Ethnomedicinal and cultural significance of plants in the vicinity of Lal Suhanra National Park, Pakistan: a conservation perspective
8 affiliations
- 1Institute of Forest Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100 Pakistan
- 2Department of Botany, University of Baltistan, Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan
- 3Department of Livestock Management, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Sub-Campus Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, Pakistan
- 4Department of Zoology, University of Lahore, Sargodha Campus, Sargodha, Pakistan
- 5Center of Research and Innovation, Asia International University, Yangiobod MFY, G`ijduvon Street, House 74, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
- 6Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Islamabad, 22060 Pakistan
- 7Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China
- 8Department of Biotechnology, Persian Gulf Research Institute, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, 75169 Iran
Abstract
Background: Lal Suhanra National Park is home to a variety of landscapes, including wetlands, forests, and deserts, as well as a large number of food and medicinal plant species. The present study was designed to document the traditional knowledge of local communities living in the vicinity of Lal Suhanra National Park in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
Methods: Ethnobotanical information was collected from 100 respondents through a semi-structured questionnaire, field surveys, and group conversations. Several indicators were also employed to assess the ethnomedicinal data. Furthermore, the current findings were compared with previous publications to determine the novelty of the data.
Results: In total, 59 botanical species belonging to 31 botanical families were documented. Out of these, 30 species are used in folk medicine. Crotalaria burhia, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Melia azedarach, Moringa oleifera, Morus alba, and Nymphaea nouchali exhibited the highest fidelity level (100%), and each had the highest rank order priority (100). The highest relative frequency of citation (7.5) was calculated for Eucalyptus camaldulensis and M. oleifera. A total of nine species are reported for the first time, including Conocarpus erectus, Vachellia jacquemontii, Calotropis gigantea, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, Kigelia africana, Thuja orientalis, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Ulmus parvifolia, and Pogostemon cablin. These species have a similarity index of “0.” They are used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments such as asthma, colds, constipation, diabetes, diarrhea, fever, and many others.Out of the total, Mangifera indica, Moringa oleifera, Phoenix dactylifera, Saccharum officinarum, Punica granatum, and Ziziphus mauritiana are most commonly used in food.
Conclusion: The extensive traditional knowledge possessed by local populations highlights their strong connection to plant diversity. This information can be valuable for promoting the sustainable use and conservation of plant species in the region, particularly medicinal plants. Additionally, studying plant-based active compounds and their pharmacological properties, both in vivo and in vitro, could be advantageous for the development of innovative drugs.
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BibTeX
@article{hamza2026ethnomedicinal,
title = {{Ethnomedicinal and cultural significance of plants in the vicinity of Lal Suhanra National Park, Pakistan: a conservation perspective}},
author = {Muhammad Hamza and Muhammad Altaf and Muhammad Akbar and Muhammad Tariq and Sana Ashraf and Dexkanov Suxrob Sobirovich and Tanveer Hussain and Arshad Mahmood Abbasi and Murad Muhamad and Gholamreza Abdi},
journal = {Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s13002-026-00929-x},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-026-00929-x},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ethnomedicinal and cultural significance of plants in the vicinity of Lal Suhanra National Park, Pakistan: a conservation perspective
AU - Muhammad Hamza
AU - Muhammad Altaf
AU - Muhammad Akbar
AU - Muhammad Tariq
AU - Sana Ashraf
AU - Dexkanov Suxrob Sobirovich
AU - Tanveer Hussain
AU - Arshad Mahmood Abbasi
AU - Murad Muhamad
AU - Gholamreza Abdi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/07
JO - Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
DO - 10.1186/s13002-026-00929-x
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-026-00929-x
AB - Background: Lal Suhanra National Park is home to a variety of landscapes, including wetlands, forests, and deserts, as well as a large number of food and medicinal plant species. The present study was designed to document the traditional knowledge of local communities living in the vicinity of Lal Suhanra National Park in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: Ethnobotanical information was collected from 100 respondents through a semi-structured questionnaire, field surveys, and group conversations. Several indicators were also employed to assess the ethnomedicinal data. Furthermore, the current findings were compared with previous publications to determine the novelty of the data. Results: In total, 59 botanical species belonging to 31 botanical families were documented. Out of these, 30 species are used in folk medicine. Crotalaria burhia, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Melia azedarach, Moringa oleifera, Morus alba, and Nymphaea nouchali exhibited the highest fidelity level (100%), and each had the highest rank order priority (100). The highest relative frequency of citation (7.5) was calculated for Eucalyptus camaldulensis and M. oleifera. A total of nine species are reported for the first time, including Conocarpus erectus, Vachellia jacquemontii, Calotropis gigantea, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, Kigelia africana, Thuja orientalis, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Ulmus parvifolia, and Pogostemon cablin. These species have a similarity index of “0.” They are used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments such as asthma, colds, constipation, diabetes, diarrhea, fever, and many others.Out of the total, Mangifera indica, Moringa oleifera, Phoenix dactylifera, Saccharum officinarum, Punica granatum, and Ziziphus mauritiana are most commonly used in food. Conclusion: The extensive traditional knowledge possessed by local populations highlights their strong connection to plant diversity. This information can be valuable for promoting the sustainable use and conservation of plant species in the region, particularly medicinal plants. Additionally, studying plant-based active compounds and their pharmacological properties, both in vivo and in vitro, could be advantageous for the development of innovative drugs.
SN - 1746-4269
ER -