Plants that are used both as a food and as a medicine and how to study them in a quantitative way

What is it about?

Plants that traditionally have been used both as a food and as a medicine are quite common in worlds pharmacopeias, especially in the treatment of gastro8nteatinalo complaints. Interestingly enough, many of these plants belong to few botanical families, and these families are often characterized by the presence of chemical compounds which are sensorially salient, that is they have strong aroma and taste, and at times they give a burning sensation. In the article we look at various explanations of why this is the case, at suggestions that this segregation descends from a biological mechanism or a cultural one, or from both, and how we can use this knowledge.

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Why is it important?

The exploration of the complex nexus between pharmacological actin and sensory stimulation, and between biological mechanisms and cultural choice in important in order to better interpret evolutionary and Etnobotanica data