Medicinal plants used by local communities in southern Fars Province, Iran.

Publisher: Nature Publishing Group Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101563288 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2045-2322 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 20452322 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Sci Rep Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : Nature Publishing Group, copyright 2011-

Plants, Medicinal*/classification ; Ethnobotany*/methods ; Medicine, Traditional*/methods; Iran ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy/methods ; Rural Population ; Aged

Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Human subjects: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants involved in the study. The research did not require ethical approval according to the regulations of Shiraz University and Iranian research ethics guidelines. Plant material: The plant material used in this study was collected from a wild population growing on public land, adhering to local or national guidelines. No specific license or permission was required for this collection. The plant specimens were identified by Mr. Ahmad Hatami and deposited in the herbarium of the Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center. Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process: During the preparation of this work the authors used ChatGPT in order to improve readability and language. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and takes full responsibility for the content of the publication.
Medicinal plants hold immense potential for drug discovery, with indigenous knowledge being crucial for their identification and utilization. This study investigated medicinal plant use in rural communities of Lar, Gerash, and Lamerd counties, southern Iran. A total of 200 respondents from three ethnic groups in 27 local communities were interviewed over a two-year period (2020-2022) and the data was analyzed using the ethnobotanyR package in R software. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices including (FC), (FL), (RFC), (ICF), (UR), (UV), (CI), (CVs), (CV), (FUV), and (PPV) were calculated. The conservation status of the plants was assessed based on the IUCN Red List. A total of 171 plant species from 53 families were documented, with Lamiaceae and Fabaceae being the most common. Leaves were the most utilized plant part in the preparation of medicines. Decoction was the most prevalent method of preparation, and oral administration was the most common route of consumption. Gastrointestinal diseases have the highest ICF value. Notably, the study documented new medicinal applications for 70 plant species, expanding the region's ethnobotanical knowledge. The study highlights the need for documenting and disseminating traditional knowledge, as it provides fundamental data for further research and conservation efforts.
(© 2025. The Author(s).)

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Keywords: Fars; Iran; Local communities; Medicinal plants; Quantitative analysis; Traditional knowledge

Date Created: 20250217 Date Completed: 20250217 Latest Revision: 20250220

20250220

PMC11832781

10.1038/s41598-025-88341-5

39962073