Comparative analysis of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in Italy and Tunisia

Bibliographic Data

ID4675829
AuthorsMaria Lucia Leporatti (Sapienza University of Rome), Kamel Ghedira (University of Monastir, corresponding author)
Year2009
Volume5
Issue1
Pages31-31
Publication date2009-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1746-4269 • E-ISSN: 1746-4269
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1186/1746-4269-5-31
PMID19857257
PMCIDPMC2773757
OpenAlexW2059278793
LanguageEN
Citations received36
References cited16

BACKGROUND: Italy and Tunisia (Africa for the Romans), facing each other on the opposite sides of the Mediterranean Sea, have been historically linked since the ancient times. Over the centuries both countries were mutually dominated so the vestiges and traces of a mutual influence are still present. The aim of the present study is to conduct a comparative analysis of the medicinal species present in the respective Floras in order to explore potential analogies and differences in popular phytotherapy that have come out from those reciprocal exchanges having taken place over the centuries METHODS: The comparative analysis based on the respective floras of both countries takes into consideration the bulk of medicinal species mutually present in Italy and Tunisia, but it focuses on the species growing in areas which are similar in climate. The medicinal uses of these species are considered in accordance with the ethnobotanical literature. RESULTS: A list of 153 medicinal species belonging to 60 families, present in both floras and used in traditional medicine, was drawn. A considerable convergence in therapeutic uses of many species emerged from these data. CONCLUSION: This comparative analysis strengthens the firm belief that ethno-botanical findings represent not only an important shared heritage, developed over the centuries, but also a considerable mass of data that should be exploited in order to provide new and useful knowledge

Agroforestry · Biodiversity · Biology · Ethnobotany · Geography · Medicinal plants · Traditional medicine · African Botany and Ecology Studies · Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies · Historical and Architectural Studies · Medicine · Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna · Ecology

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