Table 1. Traditional medicines of Oman.
| Name of the herb | Local name (Arabic) | Botanical name (family name) | Major chemical constituents | Uses | Reference | Herbarium accession number | Extraction methods/decoctions used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose water | Ward |
Rosa damascena (Rosaceae) |
Citronellal, geraniol, methyl euginol, linalool, vitamin C, kaempferol, and quercetin | Astringent, cardiac and cephalic tonic. Used as eye drops. | 10 | DCHM/23 | Aqueous water distillate. |
| Garlic | Thom, kurath |
Allium sativum (Lilliaceae) |
Aliin, allicin, diallyl trisulfide, S-allyl cysteine, ajoene S-allyl mercapto cysteine |
Fever, pulmonary infections, rheumatism, hypoglycemic, purgative. | 11 | DC/HM/24 | Water distillation. |
| Thyme | Zaater |
Thymus vulgaris (Labiatae) |
α -pinene, camphene, β-pinene, α-terpinene, thymol |
Carminative, spasmolytic. | 12 | DC/HM/25 | Extracted from the fresh or partly dried flowering tops and leaves of the plant by water distillation. |
| Acridocarpus | Qafas |
Acridocarpus orientalis (Malpighiaceae) |
Flavonoids morin, polyphenols, phenolics | Headaches and muscle pain. | 13 | DC/HM/26 | Decoction made from crushed seeds. |
| Cinnamon | Qurfa |
Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Laraceae) |
eugenol, eugenol acetate, cinnamic aldehyde and benzyl benzoate | Infection of the respiratory tract, rheumatism, arthritis, general pains. | 14 | DC/HM/27 | The water distillate/decoctions of the leaves and twigs or inner dried bark. |
| Clove | Qurnfel |
Eugenia caryophyllus (Myrtaceae) |
euginol, euginol acetate, iso-eugenol and caryophyllene |
Acne, bruises, burns and cuts, for toothache, mouth sores. | 15 | DC/HM/28 | Water distillate of clove buds. |
| Hemp | Al-keef |
Cannabis sativa (Cannabinaceae) |
Leaf: tetra hydro cannabinol Oil: rich in proteins and vitamins |
Retentive, anesthetic, astringent, sedative. |
16 | DC/HM/29 | The oil is expressed by applying pressure. |
| True myrtle | Yas |
Myrtus communis (Myrtaceae) |
myrtenyl acetate, 1, 8-cineole, limonene, linalool, methyl eugenol, terpineole, trans-carveole, geraniol |
Used in scorpion sting, burns, sores and ulcers. Antiseptic, antirheumatic. |
17 | DC/HM/30 | Myrtle oil is extracted from the leaves, branches, fruits and flowers through water distillation. |
| Senna leaves | Sana makki |
Cassia acutifolia (Leguminosae) |
Sennocides A,B,C,D | Laxative. | 18 | DC/HM/31 | Leaf and root decoction. |
| Juniper | Arar |
Juniper excelsa (Cupressaceae) |
α-pinene, camphene, β pinene, 1,4-cineole limonene, camphor, linalool | Aromatic, stimulant, digestive, diuretic. | 19 | DC/HM/32 | Juniper oil is extracted from dried, crushed or slightly dried ripe fruit or leaves by water distillation. |
| Frankincense | Mohor, Sheehaz mogar |
Boswellia carteri or B.sacra (Burseraceae) |
Limonene, verbenone, incensol | Asthma, wounds, ulcers, bronchitis, diuretic, tonic for cleansing the digestive system and for deodorizing the mouth. |
20 | DC/HM/33 | Oleoresin is collected from cut made in the bark of the tree. |
| Mountain/felty germander or Cat thyme |
Kalpooreh, qasba |
Teucrium mascatense (Lamiaceae) |
Flavonoids | Antibacterial, antinociceptive, antinflammatory, bitter tonic febrifuge. |
21,22 | DC/HM/34 | Water extract of the leaves and stem. |
| Bitter apple | Sharinjiban, mazi |
Solanum incanum (Solanaceae) |
Steroid alkaloid, solanin, solasonine |
