The ethnobotanical uses of Hyacinthaceae species growing in Turkey and a review of pharmacological activities

Abstract

The Hyacinthaceae families have long been used in traditional medicine for a wide range of medicinal applications. This, together with some significant toxicity to livestock has led to the chemical composition of many of the species being investigated. The Hyacinthaceae family has represented 9 genera and 140 taxa of which 77 are endemic to Turkey. Especially species of Hyacinthaceae family have been mostly used as medicinal, for the treatment of rheumatism, cardiac, urinary infection, dermatological, stomach, hemorrhoid and prostate disease. An overview of the accessible 59 ethnobotany articles and 27 phytochemistry articles published since 1979 up to 2015 has been carried out. The most important databases have been consulted. All related works have been examined. This study is a review having traditional uses belonging to Turkish species and pharmacological activities of the Hyacinthaceae family in the world. © 2017, National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR). All rights reserved.

Full text

Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge
Vol. 16(2), April 2017, pp. 243-250
The ethnobotanical uses of Hyacinthaceae species growing in Turkey and a review
of pharmacological activities
Serpil Demirci Kayıran1* & Esra Eroğlu Özkan2
1Cukurova University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, 01330, Adana, Turkey;
2Istanbul University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, 34116, Istanbul, Turkey
E-mail: sdemirci@cu.edu.tr
Received 28 March 2016, revised 25 November 2016
The Hyacinthaceae families have long been used in traditional medicine for a wide range of medicinal applications. This,
together with some significant toxicity to livestock has led to the chemical composition of many of the species being
investigated. The Hyacinthaceae family has represented 9 genera and 140 taxa of which 77 are endemic to Turkey.
Especially species of Hyacinthaceae family have been mostly used as medicinal, for the treatment of rheumatism, cardiac,
urinary infection, dermatological, stomach, hemorrhoid and prostate disease. An overview of the accessible 59 ethnobotany
articles and 27 phytochemistry articles published since 1979 up to 2015 has been carried out. The most important databases
have been consulted. All related works have been examined. This study is a review having traditional uses belonging to
Turkish species and pharmacological activities of the Hyacinthaceae family in the world.
Keywords: Hyacinthaceae, Ethnobotany, Pharmacological activity, Turkey
IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K 36/00
The Hyacinthaceae (sense APGII) are bulbous plants,
with approximately 900 species in about 70 genera,
can be divided into three main sub-families, the
Hyacinthoideae, the Urgineoideae and the
Ornithogaloideae, with a small fourth subfamily the
Oziroeoideae, restricted to South America1,2. In
Turkey, the Hyacinthaceae family has represented
9 genera (Bellevalia, Drimia, Hyacinthella,
Hyacinthus, Leopoldia, Muscari, Ornithogalum,
Puschkinia, and Scilla) and 140 taxa of which 77 are
endemic to Turkey3. The plants included in this
family have long been used in traditional medicine for
a wide range of medicinal applications in the world.
This, together with some significant toxicity to
livestock has led to the chemical composition of many
of the species being investigated4. There is some
activity working on Hyacinthaceae species in Turkey
and in the world. Turkey is one of the most
floristically rich countries in the world with
astonishing plant diversity. Its flora consists of about
11000 vascular plants and approximately one-third of
its flora (34, 4 %) is endemic to the country.
Throughout history, humans have derived many uses
and benefits from the plants found in their own
region. Initially, wild plants were collected from their
natural habitat, followed by the cultivation of those
that were used most commonly. Turkish people are
quite interested in wild plants, due to the high
proportion of people living in rural areas, and also for
economic reasons5-7. Local people in Turkey have a
long history of ethnobotanical usages for plants,
which was gained through long experiences, as the
dye, as ornamental plants, as perfume, as adhesive, as
soap and as animal food in Turkey. In this study,
different uses of Hyacinthaceae family are presented
based on the ethnobotanical researches carried out in
a different region in Turkey.
Methodology
In this study, 36 ethnobotanical article and
27 phytochemical articles,62 usages of Hyacinthaceae
species by using international and national databases
were funded. Domestic resources that were referenced
include the database of author’s doctoral theses
“Pharmaceutical Botanical Studies on the species
of the family Hyacinthaceae (Kahramanmaraş)”.
A literature study was performed to collect data on the
use of Hyacinthaceae species parts in articles. In this
——————
*Corresponding author

INDIAN J TRADIT KNOWLE, VOL 16, NO. 2, APRIL 2017
244
study, 62 different records and their used parts, used
purpose, uses, county and references were explained
in details in Table 1. Records of used species, used
parts, used purpose showed in diagrams (Figs. 1-2).
