Demographic characteristics of the respondents were determined and recorded through face to-face interviews. 55.8% of participants of surveyed people who had knowledge of plants were male and the rest were female. We interviewed 120 persons who are over the age of 25. All females who use these plants are house- wives whereas 41.5% of males are farmers, and 29.2% of them are unemployed while others have various occupations. Demographical characteristics of interviewees according to the results, we obtained in the research, are presented in Table 1.
A total of 82 plant taxa belonging to 31 families are reported which have been used for the cure of various ailments. An evaluation of the data from the Table 2: enlightens the fact that among the families Asteraceae (15 taxa), Lamiaceae (11 taxa) and Fabaceae (6 taxa) are the most dominant families, followed by Boraginaceae (6 taxa) (Fig. 2). Khoy ecologically is included in the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region. Nearly 69 percent of plants distributed here are found in the flora of Iran. Ethnobotanical information of Sardasht people (southern part of West Azerbaijan province) has revealed that families mostly used here are approximately the same as recorded in our study presented here. The report by Azizi and Keshavarzi (2015) shows the most used plant families in that part are Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Fabaceae each represented by 7, 6, 6 and 6 plant taxa. In a study from the Urmia city, West Azerbaijan province medicinal plants used for gastrointestinal ailments have been investigated. In all 138 plant species belonging to 52 families have been identified, dominant ones being Asteraceae (11 species) followed by Lamiaceae, and Rosaceae each with 5 and 3 species respectively (Bahmani et al., 2014). These families have also been reported in previous investigations undertaken in different regions of Iran such as; Kohghiluyeh va Boyer Ahmad (Mosaddegh et al., 2012), south of Kerman (Sadat et al., 2017) and Saravan region, Baluchistan (Sadegi et al., 2014). The reason why Asteraceae and Lamiaceae are mostly used in Iran and West Azerbaijan province is that they include hundreds of species with diverse medicinal application for different ailments. In addition to these, two other plant families as the most cited families in ethno-pharmacological studies in Iran during 2004–2016 are Apiaceae and Fabaceae; especially in the northern regions of Iran, Azerbaijan provinces (Sadegi et al., 2018).
Table 2
Medicinal plants used in Khoy city for treatment of different ailments
Nomber | Family | Plant species Voucher | Vernacular name | Persian name | Plant parts used | Preparations | Medicinal uses | Other applications | UV (use value) |
1 | Alliaceae | Allium cepa L.* TUH-100 | Soğan | Piaz | Bulbs | Infusion, Raw | fungal infection, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, diuretic, rheumatism | Edible, food | 0.35 |
2 | | Allium sativum L.* TUH-101 | Sarımsak | Sir | Bulbs | Powder, Raw | Antihypertensive, ringworm, antiesthetic, diabetes, cancer | Edible, Pickle, spice | 0.37 |
3 | | Allium scorodoprasum L. subsp. rotundum (L.) TUH-102 | Sirmuk | Sirmuk | Bulbs, Leaves | Infusion | Antihypertensive, high cholesterol | food | 0.08 |
4 | Anacardiaceae | Rhus coriaria L. TUH-103 | Sumak | Sumak | Fruits | Infusion | Antihypertensive, diabetes, wound healing | spice | 0.17 |
5 | Apiaceae | Falcaria vulgaris Bernh. TUH-104 | Gazayaghı | Ghazayaghı | Aerial parts | Decoction | Stomach disease, appetizer | nourishment, Additive in food | 0.25 |
6 | | Ferula orientalis L. TUH-105 | Chashir | - | Aerial parts | Decoction | Hemorrhoids, stomach disease | animal food | 0.07 |
