Abstract
Since
the manifestations of skin disease are usually openly visible, patients
may feel embarrassed. Nowadays, alternative medicine is promoted;
therefore, efforts are being made to discover new herbal formulas for
healing skin diseases. This study aimed to (1) investigate the diversity
and source of medicinal materials for treating skin diseases, and (2)
document the folk knowledge of using herbal medicines from the three
southern border provinces of Thailand; Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.
Semi-structured interviews with ten healers were conducted to collect
information including the formula name, herbal ingredients, material
parts used, preparation, properties and treatment methods. The data were
then further analysed. The results showed that 42 multi-species
formulas and 30 single species were used to treat 22 skin diseases. The
formulas were comprised of 54 plants and eight chemical elements or
compounds. Most formulas were used for treating shingles, scabies,
urticaria and itching of unknown cause. The most popular materials for
various diseases were: Senna alata for ringworm and pityriasis versicolor, Areca catechu for shingles, Knema globularia for scabies and Tamarindus indica
for itching of unknown cause. A review of the literature revealed that
36 plant species had already been tested for their pharmacological
activities. The remaining species should be investigated for biological
activity to confirm the folk utilization of the medicinal materials.
Keywords
- Medicinal plant;
- Medicinal material;
- Herbal formula;
- Skin disease;
- Thailand’s three Southern Border
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