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Diversity of Plants, Traditional Knowledge, and Practices in Local Cosmetics: A Case Study from Alexandria, Egypt

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Diversity of Plants, Traditional Knowledge, and Practices in Local Cosmetics: A Case Study from Alexandria, Egypt. In this study, we explored the diversity of traditional knowledge and plants that have cosmetic values in Alexandria, Egypt. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 396 local Alexandria women using semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using informant consensus factor (FIC) and fidelity level (FL) metrics. In total, 27 plant species, belonging to 27 genera and 17 families, were identified as local cosmetic resources. Overall, 63% of these plants (17 species) are used in the form of oils, while the most frequently used organ is plant leaves (41% of all species). Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Cinnamomum verum L. have the largest number of cosmetic uses (8 uses for each). The highest FIC value was 0.98 for the hair treatment category followed by eyes (0.96), female hormones (0.96), skin (0.93), and face treatment (0.93). Plants with the highest citations in this study for hair treatment were Olea europea L. (54% of all citations) and Lawsonia inermis L. (48% of citations). The most important species according to their fidelity level were Lawsonia inermis L. (FL = 87%) and Eruca sativa L. (FL = 84%) in hair treatments, Linum usitatissimum L. (FL = 83%) as a source of female hormones, Avena sativa L. (FL = 63%) for beautification of women’s faces, and Jasminum grandiflorum L. (FL = 46%) for skin treatments. Demographic factors such as education and age play a significant role in the use of herbal remedies. The study reveals the importance of plants in the local cosmetic industry. The high fidelity score and informant consensus factor suggests that traditional knowledge could potentially guide the search for modern cosmetic products.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Hosam O. Elansary & Shadi Shokralla

  2. Department of Floriculture, Ornamental Horticulture and Garden Design, Faculty of Agriculture (El-Shatby), Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    Hosam O. Elansary

  3. Department of Hotel Studies, High Institute of Tourism, Hotels and Computer, El-Syouf, Alexandria, Egypt

    Eman A. Mahmoud

  4. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Shadi Shokralla

  5. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida campus, Florida, 1710, South Africa

    Kowiyou Yessoufou

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  1. Hosam O. Elansary
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  2. Eman A. Mahmoud
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  3. Shadi Shokralla
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Correspondence to Hosam O. Elansary.

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Elansary, H.O., Mahmoud, E.A., Shokralla, S. et al. Diversity of Plants, Traditional Knowledge, and Practices in Local Cosmetics: A Case Study from Alexandria, Egypt. Econ Bot 69, 114–126 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-015-9308-9

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