Young Researchers and Elite Club, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
Young Researchers and Elite Club, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2017 Jul 31;207:203-210. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2017.06.017. Epub 2017 Jun 15.
The shift in consumers' preferences from synthetic to 'natural' products has led to a resurgence of interest in medicinal plants, particularly in developing countries. However, research data about consumers' preferences for particular products is hard to find.
The main objective of this study was to contribute to the general understanding of consumers' intention for selecting medicinal herbs for consumption.
Factors underpinning consumers' acceptance of medicinal herbs were studied with the technology acceptance model (TAM) in Rasht City of Iran using a structured questionnaire.
Most respondents had low to moderate familiarity with consumption of medicinal herbs. However, about half of the respondents (47.5%) showed a high level of acceptance of medicinal herbs. Herbs like spearmint (Mentha spicata L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), Damask rose (Rosa × damascena Herrm.), saffron (Crocus sativus L.), cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum J.Presl), flixweed [Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl], red feathers (Echium amoenum Fisch. & C.A.Mey.), and green tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze] had the highest consumption rate among the majority (over 75%) of citizens of Rasht. The highest rate of perceived usefulness of medicinal herbs was related to their perceived role in healing diseases. The variable of importance of use of medicinal herbs had the strongest direct effect and the variables of perceived usefulness and attitude towards use had the second and third strongest direct effect on the acceptance of medicinal herbs' use at p < 0.01.
Findings provide a useful evaluation of the acceptance of medicinal herbs and may serve as a benchmark for future research and evaluation concerning the use of medicinal herbs over time. For plant producers, more effective and targeted crop development should be encouraged, whereas for retailers better marketing and delivery strategies should be sought.
消费者对合成产品偏好向“天然”产品的转变，导致人们对药用植物重新产生兴趣，特别是在发展中国家。然而，关于消费者对特定产品偏好的研究数据很难找到。
本研究的主要目的是有助于一般了解消费者选择药用植物消费的意图。
在伊朗拉什特市，使用结构问卷，利用技术接受模型（TAM）研究了消费者接受药用植物的基础因素。
大多数受访者对食用药用植物的熟悉程度较低，但约一半的受访者（47.5%）对药用植物的接受程度较高。像薄荷（Mentha spicata L.）、菠菜（Spinacia oleracea L.）、罗勒（Ocimum basilicum L.）、大马士革玫瑰（Rosa × damascena Herrm.）、藏红花（Crocus sativus L.）、肉桂（Cinnamomum verum J.Presl）、播娘蒿（Descurainia sophia（L.） Webb ex Prantl）、红羽毛（Echium amoenum Fisch. & C.A.Mey.）和绿茶（Camellia sinensis（L.）Kuntze）等草药的食用率在拉什特市的大多数市民（超过 75%）中最高。药用植物的感知有用性最高与其在治疗疾病方面的作用有关。草药使用重要性变量对药用植物使用的接受程度有最强的直接影响，感知有用性和使用态度变量对药用植物使用的接受程度有第二和第三强的直接影响，p<0.01。
研究结果提供了对药用植物接受度的有用评估，可作为未来研究和评估药用植物使用情况随时间变化的基准。对于植物生产者，应鼓励更有效和有针对性的作物开发，而对于零售商，应寻求更好的营销和交付策略。
