Culinary and medicinal wonders of the wild: An ethnobotanical review of native herbs and spices in Thailand.

This ethnobotanical review explores the culinary and medicinal uses of wild herbs and spices in Thailand, with an emphasis on documenting traditional knowledge and their ethnomedicinal uses. Analyzing 76 ethnobotanical studies, we identified 248 use reports encompassing 46 species, 10 families, and 26 genera, predominantly focusing on the flora of northern Thailand. The most frequently utilized wild herbs and spices include (64.5 %), (34.2 %), (32.9 %), (31.6 %), , (14.5 %), (11.8 %), (11.8 %) and (10.5 %). Notably, 41 out of 46 investigated species were acknowledged for their ethnomedicinal properties, contributing to a total of 688 use reports in 22 categories, with a significant emphasis on their role in treating digestive and infection-related disorders. The wild herbs and spices with the highest use value include (1.72), (0.79), (0.76), (0.63), (0.57), DC. (0.51), and Wall. ex Baker (0.51). These findings highlight the potential of wild Thai herbs and spices as nutraceuticals and enhance the understanding of Thailand's botanical heritage in traditional healthcare practices. The study highlights the importance of preserving traditional knowledge and promotes further research into the sustainable use of these valuable plant resources.