The usage purposes of species could be split into
food, medicinal, ornamental plants, dye, toys and
other usages.
In our studies, the used plant parts most frequently
are bulbs and leaves, whole plant, flower, scape,
herba, bud, fruit, and shoot. Record numbers of
Hyacinthaceae members parts (leaves, whole plants,
fruit, bulb, herba, flowers, scapes) for ethnobotanical
usages (food, medicinal, dye, ornamental, toys,
adhesive, soap) were explained in details (Fig.1).
Medicinal uses of Hyacinthaceae species could be
listed below in 8 groups:1. Cancer diseases: Tumor,
prostate; 2. Urinary system diseases: Urinary
infections; 3. Respiratory system disease:
Expectorant; 4. Circulatory system disease: Cardiac
disease, hemorrhoid; 5. Analgesic: A headache,
kneepain; 6. Skin disease: Boil, acne; 7. Digestive
system disease: As emetic, gastritis; 8. Other diseases:
Snake and scorpion bike, as antibiotic.
Results and discussion
Traditional uses in Turkey
Total 62 items revealed the ethnobotanical uses of
25 taxa (3 taxa of Bellevalia, 2 taxa of Hyacinthus, 5
taxa of Muscari, 2 taxa of Leopoldia, 9 taxa of
Ornithogalum, one taxon of Puschkinia, 2 taxa of
Scilla and one taxon of Drimia) were recorded (Fig.
2). Ornithogalum and Muscari species were most
used species of which record number is 26, where the
rest of the genus were at numbers 10, 7, 6, 6, 5 and 2
for Hyacinthus, Drimia, Bellevalia, Leopoldia,
Puschkinia and Scilla, respectively (Table 1). In this
reviews, the most frequently used plant parts were,
bulbs (20 records), leaves (20 records), followed by
whole plants (14 records), flowers (9 records), scape
(4 records), herb, bud and fruit (2 records) and shoot
(1 record). (The multiple uses can be possible). The
record numbers of the usage purpose and the parts of
the species were showed in Fig.1. A total of 26
records were recorded as food, of 18 records as a
medicinal plant, 6 records as ornamental plants, two
each record as soap and one record as toys, as
adhesive or as honey plants. Apart from these, of 4
species is reported to be as poisonous8. Many of the
toxic compounds in bulbs of Hyacinthaceae species
have been known. The leaves of species mostly are
used as food, the bulbs are not used. Hyacinthus
orientalis L. has a long history of cultivation as an
ornamental plant, grown across the Mediterranean
region, and later France, the Netherlands and
elsewhere. The bulbs of this species were collected
and cultivated for the first time from Turkey.The
bulbs of Drimia maritima (L.) Stearnhave been used
since a very long time. The sprouted leaves were
hunged on a door as protection against evil spirits.
The bulbs of this species were reported to treatment of
heart disease in the Materia Medica of Dioscorides.
Today, bulbs of this species were used as medicinal in
Turkey9-11. As a result of this reviews, medicinal
utilizations of Hyacinthaceae species were determined
in all 8 groups (Cancer diseases: tumor, prostate;
urinary system diseases: urinary infections;
respiratory system disease: expectorant; circulatory
system disease: cardiac disease, hemorrhoid;
analgesic: headache, kneepain; skin disease: boil,
acne; digestive system disease: as emetic, gastritis;
other diseases: snake and scorpion bike, as antibiotic)
for medicinal remedies. The usage of curing of snake
and scorpion bike or as antibiotic was classified under
the group of “other usages”. The leaves, bulbs and
fruits of species by a majority for medicinal purposes,
the whole plants and scape for ornamental purposes,
the herb for food and the flowers as dye were used.
