Exploration of Medicinal Plants by Local Communities of Khanewal, Pakistan for Sustainable Development: A Quantitative Analysis

Poor economic conditions and a lack of proper medical facilities have made rural communities dependent on herbal medicine. The collection of knowledge regarding the ethnomedicinal importance of various local plants would help in drug discovery and sustainable development. In this regard, a survey study was carried out to evaluate the medicinal value of some important plants in the district of Khanewal, Pakistan. Interviews with 55 people were conducted to collect information about the ethnomedicinal importance of local plants. In total, sixty-five plants were documented to belong to twenty-seven families, while the families Poaceae (7 species) and Amaranthaceae (6 species) were the most dominant families in this study. Based on quantitative analysis, Acacia nilotica and Aloe barbadensis presented the maximum Relative Frequency Citation value among the species (0.85 each) followed by Melia azedarach (0.84). The maximum Fidelity Level percentage was represented by Azadirachta indica (91%) for blood purification and Aloe barbadensis (89%) for skin issues such as wounds and erupted surfaces, respectively, followed by Ficus religiosa (88%) for impotency in females. Similarly, the maximum Use Value was represented by Foeniculum vulgare (0.70) and Salvodora oleoides (0.67) followed by Oxalis corniculata (0.62). The highest Informant Consensus Factor (IFC) value was recorded for blood purification (0.86) followed by the ICF value for spider bites, snake bites, and mosquito bites. Overall, the present investigation revealed many vital findings in the discipline of herbal plants and their ethnomedicinal applications.