The green synthesis, characterization and evaluation of the biological activities of silver nanoparticles synthesized from Iresine herbstii leaf aqueous extracts.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants from the Humla district of western Nepal.

http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/biodiversity/sahyadri_enews/newsletter/issue42/bibliography/Ethnobotanical-survey-of-medicinal-plants-commonly-used-by-Kani-tribals-in-Tirunelveli-hills.PDF

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants commonly used by Kani tribals in Tirunelveli hills of Western Ghats, India.

There is controversy about whether traditional medicine can guide drug discovery, and investment in bioprospecting informed by ethnobotanical data has fluctuated. One view is that traditionally used medicinal plants are not necessarily efficacious and there are no robust methods for distinguishing those which are most likely to be bioactive when selecting species for further testing. Here, we reconstruct a genus-level molecular phylogenetic tree representing the 20,000 species found in the floras of three disparate biodiversity hotspots: Nepal, New Zealand, and the Cape of South Africa. Borrowing phylogenetic methods from community ecology, we reveal significant clustering of the 1,500 traditionally used species, and provide a direct measure of the relatedness of the three medicinal floras. We demonstrate shared phylogenetic patterns across the floras: related plants from these regions are used to treat medical conditions in the same therapeutic areas. This finding strongly indicates independent discovery of plant efficacy, an interpretation corroborated by the presence of a significantly greater proportion of known bioactive species in these plant groups than in random samples. We conclude that phylogenetic cross-cultural comparisons can focus screening efforts on a subset of traditionally used plants that are richer in bioactive compounds, and could revitalize the use of traditional knowledge in bioprospecting.

https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/109/39/15835.full.pdf

Phylogenies reveal predictive power of traditional medicine in bioprospecting.

Ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the inhabitants of Gallies - Abbottabad, Northern Pakistan.

Medicinal plant knowledge and its erosion among the Mien (Yao) in northern Thailand

Plant Diversity in Hmong and Mien Homegardens in Northern Thailand. We surveyed 180 homegardens in three Hmong and three Mien villages in northern Thailand to study their floristic diversity and composition and to understand the impact of forced migration and ecological conditions for the development of the rich homegarden flora. We also looked at the role of culturally important species as carriers of cultural identity. We found 406 species: 341 (99 families) and 270 species (90 families) in Hmong and Mien homegardens, respectively. Five lowland villages had the richest homegarden flora, in part due to the presence of many widespread species. Twenty-two species were widespread in tropical countries and found in most Hmong and Mien homegardens, and 14 additional common species were shared between Hmong and Mien homegardens. Seventeen species were exclusive to Hmong homegardens and eight to Mien homegardens; these we have designated as culturally important species. The presence of culturally important species determines the homegardens’ characteristics and reflects the cultural identity related to plant uses of a group. Similarities in floristic composition of the two groups can be attributed to widespread and common species. Floristic variation and diversity in homegardens were strongly related to homegarden geographical location, personal preference, and cultural background of the owners.

Plant Diversity in Hmong and Mien Homegardens in Northern Thailand

Jasminum rufohirtum Gagnep., previously known from China (Yunnan), Laos and Vietnam, is reported from northern Thailand. The species is described and illustrated.

Jasminum rufohirtum Gagnep. (Oleaceae), a new record for Thailand

Capparis sikkimensis Kurz subsp. yunnanensis (Craib & W.W. Sm.) Jacobs is newly recorded for Thailand from Doi Phu Kha National Park in Nan province. A description and illustration of the taxon are provided.

Capparis sikkimensis Kurz subsp. yunnanensis (Capparaceae), a new record for Thailand

Radermachera eberhardtii Dop, a new record for Thailand, is described and illustrated. The key to Radermachera in the Flora of Thailand is emended. Radermachera microcalyx C.Y. Wu & W.C. Yin, previously known from China (Guangxi and Yunnan), is placed in the synonymy of R. eberhardtii.

Prachaya Srisanga

Papers

Medicinal plant knowledge and its erosion among the Mien (Yao) in northern Thailand

Plant Diversity in Hmong and Mien Homegardens in Northern Thailand

Jasminum rufohirtum Gagnep. (Oleaceae), a new record for Thailand

Capparis sikkimensis Kurz subsp. yunnanensis (Capparaceae), a new record for Thailand

Radermachera eberhardtii (Bignoniaceae), a new record for Thailand