Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 32/1. (2012)
Botany
THE MEDICINAL FLORA OF MURES COUNTY REFLECTED IN MURES COUNTY MUSEUM, NATURAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT COLLECTIONS Mihaela SÄMÄRGHITAN,'Silvia OROIAN2 ‘Muzeul de Stiintele Naturii Tärgu-Mures, str. Horea nr. 24, RO 540036 Tärgu-Mures, msamarghitan@yahoo.com 2Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie Tärgu-Mures, Facultatea de Farmacie, Catedra de Botanicä Farmaceuticä si Biologie Celularä, str. Gh. Marinescu nr. 38, RO-540139 Tärgu-Mures, oroianslv@yahoo.com Abstract: The patrimony of Mures County Museum, Natural Science Department contain numerous collections whose documentary and scientific value is undisputed. Botanical collection of the museum comprises approximately 20000 pieces from field researches, donations and purchases. Among these species, medicinal plants have a remarkable share. The objective of this study is to present the medicinal plants of museums collection, collected from Mures County, in order to complete the floristic inventory of this area and thus have a clearer picture of the floristic diversity of the vegetation cover and its evolution. The inventory of medicinal flora present in the collections of Mures County Museum, Natural Science Department has led to the identification of 302 taxa containing certain therapeutic chemical compounds. The taxa were enrolled in 69 families. The best represented families are Lamiaceae (31 species), Asteraceae (27 species), Rosaceae (23 species), Apiaceae and Scrophulariaceae (18 species each) and Fabaceae (17 species). Medicinal plants were grouped by dominant active principles they are used in traditional medicine, namely phytotherapy. Thus, we see that the largest plants contain alkaloids (16.89%), essential oils (13.25%), tannins (11.59%), flavonoids (11.26%), saponins (7.62%), mucilage (6.95%), and coumarin (4.97%). Keywords: medicinal plants, active principles, Mures County Museum collections Introduction The objective of this study is to present the species of medicinal plants from the museum’s collection, collected from Mures County, in order to complete the floristic inventory of the area and thus have a clearer picture of the floristic diversity of the vegetation cover and its evolution. Aromatic and medicinal plants are an inexhaustible source of raw materials for food industry, pharmaceutical industry, etc. Mankind has used natural resources since its early history. Romania’s resources in this area are very diverse. 3700 species vegetate in the wild flora, of which 800 species have defined phytotherapeutical properties, and 370 species have well-known attributes with pharmacodynamic effects. Medicinal plants are an important natural wealth of Mures County. Establishment of plant gene pool of therapeutic interest can be achieved by plant inventory by location, as it plays the correct territorial spread of medicinal plants, in conjunction with various phytocenosis to which they belong and with ecological factors. MARIS I A, XXXII p. 19-66
