Toxicological effects of common poisonous plants of district Swabi, KhyberPukhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

The present study provides a comprehensive ethnobotanical and toxicological assessment of poisonous plant species in Swabi District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Data were collected through semi structured interviews with 270  informants representing different age groups and professions, and the information was systematically organized and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 365 version. A total of 60 poisonous plant species belonging to 29 families and 47 genera were documented. Euphorbiaceae was the dominant family, representative by 8 species. Herbs constituted the most prevalent life form (77%), followed by shrubs (17%) and trees (6%). Leaves (25%), seeds (18%), and whole plants (15%) were the most frequently reported toxic plant parts. According to local informants, the documented species were associated with 41 different toxicity symptoms, among which vomiting and diarrhea were the most commonly reported (10%). The study reveals that local awareness of poisonous plants is considerably lower than that of medicinal plants in the study area. These findings highlight the importance of documenting indigenous knowledge of toxic flora and emphasize the need for further phytochemical and toxicological investigations to scientifically validate traditional claims and mitigate health risks to humans and livestock.