Ethnopharmacology of Medicinal Plants in the South of Dashtestan Area

Background: Ethnopharmacology, as a multidisciplinary approach for novel drug discovery, provides valuable data about medicinal plants in different cultures. The aim of this ethnopharmacological study was to identify medicinal plants in the south of Dashtestan area in the north of the Persian Gulf. Materials and Methods: The medical uses of medicinal plants were gathered from 20 local nformants by face-to-face interviews. The relative frequency of citation (FRC) and cultural importance (CI) indices were calculated. Results: A total of 97 medicinal plants belonging to 51 families were identified. Zataria multiflora, Achillea eriophora DC, Matricario chamomilla, Nigella sativa, Foeniculum vulgare, Echium amoenum, Boswellia sp., Trachyspermum copticum, Astragulus fasciculifolius, and Zingiber officinale had the highest CI and FRC indices. The highest medical uses were for gastrointestinal discomforts, metabolic disorders, obstetrics and gynecology, and respiratory diseases. Conclusion: There is a vast variety of medicinal plants in the south of Dashtestan area. Although most of the therapeutic applications of these plants in this area are the same as Iran’s traditional medicine, the people in the south of Dashtestan area use some of these plants for some diseases which are unique for this region. Thus, investigation about these plants should be initiated to discover novel drugs for clinical applications.