A Review and Survey of Local Eastern Kentucky Medicinal Plants and Their Pharmacological Benefits

Medicinal plants are used all over the world to prevent, cure, and manage many different diseases. The aim of this study was to provide knowledge on different medicinal plants that are native to Pike County, Eastern Kentucky, USA. The study involved two stages of activity. First, it involved a survey of some county locals to identify medicinal plants used for different medical purposes. The second part dealt with searching research databases like PubMed and Google Scholar to find out if any of those plants, identified in the survey, have any published scientific studies on them. The results of the survey identified 14 locally used medicinal plants (Asimina triloba, Callicarpa americana, Chimaphila umbellate, Cichorium intybus, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Monotropa uniflora, Paulownia tomentosa, Phytolacca americana, Portulaca oleracea, Sassafras albidum, Ampelopsis glandulosa, Ulmus rubra, Verbascum thapsus, and Xanthorhiza simplicissima) belonging to different families, plant types and used for a wide variety of purposes. Most plants belonged to the Ericaceae and Asteraceae families, were mostly herb type, while the most common plant part was berries, leaves and roots. The survey also showed that the local population use these plants for a variety of purposes, such as a food additive, insect repellant, antirheumatic, antiarthritic, coffee alternative, laxative, antitussive, analgesic, or anti-infective. Sometimes these plants and plant substances are used raw, made into tea, or even made into an edible jam product. For the second part of the study, all the plants were supported by multiple published studies. The most common pharmacological activity among the plants was antimicrobial, followed by anticancer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Eastern Kentucky is well known for its scenic Appalachian Mountains, but the area holds potential for innovative herbal medicine as well. More interest and research are needed to further explore the treasure of medicinal plant use knowledge resting in this area. Additionally, more phytopharmacological and phytochemical studies are needed to investigate the scientific potential of traditionally used medicinal herbs from this region.