7 | | Anethum gravoelence * TUH-106 | Shivid | Shebet, Shivid | Aerial parts | Decoction | High cholesterol, gastrointestinal diseases, carminative | Edible as a vegetable | 0.11 |
8 | | Coriandrum sativum* TUH-107 | Jashnish | Geshniz | Seeds | Powder. Infusion | Stomached, diarrhea, carminative, increasing milk production, appetizer | Edible, spice | 0.3 |
9 | Asteraceae | Achillea tenuifolia. TUH-108 | Ingibir | Boomadaran | Leaves | Decoction | Wound healing, constipation | - | 0.19 |
10 | | Achillea wilhelmsii. TUH-109 | Boymadaran | Boomadaran | Flowers | Decoction, Infusion | Blood coagulation, constipation, diabetes, hemorrhoids, hypertension, | - | 0.15 |
11 | | Arctium minus (Hill.) Bernh TUH-110 | Pitrakh, Gangal | Baba adam | Aerial parts, Leaves | Decoction | Cold and flu, hemorrhoids, rheumatism, wound healing | - | 0.07 |
12 | Asteraceae | Artemisia absinthium L. TUH-111 | Yoshan | Afsantin | Aerial parts | Infusion, Raw | Coughing, headache, stomachache, wound healing | - | 0.05 |
13 | | Echinops pungens. TUH-112 | Tippuz | Shekartighal, Ghgandrunak | Aerial parts | Decoction | Respiratory diseases, expectorant, cancer | - | 0.09 |
14 | | Gundelia tournefortii. TUH-113 | Kenger | Kangar | Roots, Latex | Infusion | Diabetes, diarrhea | Food | 0.32 |
15 | | Helianthus annuus L. * TUH-114 | Shalgam | Sibzamini torshi | Fruits, Leaves, Seeds | Raw | Respiratory tract diseases and flu, bronchitis | Edible, Pickle | 0.1 |
16 | | Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench. TUH-115 | Sari gul | Gole bimarg | Aerial parts | Infusion | Colds and flu, gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes, hypercholesterole | - | 0.14 |
17 | | Matricaria chamomilla L. TUH-116 | Babanah | Babooneh | Aerial parts | Infusion | Gastrointestinal diseases, headache, respiratory tract diseases, flu, cancer, antiinflammation | - | 0.41 |
18 | | Onopordum acanthium L. TUH-117 | Gush gonmaz | Kare zanbaba | Flowers | Decoction | Hemorrhoids | - | 0.08 |
19 | | Senecio vulgaris L. TUH-118 | Kanarya out | Pirgiah, zolfe pir | Flowers, Seeds | Infusion | Bronchitis, diuretic | - | 0.04 |
20 | | Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. TUH-119 | Maryam tikani | Kharmaryam, Maritighal | Stylus, Seeds | Raw, Infusion, Decoction | Rheumatism, appetizer, diuretic | - | 0.11 |
21 | | Trogopogon graminifolius. TUH-120 | Yelmih | Sheng | Aerial parts | Decoction, Raw | Gastrointestinal diseases, rheumatism, appetizer | - | 0.27 |
22 | | Xanthium spinosum L. TUH-121 | Aji tikan | Togh, mastak | Seeds | Decoction | Kidney pain, gastrointestinal diseases | - | 0.17 |
23 | | Xanthium strumarium L. TUH-122 | pitrakh | Zardan | Fruits | Decoction | Hemorrhoids, asthma | - | 0.11 |
24 | Boraginaceae | Anchusa azurea Mill. var. azurea. TUH-123 | Gowaban | Gavzaban | Leaves | Infusion | Sedative, flu, stomach, wound healing, antiinflammatory | | 0.33 |
25 | Boraginaceae | Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) TUH-124 | Gush appayi | Kise keshish | Aerial parts | Raw | Impotence, appetizer | Edible | 0.18 |
26 | | Descurainia sophia L. TUH-125 | Shovaran | Khakshir | Seeds | Syrup, Decoction | Diarrhea and abdominal pain, sore throat | Edible, Air Disinfectants | 0.25 |
27 | | Lepidium draba L. TUH-126 | Dit otu | Ozmak | Aerial parts | Decoction | Cold and fever | - | 0.08 |
28 | | Nasturtium officinale W. T. Aiton. TUH-127 | Bulagh otu | Alaf cheshmeh, taretizak | Aerial parts | Infusion | Gastrointestinal diseases, diuretic, diabetes disease, digestive, appetizer | - | 0.36 |
29 | | Raphanus raphanistrum L.* TUH-128 | turp | Torob | Leaves, Roots | Raw | Appetizer, liver protecting, muscular pains | - | 0.1 |
30 | Brassicaceae | Sinapis arvensis L. TUH-129 | Khardal, turpak | Khardal | Seeds | Decoction | Bronchitis, pneumonitis | Spice, Disinfectants | 0.09 |
