Sustainable Use Of Medicinal Plants Research Articles

ИЗУЧЕНИЕ ВОПРОСОВ, СВЯЗАННЫХ С ФИТОРАЗНООБРАЗИЕМ И ЛЕКАР-СТВЕННЫМ РАСТЕНИЕВОДСТВОДСТВОМ НА ТЕРРИТОРИИ РЕСПУБЛИКИ ТАТАРСТАН.. 90

Any plant phylogenesis is a long-term historical complex of plant species, including elements of different ages, different origins and differing from other floristic complexes in its systematic composition. This complex is a dynamic and unstable phenomenon that changes over time. Its individual elements disperse, or, conversely, remain within the boundaries of their range, de-pending on changes in external ecological and geographical factors. Therefore, when study-ing any floristic composition, it is necessary, first of all, to systematize the plant world. The distribution of species between systematic categories of the highest rank characteristic of each flora. Issues related to the characteristics of the growth, procurement and protection of plant medicinal raw materials are one of the leading links in ongoing activities for the ration-al use of natural resources throughout the world. Medicinal pharmacopoeia plants growing in various regions of Russia are a valuable source of biologically active substances used in med-icine and pharmaceuticals. The study of medicinal plants is important for optimizing the drug production process, as well as for the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of natural resources. Methods for studying medicinal pharmacopeial plants include a botanical description of plants, analysis of the chemical composition and pharmacological properties of raw materials, the study of factors affecting the quality and quantity of biologically active substances, as well as the development of methods for growing and collecting plants. Much attention is also paid to the issues of sustainable use of medicinal plants and their conservation in natural ecosystems. The study of medicinal pharmacopoeia plants growing in various regions of Russia, including the Republic of Tatarstan, allows us to determine the optimal conditions for their cultivation, evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the raw materials used, and also develop new drugs based on natural components. The more work there is related to the study of the growth of medicinal plants, the more it will contribute to improving medical practice, enriching the range of medicines and providing access to effective and safe medicines.

USO DE PLANTAS MEDICINAIS DA COMUNIDADE MARRUÁS DO MUNICÍPIO DE CRAÍBAS-AL, COMO FERRAMENTA NA CONSTRUÇÃO DO CONCEITO DE EDUCAÇÃO AMBIENTAL.

Environmental awareness was applied in this work with the aim of instigating environmental awareness in local communities in the Alagoas countryside, with the aim of building, together with the community, a concept of environmental education, using medicinal plants as a tool. For this purpose, visits were made to the target communities, and semi-structured questionnaires were applied, emphasizing the informants' socio-economic data, as well as ethnobotanical data. The study was carried out in the Marruás community, district of Craíbas – AL, between the months of February and October 2010. 100 interviews were carried out with residents, aged 12 to 80, appointed by the community leader. 40 plant species were surveyed, distributed in 35 families. Most interviewees cited Myracrodruon urundeuva Fr. Allem, known as aroeira, as the most used, followed by Melissa officinalis L. (lemon balm) and Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. (Holy grass). The predominance of leaves (97%) was observed in relation to other vegetative organs, followed by the bark (6%). The local disappearance of some species such as Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (mastruz) and Eucalyptus globulus Labill was recorded. (eucalyptus). The data obtained reveals the need for instructions to promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants in communities like this, creating a perspective of conservation and management of local vegetation.

A human–wildlife conflict: potential impacts of fatal harvesting approaches on medicinal plants in Free State Province, South Africa

ABSTRACT Human-wildlife conflict has taken center stage in global biodiversity degradation, yet researchers have mainly focused on animals. Medicinal plants are declining globally, partly because of over-harvesting which is considered a form of human-wildlife conflict in this study. Compared with other provinces in South Africa, Free State has limited information on the use of medicinal plants and the impacts of over-harvesting the species. We investigated the potential impacts of over-harvesting the plant species for medicinal purposes and determined the potential conservation implications of the harvesting methods in Free State Province, South Africa. We show that 89 plant species from 43 families were used for traditional medicine. The most-used species were Pachycarpus rigidus (12%; N=211), followed by Dicoma anomala (9%) with the common plant families being Asteraceae (13.5%; N=89), and Fabaceae (7.9%). The perennial herbs were substantially harvested (58.4%; N=89). The wild indigenous plant species were more preferred compared to alien species (79.2%; N=89). The roots and bulbs were mostly utilized for medicinal material (48.3%; N=89), followed by the leaves (20.2%). We found one ‘rare’ species (Schizoglossum montanum), and two ‘nearly threatened’ species (Merwilla plumbea and Eucomis bicolor). We recommend a socio-ecologically orientated policy intervention for the sustainable use of medicinal plants in South Africa.

