TLDR Many people in Fez-Meknes use potentially toxic plants for various health and cosmetic purposes, but more research is needed to ensure their safety.
The study surveyed the use and toxicity of medicinal plants in the Fez-Meknes region, Eastern Middle Atlas, Morocco, documenting 59 potentially toxic plants across 33 families. Data from 2020 to 2021 revealed that 31% of respondents used these plants for cosmetic purposes, 23% for minor illnesses, 15% for chronic diseases, 15% found them ineffective, and 8% each for acute illnesses and other uses. Hair loss had the highest Informant Agreement Ratio (IAR = 0.96), indicating significant use for this condition. The study underscores the need for further research on plant toxicity to determine safe usage levels.
30 citations,
June 2015 in “South African journal of botany” Traditional healers in Namibia use 70 different plants to treat AIDS-related diseases, and more research is needed to test these plants' effectiveness against HIV.
2 citations,
November 2022 in “Frontiers in Pharmacology” Local healers in Addis Ababa use 81 medicinal plants, mainly from the Asteraceae family, to treat skin and general diseases, with Echinops kebericho being an endangered plant important in their practices.
December 2023 in “The journal of physical chemistry. B (1997 : Online)” Human hair keratin might be good for filtering out harmful substances from water.
38 citations,
June 2018 in “Archives of Toxicology” Different species and human skin models vary in their skin enzyme activities, with pig skin and some models closely matching human skin, useful for safety assessments and understanding the skin's protective roles.
4 citations,
June 2013 in “The Journal of Rheumatology” The document concludes that various findings in rheumatology offer insights into disease severity, treatment responses, and potential risks in medication, with some limitations due to unspecified participant numbers.
