Ethnopharmacology of Medicinal Plants in the Giskan Mountain Area

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 Giskan mountain area.

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.

A total of 126 medicinal plants belonging to 58 families were identified. Zataria multiflora, Achillea eriophora DC, Matricario chamomilla, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Pistacia Atlantica, Plantago psyllium, Teucirum polium, Scrophularia striata, Cichorium intybus, Foeniculum vulgare had the highest CI and FRC indices. The highest medical uses were for respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal discomforts, obstetrics and gynecology, general conditions (temprament and weakness), infectious diseases and  metabolic disorders.

There is a vast variety of medicinal plants in the Giskan mountain 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 Giskan mountain 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.