the factors shaping his floral code. Through an analysis of floral images, an attempt is made to identify the characteristics of the national image of the world reflected in his poetry. It is shown that the national landscape in the work of Yuri Kublanovsky is presented devoid of idealization with plants, while they retain their referential meaning (concreteness), simultaneously serving as signs of lyrical states. The poet imbues floral images with symbolic meanings traditional to Russian poetry and new, individual meanings. He also frequently uses popular, rather than botanical, plant names, thereby enriching their symbolism with new associations. Flora images reveal the poet’s religious and philosophical quest and the confessional nature of his lyrical confessions. Preserving the memory of the biblical, historical, or personal past becomes a means of self-definition and relationship to the world.

Ethnopharmacological insights into native medicinal plants for cancer management by indigenous and local communities of Africa: A systematic review.

The essay examines the historical foundations and current challenges of Linnaean taxonomy in light of contemporary debates on biological nomenclature, data management, and social pressures. It traces the persistence of Linnaean principles, such as the fixity of species and the universality of names, through the evolutionary and digital ages, highlighting the growing instability of taxonomic concepts and the fragmentation of species lists. Particular attention is given to recent calls for reform, including the replacement of politically or culturally sensitive names and the proposal to adopt indigenous nomenclatures. These developments are assessed as potential threats to the consistency and universality of scientific naming, revealing tensions between scientific governance, technological mediation, and societal values in the representation of biodiversity.

BackgroundVernacular plant names reflect cultural perceptions, historical interactions, and practical uses. The names of Cyclamen persicum and Leontice leontopetalum exhibit complex historical transformations across the Middle East.MethodsWe examined linguistic and historical sources alongside botanical, ethnobotanical, and phytochemical data to trace the origins, meanings, and diffusion of the vernacular names of these two species.ResultsComparative analysis revealed overlapping semantic fields related to washing textiles and incense use, which contributed to the convergence of vernacular names in different languages and regions. Historical and philological evidence supports the identification of the Mishnaic ‘Kippat ha-Yarden’ (‘Jordan Dome’) with Leontice leontopetalum, as hypothesized by Immanuel Löw.ConclusionsIntegrating linguistic, historical, botanical, and ethnobotanical data provides new insights into the evolution of vernacular plant nomenclature and contributes to the identification of problematic plant names in ancient sources.

As part of an ongoing investigation into the genus Polycarpon, the name P. prostratum var. littorale, described from Senegal in 1967 by J. Raynal and A. Raynal, was studied. It does not appear in World Flora Online (WFO), is unplaced in Plant Of the World Online (POWO) and in the International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Furthermore, no study appears to be published after that by J. Raynal and A. Raynal. With the aim to clarify the identity and taxonomic status of Raynal & Raynal's variety, a detailed study of the type and other specimens is here presented. The name is lectotypified on a specimen preserved at P (barcode P00388964) and further two isolectotypes were traced (P00388965 and P00388966). Based on the morphology of Raynal & Raynal's taxon and the current circumscription of the genus Polycarpon as monophyletic (with P. tetraphyullum) a nomenclatural change (P. tetraphyllum subps. littorale comb. et stat. nov.) is proposed. The subspecies is assessed as Endangered based on the IUCN criterion B2. Furthermore, a diagnostic key to the Polycarpon taxa occurring in Africa is presented.

ABSTRACT Aiming to reconstruct local historical and modern production of palm-leaf manuscripts (PLM) preliminarily dated from the 14th to the beginning of the 20th century CE in South (S) and Southeast (SE) Asia, we faced a great volume of publications available in ca 20 languages, which briefly describe the manuscript production process and/or focus on PLM preservation traditions. However, we found a lack of publications with a botanical or ethnobotanical focus, and there are none that thoroughly document the detailed process of PLM production. Consequently, we conducted the first comprehensive analysis of literature and online sources dating from 1753 to 2024, covering approximately 270 years, and compiled a list of about 300 publications concerning both modern and traditional methods of palm-leaf manuscript production and preservation. By performing a geographical analysis and mapping of all retrieved botanical and ethnobotanical data related to this research, we compiled lists of plants used for PLM production and conservation in S and SE Asia. These lists are region-specific (e.g. for Bengal, Gujarat, Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and South India as a whole), and country-specific (e.g. for Sri Lanka and Indonesia). The lists of plant names mentioned in the analyzed publications range from as few as three in Nepal and Malaysia to as many as 79 in India overall. This work will enhance our understanding of traditional and modern plant usage related to the PLM cultures of South and Southeast Asia.

