A survey of medicinal plants in mangrove and beach forests from sating Phra Peninsula, Songkhla Province, Thailand

Abstract

This study aimed to survey medicinal plants in mangrove and beach forests from Sating Phra Peninsula, Songkhla Province. Three representative districts including Sing Ha Nakhon, Sating Phra and Ranode were selected. Semi-structured interview was conducted to six local healers for asking about local names, parts of use, preparation and properties. Plant specimens also were collected. Identification was done and the specimens were deposited at The Prince of Songkla University herbarium (PSU). A total of 110 species belonging to 100 genera and 51 families was found. Among them, 69 species were only found in the beach forests, 35 species were only found in the mangrove forests and 6 species could be found in both areas. Fabaceae was the most important family in term of species used. Herb was the most frequently used habit of plants. Most plant species were used for curing fever (18.52%), skin diseases (10.65%) and gastrointestinal tract problems (10.19%), respectively. Interestingly, 34 species relate to pharmacological activities, while 13 species have never been investigated. Therefore, their biological activity should be investigated to support utilization of herbal medicine. Key words: Medicinal plant, mangrove forest, beach forest, Sating Phra Peninsula, Songkhla Province.