31 | | Thlaspi perfoliatum L. TUH-130 | Goddume | Ghoddume | Aerial parts | Infusion, Raw | Painkiller | | 0.1 |
32 | Capparidaceae | Capparis spinosa L. TUH-131 | Dagh garpouzu | Kabar, Lagaji | Fruits, Flowers | Raw, Decoction | Joint pain such as back pain and leg | Edible, Pickle | 0.36 |
33 | Caryophyllaceae | Stellaria media (L.) Vill. TUH-132 | Jinjilim | Gandomak, Daneye ghanari | Aerial parts | Infusion, Raw | Hypercholesterolemia | - | 0.07 |
34 | chenopodiaceae | Beta vulgaris L.* TUH-133 | Bine | Choghondar | Leaves | Infusion, Raw | Wound healing | Sugar production | 0.19 |
35 | | Chenopodium album. TUH-134 | Yaghliga | Salmak | Aerial parts | Decoction | Helminth, antiinflammation, toothache | food | 0.15 |
36 | Cucurbitaceae | Cucurbita moschata *. TUH-135 | Bal kabağı | Kadoo | Fruits | Raw, Decoction, Infusion | Diuretic, carminative | - | 0.29 |
37 | | Cucurbita pepo*. TUH-136 | Kado | Kadoo pooste kaghazi | Seeds | Oil, Raw | Hyperplasia, skin diseases, wound healing | - | 0.12 |
38 | Elaegnaceae | Elaeagnus angustifolia L.*. TUH-137 | Ide | Senjed | Fruits | Raw, Powder | Osteoporosis, stomachache | Edible/livestock forage | 0.27 |
39 | Euphorbiaceae | Euphorbia macroclada Boiss. TUH-138 | Sütlyan | Farfion, shirsag | Latex | Infusion | Curing warts | - | 0.11 |
40 | | Ricinus communis L.* TUH-139 | Gharchah | Karchak | Leaves | Poultice | Rheumatism | - | 0.15 |
41 | Fabaceae | Alhagi pseudalhagi (M. Bieb.). TUH-140 | Dava tikani | Kharshotor | Aerial parts | Decoction | Kidney stones | - | 0.15 |
42 | | Astragalus gummifer. TUH-141 | Gavan | Gavan | Leaves, Latex | Decoction | Heart diseases, cough, hemorrhoids, diabetes disease | Hair Amplifier (Katira) | 0.09 |
43 | | Glycyrrhiza glabra L. TUH-142 | Shirin bayan | Shirin bayan | Roots, Aerial parts | Decoction, Infusion | Treat colds, stomach pain, bone fractures, sedative, stomach and kidney disorders | - | 0.16 |
44 | | Medicago sativa L.* TUH-143 | Yonja | Yonje | Leaves | Infusion, Decoction | Strengthening children, weight gain | Edible | 0.2 |
45 | | Melilotus officinalis. TUH-144 | Sari yonja | Yonje-ye zard | Aerial parts | Infusion, Powder | Sedative, kidney stones, astringent, diuretic, burns healing | - | 0.16 |
46 | | Trifolium pratense L. TUH-145 | Ush gulakh, Dolbarjin | Shabdar | Aerial parts | Decoction | Diarrhea, stomach | Livestock, forage | 0.18 |
47 | Fumariaceae | Fumaria parviflora Lam. TUH-146 | Shatereh | Shatereh | Fruits, Aerial parts | Infusion, Decoction | Abdominal pain | Edible | 0.23 |
48 | Iridaceae | Iris germanica L. TUH-147 | Nevruz çiçeği | Zanbagh | Roots | Crushed | Toothache | | 0.05 |
49 | Juglandaceae | Juglans regia L.* TUH-148 | Javiz | Gerdoo | Seeds, Aearial parts | Decoction, Powder | Diabetes and blanch teeth | Edible, hair color and dyeing yarn | 0.43 |
50 | Lamiaceae | Eremostachys laciniata. TUH-149 | Chelle daghi | Chelle daghi | Aerial parts, Leaves, Roots | Poultice, Powder | Rheumatism, joint pains, wound healing | | 0.07 |
51 | | Leonorus cardica L. TUH-150 | ot | Dime shir | Aerial parts | Decoction | Amenorrhea, digestive, cardiac diseases | | 0.05 |
52 | | Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. TUH-151 | Yarpuz | Pooneh | Leaves | Decoction, Powder | Cold and flu, antispasmodic, constipation, cold and fever, gastrointestinal diseases | Edible | 0.54 |
53 | | Mentha spicata L. subsp. Spicata*. TUH-152 | Nane | Naana | Aerial parts | Infusion, Decoction | Cold and flu, vomit, digestive, Diarrhea, Gastrointestinal diseases | Edible, Flavors | 0.42 |
54 | | Ocimum basilicum L.* TUH-153 | Reyhan | Reyhan | Aerial parts | Infusion, Decoction | Stomach, appetizer | Edible as a vegetable | 0.44 |
