Persistence of malaria symptoms after treatment with over the counter available antimalarial drugs has resulted in a gradual loss of faith in orthodox drugs. There is thus an increased tendency towards the use of herbs in the treatment of malaria in Imo State, Nigeria. In this study we report activities of two herbalists in the treatment of malaria as well as the effectiveness of the herbal tre...

UNLABELLED BACKGROUND While there are biomedical drugs for managing diabetes mellitus, some patients with diabetes use traditional medicine. The aim of the study was to explore why patients with diabetes use traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes. METHODS The study was conducted in Iganga and Bugiri districts in Eastern Uganda using four focus group discussions (FGDs) with pati...

The aqueous extracts from medicinal plants commonly used by herbalists in Mbeere, and Embu districts of Eastern province, Kenya, were tested for their inhibitory activity against three selected strains of bacteria. All the selected plant extracts (infusions: 1.0 g sample in 100 ml water) investigated showed activity against Escherichia coli with inhibition zone diameters ranging from 5.8-18.0 m...

BACKGROUND Diabetes is the greatest public health problem and is considered as the silent epidemic of the 21st century. In Iran, there are approximately 1.5 million diabetic patients. Before the discovery of insulin, medicinal plants were widely used for the treatment of diabetes in Iran. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the indigenous plants used for the treatment of diabetes in Shir...

Historical and current studies indicate that the Eastern region of the Mediterranean has been distinguished from other regions by a rich inventory of complementary alternative medicine (CAM), in particular herbal medicine. Data collected from several surveys and studies indicate that there is a flourishing and well-developed trade of herbs. These surveys also reveal that 200-250 herbs are used ...

Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae), commonly known as turmeric, has a long history of traditional uses for culinary purposes as a spice and a food colorant. The present study aimed to document the ethnobotanical knowledge about Curcuma longa, and to assess the variation in the herbalists’ experience in Northeastern Algeria. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires and direct inter...

BACKGROUND Herbal medicine is a popular part of primary health care in Switzerland. Following an ethnobotanical approach, in this study we seek to identify Swiss herbalists with broad, empirical medicinal plant knowledge and use. We aim to consider different areas of the medicinal landscape including biomedicine, complementary and alternative medicine, and self-medication. MATERIAL AND METHOD...

Background. The World Health Organization estimates that about 80% of the world's population uses herbal medicine to treat various illnesses as means of primary healthcare. However, during preparation, herbal plants may be exposed to contamination by potential pathogens, and this may lead to infections. The aim of this study was to determine bacterial contamination of herbal medicinal products ...

Objective: As with every chronic disease, YouTube is increasingly heavily accessed to get information for psoriasis. It contains quality videos containing medical information; however, some content of low quality, unscientific, misleading, and potentially harmful. We aimed conduct this study reveal situation, understand the rate non-physician practice, develop solutions. Material Methods: Betwe...

In contexts where healthcare regulation is weak and levels of uncertainty high, how do patients decide whom and what to trust? In this paper, we explore the potential for using Signalling Theory (ST, a form of Behavioural Game Theory) to investigate health-related trust problems under conditions of uncertainty, using the empirical example of 'herbal clinics' in Ghana and Tanzania. Qualitative, ...