Fijian Medicinal Plants

Abstract

This comprehensive compilation presents the available reports on the medicinal use of Fijian plants in an attractive and readable form using 'everyday' terms as much as possible. The book covers the origin and dispersal of plants, literature, use of medicinal plants within traditional Fijian culture, diseases of Fiji, and medicinal chemicals from plants. Four hundred and fifty plant species are described.The entries for species are arranged by plant family, and give current botanical name, Fijian or local name, brief botanical notes, medicinal uses and chemistry. Separate indexes to plant species and Fijian names are provided, as well as a glossary of medicinal and botanical terms.This book may point the way to plants from which new and effective cures might be obtained.

Medicinal plant use in Vanuatu: A comparative ethnobotanical study of three islands

“…However, it has been widely adapted as a medicinal plant, certainly because of the good accessibility, but probably also due to its medicinal effects. Its methanol and/or water extracts show antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris and Enterobacter aerogenes (Cambie and Ash, 1994;Ghosh et al, 2008) and sesquiterpene lactones with activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans have been isolated as well (Boeker et al, 1987;Facey et al, 1999;Bakir et al, 2004;Huang et al, 2004), some also showing cytotoxic activity (Cambie and Ash, 1994). The plant collection localities were divided into five major areas: village, garden (home gardens, forest gardens and coconut plantations), wayside, primary-and secondary forest and beach.…”

Bioactive ellagitannins from Cunonia macrophylla, an endemic Cunoniaceae from New Caledonia

“…Few New Caledonian species have been studied for pharmaceutical properties, and the literature on the Cunoniaceae family is poor, in this subject (Luis Diego Gomez, 1995;Bosisio et al, 2000), particularly in relation to their chemistry (Bate-Smith, 1977;Wollenweber et al, 2000). However, some members of the Cunoniaceae are well known to have medicinal properties and are used to cure various diseases (Luis Diego Gomez, 1995;Cambie and Ash, 1931;Rageau, 1957).…”

Morinda citrifolia Linn. (Rubiaceae) leaf extracts mitigate UVB-induced erythema

“…Additionally, the plant has been widely used in tropical folk medicine for a number of conditions [3]. The leaves were found by indigenous people to be particularly useful in treating various types of inflammation and poisonous fish and insect stings [4,5]. The leaves are reported to have been one of the leading plants used in the Marquesas Islands to treat topical inflammation, as well as in Rotuma for burns [6,7].…”