Ethnopharmacological survey of Layyah District Punjab, Pakistan

Ethnobotanical survey was conducted district Layyah, during 2010. The survey was conducted along with Chowk Azam road in some of villages including chaks i.e chak no 145.A/T.D.A,146.A/T.D.A,151/T.D.A,128/T.D.A and chak no 120/T.D.A tehsil and district Layyah. From each village 20 People were selected randomly by lottery method for consultation. For more ethnobotanic information some traditional healers were interviewed. Present study focused on local inhabitants who use traditional resources for self-medication with particular reference to ethnopharmacological application of plant species for diseases and natural cosmetics. The study was carried out by interviewing respondents in remote sites (lack of health facilities, poverty and extensive use of medicinal plants). In total 100 informants were interviewed on their management of diseases. The respondents were old age women (10%), men (60%) and traditional healers (30%) themselves and had knowledge on the medicinal uses of the plants for the said purpose. To collect data systematically on disease management questionnaires and discussions were applied. A total of 100 plants have been reported to use traditionally to cure different ailments in district Layyah, Punjab during survey. About 13 plant species were reported for their use to cure pains in different body ailments. Among these Eugenia aromatica, Terminalia chebula, Mentha microphylla, Accassia Arabica, Eucalyptus camaldulences, Foeniculum vulgare, Coriandrum sativum, Coriandrum sativum, Accasia nilotica, Brassica compestris, Aloe vera, Allium sativum and Zingiber officinale constituted the major medications. About 3 plantspecies had been revealed as cure in fever. Melia azedarach Ocimum sanctum, Peucedanum graveolens. Miscellaneous uses of plants consisted of for treatment of wounds, flue and catarrh, hypertension, piles, general debility, cough, fever, Diabetes, Haemorrhoid problems and Spermatorrhoea like problems etc. Some of the reported species are wild and rare, this demands an urgent attention to conserve such vital resources so as to optimize their use in the primary health care system.