Medicinal uses of honey (Quranic medicine) and its bee flora from Dera Ismail Khan District, KPK, Pakistan

This study was carried out during 2005-2008 to identify existing plant species visited by workers of honeybees for nectar and pollen collection in Dera Ismail Khan (D.I.Khan) District, Pakistan. The honeybee species investigated in the area were, rock bee (Apis dorsata F.), little bee (A. florea F.) and European honeybee (A. mellifera L.). A detailed list of 86 plant species both wild and cultivated was prepared, out of which 12 species, Phulai (Acacia modesta Wall.), Sarsoon (Brassica campestris L.), Kaghzi nimboo (Citrus aurantifolia L.), Khatta (C. medica L.), Malta (C. sinensis (L.) Osbeck.), Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.), Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.), Barseen (Trifolium alexandrianum L.), Shaftal (T. resupinatum L), Makai (Zea mays L.), Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana Lam.) and Jher beri (Z. numularia (Burm. f.) Wight Arn.,) were found as major sources (table 1) for the production of surplus honey in a year at different localities in the District. Among the minor sources various plant species were included (table 2). These plants fill the flowering gaps between the major sources in various parts of the year and help in continuous supply of food to honey bees.