Medicinal Plants of Barbados

Barbados has a strong base in the practice of folklore botanical medicines. Consistent with the rest of the Caribbean, the practice is often criticized due to the lack of efficacy and safety testing of the plants. Cohall identifies common medicinal plants used historically and currently in Barbados for the treatment of common communicable and non-communicable diseases and describes the historical to current context of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Barbados. He also outlines the historical and current context of the use of medicinal plants, including factors influencing their use by Barbadians.

The medicinal plants in the book were reviewed previously and grouped on their practice to treat communicable and noncommunicable diseases and also botanical classification. The identified phytochemicals from the plants were compared to established drug compounds approved for the conventional treatment of illnesses and also established phytochemicals.

Medicinal Plants of Barbados will be of interest to Barbadians and other Caribbean nationals who use herbal remedies and are keen to validate their applications; it will also appeal to academics who wish to investigate these herbal remedies as sources of new drug compounds and clinicians who wish to be guided about possible drug-herb interactions.