Research Article
Ethnobotany of Folk Medicinal Potentiality of Aquatic Plants in Jordan
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mutah University, P.O. Box 26, Karak -Jordan
Jordan is located between longitudes 53° 40 E and 39°E and between latitudes 29° 30 N and 34° N. Most of the area comprises deserts especially in south eastern and north eastern part in Maan, Jafer, Bayir, Azraq, H5 and H4. The area of study is dominated mainly by Saharo-arabian element which has annual precipitation not exceeding 100 mm, this is in addition to Mediterranean (which dominated the southern and the northern heights with annual precipitation of about 400 mm), Irano-turanian and Nubo-sindian along the Jordan rift valley and the strip from Tafilah to Aqaba region. The western regions that have high altitudes more than 1000 m above sea level in Shoubek, Karak and Sharah series which have high annual precipitation, were dominated by certain kind of vegetation similar to those found in northern heights in Ajlun mountains. While Aretmisia vegetation is characterizing Irano-turnain element which is extended between Petra to Tafileh (Al-Eisawi,1982; Bender, 1974; Boulos, 1977; Boulos and Al-Eisawi, 1977; Boulos and Lehham, 1977; Karim and Al-Quran, 1988; Zohary, 1973; Zohary and Feinbrun-Dothan, 1986).
The aquatic species are mainly distributed in or around the water resources in Jordan which are very limited, since Jordan is considered from the first ten poorest countries in the world. Jordan and Yarmouk river banks, marshes, swamps, ditches, geothermal springs (like Hammeh, northern Shouneh, Abo Dableh, Afra, Burbaitah), desert oases (like in Azraq, Jafer, Bayer), in addition to the small ponds and springs distributed in Jordan are the most popular water surfaces that exhibited highly diversified aquatic species exhibited therapeutic effects (Karim and Al-Quran, 1986).
It is obvious that plants have been used for medication early in history and the history, this herbal medicine is very old and popular worldwide. Those who practice these methods were called herbalists.
The Medicinal plants remained widely used in many areas of the world specially southern parts of Jordan even after the recent flourishing of chemistry of plants (phytochemistry). Greek and Egyptians were the most popular and famous nations in this field, who distributed this knowledge through ancient trade ways which influenced the development of the medicinal potentiality of the plants (Adailkan and Gauthaman, 2001; Stickel et al., 2000).
The therapeutic effects of medicinal plants of Jordan and neighbouring countries were investigated during the recent years. Most of these plants were wild of mediterranean and saharo-arabian elements. They are considered the major natural resource of folk medication by local rural inhabitants and experienced cattle owners during the grazing movements and forage requirements (Karim and Al-Quran, 1986; Khayyat and Mursi, 1981).
Many botanists and pharmacologists all over the world investigated the medicinal plants species specially used in traditions and folklore to extract the active constituents. The proper scientific means and techniques of extractions and identifications to determine finally the therapeutic effects and dosages (Eddouks et al., 2002; Harbonne, 1997; Heinrich, 2000, 2002; Joud et al., 2001).
The use of plants in medicine promoted the chemical analysis of medicinal plants for the active chemical constituents to be extracted and later synthesized (Krebs, 2001; Prance, 2001; Rates, 2001; Stickel et al., 2000).
There are many botanical resources to depend upon to compare the ethnobotany in southern Jordan and neighbouring countries, specially Syria, Palestine and Iraq. This kind of comparison may be helpful to know the degree of similarity between them, which consequently gives the evidence of new records of therapeutic effects not recorded previously.
This study aims to verify the phytomedicinal wealth present in the investigated area depending on some verifying steps to differentiate among the different levels of popularity since the investigated area is unique with high level of species diversity. The inhabitants have intimate relationship with the earth and its natural resources as source of their food and medication. The majority of the people are beduoins and rural, oriented and well-experienced in this field of science, which therefore increases the responsibilities for protecting these species from the factors of threatening and endangering. Consequently, this kind of cultural heritage may be reinforced and layed down in the track of scientific measures (Rates, 2001; Stickel et al., 2000).
During the period of February 2001- October 2002, field work investigation was done to formulate the ethnobotanical information and their medicinal verification in the area of study. Interviews with 80 informants was done; 50 men and 30 women from different parts of the area, whose age ranged from 40-70 years, most of the interviewees (60 persons) were more than 60 years old and they belong to families which have a strong linkage with folk medicine since they were beduoins and rural inhabitants with long experience. Most of the people were either native borne or had been living in the area for more than 30 years, they were mainly either local healers, herbalists, shepherds, experienced adults or old patients.