55 | | Salvia tomentosa Mill. TUH-154 | Maryam gulu | Maryam goli | Leaves | Infusion, Decoction | Flu, bronchitis, diarrhea, asthma, rheumatism, toothache, gastrointestinal diseases. | - | 0.08 |
56 | | Satureja hortensis L.* TUH-155 | Marza | Marze | Aerial parts | Infusion | Antihypertensive, cardiac disorder, gastric and digestive disorders | Edible as a vegetable, food | 0.31 |
57 | | Stachys inflate. TUH-156 | Poolaki, Maryam nokhodu | Poolaki | Aerial parts | Infusion | Cold, hypertension | - | 0.27 |
58 | | Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl. TUH-157 | Tuhliga | Chaye koohi | Aerial parts, | Infusion | Cold, infection | - | 0.31 |
59 | | Teucrium polium L. TUH-158 | Kalpooreh | Kalpooreh | Flowers | Infusion, Smoke | Ear infection, diarrhea in infants, Vaginal Infection | - | 0.22 |
60 | | Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. TUH-159 | Kahlik otu | Avishan | Aerial parts, Leaves | Decoction | Cold, gastritis, antiinflammatory, cancer,, diabetes, hypertension | - | 0.58 |
61 | Malvaceae | Alcea kurdica (Schlecht) Alef. TUH-160 | Khatmi | Khatmi | Flo, Roots | Decoction | Pneumonia, cold and flu | - | 0.3 |
62 | | Ficus carica L.* TUH-161 | Anjir | Anjir | Fruits, Latex, | Raw | Constipation, laxative, warts | - | 0.34 |
63 | | Malva neglecta L. TUH-162 | Aman komanji | Panirak | Flowers, Leaves | Infusion | Gastrointestinal diseases, bronchitis, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia. | - | 0.32 |
64 | Papaveraceae | Papaver rhoeas L. TUH-163 | Shaghayegh | Shaghayegh | Aerial parts | Decoction | Antitussive, sedative | - | 0.19 |
65 | Plantaginaceae | Plantago lanceolata L. TUH-164 | bagh yarpağı | Barhang | Leaves | Infusion | Antipyretic, wound healing | - | 0.15 |
66 | | Plantago major L. TUH-165 | Bizowsha | Barhang | Seeds | Syrup, Decoction | Abdominal pains, hemorrhoids, constipation, | - | 0.28 |
67 | Poaceae | Hordeum vulgare L.* TUH-166 | Arpa | Jo | Aerial parts, Seeds | Infusion, Powder | Intestinal regulatory, diarrhea, appetizer | - | 0.14 |
68 | | Zea mays L.* TUH-167 | Maka | Zorrat | Fruits, Stylus | Decoction | Infection of urinary system, heart tonic, kidney stones | - | 0.19 |
69 | Polygonaceae | Rheum ribes L. TUH-168 | Ushgun | Rivas | Aerial parts, Leaves | Infusion | Diabetes disease | - | 0.24 |
70 | | Rumex crispus L. TUH-169 | Avalih | Torshak | Leaves | Infusion | Diabetes disease | - | 0.15 |
71 | Portulaceae | Portulaca oleracea L. TUH-170 | Parpine | Khorfe | Aerial parts | Infusion | Diabetes, diuretic | - | 0.18 |
72 | Ranunculaceae | Consolida orientalis. TUH-171 | Akin out, Bughda otu | Zaban dar ghafa | Seeds | Crushed | Wound healing | - | 0.06 |
73 | Rosaceae | Rosa canina L. TUH-172 | İtburnu | Nastaran | Flowers, Fruits | Infusion | Antitussive, cold, diabetes disease | - | 0.38 |
74 | | Cydonia oblonga Mill.* TUH-173 | Heyva | Beh | Seeds, Fruits, Leaves | Raw, Decoction, Infusion | Cold and flu, bronchitis, asthma, diuretic, gastrointestinal diseases. | - | 0.2 |
75 | | Rosa damascena* TUH-174 | Ghizil gul | Gole mohammadi | Flowers | Oil, Raw, Infusion | Burns and wounds healing, sedative, stomach and reflux, Laxative | Perfume in Funerals | 0.41 |
76 | Salicaceae | Salix alba L. TUH-175 | Suwidi | Bid | Aerial parts, Leaves | Decoction | Vaginal itching, athlete's foot | Landscape | 0.09 |
77 | Scrophulariaceae | Verbascum spp. TUH-176 | Sıghırkuyrughu | Khargooshak, Gole mahoor | Aerial parts | Infusion | Hemorrhoids, urinary tract infection | - | 0.1 |
78 | Solanaceae | Datura stramonium L. TUH-177 | Tatoore, bat bat | Tatoore | Aerial parts, Seeds | Infusion | Eye problems, asthma, narcotic, nerve sedative, rheumatism pain | - | 0.07 |
79 | | Hyoscyamus niger L. TUH-178 | Pat pat | Bangdaneh, bazrolbanj | Seeds | Poultice | Ear diseases, sinusitis, addiction disuse | - | 0.05 |