Medicinal Plants of Ethiopia: Conservation, Traditional Knowledge, and Sustainable Use

Ethiopia, renowned for its remarkable biodiversity, harbors approximately 6,000 species of higher plants, many of which hold significant medicinal value. Traditional medicine plays a crucial role in healthcare, particularly in rural areas where access to modern healthcare is limited. This reliance underscores the importance of preserving indigenous knowledge related to medicinal plants. Home gardens emerge as vital repositories of these valuable plant species, highlighting the need for sustainable conservation strategies. Both in-situ and ex-situ conservation measures, along with home garden cultivation, are essential in safeguarding these invaluable resources. However, the conservation of medicinal plants faces challenges from both natural causes and human-made threats. This paper emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive conservation efforts that involve collaborative initiatives among local communities, researchers, policymakers, and conservationists. By documenting and preserving indigenous knowledge, we can not only protect the rich biodiversity of Ethiopia but also contribute to the well-being of its people and potential advancements in drug development. This holistic approach ensures the continued availability and sustainable use of medicinal plants, benefiting both the environment and human health.

Traditional Herbal Medicine and its Prospects among Goat Breeders of Benin

Introduction: The use of traditional medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases in livestock farming is a common practice in Benin. Various ethnoveterinary studies have documented plants that livestock farmers use to treat animal diseases. However, these studies have been limited mainly to inventorying these plants, without exploring farmers’ perceptions on the use of these plants to promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants. The current study aimed to fill this gap by gathering farmers’ views on the use of traditional herbal medicines. Materials and methods: A structured survey was conducted from February to April 2023 in the southern, central, and northern regions of Benin. This survey targeted 480 goat farmers who actively engage in veterinary phytotherapy practices. Data were collected through random individual interviews with farmers. The interviews focused on the socio-cultural characteristics of the farmers, their motivations for using medicinal plants, the different forms of preparation, the plant efficacy, the difficulties encountered when using them, and prospects for improvement using open-ended, multiple-choice, and yes/no questions. Results: There were three distinct groups of goat farmers based on their opinions on the use of traditional herbal medicines and their socio-demographic characteristics. Group 1 consisted mainly of married and illiterate men. Group 2 was predominantly composed of married and educated men. Group 3 consisted mainly of married men, with a slightly higher illiteracy rate compared to Group 2. Group 1 used plants due to their easy accessibility and knowledge acquired since childhood, while groups 2 and 3 used them due to the high cost of conventional medicines and the perceived effectiveness of herbal medicine. Group 1 mainly used decoctions and powders, group 2 utilized powders, macerations, and trituration, and group 3 used raw preparations, decoctions, and macerations. All three groups agreed on the widely recognized efficacy of medicinal plants. Nevertheless, they encountered difficulties concerning conserving traditional herbal remedies and the imprecision of dosage. All three groups expressed a willingness to explore new forms of traditional herbal medicines, such as suspensions and tablets, prioritizing efficacy, availability, and affordability. Conclusion: The results indicated that all three groups of goat breeders expressed a willingness to use herbal medicines. However, they prefer suspensions and tablets of herbal medicines rather than other forms. In addition, prioritizing efficacy, availability, and affordability are notable for using herbal medicine in current study farmers. These results offer prospects for improving traditional herbal medicines.

