Articles
MEDICINAL USE OF SOME PLANTS IN GALICIA (NW SPAIN)
Article number
629_8
Pages
63 – 75
Language
English
Abstract
In recent years, modern medicine has largely replaced traditional medicine and phytotherapy has been substituted for the use of chemically synthesized products.
In this work, information has been collected through interviews on traditional therapeutic use of 84 species belonging to 38 families of medicinal plants with the aim to rescue and preserve a part of Galician traditional culture.
Lamiaceae and Asteraceae have provided the higher number of species of medicinal interest (29 %), followed by Liliaceae, Poaceae and Rosaceae.
The plants used more frequently and which present more diversified uses are Rosmarinus officinalis and Sambucus nigra. Other plants which are often employed are Ruta graveolens, Urtica dioica, Malva sp., Juglans regia and Allium sativum. The parts of the plant more frequently used are leaves, flowers, underground parts and fruits, in decreasing order.
The most usual preparation method is infusion (42 %) and, as regards to therapeutic use, the treatments for internal administration (60 %) are more common that the ones for external application.
Some new medicinal uses are reported from species such as: Taxus baccata, Saxifraga spathularis, Taraxacum officinale, Osmunda regalis or Sylibum marianum.
In this work, information has been collected through interviews on traditional therapeutic use of 84 species belonging to 38 families of medicinal plants with the aim to rescue and preserve a part of Galician traditional culture.
Lamiaceae and Asteraceae have provided the higher number of species of medicinal interest (29 %), followed by Liliaceae, Poaceae and Rosaceae.
The plants used more frequently and which present more diversified uses are Rosmarinus officinalis and Sambucus nigra. Other plants which are often employed are Ruta graveolens, Urtica dioica, Malva sp., Juglans regia and Allium sativum. The parts of the plant more frequently used are leaves, flowers, underground parts and fruits, in decreasing order.
The most usual preparation method is infusion (42 %) and, as regards to therapeutic use, the treatments for internal administration (60 %) are more common that the ones for external application.
Some new medicinal uses are reported from species such as: Taxus baccata, Saxifraga spathularis, Taraxacum officinale, Osmunda regalis or Sylibum marianum.
Authors
M.P. González-Hernádez, R. Romero, M. Rodriguez-Guitián, A. Rigueiro
Keywords
Galician ethnobotany, medicinal plants, traditional medicine
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