Ethnopharmacological Survey of Medicinal Plants in Maraveh Tappeh Region, North of Iran

An ethnopharmacological survey was carried out among the most well-known Turkmen indigenous herbal practitioners in northeast of Golestan Province (Maraveh Tappeh), north of Iran, in order to evaluate the therapeutic potential of local plants used by the rural Turkmen people to prevent or treat illnesses. Nineteen local practitioners of Turkmen traditional medicine, ages 55 to 65, were interviewed using a questionnaire. The survey revealed that 45 plant species most of them belonging to Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Apiaceae and Fabaceae family are used as traditional medicine in the region for treatment of various diseases. Among these plants, 20 species have been used mostly as anti-inflammation, anti-infection, diuretic, sedative, carminative, vermifuge, laxative and tonic to treat cough, cold, skin wounds, cramp, infections, digestive disorders, cardiovascular disorders, stomachache, menstrual problem, UTI (urinary tract infection), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), diabetes, migraine, headache, hemorrhage and circulatory disorders. The paper also reports features such as local name, life form, the current diseases, plant species used for the treatment, their medicinal effects, the plant part used, plant status, number of citation, and methods of their preparation and administration.