Download Traditional ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants used

Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants, ISSN 2249 – 4340
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 101-106, September 2011
Traditional ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal plants used for
external therapies in Alasehir, Turkey
Ilker UGULU
Department of Biology Education, Necatibey Faculty of Education, Balikesir University, Balikesir, 10100,
Turkey
Article History: Received 4th September 2011, Revised 9th September 2011, Accepted 9th September 2011.
Abstract: Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge (TEK) is the main resource of the all ethnobotanical investigations.
Documentation of the TEK through ethnobotanical studies is important for the conservation and utilization of biological
resources and should be carried out before such rich heritages are lost due to various anthropogenic and other natural
causes. In this reason, the aims of this study is identified not only the medicinal plants used for external therapies by local
people of Alasehir District in the Aegean Region of Turkey, but also drawing attention to traditional knowledge that is in
danger of being lost. The information including the various data such as local names, ailments and diseases treated, therapeutic effects, parts of plants used and methods of preparation were obtained from local people through individual and
face-to-face interviews. Also, the fidelity levels of the species were determined. At the end of the study, it is found that
37 taxa of medicinal plants are used for external therapies by the community. These medicinal plants belong to 27 families. Most used families were Asteraceae and Liliaceae. Allium cepa (100 %) has the highest fidelity level and Ficus carica ssp. carica (65 %) has the lowest. The knowledge of medicinal plants used by the people of Alasehir seems to be
well known to its culture and tradition.
Keywords: Indigenous Knowledge, Phytotherapy, Alasehir, Turkey.
Introduction
Ethnobotany is defined simply as “the study
of the relationships between plants and people”
(Balick and Cox 1996). Some of the steps utilized in ethnobotanical research include documenting how people classify, identify and relate
to plants, examining the interactions of plants
and people, taxonomic identification of selected
plants and biological as well as chemical analysis of their ingredients (Balick 1996). In general,
ethnobotany is the scientific investigations of
plants as used in indigenous culture for food,
medicine, rituals, building, household implements, musical instruments, firewood, pesticides, clothing, shelter and other purposes (Kelbessa et al. 2004; Kumbi 2007).
Indigenous knowledge is the main resource
of the all ethnobotanical investigations and is
generally called as Traditional Ethnobotanical
Knowledge (TEK). However, the continuation
of this knowledge is endangered when transmission between the older and younger generation
is no longer connected (Kargioglu et al. 2008).
*Corresponding author: (E-mail) [email protected]
©2011 Open Access Science Research Publisher
Therefore, documentation of the TEK through
ethnobotanical studies is important for the conservation and utilization of biological resources
(Muthu et al. 2006) and should be carried out
before such rich heritages are lost due to various
anthropogenic and other natural causes (Kumbi
2007).
The value and importance of TEK are now
being increasingly acknowledge all over the
world (Verma et al. 2007). However, the increase of the ethnobotanical investigations is
showed that traditional knowledge also play an
important role in Turkey (Cakilcioglu and
Turkoglu 2010; Dogan et al. 2004; Dogan et al.
2011; Kargıoglu 2008, Kultur 2007; Mert et al.
1993; Ozgen et al. 2004; Simsek et al. 2004;
Tan et al. 2004; Ugulu and Baslar 2010; Ugulu
et al. 2009; Ugurlu and Secmen 2008; Uzun et
al. 2004).
The aims of this study is identified not only
the medicinal plants used for external therapies
by local people of Alasehir District in the Aegean Region of Turkey, but also drawing attenhttp://www.openaccessscience.com
[email protected]
Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants
102
Local knowledge about plants used for external therapies in Alasehir
tion to traditional knowledge that is in danger of
being lost.
Methodology
Study Area
Study area was located on the west of Anatolian diagonal, in the Aegean Geographic Region (one the seven subdivision of Turkey).
