An ethnoxic study on poisonous plants in Hakkari province

In this study; Ethnotoxic information on toxic plants spreading in Hakkari province were investigated. In addition, the local names of the plants, their poisonous parts, poisonous dose, toxic effect and the number of people giving information were also given. The study was conducted as face-to-face interviews and surveys with 341 users in the settlements of Hakkari Province between the years 2020-2022. 97 (28%) of the users who provided information were women and 244 (72%) were men. As a result of the research, 97 ethnotoxic plant taxa belonging to 36 families and local information about these taxa were determined. Some of the plants have multiple toxic effects. Septomes caused by ethnotoxic plants were determined as categories such as gastrointestinal, dermatological, nervous system and death. The highest frequency of use (Informant consensus factor-FIC) value (0.973) was calculated in the dermatological category (irritation in the mouth, swelling or irritation in the throat, redness, irritation). Out of the known 97 ethnotoxic plants only 35 were also used by local people for food or therapeutic purposes. The use of toxic plants for food or treatment in folk medicine is based on (i) the dose used and (ii) the application of two decoctions (or infusion) fractions. The ethnobotanical data obtained in this study will draw the attention of researchers conducting research in the field of toxicology to poisonous plants and help them develop the appropriate method of treatment in case of poisoning cases; at the same time, it will direct the pharmacological studies to be carried out on poisonous plants. Keywords: Hakkari, ethnotoxic, poisonous plant, folk medicine