Medicinal plants production systems in rural Indonesia: Management practices and performance insights

The management of production system regarding the sustainable use of medicinal plants rely, in part, on the operational approaches employed by actors in input-process-output (IPO) schemes. This is done in a bid to gain competitive performance in medicinal plants systems—both extractive (forest gathering) and cultivation (forest farming and farm plantation). In the context of Indonesia, one of the key medicinal plants producing regions of the world, there is scanty empirical evidence regarding the knowledge of the transformations in medicinal plants’production. Through a sample of 150 households in Java, Indonesia, the study sought to: (i) analyze the financial performance of medicinal plants in extractive and cultivation-based systems, and (ii) explore the management practices linked to three production systems. By computing the investments and returns spent for five years (2014–2018) in the three systems, the paper reveals that forest gathering yields the highest net benefit per average household (USD 598/year), as opposed to forest farming with the lowest net benefit (USD 7/year). On a production area basis, forest farming recorded the highest net benefit (USD 59/ha/year) while forest gathering has the lowest (USD 18/ha/year). Conversely, the highest brut return to family labor is achieved in forest gathering (USD 7.81/person-day) and the lowest in forest farming (USD 3.42/person-day). While forest gathering is presently well performing, its role as a provider of specific plant species which are not found in other production systems, signals pressure for this system. Management guidelines are needed to regulate this system and to assure its long-term complementary function. Future research on (i) the contribution of medicinal plants production systems to local livelihoods, and (ii) the sustainability of the medicinal plants management system, are required.

Ethnomedicinal plant use value in Lower Swat, Pakistan

Background: Plant-based traditional or folk medicines hold a great deal of promise as the foundation for medications for different diseases. Hence, the purpose of the present study is to document and preserve traditional knowledge among the people of Lower Swat. Methods: The field survey was conducted in 2018–2021, and 90 participants were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Information was collected predominantly from traditional practitioners, who are thought to have comparatively more knowledge and experience of using herbal medicine. During the discussions, notes were taken on the participants' demographics, plant names, plant parts used, and methods of herbal preparation. The collected data were analyzed through statistical indices in Microsoft Excel (2016). Results: It was found that 118 species represented by 107 genera and 62 different families were used for various medicinal purposes. Our findings depicted that herbs (57.5%) were the most commonly used as compared to trees and shrubs, while leaves (37.06%) were commonly used plant part for therapeutic purposes. Lamiaceae (16 species) was the most important family, followed by Rosaceae and Asteraceae (7 species each). Among the modes of preparation, decoction, drying, heating, and infusion were the applied approaches. The data was also analyzed by using qualitative indices such as relative frequency of citation (RFC), use report (UR), fidelity level (FL) and use value (UV). The highest RFC (0.96) was recorded for Mentha spicata and Foeniculum vulgare while the highest FL for Berberis lycium (78%) and, Ajuga bracteosa (70%). The highest UR (4) was recorded for Ajuga parviflora, Pinus roxburghii and Pinus wallichiana. The highest UV (0.50) was recorded for Ziziphus oxyphylla. Conclusions: The results of the present study reflect that medicinal plants are the most important source of health care in lower Swat. But in the absence of understanding and intuitive collective approaches, mainly therapeutic plants are overexploited in the area. There is a dire need for awareness about sustainable use of medicinal plants and threatened species in particular. Keywords: Lower Swat, ethnobotany, medicinal plants, traditional knowledge, mode of preparation, aliments.

Reproductive biology of Actaea kashmiriana, an endemic medicinal plant species from the Himalaya: Implications for conservation and sustainable utilisation

In prioritising conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants, endemic species merit immediate research priority. Towards this endeavour, understanding the basic reproductive biology of endemic medicinal species is crucial to their successful conservation and sustainable utilisation. In this study, the reproductive biology of Actaea kashmiriana, an endemic medicinal plant species from the Himalaya has been investigated for the first time. The results reveal that species is herkogamous and protoandrous in nature. The pollen grains are prolate spheroidal, and pollen viability ranges from 79.4% to 80%. Under in vitro pollen germination, sucrose, boric acid and calcium nitrate were found to be the key nutrients. Stigma receptivity was maximum on 5th – 7th days of anthesis. Higher pollen-ovule ratio and outcrossing index reflects that Actaea kashmiriana is predominantly outbreeder. The results of pollination experiment show that the species is self-compatible and cross-fertile. Higher fruit set in xenogamous and open pollination treatments under natural conditions suggests cross-pollination as primary mechanism in the species. Presence of sweet nectar, aroma, floral display, and copious amount of pollen serve as main attraction and reward in the species and thereby attracting diverse pollinators, including 13 insect visitors belonging to 7 families and 10 genera. Based on the insect visitation efficiency and the pollen load, Bombus tunicatus, Bombus simillimus, Calliphora vomitoria and Eristalis tenax were found to be the dominant pollinators. Overall, the findings of present study have immediate implications in informing the conservation and sustainable utilisation of this medicinally prized endemic species, and also guide strategies for its habitat restoration in high-altitude Himalaya.