The leaves, bulbs, and flowers were used as food for
all Bellevalia species in eastern Turkey12,13. The
medicinal usage of bulbs of Muscari, Ornithogalum
and Drimia species were detected in the investigated
publications. Only Ornithogalum oligophyllum
E.D.Clarke was detected for the usage of shoots as
soap. Usage of buds as soap was common of
O. sphaerocarpum A.Kern and as a food of
O. narbonense L.14-19. Four records of Hyacinthus
orientalis L. were recorded for curing prostate
disease, wound healing, and hemorrhoids and as
hemostatic where whole plant, leaves, bulbs, and
scapes are used parts20-21. Leopoldia comosa (L.) Parl.
are determined as mostly used species as gastric, as an
expectorant and as diuretic22. Two records of the fruit
of M. neglectum Guss. ex Ten. have been used for
curing of rheumatism disease23-25. We found for
skin disease curing of O. narbonense L. and
O. umbellatum L. only in two investigated publication26.
Pharmacological activities
Anti-inflammatory activity
The extracts of leaves, bulbs and roots of Eucomis
autumnalis (Mill.) Chitt. [as Ornithogalum undulatum
(Aiton) Thunb.] were tested by the inhibition of

KAYIRAN & ÖZKAN: ETHNOBOTANICAL USES OF HYACINTHACEAE SPECIES GROWING IN TURKEY
245
Table 1—Traditional usages of Hyacinthaceae members in Turkey
Botanical name Used parts Used purpose Uses County References
Pseudomuscari forniculatum
(Fomin) Garbari
(syn. Bellevalia forniculata Deloney) Leaves, bulb Food Eaten cooked Iğdır 12
Bellavalia paradoxa
(Fisch. & C.A.Mey.)
Boiss. [syn. Bellevalia pycnantha (K.Koch)
Losinsk.]
Leaves Food Eaten cooked Iğdır 12
Bellevalia speciosa
Woronow
ex Grossh. (syn. Bellevalia sarmatica
(Pall. ex
Miscz.)
Flower, bulb Food Eaten fresh Kars 13
Leaves Food Eaten cooked Iğdır 12
Hyacinthus orientalis
L. - - - South Anatolia 5
- - Cultivated İzmir 58
Hyacinthus orientalis
L.subsp. chionophilus
Wendelbo Whole plant Medicinal Hemostatic Tunceli 20
Leaves, scape Medicinal Prostate disease Kahramanmaraş
11
Bulb Medicinal Wound healing Kahramanmaraş
20
Leaves Medicinal Hemorrhoids disease East Anatolia 21
Muscari armeniacum
Leichtlin
ex Baker Flower Dye - Düzce 59
Whole plant Dye, poison -
Amasya
8
Flower Dye Egg coloring K.maraş 60, 61
Whole plant Ornamental plants - Mersin 57
Whole plant Ornamental plants - Iğdır 12
Muscari bourgaei
Baker Whole plant Dye, poison -
Amasya
8
Muscari macrocarpum
Sweet Bulb Medicinal Gastric, expectorant,
diuretic - 5
Muscarir acemosum
Mill.
(syn. Muscari muscarimi Medik.) Whole plant Ornamental plants Garden decoration 5
Muscari neglectum
Guss. ex Ten. Leaves, Flower Dye, Toys Egg coloring, hairpin İzmit 62
Fruit Medicinal Rheumatic disease Manisa 25
Whole plant Dye Coloring
Amasya
8
Flower Medicinal Wart disease Yalova 24
Fruit Medicinal Rheumatic disease Isparta 7, 23
Leaves Food
Animal food
Aksaray
6
Bulb Food Eaten West Anatolia 63
Leopoldia comosa
(L.) Parl.
[syn. Muscari comosum (L.) Mill.] Bulb Medicinal Gastric,expectorant,
diuretic İstanbul 22
Whole plant Food
Ornamental plants Eaten fresh
Aksaray
9
Bulb Medicinal Gastric,expectorant,
diuretic - 5
Bulb Food Eaten fresh Erzurum 18
Leopoldia tenuiflora
(Tausch) Heldr. (syn.
Muscari tenuiflorum
Tausch) Bulb Medicinal
Antibiotic,
rheumatism
and tumor disease Hakkari 64
Whole plant Food
Animal food
Aksaray
9
Ornithogalum armeniacum Baker Leave, Flower Food Eaten cooked
Antalya
10
Ornithogalum lanceolatum Labill. Whole plant Food Eaten as vegetable Mersin 5
Ornithogalumn arbonense L. Bulb, Leaves Food Eaten as vegetable Iğdır 12
Bulb Food Eaten cooked Erzurum 18
Leaves Food Eaten cooked Sakarya 16
Medicinal
Acne disease, emetic,
diuretic, cardioactive 14
Leaves, bud Food Eaten cooked
Adana
14
Leaves Food Eaten as vegetable Siirt 19
Herb Food Food Inner Anatolia 58
(Contd.)