This study examines the early exploration and mapping records for Hale-a-ka-lā crater (Maui, Hawaiʻi) after its first documented ascent (20 August 1828); such documents reported sixteen cinder cones on the crater, which were identified with Hawaiian toponyms in 1921. The first cartographic representation of the crater—Kalama’s Hawaiʻi Nei (1838) map—and other nineteenth-century maps and paintings are also discussed. Cinder-cone toponyms are semantically classified into distinct categories: geographical features, mythical deities, material culture, colors, and plant or bird names. Frequency of deity-related cone toponyms is higher (43.8 percent) than for 2,296 surveyed Hawaiian place names (2.3 percent; Pukui, Elbert, and Mookini 1974). This might reflect the fact that native Hawaiians considered highlands (wao akua) as the “realm of deities,” inhabited by gods and goddesses, who guided humans’ lives. Conflicting toponyms given to a specific cinder cone show clear historical trends over time. Depending on different translations, this cone’s name might denote a Hawaiian deity (Ka-moho-aliʻi), a naturalized Polynesian fowl (Ka-moa-liʻi), a native shrub, or a bird (Ka-maʻo-liʻi). It is concluded the most reasonable name for this cinder cone is that of a formerly abundant passerine bird, ʻĀ-maui (Myadestes obscurus), a thrush species endemic to the Hawaiian islands, now extinct in Maui since about 1850.

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of inconsistencies and variations observed in the orthographic norms of compound words in the modern Kazakh language. The research material consists of 54 lexical items, including 18 names of animals, 12 names of plants, 14 medical terms, and 10 words representing diverse semantic and morphological models. The study employs comparative analysis, phonetic-pattern analysis, structural-morphological and semantic modeling, as well as a comparative examination of orthographic dictionaries and normative reference sources. The findings reveal that approximately 30% of the compound words under consideration appear in two or more parallel written forms across different orthographic dictionaries and reference publications. Major problematic areas of Kazakh orthography identified in the study include the inconsistent application of vowel harmony rules, the lack of reflection of phonetic assimilation in writing, discrepancies between pronunciation and orthographic representation, the violation of morphological integrity, and the presence of unsystematic spelling patterns in the names of animals, plants, and medical terms. The results underscore the necessity of revising the spelling conventions of compound words in accordance with the internal linguistic laws of Kazakh, its natural phonetic structure, and its agglutinative nature. The conclusions presented in the article hold practical significance for the development of orthographic rules based on the new alphabet, the updating of orthographic dictionaries, and the scientific justification of orthographic directions within state language policy

IntroductionInfectious diseases (IDs) constitute a real public health problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).PurposeThis survey aimed to gather more information about the plants used in the DRC for anti-infective, larvicidal, or repellent treatments.MethodsThe study spanned 4 months (from April 1 to July 31, 2022) within 11 provinces in the DRC and was conducted among 20 traditional healers (TH), 105 vegetable growers (VG), and 953 other plant users (OU) of traditional plants scattered across the country. The survey consisted of a simple interview with an inventory of the plants used.ResultsThe results showed that the average age of the respondents was between 39 and 43 years old. The VG were mainly illiterate. As for TH and OU, literacy rates up to the primary level were 60% and 78%, respectively. The knowledge of the use of plants by the various actors of traditional medicine in this survey emanates from the cultural heritage. For this study, 132 plant species (104 identified and 28 unidentified based on their botanical name or family) were reported. 33 antimicrobial species and 7 larvicidal species belonging to 22 botanical families have been reported among TH, while 1 and 75 antimicrobial species, 6 and 16 larvicidal species, and 13 and 30 repellent species were respectively identified among VG and OU. This study identified Morinda morindoides, Cymbopogon citratus, and Boswellia sacra as the plant species most used by the individuals surveyed for anti-infective, larvicidal, and repellent treatments, respectively, by their citation frequencies, which were the highest. Additionally, the leaves represented the plant parts most used by the respondents.ConclusionThis ethnobotanical analysis revealed that most herbal antimicrobial recipes are used to treat malaria. This study confirms the richness of the Congolese flora concerning anti-infective, larvicidal, and repellent treatments.

