Nootropic plants in Iranian traditional medicine; an overview

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Medicinal herbs have been adopted in Iranian Traditional Medicine (Henceforth ITM) for treatment of neurological diseases for millenniums. Aim of the study: Brain disorders have the highest burden of all diseases in the world with the excessive cost and low impact treatments. The purpose of this review is to augment our knowledge and understanding of traditional approaches to the brain disorders and to unravel new auspicious drugs. Materials and Methods: Major references of ITM were searched for traditional explanations of mechanisms of the brain disorders and its enhancers. After winnowing out the most frequently occurring herbs, their effects on brain disorders in recent studies were probed. Results: The findings revealed 27 medicinal plants that have special effects on the strengthening of the brain tissue and its function. Conclusion: This review demonstrates the protective and restorative effects upon nervous system; effects which have also been verified in the literature of contemporary medicine.