Ethno Botanical Studies of District Dera Ghazi Khan, Province Punjab, Pakistan
Abstract Background The chief aim of this study was to enlist the Ethnobotanical uses of plants in Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. Due to unique geographical and climatic conditions, Pakistan has a great floral diversity. Plants have been used by the indigenous people for treatment of different ailments since long. They are still dependent on the plants for their domestic purposes. Moreover, plants are used as first aid to treat diverse ailments such as hepatic disorders, cardiac diseases, neurological diseases, anticancer, respiratory diseases, ENT problems, gynecological problems etc. The traditional uses of medicinal plants lead to the discovery of natural drugs. This is first quantitative ethno medicinal documentation of medicinal plants in Dera Ghazi Khan. Punjab, Pakistan. Methods This ethno botanical information was collected from about 200 informants including male and female. Sample size was determined by statistical formula. The informative data was based on semi-structured interviews, group discussions, Questionnaire and field visits. Then the data was analyzed by applying different quantitative indices such as Informant Consent Factor (ICF), Use value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) and the Fidelity level (FL). Results Almost 185 plants belonging to 52 families were reported. Most-frequently cited families were Astreaceae (20 species) and Solanaceae (10 species). The most dominant life form was herbs (51%). The most-used plant parts were leaves (68%), followed by whole plant (65%), Most common mode of administration is extraction (50%). Generally herbal medicines were acquired from fresh plant material. Many species were reported with their different medicinal uses as has been reported in literature. Conclusions This ethno botanical documentation revealed that the plants are still used by natives of rural areas in their day-to-day lives. This study provides basis for the conservation of local flora. Plants with high ICF, UV and FL can be further used for phytochemical and pharmacological studies. This documentation could provide baseline information which can be used to develop new plant-based commercial drugs.