Among the most common illnesses affecting people’s lives are skin disorders, for which a variety of therapeutic approaches has been suggested. Traditional herbal remedies can be counted among the best therapies for such diseases. Herbal shops, or “attaris” (in Persian), play a major role in the traditional therapy of each region. This study investigated the medicinal plants commonly prescribed and traded in herbal shops of Jahrom, Iran, to cure skin diseases. Ethnomedicinal data were collected using the snowball method for 38 plant species belonging to 34 families. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information from herbal shops. Asteraceae, with five species, was the most dominant medicinal family of the prescribed plants, and the fruits, seeds, and leaves of plants are the parts most used. Herbal mask (36%) was the most common mode of herbal drug preparation. The medicinal herbs prescribed by herbal healers are often used for the treatment of acne (36%) as well as for strengthening, clarifying, and giving freshness to the skin (26%). These medicinal plants may be candidates for the development of novel herbal skincare products. The findings of this research revealed that the herbal healers of Jahrom have an outstanding knowledge of traditional treatments for skin diseases.
Entre las enfermedades más comunes que afectan a la vida de las personas se encuentran los trastornos de la piel, para los que se han sugerido diversos enfoques terapéuticos. Los remedios tradicionales a base de plantas pueden contarse entre las mejores terapias para estas enfermedades. Las herboristerías, o “attaris” (en persa), juegan un papel importante en la terapia tradicional de cada región. En este estudio se inventariaron las plantas medicinales comúnmente recetadas y comercializadas en las herboristerías de Jahrom, Irán, para curar enfermedades de la piel. Los datos etnomedicinales se recolectaron mediante el método de bola de nieve para 38 especies de plantas pertenecientes a 34 familias. Se utilizó un cuestionario semiestructurado para recolectar información de las herboristerías. Las
Skin is a part of the integumentary system of the body and has a total surface area of about two square meters. Being the largest organ of the body, it serves several critical functions such as creating a protective barrier, regulating body temperature, and providing sensation among others (
The search for natural remedies for use in skincare has received a great deal of interest from the scientific community in recent years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80% of the world’s population is primarily dependent on indigenous medicine (
Each ethnic culture has a traditional knowledge of plants found in the surrounding environment that are specially used to treat a variety of diseases. Indigenous people of any region, including rural residents, herbal healers, and vendors of medicinal plants, play an important role in collecting ethnobotanical data on medicinal plants. Traditional herbal shops, commonly known as “attaris” in Persian, are deeply involved in the trade and culture of each area and are thus important to ethnopharmacological studies (
Iran’s unique plant diversity makes it one of the world’s top ten centers of plant speciation (
Jahrom is located 170 kilometers southeast of Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province, Iran. It is the largest city in the southern half of the province. The study area is located at 28° 30′ 00″ N and 53° 33′ 38″ E (
An ethnopharmacological survey of herbal shops in Jahrom city was conducted using the snowball method (
Approximately 87% of participants in this study were men; only two participants (about 13%) were women. The age of herbal healers ranged between 24–55 years with an average of 38 years. The highest level of education was a high school diploma (56%). None of the participants had an academic education in a field related to herbal medicine. Most of their knowledge had been obtained only through experience or from the legacy of past generations (68%). Only 32% of participants used traditional medicine books in addition to personal experience.
