Ethnobotanical Plant Species a Systematic Assessment of Therapeutic Potential, Biodiversity Conservation, and Sustainable Utilization

Abstract

Ethnobotanical plant species are an important connection between human cultural heritage, traditional health care systems and global biodiversity conservation. Medicinal plants are being used for the treatment of different illnesses worldwide. Over 50,000 species of plants are used as medicine. The traditional uses of medicinal plants offer primary healthcare to about 80% of the populations in the developing world and also provide important lead compounds for modern pharmacotherapy. However, due to severe anthropogenic pressures like destructive harvesting practices, habitat fragmentation, expansion of agriculture and climate change, more than 20% of the wild medicinal flora are threatened with extinction. This systematic review provides collective global evidence on the therapeutic potential, phytochemical diversity, and conservation dynamics of ethnobotanical flora. We assessed quantitative ethnobotanical indicators such as Use Value (UV), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), and Fidelity Level (FL) in the main ecological biomes, in accordance with Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (BPEP) guidelines. Our results show a strong association between high informant consensus (ICF = 0.75 - 0.92) and validated pharmacological activities, especially in the gastrointestinal, dermatology and respiratory treatment categories. The decline of wild populations is mainly attributed to harvesting and unmonitored commercial bioprospecting which destroy roots. To address these threats, we offer an integrative governance framework which includes in-situ protected areas, ex-situ germplasm cryopreservation, Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) for commercial cultivation, and community-based resource management. The ethical obligation for bioprospecting is emphasised to respect international Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) legislation in Nagoya Protocol. In the end, the most viable way to secure botanical healthcare resources, protect ecosystem integrity and support local livelihoods is to integrate indigenous traditional ecological knowledge with modern biotechnological propagation.