During the years 2003–2005, a comparative ethnobotanical field survey was conducted on remedies used in traditional animal healthcare in eight Mediterranean areas. The study sites were selected within the EU-funded RUBIA project, and were as follows: the upper Kelmend Province of Albania; the Capannori area in Eastern Tuscany and the Bagnocavallo area of Romagna, Italy; Cercle de Ouezanne, Morocco; Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park in the province of Huelva, Spain; the St. Catherine area of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt; Eastern and Western Crete, Greece; the Paphos and Larnaca areas of Cyprus; and the Mitidja area of Algeria. One hundred and thirty-six veterinary preparations and 110 plant taxa were recorded in the survey, with Asteraceae and Lamiaceae being the most quoted botanical families. For certain plant species the survey uncovered veterinary phytotherapeutical indications that were very uncommon, and to our knowledge never recorded before. These include Anabasis articulata (Chenopodiaceae), Cardopatium corymbosum (Asteraceae), Lilium martagon (Liliaceae), Dorycnium rectum (Fabaceae), Oenanthe pimpinelloides (Apiaceae), Origanum floribundum (Lamiaceae), Tuberaria lignosa (Cistaceae), and Dittrichia graveolens (Asteraceae). These phytotherapeutical indications are briefly discussed in this report, taking into account modern phytopharmacology and phytochemistry. The percentage of overall botanical veterinary taxa recorded in all the study areas was extremely low (8%), however when all taxa belonging to the same botanical genus are considered, this portion increases to 17%. Nevertheless, very few plant uses were found to be part of a presumed "Mediterranean" cultural heritage in veterinary practices, which raises critical questions about the concept of Mediterraneanism in ethnobotany and suggests that further discussion is required. Nearly the half of the recorded veterinary plant uses for mammals uncovered in this survey have also been recorded in the same areas in human folk medicine, suggesting a strong link between human and veterinary medical practices, and perhaps also suggesting the adaptive origins of a few medical practices. Since most of the recorded data concern remedies for treating cattle, sheep, goats, and camels, it would be interesting to test a few of the recorded phytotherapeuticals in the future, to see if they are indeed able to improve animal healthcare in breeding environments, or to raise the quality of dairy and meat products in the absence of classical, industrial, veterinary pharmaceuticals.

Despite the challenging conditions in the pre-Saharan areas of Algeria, such as weak plant cover and a harsh climate, beekeeping is being developed and spread. In the present work, honey samples collected from ten locations in the El Oued region were examined during the spring of 2021. A melissopalynological analysis was carried out, followed by a floristic investigation. The 10 honey samples were also investigated for their physicochemical properties and antioxidant and antibacterial activity against five strains: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilus, Listeria innocua, and Micrococcus luteus. The floristic analysis found 65 species belonging to 33 botanical families, with a dominance of the Asteraceae family accounting for 18.461% of the total. The melissopalynological study revealed only one monofloral honey (Ziziphus lotus), whereas the nine others were multi-floral. The honey’s color changed from light to dark amber, and most tested honey was of high quality, fulfilling international criteria. The total phenol and flavonoid contents varied considerably amongst the various honey samples. Furthermore, LC-MS-MS phenolic profile analysis identified the presence of 20 chemicals, of which only three phenols were found in all honey types. Antioxidant capacity analyzed with FRAP test and antiradical activities against DPPH differed from one honey sample to another. Moreover, a significant correlation was recorded between the antioxidant activity, honey’s color, polyphenol, and flavonoid contents. The S. aureus strain was the most sensitive regarding honey antibacterial activity, while M. luteus and B. subtilis strains were only moderately sensitive.

L’objectif de l’étude est la connaissance des potentialités alimentaires naturelles utiles aux abeilles et l’utilisation vernaculaire du miel dans la région de la Mitidja. Sur 103 espèces à fleurs identifiées, 32 d’entre elles sont les plus butinées. Des spectres floraux sont établis montrant deux périodes de disponibilité florale : importante et faible. Lorsque la source alimentaire est fortement disponible, les abeilles sélectionnent les fleurs à butiner. Elles chercheraient la qualité de la miellée. Le miel occupe une place importante dans la thérapie traditionnelle de la région.

Kazakhstan is one of the major sunflower-producing countries; however, the composition and functional properties of Kazakhstan's sunflower honey remain insufficiently characterized. This study investigated 23 monofloral sunflower honey samples from four regions of Kazakhstan using melissopalynological, phytochemical, biological, and chemometric analyses. Antioxidant capacity and inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, urease, and tyrosinase were evaluated in vitro. Pollen analysis confirmed the monofloral origin of all samples, with Helianthus annuus pollen exceeding 45%. HPLC-DAD profiling revealed regional differences in chemical composition, with fumaric acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, trans-2-hydroxycinnamic acid, naringenin, hesperetin, and chrysin as major constituents. Samples from the Aqmola region, especially S8 and S9, showed the highest antioxidant capacity and comparatively higher anticholinesterase activity (42.14% - 38.96%). Principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses differentiated samples by geographical origin and revealed correlations between phenolic compounds and biological activities. These findings support the authentication and traceability of Kazakh sunflower honey as a functional food.