Traditional Uses and Scientific Knowledge of Medicinal Plants from Mexico and Central America

Abstract

ABSTRACT The regions of Mexico and Central America contain some of the most biologically diverse collections of vegetation in the world. Within these area, a wide variety of plant preparation have been used to treat illnesses for several centuries with vast ethnobotanical knowledge existing in the region since pre-Columbian times. Despite reports about the current medicinal use of more than 1000 plant species in Mexico, less than 20 percent of these species have been scientifically studied to validate the use of the plant materials. This review discusses the traditional use and scientific knowledge of some of the most commonly used medicinal plants in Mexico and Central America.