Nerium oleander is one of the most famous poisonous and horticultural plants of the Mediterranean, as well as in other regions of its distribution. In many cultures, oleander is associated with poisoning, simultaneously symbolizing beauty and evil. Due to its unique properties and large showy flowers, this plant has many names in various languages. This paper presents an attempt to reconstruct the historical, ethnobotanical, and etymological roots in 23 languages of 180 vernacular names of Nerium oleander around the Mediterranean. We used the plant 's morphological data, myths and legends about it, its chemical properties and uses, as well as historical evidence and ethnobotanical data, to explain the meaning, origin, migration, and history of the plant 's names. The languages with the highest number of names are Turkish (30), followed by Italian (21), Greek (20), Catalan (16), Arabic (15), Spanish (14), and French (13). The remaining 14 languages collectively account for 51 names. These names were categorized as follows: Derivatives of 'generic' names: Nerium, oleander, and difla / arodafne (25 names in 14 languages); names referring to morphological characteristics, color, and odor (11 names in 5 languages); names referring to similarity to other plants (51 in 14 languages); names related to taste, chemical constituents, and their uses and effects (53 in 16 languages); names related to religion and local saints (12 in 7 languages); names related to habitat and places (11 in 8 languages); names falling outside the above categories or unexplained (16 in 8 languages). The distribution of these names across languages and categories reflects Nerium oleander 's toxicity, similarity to other plants, historical distribution, and to a lesser extent-its specific habitat and traces of cultural migrations. Some names preserve evidence of extinct past uses.

Emex spinosa (L.) Campd. (E. spinosa) is a plant species belonging to the Polygonaceae family. It is native to the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe and is most commonly seen on the coastlines of Mediterranean countries. Additionally, it occurs primarily throughout Spain, Portugal, Israel, and Morocco. The plant is frequently utilized for managing an extensive variety of illnesses, including indigestion, jaundice, liver troubles, constipation, and liver problems. However, there is a lack of comprehensive resource material on the traditional uses, nutritional benefits, phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological assessments of this plant. This review seeks to highlight the traditional uses, chemical composition, and medicinal attributes of Emex spinosa species. Moreover, this study explored the medicinal, chemical composition, and toxicological aspects of E. spinosa. In addition, this investigation aimed to analyze and document all available information and scientific discoveries on the medicinal applications and phytochemical attributes of this plant. Furthermore, the review was carried out using several research and scientific networks, including Scopus, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The correctness of the plant names has been checked using plantlist.org. The study findings were assessed, reviewed, and reported using the bibliographic data acquired. In addition, this herb is widely used in traditional healing because of its high phytochemical composition. E. spinosa produces a wide range of secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and anthraquinones. It also contains coumarins, saponins, sterols, tannins, and volatile oils that have been discovered to be related to their therapeutic properties. These phytochemicals are ideal for potential application to modern therapeutic agents because of their antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antiulcer, and anti-inflammatory properties. The secondary metabolites of plants are increasingly being used as scaffolds for medications and for nutritional supplements, including for flavoring. Lastly, toxicological studies have demonstrated the relative safety of moderate doses of E. spinosa extracts. This review explored the geographic distribution, chemical components, and main applications of E. spinosa in order to determine future research interest and conduct clinical studies, where possible, to investigate its medicinal applications.

The present study reconnoiters the traditional healthcare practices among the Santal Tribe in Odisha. By interacting with the sample population and traditional health care service providers of the study attempts a holistic understanding on traditional health care practices among them. 25 different plant species are documented that used as a medication. The process of collection of plants, preparation and medication are based purely on traditional method. Significantly, the plants are recognized by using native dialect prior to be translated into the Odia language and scientific botanical names. The data are collected in integrated narrative methods, those include unstructured interviews, focused group discussion and case study among the community members and key informants’ interview among the medicinal specialists of sample area. Moreover, the observation has been made to understand the access of Santals people traditional health care practices. Overall, this study comprehends a holistic picture of health care system and also contributes significantly to the documentation and preservation of traditional healthcare knowledge among the Santal Tribe in Odisha. It accentuates the importance of distinguishing and respecting native healing traditions and the appreciated role of medicinal plants in maintaining community health and wellbeing

The study aims to reveal biological and ecological information contained in English phytonyms with the ornithological component with further popularization of their ecological meanings, which helps the formation of environmental consciousness based on ecological culture. The article provides a compilation of data on the interpretation and application of the terms “phytonym” and “floronym” in linguistic research; besides, the distinction of the given terms on the basis of biological data is proposed. The research is novel in that it concretizes the notion of ecological informativeness in relation to a lexical unit of any complexity and demonstrates the ecological information extracted from ornithomorphic phytonyms. As a result of the study, it was established that ecological informativeness of a lexical unit is connected with its ability to transmit the accumulated knowledge about natural world. Plant and bird names are united by the tree main groups of associations: the similarity of the external species features, overlapping in a bird’s diet and a plant’s property of edibility/inedibility, coincidence of a bird’s arrival in the distribution area and a plant’s flowering. The revealed associations can indicate that animal and plant worlds go parallel to each other and the result of this parallelism, ornithomorphic phytonyms, shows human ability to integrate into both the worlds in the process of investigation and comparison of natural realities.