title: Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used by patients with psoriasis in the West Bank of Palestine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis is a frequent skin inflammatory disorder that inflicts millions of patients around the globe. To meet their healthcare needs, patients with psoriasis often seek treatment outside the allopathic paradigm. Use of medicinal plants has emerged as one of the most common and preferred modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The aim of this study was to investigate the use of medicinal plants by patients with psoriasis in the West Bank of Palestine.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study was a questionnaire based cross-sectional descriptive study on the use of medicinal plants by psoriasis patients in the West Bank of Palestine. A sample of 149 patients with psoriasis who were visiting outpatient clinics responded to the questionnaire in face to face interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Medicinal plants were used by 81 (54.4%) patients with psoriasis. Patients used 33 medicinal plants belonging to 26 families. Plants belonging to Lamiaceae and Leguminosae were the most commonly used by the study patients. Aloe vera, Trigonella arabica, Catharanthus roseus and Anthemis cotula were the most frequently used medicinal plants to treat psoriasis. Leaves and fruits were the most commonly used parts by the study patients. Paste was the most commonly used form of preparation. The use of medicinal plants was significantly associated with age and monthly household income of the patients. Enhancement of immunity, improving conventional therapy and reduction of side effects were the most commonly self-reported reasons for using medicinal plants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with psoriasis in Palestine seem to use medicinal plants as a CAM modality to manage their psoriasis. Many medicinal plants were commonly used by patients with psoriasis. More randomized clinical trials are needed to demonstrate safety and efficacy for the majority of these medicinal plants reported to be used by patients with psoriasis in Palestine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, New Campus, Building: 19, Office: 1340, PO Box 7, Nablus, Palestine. ramzi_shawahna@hotmail.com.|An-Najah BioSciences Unit, Center for Poisons Control, Chemical and Biological Analyses, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. ramzi_shawahna@hotmail.com.|Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine. ramzi_shawahna@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ramzi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shawahna
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
authors.forename: Nidal Amin
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Jaradat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: CAM; Ethnopharmacology; Medicinal plants; Palestine; Psoriasis