# Halophytes as Medicinal Plants against Human Infectious Diseases
## 2 Halophytes in Traditional Medicine and Ethnopharmacology
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Familiy** & **Species** & **Plant Part** & **Application** & **Region** & **Reference** \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Cucurbitaceae} & \multirow{4}{*}{_Citrullus colocynthia_} & & bronchitis, tuberculosis, & India and Pakistan, & \\  & & fruits and roots & glands of the neck, & Arabia, West Asia, & \\  & & & throat infection & Tropical Africa and & \\  & & & throat infection & the Mediterranean & \\  & & & & region & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Ephedraceae} & \multirow{4}{*}{_Epheda sinica_} & & treatment of cold, bronchial & \multirow{4}{*}{China, India} & \multirow{4}{*}{[36]} \\  & & & asthma, cough, fever, flu, & \\  & & & headache, edema, allergies, & \\  & & & bacterial infections & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Mytraceae} & \multirow{4}{*}{_Eucalyptus_} & \multirow{4}{*}{leaves} & \multirow{4}{*}{infected wounds} & Nigeria & \multirow{4}{*}{[37]} \\  & & & & & \\  & & & root bark & & & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Solanaceae} & \multirow{4}{*}{_Lycium barbarum_} & \multirow{4}{*}{Fruits, leaves, & lung function and eye & \multirow{4}{*}{China} & [38] \\  & & _L. chinese_ & root bark & diseases, cough & & [40] \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Tamaricaceae} & \multirow{2}{*}{_Tamaria aphylla_} & \multirow{2}{*}{leaves and roots} & \multirow{2}{*}{infected wounds} & Saudi Arabia & [29] \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Zygophyllaceae} & \multirow{2}{*}{_Tetraena alba_} & leaves, & \multirow{2}{*}{antiviral and antifungal} & semiarid areas & \multirow{2}{*}{[41]} \\  & & stems, fruits & & Arabia, Africa & \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Liliaceae} & \multirow{4}{*}{_Aloe vera_} & \multirow{4}{*}{leaves and roots} & fever, constipation, & \multirow{4}{*}{[42]} \\  & & & sunstroke, malaria, eczema, & \\  & & & psoriasis, hair loss, gastric & \\  & & & ulcer, liver pain, diabetes, & \\  & & & menstrual troubles, & \\  & & & gonorrhea, spleen & \\  & & & disorders, nerve & \\  & & & pain, rheumat & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Plumbaginaceae} & \multirow{2}{*}{_Limonium_ spp.} & \multirow{2}{*}{leaves and roots} & microbial and & \multirow{2}{*}{Tunisia} & \multirow{2}{*}{[43]} \\  & & & viral infections & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Fabaceae} & \multirow{2}{*}{_Glycyrrhiza_ spp.} & underground & upper respiratory tract & \multirow{2}{*}{China, Japan} & \multirow{2}{*}{[44]} \\  & & unpeeled or peeled & & ailments including coughs, & \\  & & stems and roots & hoarseness, sore throat & \\  & & & and bronchitis & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Zygophyllaceae} & \multirow{2}{*}{_Nitraria_ spp.} & \multirow{2}{*}{ fruits} & hypertension, menstrual & \multirow{2}{*}{China} & \multirow{2}{*}{[45]} \\  & & & disorders & & \\  & & & and gastroenteritis & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: _Cont._which is used in Tropical Africa, India and Pakistan for the treatment of a wide range of infectious diseases [48]. In fact, countries in the Arabian Sea region, especially Pakistan, have a long and rich tradition in terms of medicinal applications of halophytes. On the Arabian Sea coast, Chenopodiaceae, Capparidaceae, Amaranthaceae, Zygophyllaceae, Poaceae and Boraginaceae are the most represented families. The whole plants are used, or only the leaves, fruits or roots [24]. _Solanum virginianum_ L. and _Citrullus colocynthia_ ([PERSON] [PERSON] have the widest range of applications, but many more halophyte species are used in this region to treat digestive problems (_Acacia nilotica_ L., _Citrullus colocynthia_ and _Ipomoea pes-caprae_ (L.) [PERSON]), skin conditions (_Suaeda monoica_ [PERSON]), respiratory, liver and kidney problems, genito-urinary infections, piles, toothache, chronical pain and fever. _Ziziplus mauirtiana_ [PERSON], _Withania coagulans_ (Stocks) [PERSON], _Rhazya stricta_ [PERSON], _Fagonia cretica_ L., _Kochia prostrata_ L., _Peganum harnala_ L. and _Solanum surattense_ are used for multiple purposes, particularly their leaves and fruits [32]. Some species are also used as alexipharics and blood purifiers [49].