Like China, Mexico has a traditional system of medicine dating back almost 5000 years that incorporates the healing practices of pre-Columbian civilizations, including the Maya and Aztec. Mexican Traditional Medicine (MTM) women depend on MTM practices and herbal medicines for their primary healthcare needs as limited access and high costs of Western medicine is a significant problem. The aims of this work were to determine the medicinal plants more commonly used in MTM for women's reproductive health issues and assess the clinical data supporting their use. Data from multiple sources was compiled and information on plants commonly used by women in Mexico MTM for the treatment of fertility and menstruation issues, pregnancy, and menopause was analyzed. Analysis of the data show that 185 species of plants representing > 60 families were used for a wide range of reproductive health issues. Some of these plants have been used in MTM for fertility regulation in women of which 35 species were used as emmenagogues and abortifacients. Approximate 40 species were used for the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, heavy menstrual bleeding, and dysmenorrhea. In terms of pregnancy, 35 species were used for postpartum care and to facilitate breastfeeding, 16 species were used as oxytocic agents to induce labor and speed birth, and six plant species were used to prevent miscarriage. Fourteen plant species were reported to treat infertility or promote fertility, and seven species were used to treat uterine prolapse. Three plants species were reported to treat menopause and two plants were used for osteoporosis. Analysis of the clinical data for commonly used medicinal plants showed some clinical support for the use of these plants in MTM. In Mexico, women use medicinal plants for almost every aspect of reproductive health. While some plants have clinical data, most medicinal plants used in MTM have no safety or efficacy data available and could serve as the basis of future investigations.

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Mexico is floristically the fourth most species-rich country in the world, and Asteraceae is the most diverse vascular plant family in this country. The species exhibits a wide range of growth forms, but the tree-like habit, appropriately named daisy trees, is heavily underestimated, even though slightly different tree definitions are handled. Very little is known about their precise species number or conservation status in Mexico, so we update here the list of known Mexican daisy tree species, summarize their very diverse uses, present a general panorama of their present and future distribution, and discuss their conservation status. A bibliographic review and herbarium study were carried out, carefully curated taxonomical ocurrence maps were prepared for each species, and a climatic suitability modelling approach was used to characterise the spatial patterns of Mexican Asteraceae trees. With 149 daisy tree species, the country ranks second at a global level; within the country, their greatest diversity is found in central and western Mexico. A decrease in diversity is estimated in areas that currently host the highest species richness, whereas the hotspot regions are estimated to show an increase in species diversity, so climate change is not a threat to all Mexican daisy tree species.

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Publisher Summary This chapter lists the important subjects that are discussed in the publication Studies in Natural Products Chemistry, Volumes 1–30, such as abdominal pain, acaricidal activities, acanthenes, gibberellins, glucoamylases, macarpine, and quercetin. The terms are mentioned along with the page numbers in which they are discussed in the publication.

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Publisher Summary This chapter lists the important subjects on biological source that are discussed in the publication, such as Abies grandis Acanthodris nanaimoensis, Baccharis crispa, acanthosterol sulfates, Agelas dispar, Plasmodium falciparum, Podophyllum hexandrum, Quillaja saponaria, and Rauwolfia serpentina. The terms are mentioned along with the page numbers in which they are discussed in the publication.

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