Alasehir (Figure 1) is bordered on the east by
Sarigol and Esme (Usak), on the west by Salihli,
on the south by Nazilli (Denizli), on the north
by Kula and is situated in the valley of the Kuzucay, at the foot of the Bozdag. It belongs to
the Mediterranean Plant Geography Region and
falls within the B2 grid square according to the
grid classification system developed by Davis
(1965–1985).
Figure 1: The map of the study area.
Data Collection
Semi-structured interviews were administered to 86 informants to gather information
about medicinal plants applied as external therapies in Alasehir. The information including the
various data such as local names, ailments and
diseases treated, therapeutic effects, parts of
plants used and methods of preparation were
obtained from local people through individual
and face-to-face interviews. The informants
were selected based on one of the following criIlker Ugulu
teria: that they have been living in the region for
more than 10 years, use plants as the main medicine or identified as medicinal plant extractors
or traditional healers. The people who had
knowledge of plants were visited at least for two
times; one of these visits is particularly paid to
their houses. The people who participated in the
study were also requested to indicate the wild
plants they used.
At the end of the semi-structured interviews,
the information about medicinal plants and its
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Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants
103
Local knowledge about plants used for external therapies in Alasehir
usages was carefully recorded. The recorded
species were collected by author and taxonomically identified according to ‘Flora of Turkey
and the East Aegean Islands’ (Davis 1965–
1985; Davis et al. 1988; Guner et al. 2001).
Data Analysis and Quantitative Ethnobotany
The fidelity level (FL), the percentage of informants claiming the use of a certain plant species for the same major purpose, was calculated
for the most frequently reported diseases or ailments as: FL (%) = (Np / N) × 100, where Np is
the number of informants that claim a use of a
plant species to treat a particular disease, and N
is the number of informants that use the plants
as a medicine to treat any given disease (Alexiades 1996).
Results and Discussion
Interviews with the local people living in
Alasehir indicated that 37 taxa of medicinal
plants are used for external therapies by the
community. These medicinal plants belong to
27 families. The plants used for medicinal purposes in Alasehir are presented in Table 1 arranged in alphabetical order of their botanical
names, with the relevant information such as
family, vernacular name, plants parts used etc.
It was observed that some plants like Ecballium
elaterium, Hypericum perforatum, Parietaria
judaica and Pistacia terebinthus have more than
one vernacular name. The reason for this may
be because the same plant is prepared in different ways in different people to treat different
ailments.
Table 1: The medicinal plants used for external therapies in Alasehir.
Botanical Name
Achillea millefolium L.
subsp. millefolium
Allium cepa L.
Allium sativum L.
Althaea officinalis L.
Capsella bursapastoris
Medik.
Vernacular Name
Family
Parts Used
Preparation
Uses
Civanperçemi
Asteraceae
Leaves
Poultice
Wounds, Furuncle
Mutfak Soğanı
Sarmısak
Hatmi, Tıbbi hatmi
Liliaceae
Liliaceae
Malvaceae
Bulbus
Bulbus
Leaves
Crushed + salt
Crushed
Infusion
Sprain, Edema, Bruise
Snake bite
Mouth Diseases
Çoban çantası
Brassicaceae
Leaves
Poultice
Hemorrhoids, Wounds
Euphorbia stricta L.
Sütleğen
Ficus carica ssp. carica L. İncir
Kantaron otu, Sarı
Hypericum perforatum L.
kantaron, Mide otu
Euphorbiaceae
Moraceae
Fruits’ Juice +
Snuffing
Water
Fruits’ Juice +
Drop
Water
Latex
Fresh
Latex
Fresh
Clusiaceae
Leaves
Keeped in olive oil Wounds
Juglans regia L.
Ceviz
Juglandaceae
Laurus nobilis L.
Defne
Lauraceae
Leaves
Leaves
Fruits
Lilium candidum L.
Zambak
Liliaceae
Leaves
Malva sylvestris L.
Matricaria chamomilla L.
Morus nigra L.
