Use of plant-derived therapies in a rural, biracial population in Mississippi.

Exploring the use of plant-derived medicines has recently received much attention in both scientific and popular journals. A study conducted in central Mississippi on medicinal plants investigated the frequency of use, types of plants used, and symptoms treated. A randomly selected probability sample of 223 households found that over 70 percent of the adults used at least one plant-derived medicine during the past year. The most frequently used plants included lemon, aloe, castor, turpentine, tobacco, and garlic. Frequency of use varied by race with a higher proportion of African-Americans than Caucasians reporting use of a plant-derived medicine. Due to the possible presence of toxic compounds or potential drug interactions, it is recommended that health care professionals investigate the use of plant-derived therapies as part of the patient's medical history.