Volume 155, Issue 3, 29 September 2014, Pages 1450–1466
Ethnobotanical survey of usage of fresh medicinal plants in Singapore
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
The
use of medicinal plants in human health has been documented since
ancient times and they provide a useful source of new therapeutics. In
Singapore, despite the accessibility to modern healthcare, there still
exist pockets of the population who choose to use locally grown fresh
medicinal plants for health promotion and even therapeutic purposes.
However to date, there is no published report of first-hand account of
their usage in Singapore. As land is scarce and rapidly used for
re-development, such important knowledge may be lost if not properly
documented in time. This work safeguards the local folk knowledge, and
provides information on common and scarcely reported fresh medicinal
plants. The objective of this study is to gather information regarding
the usage of fresh medicinal plants in Singapore through face-to-face
interviews.
Materials and Methods
Information
on demographic data and plant-use methods were collated via
face-to-face interviews of 200 fresh medicinal plant users who have used
fresh medicinal plants in the last five years. The survey protocol was
approved by the National University of Singapore Institutional Review
Board and informed consent was obtained from every participant.
Results
A
total of 414 plants represented by 104 plant species from 44 families
were reportedly used by the 200 participants. The five most commonly
used plants were Clinacanthus nutans (34 users), Strobilanthes crispus (31 users), Pereskia bleo (25 users), Aloe vera (18 users) and Zingiber officinale
(16 users). Leaves were the most commonly used plant part while
preparing a decoction was the most common method of preparation. The
majority of interviewees used plants for general health purposes and to
treat diseases related to the respiratory system and cancer.
Conclusions
Our
survey has successfully documented the rich wealth of traditional usage
and knowledge on 414 fresh medicinal plants grown in Singapore through
face-to-face interviews with 200 users. This study will serve as a
useful resource for identifying promising plants for future drug
discovery efforts. Scientific evaluations of these medicinal plants are
warranted and should be carried out.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Survey;
- Traditional medicine;
- Cold and influenza;
- Cancer;
- Cardiovascular;
- Traditional Chinese medicine
- Corresponding author. Tel.:
+65 6516 7962.
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