Medicinal plants traditionally used to treat skin diseases in Turkey – eczema, psoriasis, vitiligo
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ankara Üniversitesi
Abstract
Objective: Different types of skin diseases negatively affect the lives of many people, both physically and
mentally. Here, we aimed to document medicinal plants used as traditional folk medicine for the treatment of
eczema, psoriasis and vitiligo in Turkey.
Material and Method: Literature search was conducted by screening ethnobotanical studies. Moreover,
pharmacological and phytochemical studies were reviewed to assess the efficacy of the most commonly used
plants on skin diseases.
Result and Discussion: In total, 191 taxa belonging to 134 genera and 64 families were determined as
being traditional herbal medicines used in defined skin diseases. Based on their number of citations, the most
frequently used medicinal plant species are Juglans regia L. (19), Urtica dioica L. (18), Juniperus oxycedrus
L. (9), Chelidonium majus L. (8), Dracunculus vulgaris Schott (7), Ecballium elaterium (L.) A. Rich. (6), Ficus
carica L. (6), Malva sylvestris L. (6) and Rosa canina L. (6), respectively. It is concluded that several
pharmacological and phytochemical studies support the traditional usage of plants, but further studies are
needed. All findings are expected to be the basis for novel pharmaceutical products and a handbook for
healthcare professionals
Description
Keywords
Ethnobotany, Medicinal plants, Skin diseases, Traditional medicine