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Table 1—Traditional usages of Hyacinthaceae members in Turkey
Botanical name Used parts Used purpose Uses County References
Ornithogalum oligophyllum E.D.Clarke Bulb, Leaves Food Eaten cooked Iğdır 12
Leaves, shoot Soap -
Amasya
8
Scape, Leaves Food Eaten cooked Blacksea region
17
Ornithogalumm ontanum Cyr. (syn.
Ornithogalum platyphyllum Boiss.) Bulb, Leaves Food Eaten cooked İzmit 62
Scape, Leaves Food Eaten cooked Blacksea region
17
Ornithogalum pyrenaicum L. Whole plant -
Animal food
Aksaray
6
Ornithogalum sigmoideum Freyn & Sint. Whole plant Food Eaten cooked İzmit 62
Scape, Leaves Food Eaten cooked Blacksea region
17
Ornithogalum sp. Whole plant Food Eaten as vegetable Ordu 65
Ornithogalum sphaerocarpum A.Kern. Leave, bud Soap -
Amasya
8
Ornithogalum umbellatum L. Whole plant Poison -
Aksaray
6
Bulb Medicinal Boil and acne disease Uşak 26
Puschkinia scilloides
Adams Leaves, Flower Food Eaten fresh Iğdır 12
Ornamental plants Home decoration 12
Herb Food Food East Anatolia 64
Scilla bifolia
L. Bulb Medicinal Wound healing,
herniated disc disease Kırklareli 66
Scilla siberica
Haw.subsp. armena (Grossh.)
Mordak Flower Ornamental plants Home decoration Iğdır 12
Drimia maritime
(L.) Stearn
[syn. Urginea maritima (L.) Baker] Flower, Bulb
Adhesive,
Honeyplant
Adhesive, honey plant
Mersin 57
Bulb Medicinal Snake or scorpion bike
Bodrum 9
Bulb Medicinal
Headache and kneepain
disease
Antalya
10
Bulb Medicinal Diuretic, cardio active Kahramanmaraş
11
Bulb Medicinal, poison Diuretic, expectorant,
cardio active
Aegean
Mediterranean 5
cyclooxygenase enzymes COX-1 and COX-227.Two
homo isoflavanones and a xanthone isolated from
Ledebouria ovatifolia (Baker) Jessop exhibited
significant activity against COX-2 with an IC50 of
2.87 μM28.The bulb extract of Merwilla plumbea
(Lindl.) Speta (as Scilla plumbea Lindl.) exhibited
moderate inhibitory activity against COX-129.The
dichloromethane and hexane extracts of Merwilla
plumbea (Lindl.) Speta showed good inhibition
against both COX-1 and COX-230.The methanol
extracts of Schizocarphus nervosus (Burch) van der
Merwe [as Scilla nervosa (Burch.) Jessop] bulbs were
tested in a mouse model of acute croton oil-induced
auricular contact dermatitis for anti-inflammatory
activity. After treatment with the extract, oedema was
significantly reduced 3 hrs (~66 %) and 6 hrs
(~40 %). The result showed that the extract has strong
but short acting effect31. The water extract of the bulb
of Drimi aelata Jacq. (as Drimi arobusta Baker)
showed percentage inhibition of COX-1 that was
over 70 %33.
Antimicrobial activity
The purified protein extract of Eucomis autumnalis
(Mill.) Chitt. [as Ornithogalum undulatum (Aiton)
Thunb.] has good activity against Bacillus subtilis at
MIC of 0.2 mg/ml29. Antibacterial activity of homo
isoflavanones isolated from Eucomis comosa and
Eucomis schiffii have been tested. Some of these
compounds showed activity against Staphylococcus
aureus32. The bulbs of Leopoldia comosa (L.) Parl.
(as Muscari comosum Mill.) were tested for the
inhibition of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) biofilms. Leopoldia comosa (L.)
Parl.(as Muscari comosum Mill.) showed a significant
dose dependent biofilm inhibition with an IC50 of 16
µg/ml34. According to Goktas et al. ethanol extract of
Muscari neglectum Guss. ex Ten. showed antifungal
activity against Postia placenta and Trametes
versicolor35. A 29 kDa glycoprotein isolated
from Drimia indica (Roxb.) Jessop [as Urginea
indica (Roxb.) Kunth] bulbs demonstrated inhibition
the germination of spores and hyphal growth of

KAYIRAN & ÖZKAN: ETHNOBOTANICAL USES OF HYACINTHACEAE SPECIES GROWING IN TURKEY
247
Fig. 1—Record numbers of Hyacinthaceae members parts (leaves,
whole plants, fruit, bulb, herba, flowers, scapes) for
ethnobotanical usages (food, medicinal, dye, ornamental, toys,
adhesive, soap)
Fusarium oxysporum36. The ethanol extract of root
of Barnardia japonica (Thunb.) Schult. & Schult.f.