Paeonia mascula (L.)
Miller
Paliurus spina-christi
Miller
Ebegümeci
Papatya
Karadut
Malvaceae
Asteraceae
Moraceae
Leaves
Flowers
Fruit Juice
Infusion
Infusion
Crushed
Crushed with olive
oil
Poultice
Decoction
Crushed
Syphilis
Eczema, Herpes, Pimples
Antiseptic
Wounds, Edema, Toothache
Wounds, Furuncle
Alopecia
Mouth Diseases
Şakayık
Paeoniaceae
Roots
Infusion
Sore Throat
Karaçalı, öküz gözü
Rhamnaceae
Leaves
Poultice
Wounds, Furuncle
Aerial Parts
Papaver rhoeas L.
Gelincik
Papaveraceae
Poultice
Wounds
Poultice with olive
Burns
oil
Parietaria judaica L.
Duvar fesleğeni,
yapışkan otu
Urticaceae
Ecballium elaterium (L.)
A. Rich.
Ilker Ugulu
Eşek hıyarı, Şeytan
keleği, Acı dülek
Cucurbitaceae
Aerial Parts
Leaves
Decoction
Sinusitis
Earache
Toothache
Warts
Mouth Wounds
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Local knowledge about plants used for external therapies in Alasehir
Peganum harmala L.
Pinus pinea L.
Pistacia terebinthus L.
subsp. terebinthus
Üzerlik
Fıstık Çamı
Zygophyllaceae
Pinaceae
Roots
Gum
Decoction
Decoction
Hemorrhoids
Wounds
Menengiç, Çitlembik
Anacardiaceae
Leaves
Decoction
Antifungal
Plantago lanceolata L.
Sinir otu
Plantaginaceae
Leaves
Poultice
Platanus orientalis L.
Quercus coccifera L.
Çınar
Dikenli pınar
Platanaceae
Fagaceae
Leaves
Roots
Petals
Decoction
Infusion
Juice
Rosa damescena L.
Gül
Rosaceae
Petals
Juice
Aerial Parts
Leaves
Leaves
Leaves
Seeds
Leaves
Aerial Parts
Aerial Parts
Leaves
Leaves
Leaves
Leaves
Aerial Parts
Decoction
Decoction
Crushed
Crushed
Decoction
Poultice
Poultice
Poultice
Decoction
Poultice
Decoction
Decoction
Infusion
Rosmarinus officinalis L. Kuşdili, biberiye
Rubus canescens DC.
Böğürtlen, Gür üzüm
Lamiaceae
Rosaceae
Rumex crispus L.
Kuzukulağı
Polygonaceae
Scolymus hispanicus L.
Scrophularia libanotica L.
Sedum album L.
Solanum nigrum L.
Thymbra spicata L.
Tussilago farfara L.
Şevketi bostan
Süpürge otu
Damkoruğu
İtüzümü, kopek üzümü
Zahter
Öksürük otu
Asteraceae
Scrophulariaceae
Crassulaceae
Solanaceae
Lamiaceae
Asteraceae
Urtica dioica L.
Isırgan, Gidişken
Urticaceae
Viola tricolor L.
Menekşe
Violaceae
In depth analysis on the families has shown
that family Asteraceae is represented by highest
number of species (4 species). Liliaceae is
represented by three species. These are followed
by Malvaceae, Moraceae, Lamiaceae, Rosaceae
and Urticaceae, each represented by two species. The rest are represented one species each
(20 families). In a study carried out in Izmir, it
was seen that plants belonging to the families of
Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae (Ugulu et al.
2009), Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae in Catalca (Genc and Ozhatay 2006), Rosaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae in Merzifon (Ezer and Arisan
2006) are used commonly by the people of the
regions.