80 | Urticaceae | Urtica dioica L. TUH-179 | Dalama | Gazaneh | Leaves | Decoction, Raw | Cardiovascular disease, cough, diabetes, MS | Food | 0.24 |
81 | Zygophyllaceae | Peganum harmala L. TUH-180 | Uzarrih | Esphand | Fruits | Raw, Smoke | Fever, disinfectants | Air freshener | 0.41 |
82 | | Tribulus terrestris L. TUH-181 | Damirtikani | Kharkhasak | Fruits | Decoction | Kidney stones | - | 0.08 |
Plant parts used
Different medicinal plant parts used for curing diverse aliments included aerial parts, seed, leaves, tuber, root, stem, gum, flower, fruit, and the whole plant. Most frequently used parts are aerial parts (32%), followed by leaves (20%), Seeds (13%), and Fruits (12%) (Figure. 3). The preferred parts of some medicinal plants may have high concentration of bioactive compounds, leading to efficient responses in curing the concerned aliment. It has been documented that families like, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Fabaceae usually as such these parts are preferred by local people in different regions of Iran11, 14, 23. Second reason why aerial parts and leaves are preferred is that they are easier to harvest as compared to underground parts. Moreover, aerial parts are accessible in most of year than flowers, seeds or fruits, which are accessible only in the reproductive stages of plants, limiting harvesting time to a short period. Another reason is associated with harvesting time of the plants, since in Khoy region people mainly harvest the medicinal plants in late spring, when herbs are in their vegetative stage so that there would be no flower or seed to be harvested.
Preparation methods and mode of application
Most of the native people make medicines by using simple preparation of plant parts. The most common preparation method which is reported by indigenous people in Khoy were decoction, infusion and powder which are prepared by the patients themselves. Water is the dominated supporting agent with herbal therapy. Infusions were the most used method in preparation of plants. It is applied by soaking plant part in hot water for the time specified as a day. Decoctions were the second common method that includes boiling a specific part of plant in water until it reaches its half the initial volume. Among preparation methods, those which lead to an orally consumable products are preferred (Mood, 2008; Brandao et al., 2012; Sadeghi et al., 2014). It was observed that native people of this region used endogenous plants after drying. This method is preferred because they can store these dried medicinal plants in a house room and use it for all year round, when they need. In West Azerbaijan, the custom of preparing distillates at home is a widespread tradition named "Araghgiri" that produce aromatic water with homemade instruments named "Neygazan". For example, distillate obtained from Mentha, used to treat abdominal pains and also used as carminative often. The most of the people in Khoy and neighboring area use aromatic water of Rosa damascena as "Golab" to treat stomachache, as sedative burns treatment and Natural Brightening Cleanser. In addition, it is used as flavor. For example, in 'Doogh' and 'Fereni' as traditional drink and food respectively and the essential oil of Rosa damascena is used in Perfumery. Golab has an important role especially in funeral of Azerian people. They use it for Wash graves and cooking "Halva" which is a traditional pastry for mourning ceremony. Different approaches used for medicinal preparations of plants are presented in Table 2. The consumption of plants in Infusion form is the most frequently used way (40 Species), followed by Decoction (39 Species), Raw (20 Species), and Powder (8 Species) (Fig. 4).
