Phytochemistry and Ethnopharmacology of Medicinal Plants Used on Safeen Mountain in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Abstract

In remote villages of Kurdistan-Iraq, such as in those on Safeen Mountain, decoctions, potions, and oils from the local herbal tradition have provided the only medicinal remedies for centuries, up to today. A variety of diseases are treated with different plant preparations, ranging from simple rheumatism to diarrhea, skin diseases, and highly complicated kidney and heart problems. This survey describes, for the first time, the mostly used medicinal plants, resulting from several interviews with local herbal healers. The bioactivity of some isolated compounds is, indeed, strictly related to traditional uses of plants in Safeen Mountain Province. We also report the preliminary results of our ongoing research project on the constituents of the still uninvestigated plant Pterocephalus nestorianus Nab., which is traditionally used against inflammation and oral diseases. Luteolin-7-O-glucoside, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid and loganic acid were isolated.