Plant species as a therapeutic resource and cultural reservoir: A case study from Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Introduction: This study assesses the traditional use of native plant species in mono-herbal and polyherbal recipe formulations for health care in the Karak district, Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Methods: The initial surveys were performed using structured questionnaires and informal interviews with 110 key respondents in the studied region. Use value (VU), fidelity level and Informants' Consensus Factor (ICF) were assessed for each medicinal plant species. Results: A total of 86 plant species of 39 families were recorded for 29 different therapeutic potentials based on their Use Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL%), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) and Preference Ranking Practice (PRP). UV was recorded between 0.49 and 0.08. The highly utilized part of plants in mono-herbal recipe formulation for numerous ailments was fruits (35%) followed by leaves (26%), seeds (14%) and roots (7%). The highest FL value was reported for Aloe vera (69.2) followed by Calotropis procera (65). At the same time, the highest ICF value was reported for blood pressure (0.96). According to PRP results, Ziziphus jujuba Mill ranked first due to multiple uses facing severe anthropogenic pressure. The most popular administration method was oral. Conclusion: The study reveals the rich polyherbal knowledge in the studied region possesses in traditional medicine. Some of the mono-ingredient recipes were observed with similar uses for most plants in other parts of the country, but polyherbal remedies were unique without any similar reports from the entire southern region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.