The Role of exotic medicinal plants in the treatment of modern diseases: A study at public markets on a global scale

Abstract

Background: It is important to understand treatment strategies for modern illnesses that arise from social and environmental transformation associated with the process of modernization, including those that are new or becoming more common, in order to understand how local medical systems are evolving and facing the challenges associated with diagnosing and treating these diseases. Moreover, changes brought about by modernization, such as urbanization, may influence both the knowledge and the availability of resources for treating these diseases, including the use of exotic plants, which are becoming increasingly accessible in the context of globalization, particularly through local public markets, thereby enhancing access to such resources. The present study aimed to investigate the representation of exotic species in the treatment of modern diseases and whether the rate of urbanization explains the proportion of exotic and native species used in treatments for these diseases provided in local public markets of medicinal plants on a global scale. Methods: A systematic review was conducted, following the PRISMA protocol, of studies on local public markets, to assess whether traded exotic species are preferentially used in the treatment of modern diseases compared to other ailments. We also examined whether the local rate of urbanization influenced the composition of traded exotic species compared to native species for the treatment of modern diseases. We used odds ratios, random-effects models, and simple linear regressions to analyze the data. Results: Our findings suggest that traded exotic species are equally likely to be used to treat both modern and other diseases. Furthermore, the rate of urbanization does not influence the composition of traded exotic species for the treatment of these diseases when compared to native species. Conclusions: Local public markets present complex dynamics that make them more homogeneous, which may explain the same proportion of exotic and native species used to treat modern diseases, as well as the same proportion of exotic species treating modern diseases and other diseases.