Quantitative Ethnobotanical Study of some Medicinal Plants used by Herbalists in Bahrain
2019
Alalwan, Tariq A. | Alkhuzai, Jameel A. | Jameel, Zainab | Mandeel, Qaher A.
Medicinal plants have long been used by Bahrainis to combat a wide spectrum of diseases. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first quantitative ethnobotanical study of the country, aimed to quantify the ethnobotanical knowledge of ten native medicinal plants commonly used by herbalists for treating various common ailments in Bahrain. Ten species of native wild medicinal plants were selected based on their prevalence, frequency of use and medicinal properties. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, in combination with a checklist/inventory method, were conducted with 40 well-known traditional herbalists. A quantitative analysis approach resulting in different indexes including the informant consensus factor and use value was performed to evaluate the ethnobotanical knowledge and medicinal plant’s use. Herbal remedies were prepared using either fresh plant material (72%) or dried material (8%) and mostly administered orally or topically. The most important species according to use-diversity values are Suaeda aegyptiaca (Hasselq.) Zohary for gastrointestinal problems, Anastatica heirochuntica L. for facilitating labor and Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. as a shampoo/cleansing agent. On average, the level of informant consensus was relativity high (0.87) while total consensus (1.0) was noted for jaundice, fever, diarrhea, back pain, lactation and respiratory problems. The documented information provides basic data on indigenous medicinal plants from Bahrain which potentially appear promising in the treatment of various health problems. Thus, it is advisable that the safety and efficacy of these medicinal plants be confirmed through experimental and phytochemical studies, ultimately leading to the development of standardized herbal medicines.
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