Ethnopharmacobotany and Diversity of Mediterranean Endemic Plants in Marmilla Subregion, Sardinia, Italy

Abstract

Human populations in various regions across the world exploit the medicinal properties of plants to treat a wide variety of diseases. Areas with both high rates of endemic taxa and persisting traditional uses of the local botanical resources are key sites for the investigation of Traditional Botanical Knowledge (TBK). Commonly, in these areas, information regarding the medicinal properties of native plants has been transmitted orally from generation to generation, however, a rapid decline in this knowledge has been observed, which can be attributed to socio-economic changes in recent years. The Mediterranean basin is one such site, where human history is intimately entwined with nature. The unique geographical situation and unrivaled environmental heterogeneity of the area, have allowed both the development of diverse civilizations as well as providing the basis for the evolution of extraordinary biodiversity. The Mediterranean basin can therefore be considered a global hotspot of endemic vascular plants, and of traditional knowledge of medicinal and aromatic species. This study researches the historical subregion of Marmilla (central-southern Sardinia, Italy), which was chosen because of its specific cultural and demographic characteristics: i.e., prolonged isolation and extreme longevity of the inhabitants of the area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 145 people from the region, and 137 medicinal plants belonging to 62 families were identified, of which around 57,3% were taxa exclusive to the Mediterranean Basin. Findings showed that the most used parts of the plant were the leaves (49%), while as far as preparations are concerned, decoction (50%) was the most used to prepare medicinal formulations, making this the highest number of medico-botanical taxa reported in a study carried out in Sardinia using a similar methodology. In addition, this study contributes towards preventing the loss of TBK by documenting the medicinal traditions, passed down orally for centuries, in the words of the participants, shedding new light on the traditional knowledge of the inhabitants of the island. The findings lay the foundations for future applied studies in the fields of phytotherapy and phytochemical investigation.

Advances in the Phytochemical Characterisation and Bioactivities of Salvia aurea L. Essential Oil

“…One of the largest and most important genera of this family is the genus Salvia L., which comprises nearly 1000 species [ 9 ]. Some of these are cultivated worldwide for their culinary use as well as for medicinal purposes; in fact, they have long been employed in folk medicine [ 10 , 11 ]. Many species show important biological properties, including antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hypoglycemic, and antidementia effects [ 12 , 13 ].…”

Collaborative Monitoring of Plant Biodiversity and Research on Sweet Acorn Oaks within Paths of Knowledge and Sustainability Education

“…Although they were used for simple pathologies, elaborate preparations and uses seem to have existed against some pathologies of nontrivial etiology. Locally, there is a marked technocratic consciousness of the function of their natural principles, such as in other areas of the Mediterranean and in Sardinia itself [48], which are intended in their terminological fullness and not as a means through which some supernatural intercession can take place, as is the case in other non-European countries. The presence of such a large portion is also undoubtedly favored by the ideal microclimatic conditions of speciation, particularly for the more polymorphic plants, as well as the heterogeneity of the environments, which can unequivocally influence the formation of the phenotype and secondary metabolites.…”

Phytochemical Profiles and Biological Activities of Plant Extracts from Aromatic Plants Cultivated in Cyprus

“…The area of the Mediterranean basin is characterized by native plant species with numerous ecotypes. More than 10,000 different species of MAPs have been identified to date [11], while more than 50% of the vascular plants of the Mediterranean are exclusive to the region [12]. The phytochemical composition of MAPs could vary greatly and significantly depending on several factors, including the climate conditions (geo-climatic and seasonal changes, temperature, light, humidity, and developmental processes), the cultivation practices followed, and the genetic composition of each plant [4,13].…”

“…As a result, the pharmacological properties could also be affected. The Mediterranean region has been recently characterized as a complex area with multivariable geographical and ecological patterns that has an ongoing history of plant population evolution as it combines microhabitats and geographical isolation (i.e., islands) and includes many hot spots with high endemic and/or indigenous species and cultivars [12,14].…”