Abstract
Background The medicinal application of natural plant remedies is well established. These medicinal plants are still
in use within the Palestinian community to treat several illnesses. This research is intended to study the use of natural
plants to treat different types of respiratory tract disorders.
Method This ethno botanical study focused on the medicinal plants that are used to treat respiratory diseases in the
northern part of Palestine; Nablus, Tulkarm, Qalqilia, and Jenin. A questionnaire was distributed to 120 respondents.
The data obtained included names of the plants used, the parts used, the diseases for which the products were
applied, as well as the method of preparation. To evaluate results, percentages (%), Fic (factor of informant consensus),
and FL (fdelity-level) were calculated.
Results A total of 120 participants were selected for the fnal analysis. The highest percentage of herbal use was
reported for flu 85.8% (103 participants) followed by cough 83.3%, while the lowest percentage of users was for
bronchitis with 54.1%. The study showed that 31 plant species of 19 families were used for respiratory disorders
treatment. Six species were from the Lamiaceae family, three species from the Apiaceae family, two species from
Amaryllidaceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Rutaceae and Zingiberaceae, and one plant species for each of the rest of families.
Leaves and fruits were the most commonly used parts of plants. Decoction was the method of preparation and was
taken as a hot drink. Chamomile, mint, sage, lemon, and ginger were in the recipes for the fve respiratory diseases.
Conclusion In Palestine, patients with respiratory diseases rely heavily on the use of herbal remedies. Leaves and
fruits were the most commonly used plat elements. Age and marriage were signifcantly associated with the use of
botanical remedies. Whereas there was no signifcant association between the source of information about medicinal
plants and the location where medicinal plants were purchased. It is vital to conduct comprehensive clinical
investigations and pharmacological assessments of these herbal remedies, in order to identify their efcacy, safety,
and toxicity levels.
 

Title

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies

Publisher

Springer nature

Publisher Country

Aruba

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

3.9

Publication Type

Online only

Volume

23

Year

2023

Pages

11