Latvian Academy of Sciences

MEDICINAL IN LATVIA: FROM FOLKLORE MATERIALS TO PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS NOWADAYS

Inga Sīle, Mg. pharm., PhD Candidate and lecturer, Rīga Stradiņš University, Scientific Assistant, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis Arta Kronberga, Dr. agr., leading researcher, “SIA Field and Forest” Osvalds Pugovičs, Dr. chem., Director, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Corresponding Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences Maija Dambrova, Dr. pharm., Professor, Rīga Stradiņš University, Head of the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Pharmacology, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

The application of plants in leads [1]. The local people in the territory of Latvia has a long history, and the use of plants as medicine used to treat different ailments. is as old as human civilization. Historically, medici- The knowledge about the chemical composition of nal plants have gained considerable recognition for plants might not be known to the local people, but prevention and treatment of different sicknesses. they knew medicinal plants that were useful to Numerous biologically active components have treat many kinds of diseases and health conditions. been isolated from traditional medicinal plants. It is Information about medicine is documented estimated that 122 drugs from 94 species in various folklore materials including the records have been discovered based on ethnobotanical of Latvian folk medicine (more commonly known as folk beliefs). During the 19th century, across Europe and including in the territory of Latvia, folklore re- search became increasingly popular [2]. Folklore materials collected during the 19th century today are an integral part of Latvia’s cultural heritage. The analyses from two neighbouring Baltic states, Esto- nia and Lithuania, have been published recently [3–5], and now, also the extensive folk knowledge from Latvia and overview of the Latvian folk herbal traditions in the 19th century have been analysed and brought to an international audience [Sile Fig. 1. 2019; Sile 2020]. An exemplar file card from the Archives of Latvian Folklore with information about the medicinal use of a highly poisonous plant Records of Latvian folk medicine collected by the mezereon (Daphne mezereum) from the village Vaidava. Translation of folklore researcher Pēteris Šmits from four volumes the record of Latvian folk medicine: The toothache goes away when the sore tooth is pocked with a twig of mezereon or by smoking of Latvian Folk Beliefs (Rīga, 1940–1941) and addi- henbane seeds. Mezereon is a shrub/tree that grows in wet soil tional materials stored in the Archives of Latvian around spring waters, among other deciduous trees, on the shores of lakes and rivers. There are many such shrubs/trees on the shores Folklore were analysed (Fig. 1). In total, more than of Lake Vaidava in Rubene 40 000 records were reviewed to select those con-

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Fig. 2. The most frequently mentioned plants from the records of Latvian folk medicine taining information about plant usage in medicine. ing to information provided in records, Latvians Indications, plant parts used, preparations of the generally limited their tradition of plant use to lo- medicine, and their administration were described cally growing plants, but the Latvian pharmacopoe- for each plant mentioned in the records. Over 1900 ia compiled by pharmacy specialists included qual- records containing information about medicinal ity standards for the most frequently prescribed plant usage in the Latvian-populated territory were herbal drugs available in pharmacies, including found in folklore materials. In total, 211 genera be- also foreign plants. longing to 71 families were mentioned. Several lo- Fifty-nine plants reported in this study are important cal plants were mentioned more than 40 times: yar- for medical practice nowadays, and they are used as row ( L.), (Matricaria traditional herbal medicines according to the EU chamomilla L.), onion (Allium cepa L.), wormwood monographs. Many species mentioned in the Latvian (Artemisia absinthium L.), greater plantain/ribwort folklore materials and described in monographs of plantain (Plantago major L./ P. lanceolate L.), birch herbal drugs [6] are primarily used in folk medicine (Betula sp. L.), oak (Quercus robur L.), bird cherry with no sufficient pharmacological evidence of their (Prunus padus L.), and juniper (Juniperus communis use. For those species, additional pharmacological L.) (Fig. 2). The most frequently mentioned foreign studies and phytochemical analysis should be per- plants were tobacco (Nicotiana L.) and aloe (Aloe sp. formed in order to obtain sufficient scientific - evi L.). At the same time, a large number of plants (135) dence and justify their long-standing use. were mentioned only in 1–2 records. In total, 1976 cases were reported for disease pre- All plants from the records of Latvian folk medicine vention or health improvement. The use reports were compared with plants included in the Russian were attributed to 17 medicinal use categories. A pharmacopoeia (1891). A large proportion (78%) of large number of the records of Latvian folk medi- Latvian medicinal plants was not mentioned in this cine mentioned the treatment of symptoms related official document of the 19th century. This discrep- to digestive and respiratory system disorders (Fig. ancy could be explained by the fact that a large 3), allowing for the mapping of useful medicinal number of medicinal plants included in the phar- plants. Thirteen plants were described as having macopoeia were not common in the flora of the ter- activity for more than eight medicinal use catego- ritory where the records of Latvian folk medicine ries. Plants that have the highest medicinal value were collected. Unlike the pharmacopoeia, the re- were: chamomile, which was mentioned in 13 use cords of Latvian folk medicine were a source of in- categories, and birch, which was mentioned in 11 formation on plant species used traditionally. The use categories. information in pharmacopoeias was scientific evi- In addition to wild medicinal plants, foreign plants dence-based and was not appropriately under- were also used for medicinal purposes in the terri- standable for broader public. During the 19th cen- tory of Latvia. Aloe is a frequently used house plant tury, there were two parallel medicinal plant-relat- that is effective in treatment of respiratory and skin ed knowledge systems: one based on folk pharmacy disorders. Several plants such as lime tree, juniper, and another based on scientific pharmacy. Accord- Scots pine, and yarrow from Latvia’s flora were used

