title: Ethnomedicinal Evaluation of Medicinal Plants Used against Gastrointestinal Complaints.
abstract: Aim of the present study was to document ethnomedicinal plants used against gastrointestinal complaints in five selected remote regions of Pakistan and to select potential medicinal plants for further in vitro and in vivo investigation. Data on ethnomedicinal plants and ethnographic profile of respondents was documented using semistructured questionnaires. The present study revealed utilization of 52 medicinal plants for the treatment of different gastrointestinal infections in studied regions. Apiaceae was the most dominant family reported to be used for the treatment of these infections (4 plants). Among all the plant parts fruit (24%), whole plants and leaves (23% each) were the most preferred plant parts used by the healers. Dosage of recipe was found to be related with the age of the patient. Highest degree of informant consensus was reported for vomiting, nausea (0.92 each), abdominal pain (0.9), and diarrhea (0.89). Withania coagulans scored highest FL value (86%) followed by Mentha longifolia and Melia azadirachta ranked second with FL value (75% each). Young generation was found to possess little traditional knowledge about utilizing plant recipes against these infections. Plants with high Fic and FL values should be subjected for further phytochemical and pharmacological investigation for scientific validation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Akash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tariq
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sakina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mussarat
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat 26000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adnan
authors.affiliation: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Abd Allah
authors.affiliation: Botany and Microbiology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia ; Mycology and Plant Disease Survey Department, Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza 2109, Egypt.
authors.forename: Abeer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hashem
authors.affiliation: Plant Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulaziz Abdullah
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alqarawi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Government College Ara Khel, Frontier Region Kohat 26000, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Riaz
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2860-467X
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ullah
mesh_terms: D019661:Apiaceae / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D031601:Azadirachta / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010154:Pakistan; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000009:adverse effects*