Plants used as remedies antirheumatic and antineuralgic in the traditional medicine of Lebanon.
OBJECTIVE
In the present investigation, ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological research of the traditional use of plants to cure antirheumatic and antineuralgic diseases was carried out in Lebanon.


METHODS
The information was collected from different cities and villages of the twenty-six districts "aqdya or qadaa" of the six governorates "mohaafazah" of Lebanon. The knowledge on the medicinal use of plants has been recorded directly on the basis of a detailed survey on herbalists "Attarin or dabbous", folk healers, on older experienced people and midwives "daye". This research was carried out for 5 years (2002-2007).


CONCLUSIONS
In this survey, 231 species of which 5 are endemic, distributed in 79 botanical families, currently used as antirheumatic herbal remedies, were collected and identified. Among them 53.3% are indigenous, 19.2% are cultivated and 17.5% are imported. Their latin names, local names, local medicinal uses, the used parts of the plant and the preparations and the ways of administration are described. The anti-inflammatory properties due to the plant compounds have been demonstrated and discussed.
El Beyrouthy
Marc
M
Faculty of Agronomy, Holly-Spirit University, Kaslik, Lebanon.
Marc
El Beyrouthy
el B
Arnold
Nelly
N
Nelly
Arnold
A
Delelis-Dusollier
Annick
A
Annick
Delelis-Dusollier
DD
Dupont
Frederic
F
Frederic
Dupont
D
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D005843:Geography; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D029001:Herbal Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007861:Lebanon; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy
D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D028321:Plant Preparations