Quantitative survey of medicinal plants in six medicinal plant conservation areas of Uttarakhand, India

Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFPs) as medicinal and aromatic plants provide convenient and easy source of income for rural people. Due to human interference, over exploitation and indiscriminate harvest, IUCN, WWF and others have red listed them. FRLHT along with State Forest Department in India established in-situ conservation sites of medicinal plants known as Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs). Due to the richness of medicinal plants, the state of Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand) in 2003 was declared as ‘Herbal State’. Under UNDP-GEF-GOI funded project for long term conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants, seven MPCAs were selected in Uttarakhand. Out of seven, six MPCAs were sampled by the author using nested quadrates technique for sampling of medicinal plants.

The potential of medicinal plants from heath forest: Local knowledge from Kelubi Village, Belitung Island, Indonesia

Abstract. Oktavia D, Pratiwi SD, Munawaroh S, Hikmat A, Hilwan I. 2022. The potential of medicinal plants from heath forest: Local knowledge from Kelubi Village, Belitung Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 3553-3560. The heath forest ecosystem is home to hundreds of species in Belitung Island and is home to medicinal plant resources. The Belitung people prefer to use medicinal plants due to their easy availability and cheap therapy, compared to costly modern pharmaceuticals. In this study, we investigated the potential of medicinal plants from heath forests according to the local knowledge of the Belitung Malay community. This study was conducted in Kelubi Village, Belitung Island, Indonesia. Data and information related to medicinal plant properties were obtained through interviews with local people using an in-depth interview technique. We documented 86 species belonging to 48 families. The medicinal plants are classified into 48 families. The most abundant families are Rubiaceae (8 species), and Myrtaceae (8 species). Many species from the Myrtaceae family are used as medicinal species, such as, jemang (Rhodamnia cinerea), gelam (Melaleuca leucadendra), keremuntingan (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa), and sekudong pelandok (Syzygium buxifolium). The percentages of medicinal plant diversity based on habitus were 45% trees, 21% woody lianas, 13% small trees, 13% herbs, and 8% lianas. We also found that 23 species of medicinal plants were used as herbs after childbirth, and 10 species of plants were used to treat fever. Belitung Malay people use plants for traditional medicine to solve some diseases and therapy. We suggest that conservation efforts for the heath forest ecosystem should be a priority for the sustainable use of medicinal plants on Belitung Island.

Therapeutic Potential of Skin Stem Cells and Cells of Skin Origin: Effects of Botanical Drugs Derived from Traditional Medicine.

Skin, the largest organ of the body, plays a vital role in protecting inner organs. Skin stem cells (SSCs) comprise a group of cells responsible for multiplication and replacement of damaged and non-functional skin cells; thereby help maintain homeostasis of skin functions. SSCs and differentiated cells of the skin such as melanocytes and keratinocytes, have a plethora of applications in regenerative medicine. However, as SSCs reside in small populations in specific niches in the skin, use of external stimulants for cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo is vital. Synthetic and recombinant stimulants though available, pose many challenges due to their exorbitant prices, toxicity issues and side effects. Alternatively, time tested traditional medicine preparations such as polyherbal formulations are widely tested as effective natural stimulants, to mainly stimulate proliferation, and melanogenesis/prevention of melanogenesis of both SSCs and cells of skin origin. Complex, multiple targets, synergistic bioactivities of the phytochemical constituents of herbal preparations amply justify these as natural stimulants. The use of these formulations in clinical applications such as in skin regeneration for burn wounds, wound healing acceleration, enhancement or decrease of melanin pigmentations will be in great demand. Although much multidisciplinary research is being conducted on the use of herbal formulas as stem cell stimulants, very few related clinical trials are yet registered with the NIH clinical trial registry. Therefore, identification/ discovery, in depth investigations culminating in clinical trials, as well as standardization and commercialization of such natural stimulants must be promoted, ensuring the sustainable use of medicinal plants.