[as Scilla scilloides (Lindl.) Druce] showed
antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus,
Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli and
Candida parapsilosis37. Some homo isoflavanones
isolated from Drimiopsis barteri Baker were
tested against the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA), one of them showed significant
inhibitory activity with an MIC of 0.47 nM32. The
dichloromethane fraction of the methanol extract of
Schizocarphus nervosus (Burch) van der Merwe
(as Scilla nervosa (Burch.) Jessop showed inhibitory
activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiellla
pneumoniae and Candida albicans with an IC50
values of 1.8 µg/ml, 2.0 µg/ml and 1.0 µg/ml,
respectively31.
Antihelmintic activity
Aqueous extracts of Merwilla plumbea (Lindl.)
Speta (as Scilla natalensis Planch.) had good activity
against Schistosoma haematobium, with a MIC of
0.4 mg/ml30.
Fig. 2—Records number of ethnobotanical usages according to
taxa
Antioxidant activity
Antioxidant potential of some homo isoflavanones
isolated from Muscari racemosum Mill.has been
determined by lipid peroxidation assay. Strong
antioxidant activity was observed with an IC50 value
between 0.94 µM and 7.98 µM38.Two homo
isoflavanones, namely ledebourin B and ledebourin C
were isolated from the bulbs of Ledebouria floribunda
(Baker) Jessop have shown good antioxidant activity
against DPPH radical and β-carotene/linoleic acid
system39. The bulbs of Leopoldia comosa (L.)
Parl. [as Muscari comosum (L.) Mill.] were tested for
antioxidant activity by DPPH screening and lipid
peroxidation assays. In both antioxidant assays, strong
activity was shown for Leopoldia comosa (L.)
Parl. [as Muscari comosum (L.) Mill.]40. The
ethanolic extract of the bulbs of Ledebouria revoluta
L.f.) Jessop [as Scilla indica (Wight) Baker] showed
49 % protection against the lipid peroxidation induced
by ferrous sulphate at a concentration of 250 µg/ml41.
Antioxidant activity of the bulb of Ornithogalum
alpigenum Stapf was determined using β–
carotenelinoleic acid model system. The methanol
extract showed the highest antioxidant activity of
88.12 ± 0.9 %42.
Cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity
One of the triterpenoid oligosaccharides,
Scillasaponin A isolated from Eucomis bicolor Baker
has been found to inhibit cyclic AMP phosphoesterase
with an IC50 value of 11.5x10-5 M2. Peruvianoside A
and scillasaponin B isolated from Scilla peruviana L.
showed moderate inhibitory activity against cyclic
AMP phosphodiesterase with an IC50 of 23.5x10-5 and
14x10-5, respectively43.
Cytotoxic activity
Some triterpenoid oligosaccharides isolated from
Eucomis bicolor Baker have been found to be toxic to
HeLa cells with the concentration between 5 µg/ml and
50 µg/ml44. Ethanol and dichloromethane extracts of

INDIAN J TRADIT KNOWLE, VOL 16, NO. 2, APRIL 2017
248
Ledebouria ovatifolia (Baker) Jessop showed good
antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria
with a MIC value between 0.8 mg/ml and
12.5 mg/ml30.Thirtheen homo isoflavanones have been
isolated from Schizocarphus nervosus (Burch) van der
Merwe [as Scilla nervosa (Burch.) Jessop] and tested
against colon cancer (HT-29) and breast cancer (MDA-
MB-435) cell lines. One of these compounds was
found to be highly active with an ED50 value of 0.88
µg/ml and 0.42 µg/ml, respectively45. Some
compounds isolated from Scilla luciliae (Boiss.) Speta
were tested for their cytotoxic activity against HSC-2
cells by using MTT assay. Four compounds showed
cytotoxic activity with LD50 values ranging from 10 to
23 mg/ml46. A 15-deoxoeucosterol oligosaccharide
isolated from Scilla peruviana L. was found to be toxic
to HeLa cells at the concentration of 5 µg/ml43. The
bufadienolide, riparianin isolated from the bulbs of
Drimia macrocentra (Baker) Jessop and Drimia
calcarata (Baker) Stedje (as Urginea riparia Baker)
showed moderate activity against MCF7 (breast),
TK10 (renal) and UACC62 (melanoma) cell lines47.