During the first phase, preliminary data were collected from the informants through the field work. Experienced people were asked to inform where the medicinal species were located and what were the major therapeutic effects. Structured interviews were then conducted to collect more specific information, which was used to detect the traditional methods of preparation and remedation for each species quoted.
The taxonomic identity of medicinal taxa mentioned by interviewees was confirmed precisely by several methods; either by comparison with the already identified specimens preserved in the herbaria of Jordan Universities and Ministry of Agriculture, or fresh plant specimens or dried samples were shown to the interviewees for precise recognition. Questions addressed to the informants were mainly focused on the purpose of plant application, ways of preparation, medicinal plant parts and dosages required.
Each species not recognized by the interviwees was photographed before collection. Flora Palaestina (Zohary and Feinbrun-Dothan, 1986) in its four volumes and the herbaria of research centers in Jordanian Universities and Ministry of Agriculture were used for the identification of the specimens collected. Thirteen geographical sites were investigated; they were: (1) Ajlun springs, (2) Araba valley, (3) Dissi and Towisi, (4) Aqaba region, (5) Zarah springs, (6) Azraq, (7) Maan, (8) Afra, (9) Tafileh springs (10) Northern Hammeh, (11) Jafer, (12) Bayir and (13) Burbaitah.
The pharmacological terms used in this study were taken from different pharmacological resources and specialized dictionaries (Karim and Al-Quran, 1986; Khayyat and Mursi, 1981; Prance, 2001; Stickel et al., 2000) which dealt mainly with the terms in the field of pharmacognosy relating medicinal and pharmaceutical materials of the plants.
The therapeutic effects of the medicinal species were accepted if mentioned by at least 3 informants native to the area of survey and/or have been living in the area for at least 30 years, while those mentioned by less than 3 informants were not accepted and excluded from further consideration. Three verifying parameters were used to reach this goal; Fidelity Level (FL), Relative Popularity Level (RPL) and Rank Order Priority (ROP), similar to that calculated by Friedman et al. (1986).
FL was calculated typically: (Ip/Iu)x100, where Ip is the number of informants who informed the specific therapeutic effect of the plant, while Iu is the number of informants who informed any therapeutic effect of the plant. Then RPL (calculated as percentage of Iu /30) was given a score of 1 if mentioned by at least half the number of informants (15 or more since the highest number of informants of any therapeutic effect is 30) and in this case it was considered popular, while given less than 1 if mentioned by more than 3 but less than 15 and in this case it was considered as nonpopular, while the value of less than 3 informats is excluded. ROP was calculated typically as: FLxRPL, ROP value represents the high popularity of the medicinal plants.
Eighty seven native medicinal species were mentioned by 80 informants interviewed in this study, 26 species (29.9%) were mentioned by less than 3 informants and so excluded from further consideration, while 33 species (38%) were mentioned by 3 informants or more but less than 15 and therefore considered as nonpopular medicinal plants, but 23 species (32.1%) were considered as popular medicinal plants since they were mentioned by 15 or more informants (Table 1 and 2).
Table 1: | List of wild aquatic dicots in Jordan with their families, common names, number of vouchers, quotation frequency, medicinal parts and records of similar therapeutic effects in neighbouring countries |
A: amphibious plant (present near water). St: stem, E: emerge. Fl :Flower, F: floating. S: submerged. W: well-known wild plant. •: low frequency, ••: medium frequency •••: high frequency, L: leaf R: Root, Se: Seed Fr :Fruit, Wh: Whole plant Com.:Common, Vouch ;Voucher Hab.:Habit, Quot.:Quotation Freq.:Frequency, Med.:Medicinal Sim.:Similar, Reco :Record |
Table 2: | List of wild aquatic dicots with relative to their number of informants, major therapeutic effects, FL, RPL, ROP, Iu and Ip values, human or cattle affected, administration and record place |
FL: Fidelity Level ROP : Rank-Order Priority, RPL: Relative Popularity Level Iu: Number of informants for any effect, Ip: Number of informants for specific effect H : Human, C : Cattle Ext.: External, Int.: Internal Admin.: Adminstration, Reco : Record |
Many of the medicinal species have no similarity in their medicinal uses and therapeutic effects with those recorded in the neighbouring countries specially Iraq and Palestine. These plants included 63 species (72.4%) while 24 species (27.6%) have such similarities, therefore the second group is considered as newly recorded medicinal uses and therapeutic effects.
