Medicinally Important Herbal Flowers in Sri Lanka

Area of Science:

• Ethnobotany
• Pharmacology
• Traditional Medicine

Background:

• Sri Lanka's rich biodiversity includes numerous plants with medicinal properties.
• Traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda, Unani, and Deshiya Chikitsa utilize various plant parts, including flowers, for healing.
• While flowers are less studied, some exhibit unique properties, such as anticancer and antispermatogenic effects, and are used in formulations like Arishtas and for essential oils.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of medicinal flowers used in Sri Lanka's traditional medicine.
• To highlight the pharmacological importance of these herbal flowers.
• To identify knowledge gaps and suggest future research directions.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature survey was conducted.
• Data was gathered from Sri Lankan Ayurveda libraries and scientific databases.

Main Results:

• Medicinal flowers are traditionally used as astringents, cardiac tonics, and febrifuges.
• They are also employed to treat conditions such as dysentery, diarrhea, indigestion, bleeding piles, asthma, and bronchitis.
• Examples include flowers with anticancer and antispermatogenic properties, and those used in Ayurvedic preparations.

Conclusions:

• Many flowers possess valuable therapeutic effects, utilized in Sri Lankan traditional medicine for diverse diseases.
• This review offers pharmacological insights, but the chemical composition of many medicinal flowers remains uninvestigated.
• Further phytochemical studies are essential to fully elucidate the medicinal potential of these floral resources.