Some bisdesmosidic cholestane glycosides isolated
from the bulbs of Ornithogalum thyrsoides Jacq. were
tested on HL-60 leukemia cells. Two of these
compounds were extremely cytotoxic with IC50 values
between 0.00013 and 0.00016 µg/ml48. Four water-
soluble polysaccharide fractions extracted from the
Albuca bracteata (Thunb.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
(as Ornithogalum caudatum Aiton) exhibited
significantly higher antitumor activity against solid
tumor Sarcoma 180 in vivo than control. Three
fractions significantly inhibited the growth of K562
cells in vitro49. The cytotoxic effects of Ornithogalum
cuspidatum Bertol. methanolic fractions (40 %, 60 %,
80 %, 100 %) were determined on PC-3, prostate
cancer cells and WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma cells. The
80 % and 100 % methanolic fractions showed
significant antiproliferative and apoptotic effects on
PC-3 and WEHI-164 cells with IC50 value of 65 μg/ml,
45μg/ml and 76 μg/ml, 73μg/ml, rspectively50. Ethanol
and dichloromethane extracts of Ledebouria ovatifolia
(Baker) Jessop showed good antibacterial activity
against Gram-positive bacteria with a MIC value
between 0.8 mg/ml and 12.5 mg/ml30.
Eustrogenic activity
The ether extract of bulb Muscari racemosum Mill.
exhibited estrogenic activity by inducing proliferation
of MCF7 cells in a dose-dependent manner51.
Hypoglycemic activity
A polyhydroxypyrrolizidine alkaloid isolated from
Muscari armeniacum Leichtlin ex Baker was found to
be an inhibitor of rat intestine lactase, L-fucosidase
and amyloglucosidase with an IC50 value of 4.4 µM,
46 µM and 25 µM, respectively52. A pyrrolidine
alkaloid isolated from Scilla siberica Haw. was
found to be a potent inhibitor β-glucosidase and
β-galactosidase with an IC50 of 3.2 µg/ml and
4.4 µg/ml, respectively53. The bulb of Scilla peruviana L.
contains pyrrolidins and A pyrrolizidines. Two of
pyrrolizidine alkaloids showed significant inhibition
of yeast α-glucosidase and bacterial β-glucosidase54.
Some polyhydroxy alkaloid isolated from Hyacinthus
orientalis L., one of them was found to be a good
inhibitor bacterial β-glucosidase and mammalian
galactosidase trehalases with an IC50 of 3.8 µg/ml and
4.0 µg/ml, respectively. The other one inhibited rice
α-glucosidase and rat intestinal maltase with an IC50
of 2.2 µg/ml and 2.5 µg/ml, respectively55.
This study is composed of traditional uses,
pharmacological and phytochemical data of members
of Hyacinthaceae family. The medicinal and aromatic
plants of Turkey is extraordinarily rich. The richness
of medicinal and aromatic plants was decreasing with
three different phytogeographical regions (European-
Siberian, Mediterranean, and Iran-Turano), altitudes,
different climates and soil structures. That is a
positive correlation between floristic richness and
ethnobotanically useful of plants56. The reported
number of medicinal plants in the native folklore
remedies seems very significant the vegetation cover
of Turkey as the area has very rich flora. The
members of Hyacinthaceae family have a long history
of traditional use in Turkey. The total number of
population in Turkey also justifies the low number of
them under medicinal use. Ethnobotanically uses of
Hyacinthaceae species of Turkey have comparatively
been studied more scientifically. Ethnobotanical
studies open the way for further investigation of new
future prospects for the better healthcare of human
being regarding various diseases. Many folk remedies
used in traditional medicine are used as the first line
of healthcare. The literature survey showed that the
pharmacological studies support the ethnobotanical
usage of Hyacinthaceae species. As a result, these
species have a great therapeutic potential and it will
be evaluated for the medical treatment. Many of them
have been unconfirmed by pharmacological studies
in vitro and in vivo. The toxicity of members of this

KAYIRAN & ÖZKAN: ETHNOBOTANICAL USES OF HYACINTHACEAE SPECIES GROWING IN TURKEY
249
family have been unchecked the safety for human
healthy.
Acknowledgement
The present work was supported by the Research
Fund of Istanbul University (Project No. 26188).
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