Sadat-Hosseini et al.11 have carried out ethno-botanical studies in the south of Kerman Province. They have collected data from the native people. Majority of the are used as decoction followed by liniment, and infusion. As in our findings, most of the herbal preparations are consumed orally, whereas in a few cases Top mode is used. The oral mode of application is the most preferred form of herbal preparations among different ethical groups of Iran. However, according to Vijayakumar et al. most plant preparations are used in the form of paste (32%), followed by powder (22%), decoction and juice (20%). Similarly, oral use too is the most frequently applied mode, followed by topical use. A perusal of the studies published reveals big differences between various cultures, in terms of mode of herbal preparations and application ways, but most are applied orally.
Data analysis (ICF and UV calculations)
The use of medicinal plants as conventional and modern drugs shows that they are acceptable. There may be some plants which are currently not used for medicinal purposes but may actually have medicinal effects (Kaya, 2006). In order to classify major health problems of interviewees, ailments are categorized in to different group. The reported ailments were grouped into 11 categories based on the information gathered from the interviewee. Native people of Khoy use plants for medical purposes mostly for treatment of Gastro-intestinal diseases (e.g. gastric pains, stomach disorders, as carminative, constipation, diarrhea, hemorrhoids and laxatives and cases), cold, flu and fever (60 citations), Diabetes (32 citations), Skin diseases (28 citations), Nervous system, sedative (20 citations), Cardiovascular disease (16 citations), Diuretic (14 citations), Infections (13 citations), Rheumatic pain (12 citations), Respiratory/throat diseases and Cancer (6 citations) (Fig. 5).
Helichrysum arenarium (L.), Lepidium draba L., Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds., Thymus kotschyanus Boiss., Alcea kurdica, etc were reported to be among the plant remedies concerned for treating cold, flu and fever which had the highest ICF score (0.61). Diabetes was recorded to have the second highest ICF value (0.52), followed by Infections with a little interval recorded by its all images like the third group (ICF was 0.51). Respiratory and throat diseases were ranked as the fourth ailment with ICF value of 0.49. the fifth uses of ICF values (0.45) was recorded for skin diseases. The last citations of ranking of this research were reported for plants used to treat cardiovascular disease, Nervous system problems, Gastro-intestinal diseases, Diuretic and rheumatic pain with ICF value of 0.40, 0.36, 0.32, 0.31, 0.27 respectively. Cancer had the least ICF values (0.23). There is not any reliable similar study of this region with calculated ICF but this one (Table 3).
Table 3
Different ICPC-2 based categories of diseases, their related ICF values and popular plants in the related categories
No. | Use category | Use Report | All use citations (%) | ICF |
1 | Cold, flu, fever | 60 | 19.87 | 0.61 |
2 | Diabetes | 32 | 9.44 | 0.52 |
3 | Infections | 13 | 4.3 | 0.51 |
4 | Respiratory and throat diseases | 6 | 1.99 | 0.49 |
5 | Skin diseases | 28 | 9.27 | 0.45 |
6 | Cardiovascular disease | 16 | 5.3 | 0.40 |
7 | Nervous system, sedative | 20 | 6.62 | 0.36 |
8 | Gastro-intestinal diseases | 95 | 31.46 | 0.32 |
9 | Diuretic | 14 | 4.64 | 0.31 |
10 | Rheumatic pain | 12 | 3.97 | 0.27 |
11 | Cancer | 6 | 1.99 | 0.23 |
ICF values, obtained for the reported categories, demonstrate the degree of knowledge that is shared regarding the use of medicinal herbs for treatment of the ailment (Al Quran, 2009). The highest value of ICF is an important parameter in an ethnobotanical study and there are several studies. In the present study, it was found that the ICF values range between 0.61 and 0.23. In some studies, ICF value was similar to our research for different ailments. F or example Hayta et al (2014) grouped ailments in 10 categories. they observed the highest ICF value for skin diseases (0.60) followed by respiratory and throat diseases (0.52). In another study in eastern Anatolia Mukemre et al. (2015) examined the diseases in 10 categories. In these categories, the highest ICF value was reported to be 0.62 while the lowest ICF value was reported to be 0.21. but in the studies conducted in various areas of the Iberian Peninsula, 0.85 and 0.91 for a Portuguese and a Catalan region were the highest ICF value, respectively (Bonet and Valles, 2003; Camejo-Rodrigues et al., 2003). The gastrointestinal problems are the first use category in studies of different regions (Miraldi et al., 2001; Ghorbani, 2005; Ghorbani et al., 2011).