Hemorrhoids, earache. | 23 | DC/HM/35 | Water extract of the roots. |
| St Joseph’s wort, sweet basil | Theemran zawab |
Ocimum basilicum (Lamiaceae) |
Thymol, euginol, 1,8 cineole | Colds and eye problems, insect bites. | 24 | DC/HM/36 | Leaf extract. |
| Jacobeastrum arabicum | Kabouv |
Euryops arabicus (Compositae) |
Volatile oil, secoeurabicanal | Analgesic. | 25 | DC/HM/37 | Aqueous Leaf extract. |
| Cumin | Kimoon or Sanoot |
Cuminum cyminum (Umbelliferae) |
Cuminaldehyde, cymene | Enhancing appetite, boiling the ground seeds with lime and then drunk as a colic. | 26 | DC/HM/38 | Decoction of the seeds. |
| Papaya fruits | Pawpaw or fifay |
Carica papaya (Caricaceae) |
Papain enzyme, lycopene, polyphenols | Diarrhea. | 27 | DC/HM/39 | Leaves and seeds. |
| Walnuts | Joz or nakash |
Juglans cinerea (Juglandaceae) |
Nutrient-dense | Eczema. | 28,29 | DC/HM/40 | Leaf juice. |
| Rhazya | Harmal |
Rhazya stricta (Apocynaceae) |
Alkaloids | Smoke from its dried leaves is inhaled from a pipe for chest ailments. | 30 | DC/HM/41 | Dried leaf smoke, leaf juice. |
| Miracle tree | Shu |
Moringa peregrina (Moringaceae) |
Flavonoids rutin, quercetin β-sitosterol, β-amyrin |
Seed oil is used for bone setting. | 31 | DC/HM /42 | Crushed seed oil. |
| Aloe plant | Isqal,sabbar |
Aloe barbedensis A.dhofarensis, A.innermis (Lilliaceae) |
Anthracene glycosides | Purgative, eye infections, wound healing. | 32 | DC/HM/43 | Dried or fresh leaf juice. |
| Lycium | gharqad |
Lycium shawii (Solanaceae |
Alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids | Detoxification, anti-inflammatory, for sore eyes | 33 | DC/HM/44 | Decoction of stem. |
| Bitter apple | handal |
Citrullus colocynthis (Cucurbitaceae) |
Flavonoids, unsaturated fatty acids, alkaloids | Dog and insect bites. | 34,35 | DC/HM/45 | Decoction of the berries, whole plant. |
| Spurge tree | Labna |
Euphorbia larica (Euphorbiaceae) |
Flavonoids | Bites, boils, burns. | 36 | DC/HM/46 | Latex from the tree stem. |
| Rubber bush Camel weed |
shakr |
Calotropis procera (Asclepidaceae) |
Cardiac glycosides | Arthritis. | 37 | DC/HM/47 | Plant milky sap extract. |
| Thorn apple/ Night shade |
Mazi |
Solanum incanum (Solanaceae) |
Steroidal glycosides, steroidal alkaloids | Hemorrhoids, eye and ear infections. | 38 | DC/HM/48 | Leaves, whole plant. |
| Ginger | Zanjabil |
Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae) |
Oleoresins | Stomach ailments. | 39 | DC/HM/49 | Rhizomes. |
| Angels trumpet | Tatorah |
Datura metel (Solanaceae) |
Tropane alkaloids | Sedative, used to treat asthma. | 40,41 | DC/HM/50 | Decoction of seeds. |
| Namaqua fig | Tha’ab |
Ficus cordata (Moraceae) |
Polyphenols, flavonoids | Bites, boils, burns. | 42 | DC/HM/51 | Tree sap. |
| Red thorn | Thbeean |
Acacia gerardii (Fabaceae) |
Polyphenols, catechins | Bites, boils, burns. | 43 | DC/HM/52 | Plant resins. |
| Khejri | Ghaf |
Prosopis cineraria (Fabaceae) |
Polyphenols, catechins, Flavonoids, 5HT |
Astringent, demulcent. | 44 | DC/HM/53 | Gum and resins. |
| Dates | Nakhleh |
Phoenix dactylifera (Arecaceae) |
Flavonoids, tannins, vitamins, minerals, sterols | General tonic, cooling, aphrodisiac, bronchitis. | 45,46 | DC/HM/54 | Fruits, leaves, seeds. |
| Caralluma | Qahr al-luhum |
Caralluma flava (Asclepidaceae) |
Pregnane glycosides, flavone glycosides | Tonic, stomach ailments, suppress hunger. | 47 | DC/HM/55 | Aerial part, whole plant. |