Nasim M. AI-Assisted Ethnobotanical Synthesis of Medicinal Plants Used for Toothache and Oral Pain in Southern Iran: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Analysis. pbp 2026; 8 (4)
URL:
http://pbp.medilam.ac.ir/article-1-459-en.html
DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery), University of the East, Manila, Philippines , mehdi.nasony@gmail.com
Abstract: (22 Views)
Objective: This study aimed to systematically synthesize ethnobotanical evidence on medicinal plants used for toothache and oral pain in Southern Iran and to examine cross-study recurrence, geographic variation, preparation practices, and indication shifts using an AI-assisted evidence-analysis framework.
Methods: Published ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies from Fars, Hormozgan, Bushehr, and Khuzestan were systematically reviewed up to 25 September 2026. Eligible records were classified into strict toothache/oral-analgesic and broader dental/oral evidence layers. Plant names were taxonomically harmonized using authoritative botanical databases. AI-assisted procedures supported literature matching, synonym screening, evidence organization, and identification of taxon–indication–geography patterns, with all outputs manually verified against primary sources. Qualitative synthesis followed a thematic approach.
Results: Fourteen independent primary studies were included. The strict evidence set comprised 56 source rows representing 50 harmonized taxa from 24 families; 43 rows explicitly concerned toothache or dental pain, while 13 represented oral analgesic use. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most represented families. Cross-study recurrence was low: 47 of 50 taxa occurred in only one study. Solanum nigrum, Zataria multiflora, and Matricaria chamomilla were the only recurrent Southern-Iran taxa. The broader oral-care layer included 22 rows and 19 taxa, revealing regional shifts between pain relief, gingival care, infection control, and oral hygiene.
Conclusion: Southern-Iran ethnobotanical evidence shows high local diversity with a small recurrent core. Source-level verification, taxonomic harmonization, and AI-assisted pattern recognition improved the consistency and interpretability of the synthesis. Recurrent taxa may represent priorities for future pharmacological and clinical investigation, but ethnobotanical recurrence should not be interpreted as evidence of clinical efficacy.

Type of Study:
Review/Systemtic review |
Subject:
Ethno-botany Received: 2026/08/29 | Accepted: 2026/10/9 | Published: 2026/09/28