Studies on the utilization of medicinal plants as lmmunomodulators in Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand(Thai)

Abstract

An ethnobotanical survey on the utilization of medicinal plants as immunomodulators in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand was carried out during 2001-2002. The information was obtained from 21 reliable professional traditional medicine practitioners by in-depth interviews. Forty-five medicinal plants belonging to 24 families were documented for their therapeutic properties on the immune system. The most commonly represented family was Fabaceae. The stem was the most frequently used part of the plant. Decoction with water was the greatest herbal preparation. Oral administration was the main method of prescription. The most common use was to treat liver disease, followed by cancer and for anti-aging. Further systematic investigations into the chemical constituents, immunopharmacological activity and toxicity of these medicinal plants will be needed to determine their true medicinal worth.