Fagonia spp.: An important genus of medicinal plants in Sistan and Baluchistan province, Iran

Fagonia spp., belongs to the family zygophyllaceae, it is a perinnial plant, and found mostly in the south of Baluchistan province of Iran. The local name of the plant is Karkavak or Karkava in Baluchistan, and also named Esfand Roomi in Persian. Information gathered from traditional healers of the southern part of Baluchistan has shown that the leaves and twigs has been used in supposed to possess cooling properties. It is used for fever among the hill people. The plant is given as a tonic and febrifuge, it is given to children as a prophylactic against small- pox. The active chemical constituents of Fagonia species are carbohydrates, flavonoid, glycosides, steroids, saponins, alkaloids, triterpenoidal glycosides, amino acids, Chlorides, Sulphates, Anthraquinones, Irodoids, Cyanogenic glycosides and Coumarin. In Baluchistan three main species such as Fagonia arabica, Fagonia bruguieri, Fagonia indica or more of them are distributed.

Keywords:

Baluchistan , Fagonia spp , Medicinal plant