Ethnomedicinal and cultural significance of plants in the vicinity of Lal Suhanra National Park, Pakistan: a conservation perspective

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. 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. 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. 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.