The most used categories of plants to treat an ailment, presented in this study, are the ones to treat Gastro-intestinal diseases (31.46%, 64 species) and Cold (19.87, 24 species).
Use value is an important tool to select valuable medicinal plants of any region which further may be used for detailed pharmacological evaluation s for preparation of plant based medicines. Use values for each medicinal plant species was calculated in this research and described in Table 2. Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. exhibited maximum use value (0.58) among wild plants reported by informants followed by the Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. (0.54), Peganum harmala L. (0.41), Matricaria chamomilla L. (0.41), Capparis spinosa L. (0.36) and Nasturtium officinale W. T. Aiton. (0.36). These plants are used at large scale in the study area. Among reported cultivated plants, Ocimum basilicum L had maximum use value (0.44) followed by Juglans regia L. (0.43), Mentha spicata L. subsp. Spicata (0.42), Rosa damascena (0.41) and Allium sativum L. (0.37). (Fig. 6). Having information of use value of a plants might be useful for determining the use reliability and pharmacological features of the related plants (Çakılcıoglu and Turkoglu, 2010). The current use of medicinal plants in conventional and modern drugs shows that they are actively used (Kaya, 2006).
Medicinal plants, reported in this study, were used for treatment diseases including cold, flu, fever, bronchitis, diabetes, eczema, respiratory, asthma, cardiac disorders, infections, liver disorders, constipation, diarrhea, rheumatism, bone problems, blood ailments like hypertension, high cholesterol, etc. Medicinal plants were also used as sedative, narcotic, intoxicant, antispasmodic, carminative, antiseptic, tonic, laxative, and diuretic agents. According to the results of this study, Azerian people of this region tend to use indigenous medicinal herbs.
Kahlik otu is the Azerian name of different species of Thymus (family Lamiaceae) and is frequently reported from different parts of Iran, especially in Khoy. Rosa damascena is a shrub that is cultivated especially in margins of gardens and is Widely used for wound care, Sedative, stomachache and constipation by native people. In addition, native people believe that the use of Gundelia tournefortii can decrease cholesterol, which is approved by Hajiadeh et al (2016). They expressed that Gundelia tournefortii could be an appropriate adjunctive medicinal plant to help reducing the major risk factors of CAD like cholesterol, LDL-c and BMI.
In addition, local people of Khoy use an expensive truffle, named "Donbalan" widely to use as antiinflammation, antioxidant and tonic. They believe that truffles, found in this region, are important source of protein and they use it for their health. White truffles, Terfezia boudieri Chatin. are found in Khoy and neighbouring area. It is one of seasonal temporary jobs to collect this kind of truffles for farmers which earn a proper income in some years. It's used to treat gastric cancer, hepatitis A, B, C, arthritis, bronchitis, asthma, stomach ulcers, blood pressure and cholesterol.
local Plant names
In different languages, local plant names differ because of local dialects. Because of vicinity of study area with Turkey, there could be similarities in plant local names. For example, the local names of Allium cepa (Sogan) in Izmir (Ugulu et al., 2009), Allium sativum (Sarimsak), Elaeagnus angustifolia (Ide), Rhus coriaria (Sumak) in Alasehir (Sargin et al., 2013), Allium cepa (Sogan), Allium sativum (Sarimsak), Gundelia turnefortii (KKangar), Ocimum basilicum (Reyhan) and Hordeum vulgare (Arpa) and in Espiy of Turkey (Polat et al, 2015) are the same with local names used in this region.
Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology are new emerging fields of research in Iran which are getting more attention from scientific community (Ghorbani et al., 2006). West Azerbaijan has rich flora, so medicinal plants are very important subjects in health care. Since a great number of medicinal plants are used by the population of this region, it seems that using these plant are somehow general preferences. It is very important to evaluate medicinal plants used in Khoy for following reasons: (1) Probable toxicity of some plants. Toxic plants or plant parts are not always recognized by market sellers. For instance, Datura stramoniumcould be toxic. (2) Besides, it’s important to use effective dose of medicinal plants and Correct utilization methods of them.