N.A.Mamedov1*, N.P. Mehdiyeva2
and L.E. Craker1
1Medicinal Plant Program, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
2
Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences, Baku, Azerbaijan
*Corresponding author: mamedov@cas.umass.edu
Date received: March 23, 2015
Keywords: Caucasus, flora, folk medicine, herbs, herbal remedies.
ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants and preparations derived
from plants in the Caucasus and North America
regions have for a long time been used for the
treatment and prevention of virtually all human
afflictions. Even today, countries and people of
these areas continue to test and use plants as
medicine. Indeed, the study and application of
medicinal plants and plant extracts has formed the
basis for treatment of several diseases, pain, and
other afflictions. Research has revealed that many
plants synthesize and accumulate natural constituents
that have active physiological and
psychological effects on the human body. A
number of plant extracts that have been used as
medicines over hundreds of years are constituents
in most modern prescription drugs. The arrays of
environments within the Caucasus Mountains and
North America have produced a diverse flora with
an assortment of medicinal properties. Due to
curative powers, a number of these plant species
continue to be used in folk medicines.
INTRODUCTION
Medicinal plants are an important source of
medicines for use in traditional herbal remedies and
in the development of modern pharmaceuticals.
During the past 30 years, constituents from a number
of plants have been used in the industrial development
of chemotherapeutic drugs to treat human
afflictions, such as cardiovascular diseases (Sokolov,
1994-1996; Sokolov and Zamotayev, 1987; Sachdeva
and Bhatia, 1980), gastrointestinal problems (Sokolov,
1994-1996; Sokolov and Zamotayev, 1987; Imperato,
1991; Richardson, 1983), respiratory afflicttions
(Sokolov, 1994-1996; Sokolov and Zamotayev, 1987),
and cancer (Roytta, M. et al., 1987). Indeed,
approximately 25 percent of drugs used in medical
treatments originated from plants (Sokolov and
Zamotayev, 1987; Leung, 1980).
Flora of the Caucasus are very diverse with more
than 6000 known species of higher plants (Shreter, et
al., 1979). Among these plant materials, an estimated
1000 species have medicinal applications used in
traditional folk medicines and approximately 180
species used in scientific medicine. Many of the
species used in folk medicine plant materials can be
used to supplement commercial pharmaceuticals
(Tolmachev, 1980; Shreter, et al., 1979).
Plants with medicinal applications are spread
widely across the Caucasus range in forests, steppes,
semi-deserts, deserts, grasslands, rocky exposures,
and as weeds in farm fields, orchards, and gardens
(Gammerman, et al., 1970). Undoubtedly, the diversity
of the natural environments in the Caucasus led to the
diversity of plant species within the region, more than
600 of which are collected in the wild and about 300
of which are cultivated for medical use.
Among the flora of the Caucasus, several plants
and plant extracts continue to be used in the folk
medicine of China, India, Korea, Tibet, and other
areas. Folk medicines remain popular due to their
curative properties, family traditions, and a lack of
available pharmaceuticals (Sokolov and Zamotayev,
1987). These plant-based folk medicines are used in
home, veterinary practice, and homeopathic products
