Plants used by Thai Hmong to treat related infectious symptoms

Abstract

Infectious diseases have historically threatened humans, and antibiotics have been developed. Many microorganisms causing infections have evolved antibiotic-resistant strains. Traditional medicinal plant uses can guide the search for new drugs. Thai Hmong possess vast ethnomedicinal plant knowledge. This study highlights medicinal plants for treating infectious diseases among the Thai Hmong ethnic minority. Information on Hmong ethnobotany was extracted from all available publications. The study supplemented literature-based data with newly collected field data from six Hmong villages in Nan Province, Thailand, totaling 25 studied villages. Hmong disease names were carefully interviewed to understand symptoms and match modern medical terms. The study documented 486 uses of 225 plant species for treating infectious disorders. Most used plants were Strobilanthes cusia, Houttuynia cordata, Anethum graveolens, Verbena officinalis, Biancaea sappan, Teucrium viscidum, and Paederia pilifera. Many species have proven antimicrobial activity in lab tests, while others still lack scientific proof of efficacy. Some common Hmong anti-infectious plants were used by other ethnic groups for similar purposes, suggesting potential pharmacological efficiency. Further studies should focus on testing efficacy of remaining plants and developing them into novel drugs for treatments.