Medicinal Plants and Fungi Traditionally Used by Dulong People in Northwest Yunnan, China.

The Dulong, an ethnic group living in the isolated Northwest Yunnan of Southwest China, have directly used a wide of plants to serve their needs and have accumulated rich traditional knowledge about medicinal plants over years. Unfortunately, little has been reported about the medicinal plants used by the Dulong people. Ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured interviews, guided field trips, and quantitative analysis. Prior informed consent was obtained before each interview. The surveys allowed for the collection of sociodemographic data and traditional knowledge about medicinal plants and their uses. This study used relative frequency of citation (RFC) to identify the most culturally significant medicinal plants and used informant consensus factor (FIC) to evaluate agreement among informants. A total of 105 medicinal plant species belonging to 69 families were recorded. Amongst these 69 families, Asteraceae (8 species), Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, and Rosaceae (4 species each) were the dominant families. The whole plants were the most frequently used part in the preparation of medicines. The most common preparation method was decoction and the most frequent application route was oral administration. Coptis teeta (0.15), Acorus calamus (0.12), Ophiocordyceps sinensis (0.11), Tanacetum tatsienense var. tanacetopsis (0.11), and Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis (0.08) were shown to be the most useful plants as indicated by their relatively high RFC values. Among the usage types of medicinal plants, the highest FIC values were recorded for the circulatory system (FIC = 0.91), the immune system (FIC = 0.89), and the nervous system (FIC = 0.85). Furthermore, sixty-two medicinal plants utilized by the Dulong for medicinal purposes also have dietary use. Traditional knowledge associated with medicinal plants has been seriously threatened in recent decades. In the future, modern approaches should be used to demystify traditional medicine. However, significant measures need to be taken to protect from loss the important traditional knowledge gained by the Dulong through their experience and inheritance. A collective effort should be made to promote and conserve the important traditional medicinal knowledge and outline a plan for sustainable use of medicinal plants and improve local economic development under the premise of protection.

Developing long-term conservation priority planning for medicinal plants in China by combining conservation status with diversity hotspot analyses and climate change prediction

BackgroundMedicinal plants have always played an important role in the history of human health. However, the populations and sustainable use of medicinal plants have been severely affected by human activities and climate change. Little is known about the current conservation status and distribution pattern of medicinal plants. In this study, based on accurate geographical distribution information of 9756 medicinal plants, we identified diversity hotspots and conservation gaps, evaluated conservation effectiveness of nature reserves, and predicted suitable habitat areas for medicinal plants in China to provide scientific guidance for their long-term conservation and sustainable use.ResultsA total of 150 diversity hotspot grid cells, mainly concentrated in central and southern China, were identified. These only accounted for 5% of the total distribution area but contained 96% of the medicinal plants of the country. The hotspot grid cells included all traditional hotspot areas, but we also detected three new hotspots, namely Mufu-Lushan Mountains, Tianshan-Altai Mountains, and Changbai Mountains. The current national and provincial nature reserves protect 125 hotspot grid cells, which harbor 94% of all medicinal plants. However, 25 hotspot grid cells, distributed in the Tianshan-Altai Mountains and Hengduan Mountains, are located outside the national and provincial nature reserves. An analysis of the predicted effects of climate change indicated that the suitable habitat areas will shift from southern to northern China, and that southern China will face a considerable loss of suitable habitat areas, while the east and west parts of China will encompass remarkably more suitable habitat areas in the future.ConclusionsThe current conservation networks have achieved high conservation effectiveness with regard to medicinal plants; however, the conservation gaps we identified should not be neglected, and conservation planning needs to take into account the predicted shifts of some hotspots of medicinal plants due to climate change.