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Fig. 3. Percentage of medicinal use reports for different body systems

for the same purpose as aloe. The number of times young children and adults, bathing in boiled plant aloe was mentioned suggested that this plant grew water, as mentioned in the records, is commonly in almost every household in Latvia in the 19th cen- used to reduce pain, improve skin diseases or to tury. Along with aloe, sea-onion (Albuca bracteata calm the nervous system. The most frequently used (Thunb.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt) and pelargonium plants in records of Latvian folk medicine, namely, were used for cough and earache, respectively. yarrow, chamomile and onion, are now used for These plants were used throughout the year, espe- extract preparation to obtain tablets or capsules cially in winter, as fresh material. (www.zva.gov.lv; registri.pvd.gov.lv). In folk medicine, According to information provided in the records of these plants were used in other kinds of prepara- Latvian folk medicine, oral administration of tions, such as decoctions, teas, juices and tinctures. was the most commonly used, simplest and fastest Now, when this information is available interna- route of administration. Many records mentioned tionally [7–8], our results can be used in compara- that plant leaves, such as plantain, yarrow, aloe and tive ethnobotanical studies, including cross-cultur- apple tree leaves were applied directly to fresh al comparisons. Plant species and their uses de- wounds or insect or animal bites, as they had prop- scribed in the records could be potentially useful erties that reduced inflammation and healed for future research. wounds. Tinctures made of fresh birch buds, valeri- Inspired by the ethnobotanical knowledge found in an roots, and wormwood stems were very conven- the records of Latvian folk medicine, we investigat- ient for use in respiratory and digestive system dis- ed anti-inflammatory effects of Prunus padus L. and orders because of their long shelf life. To improve Pelargonium sidoides DC [9–10]. Bird cherry was the taste of herbal medicine, honey or sugar was among the top ten most cited plants in the records, added. In the records of Latvian folk medicine, milk, and pelargonium was a frequently mentioned for- cream, beer, fat, oil, vinegar and even urine were eign plant. In the experimental studies, we aimed to mentioned as solvents instead of water. For babies, confirm ethnomedicinal benefits of these two

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plants against inflammatory diseases by employing ex vivo inflammatory models using the ethanolic extract of bird cherry flowers (Fig. 4) and water ex- tracts of Pelargonium sidoides root (PSRE) and proanthocyanidins from PSRE. The growing interest in plant research in Latvia is also shown by the contribution of the “SIA Field and Forest”, the Institute for Environmental Solutions (IES) (Fig. 5) and the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (IOS) in the research project (Nr. 1.1.1.1/18/A/043) on the cultivation and use of wild spring medicinal and aromatic plants. The main ob- Fig. 4. jective of this research is to gain practical knowl- Preparation of ethanolic extract of bird cherry (Prunus padus) flowers for experimental analysis edge how to cultivate such wild growing plants as: cowslip (Primula veris L.), woodruff (Galium odora­ tum (L.) Scop.), mezereon (Daphne mezereum L.), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara L.), pasqueflower (Pulsa­ tilla pratensis (L.) Mill.), lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis L.), ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea L.), greater celandine (Chelidonium majus L.) and lady’s mantle (Alchemilla spp). Documentation and analy- sis of historical and existing knowledge of these

Fig. 5. Institute for Environmental Solutions trial site, summer 2020

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nine wild plant uses in Latvia will be conducted. An plants grown in experimental fields to assess their ethnobotanical expedition lead by IES team in potential use in medicine, food, and cosmetics. Vidzeme region (Rūjiena and Naukšēni municipali- One hundred and fifty-two plants mentioned in the ties) as part of the project already took place in the records of Latvian folk medicine are still not includ- summer of 2019. Medicinal uses as well as food ed in the EU herbal monographs. This means that uses were documented across the local communi- safety and efficacy of use of those plants is not yet ties of interest. In total, thirty-eight interviewees sufficiently evidenced and they deserve further ex- were interviewed following a pseudo-random and ploration as traditional herbal medicines. Informa- snowball sampling methods. As an example of me- tion from Grandma’s dowry chest, complemented by dicinal uses, for coltsfoot the most represented the most up-to-date research technologies, can emic categories were the uses against cough prove useful and inspire both scientific research by (preparation: tea) and swelling (preparation: topical multidisciplinary teams (Fig. 7) and the develop- application and tea). Apart from the usages, the in- ment of new products in the 21st century. terviewees also added remarks on the landscape change. As for example, an elderly lady (b. 1961) re- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT called that Primula veris have been growing in the meadows but not anymore and stressed the inten- The authors acknowledge the researchers of Insti- sive mowing as part of the reason for disappear- tute for Environmental Solutions, Andra Simanova ance. IOS will perform an analysis of the chemical and PhD Baiba Prūse, for providing information on composition (Fig. 6) as well as evaluation of biolog- the ethnobotanical expedition in Rūjiena and ical activity of extracts of wild growing plants and Naukšēni municipalities.

Fig. 6. Sample preparation for chemical analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method

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