Pteridophytes: Ethnobotanical use and active chemical composition

Abstract

The ethnobotanical use of ferns, such as higher spore plants which are considered to be among the earliest plants has a very long history and most of them as medicinal plants are widely used among ethnic groups in many countries around the world. Some species have even been included in the official pharmacopoeia. The purpose of this study was to examine the ethnobotanical properties of ferns in the flora of the Azerbaijan Republic and also to determine their active pharmacological composition and effects as medicinal plants. These plants are found to be rich in secondary metabolites. Indicating that ferns are an important source of raw materials for the search and development of new herbal medicines. Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by local population was carried out. Information was obtained through conversations with the aid of semi-structured questionnaires. During the survey, interviews were conducted on 102 local informants. Data were analyzed using suitable statistical tools such as informant consensus factor (ICF) and Fidelity Level (FL).