Exploring Ethnobotany in the Catalan Linguistic Area: Traditional Plant-Based Knowledge for Addressing Gastrointestinal, Metabolic, and Nutritional Disorders.

Ethnobotanical research in the Catalan linguistic area (CLA) is crucial due to the persistence

of traditional medicinal plant knowledge. Gastrointestinal, metabolic, and nutritional disorders are

major global health issues requiring effective treatments. This study aimed to analyze plants used

for these disorders in the CLA, compare the findings with phytotherapy literature, and examine

correlations between plant use in humans and animals. Data were sourced from the database of

the research group of Catalan ethnobotany at the University of Barcelona and the Botanic Institute

of Barcelona, representing a collection of ethnobotanical studies. A total of 630 plant taxa were

examined, with 15,252 use reports (UR) provided by 2301 informants. Gastrointestinal disorders

were the focus, comprising 94.24% of the UR. The high informant consensus factor (0.96) indicated

strong reliability of the results. The most often reported species were Matricaria recutita (5.97%),

Thymus vulgaris (5.12%), and Lippia triphylla (4.90%). Lamiaceae (19.86%), Asteraceae (18.78%), and

Rosaceae (5.55%) were the top botanical families. The main uses were digestive (17.62%), intestinal

anti-inflammatory (15.68%), and antidiarrheal (8.91%). The main part of the plant used was the

aerial part (33.22%). Tisane (69.25%) was the most cited pharmaceutical form. Traditional uses were

confirmed by pharmacological literature in 57.59% of cases. This work highlights the potential of

medicinal plants for treating gastrointestinal, metabolic, and nutritional disorders in the CLA. Further

research is possible in other territories, as well as in the phytochemical and medicinal aspects of the

plants recorded.