Traditional ethno-botanical uses of medicinal plants from coastal areas of Pakistan

Objective:To document the traditional uses of wild plants as medicine by the villagers along the coastal highway from Karachi to Uthal.Methods:Information presented in this research was gathered from the local people using an integrated approach of floral collections,discussions with the elderly people and traditional medicinal practitioners using semi-structured questionnaire.Results:27 families in the targeted area.Majority of the plants(54%)from this coastal plant diversity were xerophytes followed by halophytes/xero-halophytes(40%)and glycophytes(6%).The most important uses included gastrointestinal diseases,pain killer,arthritis,skin and sexual disorders,asthma and expectorant.The above-ground parts of plants i.e.leaf,stem and fruit/seed as decoction are used most commonly to cure 23 ailments but root was also used in some cases.Conclusions:Ethno-medicinal surveys indicated the medicinal importance of 54 plant species from phyto-medicinal claim and it is hoped that it will lead to detailed chemical and pharmacological evaluations.This may also lead to a discovery of novel bioactive compounds for food and pharmaceutical industries.This study helps in documenting therapeutic uses of herbal remedies with new pevhayltou-amtioendsic.iTnhali sc lmaiamy aanldso i tl iesa hdo tpoe da tdhiastc iot vweirlyl loeaf dn otov edle tbaiioleadc tcihveem ciocmalp aonudn pdhs afromr afcoooldog aicnadl pharmaceutical industries.