Katsumi Goto

Traditional medicine in Turkey IV. Folk medicine in the Mediterranean subdivision

The traditional utilization of plants as medicine in the Mediterranean region has been investigated. Field surveys were carried out among the people who live in the Taurus Mountains. Sixty-nine medicinal plants have been identified, which are listed with the vernacular names, the parts used, the methods of preparing the drugs and their traditional usages.

Traditional medicine in Turkey. I: Folk medicine in Northeast anatolia

Folk medicine in northwest Anatolia has been studied and 116 remedies prepared from 67 plant and 8 animal species are described, each with vernacular names, methods of preparation and traditional uses.

Traditional Medicine in Turkey III Folk Medicine in East Anatolia Van and Bitlis Provinces

AbstractA field survey of traditional medicine in Turkey, specifically medicinal plants in East-Anatolia (Van-Bitlis Provinces), is discussed. Interviews with inhabitants, elder people, traditional practitioners and eyh (semi-religious persons) were conducted to determine the vernacular names of plants used as medicine. The plants were all taxonomically identified, and their medicinal uses and administration routes are listed. The use of medicinal plants is usually the first choice of treatment among the rural people in this region.

Biocommunication between Plants and Pollinating Insects through Fluorescence of Pollen and Anthers

Flowering plants attract pollinators via various stimuli such as odor, color, and shape. Factors determining the foraging behavior of pollinators remain a major theme in ecological and evolutionary research, although the floral traits and cognitive ability of pollinators have been investigated for centuries. Here we show that the autofluorescence emitted from pollen and anthers under UV irradiation may act as another attractant for flower-visiting insects. We have identified fluorescent compounds from pollen and anthers of five plant species as hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives. The fluorescent compounds are also shown to quench UV energy and exhibit antioxidant activity, indicating a function as protectants of pollen genes from UV-induced damage. A two-choice assay using honeybees in the field demonstrated that they perceived the blue fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent compounds and were attracted to it. This result suggested that the fluorescence from pollen and anthers serves as a visual cue to attract pollinators under sunlight.