A total of 38 species belonging to 34 genera and 23 families of medicinal plants were obtained in this study (
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Apiaceae |
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Razianeh (رازیانه) | Strengthen the skin, cleanser | Herbal incense | Fruit | HSBU-201513 |
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Asteraceae |
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Hamishe Bahar (همیشه بهار) | Treatment of eczema rashes, healing the wounds superficial skin, burns, frostbite | Poultice (fresh marigold extract mixed with oil) | Flower | HSBU-201514 |
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Asteraceae |
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Kasni (کاسنی) | Treatment of pimples and melasma caused by liver disease | Aromatic water, orally (the raw leaf) | Leaf | HSBU-201515 |
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Asteraceae |
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Babooneh (بابونه) | Eczema and acne treatment, anti-swelling and redness of the skin, wound healing, Strengthens the skin, Constrictor skin pores, melasma, removing the boil | Herbal incense | The aerial parts of the plant | HSBU-201516 |
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Asteraceae |
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Babooneh (بابونه) | Eczema and acne treatment, anti-swelling and redness of the skin, wound healing, Strengthens the skin, Constrictor skin pores, melasma, removing the boil |
Herbal incense,
herbal mask (wheat flour & |
Flower | HSBU-201517 |
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Asteraceae |
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Khar-e Maryam (خارمریم) | Improvements and fixes of pimples, boils and wounds | Orally, herbal mask | Fruit | HSBU-201518 |
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Boraginaceae |
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Gol-e Gavzaban (گل گاوزبان) | Fixes the acne caused by stress | Herbal tea | Flower | HSBU-201519 |
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Boraginaceae |
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Gol-e Gavzaban (گل گاوزبان) | Fixes the acne caused by stress | Herbal tea | Flower | HSBU-201520 |
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Brassicaceae |
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Khakshir (خاکشیر) | Strengthen the skin | Orally, herbal mask | Seed | HSBU-201521 |
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Cucurbitaceae |
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Khiyar (خیار) | Acne fixes, sunburn cure, skin refreshing | Herbal mask | Fruit | HSBU-201522 |
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Fabaceae |
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Shirin Bayan, Mahk (شیرین بیان، مهک) | Acne fixes, strengthens the skin, skin refreshing | Herbal mask | Rhizome | HSBU-201523 |
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Fabaceae |
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Shanbalileh (شنبلیله) | Fungal skin therapy, strengthen the skin, healing the wounds, abrasions, sunburn and burns | Herbal mask (fenugreek seed powder with milk or yoghurt) | Seed | HSBU-201524 |
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Fabaceae |
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Barg-e Sana (برگ سنا) | Treatment of blackheads, pimples and skin rashes | Herbal incense | Leaf | - |
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Lamiaceae |
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Abshen (آبشن) | Elimination of the effects of insect bites on the skin, skin refreshing | Herbal incense | Leaf and flower | HSBU-201526 |
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Lythraceae |
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Golnar (گلنار) | Fixes acne and freckles | Herbal mask | Flower | HSBU-201527 |
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Lythraceae |
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Hana (حنا) | Acne fixes |
Herbal mask ( |
Leaf | HSBU-201528 |
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Malvaceae |
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Khatmi-e Sefid (ختمی سفید) | Skin refreshing, eliminating acne and boils | Herbal incense | Flower and fruit | HSBU-201529 |
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Malvaceae |
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Panirak (پنیرک) | Acne fixes | Herbal incense, orally | Leaf, Fruit | HSBU-201530 |
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Malvaceae |
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Khatmi,Gol-e Panirak (ختمی، گل پنیرک) | Acne fixes, skin clarity | Herbal incense, orally | Flower | HSBU-201531 |
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Moraceae |
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Anjir (انجیر) | Acne fixes, skin clarity |
Soap ( |
Fruit | HSBU-201532 |
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Oleaceae |
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Zeytoon (زیتون) | Treatment of melasma | Herbal mask (olive oil, egg yolk) | Fruit | HSBU-201533 |
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Papaveraceae |
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Shahtareh (شاهتره) | Treatment of melasma and acne | Orally, aromatic water, powder | The aerial parts of the plant | HSBU-201534 |
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Papilionaceae |
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Toranjabin (ترنجبین) | Strengthen the skin | Orally | The aerial parts of the plant | HSBU-201535 |
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Platanaceae |
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Chenar (چنار) | Treatment of melasma and acne | Aromatic water | Leaf | HSBU-201536 |
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Poaceae |
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Javaneh gandom (جوانه گندم) | Treatment of acne, skin clarity | Herbal mask | Seed, root and radicle | HSBU-201536 |
