# Halophytes as Medicinal Plants against Human Infectious Diseases
## 2 Halophytes in Traditional Medicine and Ethnopharmacology  
Traditional medicine (TM) is the mainstay of health care delivery in many developing countries. In the 2019 WHO Global Report [20], 34 countries included TM in their national essential medicines list and 107 member states have acknowledged the use of traditional and complementary medicine. In some countries, such as India, China, South Africa, Ghana, Mexico and Russia, TM is actually the major source of health care, or is at least a very important health care resource for the poorer, less educated and rural communities [21]. Many halophytes have been used for centuries in TM [12; 22; 23]. Leaves, roots, seeds, fruits, banks, latex or whole plants are used as juices, decoctions, or infusions, macerated, grounded to powder, crumpled into pastes or pontilices, or incinerated to ashes (Figure 1). Halophytes thrive in diverse saline habitats, whether coastal, such as in salt marshes, or inland, such as in salt deserts and salt flats [12; 24]. Therefore, the therapeutic use of halophytes is more common in populations established in these areas (Figure 2). Figure 1: Most widely used parts of the plants (**A**) and most common preparations (**B**) in traditional medicine. _Avicennia marina_ was illustrated by [PERSON]. Mediterranean regions of Africa and Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, southwest Asian countries such as Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, and east Asian countries such as China and Thailand have a millennial history of using halophyte species as traditional medicines to treat or relieve symptoms of infectious and noninfectious diseases (Table 1). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Familiy** & **Species** & **Plant Part** & **Application** & **Region** & **Reference** \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Aizoaceae} & _Mesembryanthemum_ & & \multicolumn{2}{c}{fungal and bacterial infections, diarrhea, tuberculosis, antiseptic to treat infections of the mouth and throat} & Europe, Africa, Australia & \multirow{3}{*}{[27,28]} \\  & spp. & aerial parts & \multicolumn{2}{c}{} \\  & & & & \\ \cline{3-5}  & & & & \\ \hline Amaranthaceae & _Aerva javunica_ & \multicolumn{2}{c}{roots, leaves, flowers and seeds} & infected wounds, malaria & Saudi Arabia & \multirow{3}{*}{[29]} \\ \hline Apiaceae & _Foenticulum vulgare_ & \multicolumn{2}{c}{root and seeds} & gastrointestinal, urological, gynecological infections & Saudi Arabia & \multirow{3}{*}{[30]} \\ \hline Apocynaceae & _Calotropis procera_ & \multicolumn{2}{c}{leaves and latex} & skin infection (antifungal) & Morocco & \multirow{3}{*}{[31]} \\ \cline{2-5}  & _Calotropis procera_ & \multicolumn{2}{c}{latex} & skin infections & Saudi Arabia & \multirow{3}{*}{[29]} \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Asteraceae} & _Blumea lacera_ & \multicolumn{2}{c}{roots} & \begin{tabular}{c} antiseptic, \\ dysentery \\ \end{tabular} & Pakistan & \multirow{3}{*}{[32,33]} \\  & & & & \\ \cline{3-5}  & & & & \\ \cline{3-5}  & _Xanthium_ & \multicolumn{2}{c}{fruits} & \begin{tabular}{c} rhinitis, nasal sinusitis, \\ headache, gastric ulcer, \\ urticaria, rheumatism, \\ bacterial and fungal \\ infections, arthritis and \\ eye diseases \\ \end{tabular} & China & \multirow{3}{*}{[22]} \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Chenopodiaceae} & _Kochia scoparia_ & \multicolumn{2}{c}{fruits} & \begin{tabular}{c} dysuria, skin, urinary tract \\ and eye diseases, pruritus \\ and thermal skin lesions \\ \end{tabular} & \
\begin{tabular}{c} China, Japan \\ and Korea \\ \end{tabular} & \multirow{3}{*}{[34]} \\ \cline{2-5}  & _Beta vulgaris_ & \multicolumn{2}{c}{leaves and stems} &
\begin{tabular}{c} digestive disorders, throat \\ inflammation, digestive, \\ diuretic and \\ laxative properties \\ \end{tabular} & Mediterranean & \multirow{3}{*}{[23]} \\ \cline{3-5}  & \multicolumn{2}{c}{} & & & \\ \cline{3-5}  & & & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Most common taxa of halophyte families used in traditional medicine and most frequent applications.