Traditional Respiratory Remedies From Anatolia: Ethnobotanical Insights and Bioactive Properties

Respiratory disorders, ranging from acute viral infections such as influenza and bronchitis to chronic inflammatory conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, emphysema, and pneumonia, represent a major global health burden, affecting millions annually. Traditional Anatolian folk medicine has long relied on plant-based remedies to manage these conditions, offering a valuable reservoir of therapeutic knowledge. Ethnobotanical data on Anatolian medicinal plants are integrated to evaluate their therapeutic relevance through a mechanistic perspective. A meta-analysis of 187 ethnobotanical studies published since 1991 was conducted, with 110 meeting strict inclusion criteria. The dataset includes 508 plant taxa, with prominent families such as Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, and Malvaceae. Key species include Cydonia oblonga, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Juniperus oxycedrus, Matricaria chamomilla, Pinus spp., Plantago spp., Rubus spp., Sambucus nigra, and Urtica dioica. A clear divergence in treatment strategies is evident. Essential oil- and anthocyanin-rich taxa are associated with acute conditions via antimicrobial activity and γδ T-cell modulation. In contrast, mucilage- and iridoid-rich species are linked to chronic conditions, where mucosal protection and regulation of NF-κB and COX-2 pathways represent central mechanisms. A coherent framework for evidence-based respiratory therapeutics emerges from ethnobotanical evidence integrated with mechanistic insights and updated toxicological evaluation. This review defines the mechanistic and ethnopharmacological landscape of plant-based interventions targeting respiratory disorders.