An Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants in the Greek Islands of North Aegean Region

Abstract

Greek islands of the North Aegean Region are a group of nine inhabited islands (Lemnos, Agios Efstratios, Lesvos, Chios, Psara, Oinousses, Samos, Ikaria, and Fourni) located in the northern part of the Aegean Sea, close to Asia Minor. Each island of this region can be considered autonomous in terms of culture and biodiversity. With this work we try to evaluate the status of the traditional uses of medicinal plants in this region. Endemic and endangered species such as Sideritis sipylea Boiss., Origanum sipyleum L., Thymus sipyleus Boiss., Pistacia lentiscus L., Verbascum ikaricum Murb., are still used by locals to treat different ailments. Moreover, the use of some species for the treatment of specific diseases has been reported for the first time. We report about 109 wild plants of medicinal importance, from 52 families, listing their uses for therapeutic purposes and galenic preparations provided by local medical doctors and pharmacists. The information we include was derived from literature sources and additionally collected through semi-structured interviews conducted on 200 informants (100 men and 100 women). Additionally, informant consensus factor (FIC) and UV value were calculated for the medicinal plants in the current study in relation with the diseases treated. This research confirms the importance of the medicinal plants and the diffusion of their use in traditional medicine within this region. This ethnopharmacological survey is a fundamental step for the preservation of the local knowledge both for further scientific research and for the protection of endangered and endemic medicinal plants.

Local knowledge about sustainable harvesting and availability of wild medicinal plant species in Lemnos island, Greece

“…Despite the fact that 25 plant species cited as harvested and utilized in our study are occurring in the study of Axiotis et al [45], similarities in terms of medicinal uses are not proportionally as many. From 204 medicinal uses assigned to these 25 plant species in our work, only 19 coincide with the medicinal uses presented by Axiotis et al [45] (Additional file 2).…”

“…Despite the fact that 25 plant species cited as harvested and utilized in our study are occurring in the study of Axiotis et al [45], similarities in terms of medicinal uses are not proportionally as many. From 204 medicinal uses assigned to these 25 plant species in our work, only 19 coincide with the medicinal uses presented by Axiotis et al [45] (Additional file 2). It is not clear though whether these medicinal uses were reported by local people of Lemnos, as the results of their study rely on information collected on a sample of 200 members inhabiting nine islands of the Northeastern Aegean region where diversity of WMP uses seems very high.…”

“…The skin wart and toothache therapeutic properties of F. carica latex have been presented by locals of the Alaşehir region [56], the Marmara island [51], and Turgutlu district [50]. The effects of infused Melissa officinalis L. flowering stems as sedative and treatment against memory disturbances, coughing, and abdominal pain, that have also been reported by Axiotis et al [45] (Greece), are cited by people living at the neighboring Edremit Gulf [60] and Kapıdağ Peninsula [61]. Same or very similar processing methods (olive oil lotion) and applications (healing of skin wounds, hemorrhoids, stomach ailments, and ulcer) of H. perfoliatum and H. perforatum are described in the works of Sargin et al [56], Bulut [51], Ugulu [62], Uysal et al [61], and Polat and Satıl [60].…”

“…This study of WMPs is the first that followed ethnobotanical methodology exclusively on Lemnos island, collecting information not only on the botanical level but also documenting harvesting practices, processing techniques, preparation methods, and medicinal applications for treatment or prevention of diseases and health issues. The island of Lemnos was previously included in only one ethnobotanical study, conducted by Axiotis et al [45], that evaluated the status of traditional medicinal plant uses in the Northeastern Aegean region. From a total of 69 WMP species of Lemnos presented in their study, 34 are also occurring in this work as known by our respondents, while the rest were not cited by any of them (Table 1).…”

“…List of wild medicinal plants known by knowledgeable harvesters of Lemnos (n = 16) (Continued)Plant species presented in the study of Axiotis et al[45] as being utilized for medicinal purposes by locals in the Greek islands of North Aegean Region…”