The medicinal species recorded were belonging to 59 genera and 33 families, 41 species were well-known wild, while 46 species were investigated and photographed in the field. Twenty one species (24%) have ROP values of 50 or more which represented the highest rank order priority among medicinal species investigated (Table 2).
The highly ranked medicinal plants with ROP values of 50 or more were represented by only 21 species (24%) in this study and can be classified according to their medicinal uses and therapeutic effects into many different categories depending on the internal or external uses.
• | Aquatic medicinal plants useful as expectorant, astringent, muscular relaxant of uterus and arteries, carminative, antispasmodic, antiepileptic, for impotency, narcotic, antipyretic, diaphoretic, cathartic, hypnotic, analgesic, antineuralgic, antiarthritis, antirheumatic and antitussive: Atropa belladonna L. (ROP 80), Lavandula coronopifolia Lam. (ROP 75), Mentha aquatica L. 9ROP 73), Mentha graveolens Ehrb. (ROP 76), Mentha longifolia (L.) Hudson (ROP 64), Myosotis discolor Pers. (ROP 50), Salix acmophyla Boiss (ROP 65), Salix triandra L. (ROP 71) and Withania somnifera (L.) Dunel (ROP 71). |
• | Aquatic medicinal plants useful as anilithic, for intestinal colic, for gastric disturbances, antidysentric, cholagogue, emmenagogue, antiseptic and renal calculi: Inula crithmoides L. (ROP 83), Salix acmophyla Boiss (ROP 65), Salix alba L. (ROP 56), Salix babylonica Boiss (ROP 53) and Verbena officinalis L. (ROP 60). |
• | Aquatic medicinal plants useful in skin diseases, antiscabies, anti-inflammatory: Euphorbia exigua L.(ROP 80), Glycyrhiza glabra L. (ROP 89) and Inula viscose (L.) Aiton (ROP 82). |
• | Medicinal plants useful as aphrodisiac, diuretic and cardiac tonic: Glycyrhiza glabra L. (ROP 89), Nasturtium officinale (ROP 53) and Populus euphratica Oliver (ROP 53). |
• | Medicinal plants useful as hypoglycemic and antidiabetic, for haemorrhoides, for internal bleeding, relieves flatulence, vermifuge and purgative: Heliotropium supinum L. (ROP 71), Inula graveolens (L.) Desf. (ROP 76), Inula viscose (L.) Aiton (ROP 82), Mentha aquatica L. (ROP 73), Mentha graveolens Ehreb (ROP 75), Nasturtium officinale R.Br. (ROP 53), Populus euphratica Oliver (ROP 53), Populus nigra L. (ROP 81) and Withania somnifera (L.) Dunel (ROP 71). |
It is obvious from the above data, that Jordan has exhibited highly diversified wild aquatic medicinal species (87 species belonging to 59 genera and 33 families), which were confirmed by three or more informants. This diversity refers to the fact that it has at least four main phytogeographical elements which includes the lowest point in their altitude under sea level in Dead sea area (-400 m) and the highest point in Sharah series (1440 m).
This high diversity is, in part, due to the type of people inhabited this area and interviewed, most of them were beduoins and rural inhabitants have long experience in folk medicine as local healers, herbalists, shephards and well-experienced persons.
This plant wealth requires that researchers pay attention to this natural resource to be protected from the threatening and endangering factors especially rare and endemic species.
The ethnobotanical survey of folk medicinal aquatic plants in Jordan is considered as clear evidence for the intimate interconnected integration between the local people and earth natural resources, which support the return to the earth and discovering the cultural and traditional symbolism for this manifestation in form of sustainable development.
This study opens the doors widely to the scientific approach to approve the validity of folk medicine are improve the pharmaceutical industries based on natural resources. This challenge needs further investigations to recognize the active constituents found in each species.
It is obvious that the number of medicinal plants verified by calculating FL, RPL and finally ROP as three main popularity levels in Jordan is relatively high and this conclusion is contrary to that found by Friedman et al. (1986) among Bedouins in the Negev desert. Friedman found only eight medicinal species that have ROP values above 50 (12.7%), while in this study 21 medicinal species were found that have ROP values above 50 (24% ) and this is because the kind of people in the southern part of Jordan still have higher linkage with folk medicine and natural resources.