Ethnobotanical study of some medicinal plants of Abhar county, Zanjan province

Ethnobotany investigates the traditional and local application of plants in different regions by locals and different cultures. It aims at describing the relationships between cultures and plants, focusing on their applications. Local people and the elderly in each region have a lot of information about the uses of plants.

The purpose of this study was to introduce the most important medicinal plants species in Abhar County and their applications in traditional therapies.

After stydying the area, interviews with native connoisseurs, the medicinal plants of Abhar County were collected during 2015 -2016 and by their scientific identification, the names in Persian, Local as well as the organs used, their medicinal properties, and usage were determined.

The findings of this study revealed the presence of 71 medicinal plants species belonging to 29 families. The families of Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae with 11, 10, and 8 species, respectively, are the most important ones in the study area. The most important applications of them in Abhar County are for gastrointestinal disorders (54/93%). They are mostly used in brewed and boiled (76/06%), or extracted form (38/03%).

Presence of 71 species of medicinal plants in Abhar County with their various uses by the local people in the treatment of diseases is indicative of the value of traditional medicine in this region. So, the preservation and development of this indigenous knowledge can play an important role in treatment of some diseases in a more appropriate, less costly and fewer side effects way.