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Polygonaceae |
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Rivas (ریواس) | Treatment of blackheads | Herbal mask (rhubarb extract & honey) | Flower and stem | HSBU-201537 |
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Ranunculaceae |
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Siyah daneh (سیاهدانه) | Treatment of blackheads, skin clarity |
Herbal mask ( |
Seed | HSBU-201538 |
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Rhamnaceae |
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Sedr (سدر) | Treatment of acne |
Herbal mask (leaf powder of |
Leaf | HSBU-201539 |
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Rhamnaceae |
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Annab (عناب) | Treatment of acne | Orally | Fruit | HSBU-201540 |
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Rosaceae |
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Badam (بادام) | Treatment of blackheads, skin clarity |
Herbal mask (bitter almond oil & lemon juice & |
Seed | HSBU-201541 |
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Rosaceae |
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Gol-e Sorkh (گل سرخ) | Skin clarity | Vegetable oil | Flower | HSBU-201542 |
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Rutaceae |
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Limoo-Torsh (لیموترش) | Treatment of blackheads, skin clarity, peeling skin | Herbal mask | Fruit | HSBU-201543 |
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Salicaceae |
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Bid (بید) | Treatment of acne and melasma | Aromatic water | Leaf | HSBU-201544 |
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Urticaceae |
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Gazaneh (گزنه) | Cleanser, treatment of eczema and acne | Herbal tea | Leaf | HSBU-201545 |
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Urticaceae |
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Gazaneh (گزنه) | Cleanser, treatment of eczema and acne | Herbal tea | Leaf | HSBU-201546 |
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Violaceae |
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Banafsheh (بنفشه) | Softeners hand skin and face, freshness and clarity of the skin | Herbal incense, vegetable oil | Flower | HSBU-201547 |
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Xanthorrhoeaceae |
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Aloe vera (آلوئه ورا) | Fixes acne, skin refreshing | Herbal mask (use of mucilage in the leaves) | Leaf | HSBU-201548 |
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Zingiberaceae |
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Zanjebil (زنجبیل) | Fixes acne, strengthen the skin | Herbal mask | Rhizome | HSBU-201549 |
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Phytochemicals are chemical compounds found naturally in plants. Each plant species contains a variety of chemical compounds which, in most cases, are unique to the species. These compounds are produced and stored in different parts of the plant and can be used as pharmaceutical raw materials. Antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities, stimulating the immune system, and affecting hormone metabolism are among some of the known properties of secondary plant compounds, which make phytochemicals suitable for preventing or treating a diverse range of diseases. Alkaloids, terpenoids, fatty acids, phenolic compounds are among the most important phytochemicals existing in medicinal plants. Interestingly, many phytochemicals which are known to contribute to the treatment of dermatological diseases and skincare were found in the plants collected in the current study (
Electronic databases including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for the scientific names of all species and the keywords “chemical profiling” and “pharmacological properties”. An extensive number of studies published in various journals was collected, including research reports, review articles, book chapters, and books. The literature was divided into different sections based on the title and abstract, and all non-relevant and duplicate articles were removed. Finally, some of the newest articles with a comprehensive amount of information were selected.
Comparing the results of the present study with those of previous works on phytochemicals revealed that herbal medicines prescribed by herbal healers in the Jahrom region comprise the most efficient and suitable natural compounds for the treatment of skin diseases. For example, tannins, which have astringent properties and cause the coagulation of albumin, are found in
Some of the plant species presented in the current study, such as
Documentation of traditional medical practices is of a great importance for the preservation the knowledge and possible new drug discoveries. The purpose of the present study was to assess and document the knowledge of herbal healers in the traditional treatment of skin diseases and ensure the accuracy of traditional herbal remedies recommended by these therapists. This study was the first documentation of herbal medicines prescribed for skincare in southeastern Iran. The results demonstrated that the use of traditional medicinal plants for skincare is still prevalent in this region. Diverse plant-based remedies are prescribed by local herbal shops and healers for the treatment of a variety of skin-related conditions. By reviewing previously published literature on the phytochemical composition of plants included in the present research, it can be concluded that the herbal medicines are being prescribed accurately for the treatment of skin diseases. Further exploration of the phytochemicals of these medicinal plants may lead to the discovery of novel skincare products.
The authors thank all attars and traditional therapists who participated in the survey.