Traditional use of medicinal plants: First record of Ethno- medical plants of Azmatabad village, Thannamandi, District Rajouri (J&K)

The present study was conducted to document the ethno–medicinal plants and their usage by the Pahari community of Azmatabad village, Thannamandi of District Rajouri in J&K. Documentation is the first step in achieving conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants on a local, regional, and global scale. The checklist of medical plants acts as baseline data for use by the researchers, policy makers, land managers and common people interested in documentation, conservation, and sustainable use. The altitude is 1982 m above the sea level supporting sub-tropical to temperate vegetation and offering congenial climatic condition favorable for the growth of medical plants. A total of 65 medicinal plant species belonging to 44 (Table-1) families were identified which are used by the local Pahari inhabitants as medicine, they need to be documented for the preservation and conservation.

Application of remote sensing technology in medicinal plant resources

The sustainable use of medicinal plants is the foundation of the inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and the acquisition of information on medicinal plants is the basis for the development of TCM. The traditional methods of investigating medicinal plant resources are disadvantageous in strong subjectivity and poor timeliness, making it difficult to real-time monitor medicinal plant resources. In recent years, remote sensing technology has become an important means of obtaining information on medicinal plants. The application of this technology has made up for the shortcomings of traditional methods. The open-access remote sensing data with medium spatial resolution satellites provide an opportunity for extracting information on medicinal plant resources. This study firstly introduced the principles of remote sensing technology, summarized the satellites and the parameters commonly used in the field of medicinal plant resources, and compared the survey methods of remote sensing technology with traditional methods. Secondly, it reviewed the applications of remote sensing technology in the extraction of information on the cultivation of medicinal plants and the common methods for extracting the planting structure information of medicinal plants based on remote sensing technology. Thirdly, the applications of remote sensing technology in the investigation and monitoring of medicinal plants were further analyzed with the research objects divided into wild and cultivated medicinal plants according to the characteristics of the habitats. Finally, it pointed out the key unsolved technical problems in the remote sensing monitoring of medicinal plant resources, and proposed solutions for the intelligent information processing of medicinal plants based on remote sensing big data, which is expected to provide references for the development of remote sensing technology in derivative application in medicinal plant resources.

Molecules from nature: Reconciling biodiversity conservation and global healthcare imperatives for sustainable use of medicinal plants and fungi

Societal Impact StatementPlants and fungi have provided, or inspired, key pharmaceuticals for global health challenges, including cancer, heart disease, dementia, and malaria, and are valued as traditional medicines worldwide. Global demand for medicinal plants and fungi has threatened certain species, contributing to biodiversity loss and depletion of natural resources that are important for the health of humanity. We consider the evolving role of plants and fungi in global healthcare as new challenges to human health and to biodiversity arise. We present current and emerging scientific approaches, to uncover and preserve nature‐based health solutions for the future, through harmonization with biodiversity conservation strategies.SummaryNon‐communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, are the main causes of deaths globally, and communicable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis affect billions of people. Plants and fungi have provided key pharmaceuticals in our armory against these global health challenges, while in some regions of the world, they continue to have a central role in healthcare systems as traditional medicines. Consequently, global demand for plants and fungi in healthcare has threatened certain medicinal species, and is a driving factor in biodiversity loss. Yet the future of therapeutics from nature is evolving. Scientific advances are enabling the untapped potential of the world's plants and fungi to be explored for their medicinal value, and to reveal other roles they may have for improving health and well‐being; this demonstrates the value of natural capital as an incentive for biodiversity conservation. Emerging technologies also offer new hope for safeguarding essential medicines for the future, by revealing more sustainable solutions for sourcing key natural products. This review discusses recent developments and future approaches for the discovery of natural products as medicines, for health and well‐being, and strategies to harmonize the therapeutic use of biodiversity with its proactive conservation through nature‐based solutions.

Conservation and sustainable use of the medicinal Leguminosae plants from Angola.

Leguminosae is an economically important family that contains a large number of medicinal plants, many of which are widely used in African traditional medicine. Angola holds a great socio-cultural diversity and is one of the richest floristic regions of the world, with over 900 native Leguminosae species. This study is the first to assess the medicinal uses of the legumes in Angola and provides new data to promote the conservation and the sustainable use of these unique resources. We document the ethnobotanical knowledge on Angola by reviewing the most important herbarium collections and literature, complemented by recent field surveys. Our results revealed that 127 native legume species have medicinal uses and 65% of them have other important uses by local populations. The species with most medicinal applications are Erythrina abyssinica, Bauhinia thonningii and Pterocarpus angolensis. The rich flora found in Angola suggests an enormous potential for discovery of new drugs with therapeutic value. However, the overexploitation and the indiscriminate collection of legumes for multiple uses such as forage, food, timber and medical uses, increases the threats upon the native vegetation. Efforts to assess the conservation status of these species are urgently needed, and future actions should promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants in Angola together with the implementation of conservation strategies.

