Plant Taxa Used in the Treatment of Diabetes in Van Province, Turkey

Abstract

Despite the richness of local flora and medicinal plant utilization, thereis no any report on documentation of antidiabetic botanicals used in Van province.Therefore, the present study aimed to record accumulation of the traditionalantidiabetic medicinal plants of Van province in order to preserve the valuable localmedicines knowledge, which has been threatened by urbanization. Antidiabeticfolk medicines were determined via field surveys conducted in 1065 settlementsduring the period of 2014-2017 through medicinal plants questionnaire andstructured face-to-face interviews (600 informants) with local people who are wellknown in the province for their long practice in traditional medicine. 69 plant taxa(35 species with undocumented antidiabetic medicinal use in scientific literaturefor Turkey) including five endemic and one rare to Turkey belong to 16 families(principally Asteraceae and Lamiaceae) were recorded for their traditionalantidiabetic use. 52 different vernacular names were detected which were mainlyindicate morphological characteristics. Infusion prepared from leaf and flowerorgans were found as the most common preparation method of local medicines inthe province. Use value analysis showed that Rheum ribes, Urtica dioica,Scutelleria orientalis subsp. pichleri, Diplotenia cachrydifolia, Teucrium polium,Rosa canina, Campanula glomerata subsp. hispida, Rumex scutatus, Helichrysumplicatum subsp. plicatum and Tanacetum balsamita subsp. balsamita might servepromising pharmaceutical agents for diabetes treatment.