Abstract
From the beginning of recorded history through the present day, dermatologic disorders
have been treated with ethnomedicine remedies. We present the ethnodermatologic practices
in Transylvania, Romania. We conducted ethnomedicine surveys in 35 villages in Transylvania
(2007-2019). The 650 people interviewed were questioned about the treatment of dermatologic
disorders by drugs derived from plant, animal, human, or other origins. Collected
data were compared to earlier records of the regions and other European countries,
completed with relevant pharmacologic studies of some plants. A total of 180 drugs
were documented for 45 skin problems, including 112 plants, 1 fungus, 19 animals,
5 humans, and 43 other materials used in 11 preparation forms. Among these, 144 drugs
were mentioned in humans, 10 in veterinary medicines, and 26 included in both therapies
with overlapping human/animal (eg, Petroselinum crispum) and specific uses (eg, Daphne mezereum, Scrophularia nodosa). Compared to data from other countries, the local use of 32 plants and various animals
and minerals was described only in the study area. The present study demonstrates
that ethnomedicine practices are a valuable source of knowledge for skin diseases
and highlight the relevance of fieldwork in the selected regions of Transylvania.
Graphical abstract
Graphical Abstract
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