Traditional usage of medicinal plants among the local communities of Peshawar valley, Pakistan

Peshawar has a miscellaneous range of population that consequently brought their traditional knowledge of plants to the valley. Aims of the study were to report and document the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants resources of the Peshawar valley. The main objective of the study was to assess and document the ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants in the study area. Data collection was carried out from March 2017 to December 2017. About 250 informants of different ages were interviewed; most of them were aged people between 60 and 70 years. The interviews were conducted using structured questioner composed of various questions about the ethnomedicinal uses of plants. The data was quantitatively analyzed using quantitative indices like frequency citation FC, use value (UV), use report (UR), relative frequency citation (RFC) Fidelity level (FL) and Jaccard index (JI). A comparison with previous ethnomedicinal studies in order to report some novel uses. A total of 71 plants species belonging to 59 genera and 31 families were being used for various ailment treatments. Out of 31 families, Asteraceae and Amaranthaceae (7 species each) were found the dominant families. Regarding plant habit, herbs 63% were the leading growth form. Leaves were the most frequently used part of the plant in the preparation of medicines. The most frequent mode of preparation was decoction while the oral route of administration was the preferred mode of administration. A review of the active compounds of the reported plants was also documented to authenticate the data. Medicinal plants for high ranked diseases to be to screen for further ethnopharmacological and phytochemical studies. The medicinal flora of the valley is facing improper collection, overgrazing, browsing, deforestation, industrialization, construction of roads and buildings. Therefore proper conservation strategies may be adapted to promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants.

Conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants: problems, progress, and prospects.

Medicinal plants are globally valuable sources of herbal products, and they are disappearing at a high speed. This article reviews global trends, developments and prospects for the strategies and methodologies concerning the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plant resources to provide a reliable reference for the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants. We emphasized that both conservation strategies (e.g. in situ and ex situ conservation and cultivation practices) and resource management (e.g. good agricultural practices and sustainable use solutions) should be adequately taken into account for the sustainable use of medicinal plant resources. We recommend that biotechnical approaches (e.g. tissue culture, micropropagation, synthetic seed technology, and molecular marker-based approaches) should be applied to improve yield and modify the potency of medicinal plants.

An ethnobotanical study on wild medicinal plants sold in the local markets at both sides of the Bulgarian – Turkish border

Local markets in urban areas nowadays are refuges for traditional knowledge (TK) and places for disseminating of new knowledge and practices about medicinal plants. [1, 2]. This study aims to investigate the diversity of wild medicinal plants sold in local markets at both sides of the Bulgarian-Turkish border and to understand their role for the local people in prevention, treatment and healing. Data was collected through 2011 – 2014 from local markets by free-listed observations and semi-structured interviews. A total of 39 wild medicinal plants belonging to 18 families were documented (Bg: 28, Tr: 26), which were sold mostly dry as mono-component herbal teas. The plants were used mostly as antiseptic, to treat skin diseases, for stomach problems, cough, cold, asthma and against diabetes. Among the 17 species that overlapped in the study area, the most common species were Cotinus coggygria, Rosa canina, Urtica dioica, Hypericum perforatum, Sideritis scardica (endemic) and Tilia spp. The specific use of plants for border sub-regions can be outlined as follows: as ready prepared herbal mixtures (Bg), as sale of more fresh herbs (Tr), Urtica urens (Tr) as a cultural distinctive plant, wild fruits for healthy and ritual food (hosaf) (Tr) and some rare herbal substances (Fragaria sp., calyx) (Tr). Prunus spinosa was marked as the diabetes perspective plant. It was found in the study that there was confusion and dual use of herbal substance (dried leaves) of Thalictrum aquilegifolium, and registered herbal product, caused by insufficient or lost TK and gaps in the current processes of sustainable use of medicinal plants and management of traditional herbal medicinal products.