Journal of Ethnopharmacology 133 (2011) 191–203 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Ethnopharmacology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jethpharm The herbal market of Cyprus: Traditional links and cultural exchanges Regina Karousou ∗ , Stephania Deirmentzoglou Laboratory of Systematic Botany and Phytogeography, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece article info Article history: Received 15 July 2010 Received in revised form 24 September 2010 Accepted 25 September 2010 Keywords: Medicinal plants Cyprus Herbal market Traditional medicinal uses Ethnobotanical indices Eastern Mediterranean abstract Aim of the study: Directive 2004/24/EC sets the frame for the herbal trade in Europe emphasizing the need of the botanical characterization of herbal substances intended for human consumption. Thus, the aim of the present study is to survey and identify taxonomically the herbs sold in the market of Cyprus and to document and evaluate their uses. Moreover, the relationship of the nowadays market to the local ethnobotanical tradition, as well as to other eastern Mediterranean markets (i.e. Greece, Israel, Jordan, Turkey) is also traced. Material and methods: Herbs sold in 15 shops scattered in three major cities of Cyprus were surveyed. Data concerning their uses were collected through interviews with the herbal traders and studied quanti- tatively by the use of ethnobotanical indices (informant consensus factor, use value, relative importance value, fidelity level) and statistical tests (Spearman’s correlation coefficient, Kruskal–Wallis test, paired- sample t-test). Comparisons to published information concerning other eastern Mediterranean markets were performed by multivariate tests (Ward’s hierarchical cluster). Results: A total number of 57 taxa were surveyed from 15 selected shops, out of which 32 are cultivated, 14 are collected from the wild and 11 are imported. The highest Informant Consensus Factors were presented by the neuropsychiatric (0.78), gastrointestinal (0.76) and respiratory ailments (0.71). The comparison of our results to published information has shown that 40 of the traded taxa have also been used traditionally, while a considerable number of herbs are also found in the markets of Greece and Turkey (35 and 29 taxa, respectively); a lower number of the taxa traded, is found in the markets of the Middle East. Conclusions: The nowadays herbal trade in Cyprus is still linked to the local ethnobotanical legacy. More- over the similarities between the Cypriot herbal market and the markets of Greece and Turkey are more prominent than those between Cyprus and the Middle East, reflecting the cultural exchanges among the three neighbouring countries. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction The East Mediterranean area is characterized by a rich tra- dition in phytotherapy dated from ancient times. The classical works of Hippocrates (5th century B.C.), Dioscorides and Galen (1st and 2nd century A.D., respectively) were survived and the medicinal knowledge was further developed during the Byzan- tine period (Ramoutsaki et al., 2002; Anastassiou and Irmer, 2006; Christopoulou-Aletra and Papavramidou, 2008). With the rise of Islam several scholars followed and expanded the Greek tradition, adding new data (Savage-Smith, 2000; Modanlou, 2008). Cyprus, with a total surface of 9251 km 2 is the third largest island of the Mediterranean. Laying in the easternmost part of the basin, in the crossroad of three continents, became, since antiquity, a significant commercial centre, where different cultures ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +30 2310998282; fax: +30 2310998295. E-mail address: karousou@bio.auth.gr (R. Karousou). were amalgamating. Several ethnic groups left their cultural trace on the island, among which the Greeks and the Turks, consist- ing nowadays almost the total of the island’s population (Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots). Moreover, the peculiarity of its geographical position reflects to its diverse flora consisting of approximately 2000 native plant taxa (cf. Meikle, 1977/1985), sev- eral of which are aromatic or medicinal and mentioned by ancient writers. The last years a rise in the herb trade has been observed world- wide, reflecting to the consumers’ trend on increasing the use of natural products for health care (EFSA, 2004; Hanlidou et al., 2004). Under this pressure Directive 2004/24/EC, known as the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD), sets the frame for the herbal trade in Europe and underlines the need of the botanical characterization of herbal substances intended for human con- sumption. Concerning Cyprus, a new member of the EU, recent publications recorded medicinal plants cited in “Iatrosophikon”, a monastery’s herbal of the 19th century (Lardos, 2006), or used by rural population (González-Tejero et al., 2008). These studies are 0378-8741/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2010.09.034