All parts of various plant species are used in
the traditional medication of different diseases,
however, the most frequently used parts are
leaves. The utilization and administration of the
medicinal plants vary depending on the type of
diseases. Sometimes, local people also used other ingredients, such as salt, olive oil to prepare
the remedies. The most frequently used way of
applying the external therapies is decocting the
usable part, homogenizing in water and coating
on the surface of the affected body part. When
other studies concerning nearby areas were evaIlker Ugulu
Bee Bites, Heat Rash, Furuncle
Edema
Wounds
Skin Care
Mouth Wounds, Bruise,
Cuts
Wounds
Wounds, Burns
Hemorrhoids
Rheumatism
Hemostatic
Inflamed wounds
Corn, Hemorrhoids
Wounds, Rheumatism
Eczema
Furuncles, Paniculas
Rheumatism
Skin Diseases
Eczema, Acne, Expectorant
luated, it was seen that decoction and infusion
are the methods mostly used for the preparation
of the folk medicine (Tuzlacı and Tolon 2000;
Kargioglu et al. 2008; Ugulu et al. 2009).
The study found that some of the plants are
collected for commercial purposes by local
people: Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Juglans
regia and Rosa damescena are largely cultivated
for harvesting. These plants have great economic importance in Turkey. Hypericum perforatum, Laurus nobilis, Malva sylvestris, Morus
nigra, Peganum harmala, Rubus canescens,
Rumex crispus, Scolymus hispanicus and Urtica
dioica are wild harvested and these plants are
sold bazaars and markets.
The fidelity level (FL) calculated for each
medicinal plant (Table 2). Obviously, the remedies for frequently reported aliments have the
highest FL value and those with low number of
reports have the lowest FL values. The remedies, such as Ficus carica ssp. carica (65%),
have low FL value because the majority of the
informants do not know the dosage and the methods of preparation of the remedies.
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Local knowledge about plants used for external therapies in Alasehir
Int. J. Med. Arom. Plants
Table 2: The most commonly used medicinal
plants against gastrointestinal disorders and
their major uses with their fidelity level. (0 =
The least, 100 = The highest efficiency).
Species
Allium cepa
Local name
Uses
Mutfak Soğanı Sprain, Edema,
Bruise
Rosa damescena Gül
Skin Care
Hypericum perfo- Kantaron otu, Wounds
ratum
Sarı kantaron,
Mide otu
Laurus nobilis
Defne
Antiseptic
Morus nigra
Karadut
Mouth Diseases
Urtica dioica
Skin Diseases
Isırgan,
Gidişken
Viola tricolor
Menekşe
Eczema, Acne
Rubus canescens Böğürtlen, Gür Wounds, Burns
üzüm
Allium sativum
Sarmısak
Snake bite
Warts
Ficus carica ssp. İncir
carica
Fidelity
Level
(FL) (%)
100
Balick, M.J., Cox, P.A.R. 1996. Plants People
and Culture. The science of ethnobotany.
Scientific American Library, New York,
USA. 219 p.
95
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Cakilcioglu, U., Turkoglu, I., 2010. An
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89
88
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Davis, P.H. (Ed.) 1965–1985 Flora of Turkey
and the East Aegean Islands, Vols. 1–9.
Edinburg University Press, Edinburg.
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Davis, P.H., Mill, R.R., Tan, K. 1988. Flora of
Turkey and the East Aegean Islands (Supplement), Vol. 10. Edinburg University Press,
Edinburg.
71
65
Gathering
Traditional
Ethnobotanical
Knowledge (TEK) about how people deal with
their natural surrounding is not only important
for the recording of indigenous traditions and
the richness of this heritage, but also gives us
some of the information necessary to protect our
natural habitat in the long term. In this perspective, the knowledge of medicinal plants used by
the people of Alasehir seems to be well known
to its culture and tradition. Finally, the purpose
of this paper is to document the TEK and draw
the attention of pharmacologists and other relevant scientist for further scientific research in
this line.
Acknowledgement: Author would like to especially thank Gulser Isik and locals for their
precious knowledge and support for the study.
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