Ethnobotanical survey of highly effective medicinal plants and phytotherapies to treat diabetes mellitus II in South-West Pakistan

Abstract

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent disorders in Pakistan and globally millions of patients are suffering from it. Diabetes mellitus II is caused as a result of decreased secretion or impaired use of insulin. Traditional practitioners, folk people and traditional healer in the present study revealed significant phytotherapies used indigenously to cure diabetes. In the current study, overall 40 anti-diabetic plant species and 41 herbal remedies were documented. The data were quantitatively analyzed by Frequency Citation (FC), Diseases Consensus Index (DCI) and Relative Frequency of Citation percentage (RFC). Relative Frequency Citation was recorded maximum for the <em>Syzygium cumini</em> and <em>Momordica charantia </em>(0.26 % each). Frequency citation was also highest (17) for <em>Syzygium cumini</em> and <em>Momordica charantia</em>. Whereas, disease cure index showed maximum values for <em>Boerhavia diffusa </em>(0.68 %). The outcomes of this investigation should be used by pharmacologists, botanists, chemists and herbalists in formulation of natural drug discovery development.