Ethnobotanical survey of plant species in Susan district, Khuzestan province, Iran

The science of ethnobotany is the collection of reliable data about the medicinal uses of plants in different cultures, which can be the basis for the discovery of new drugs. This research was conducted with the aim of identification and introduction of native medicinal use and ethnobotanical indicators of plant species of Susan in Susan region of Khuzestan province in Iran with an area of 1016 ha. Using a questionnaire, the data was collected from 80 (55 men and 25 women) native participants in the age range of 30-75 years old. Also, 109 species of medicinal plants belonging to 40 plant genera were collected and identified from Susan region in the northwest of Izeh city, Khuzestan, Iran. According to the obtained results, Asteraceae with 16 species, Lamiaceae with 12 species, Apiaceae with 8 species, Fabaceae with 7 species, and Brassicaceae with 6 plant species had the most medicinal uses. The results of the investigation of the traditional use of plants in this region showed that medicinal plants are mainly used for the treatment of digestive diseases, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, and blood circulation diseases (fat, high blood pressure, and blood sugar), urinary tract diseases, and as a sedative.