Introduction the medicinal species of Asteraceae family in Ilkhji and Sharafaldin regions of Esat Azarbaijan

As medicinal plants are suitable alternatives for synthetic and chemical drugs (Idu and Osemwegie) also because of medical and nutritional importance and valuable protein contents of Asteraceae species, all plants of Asteraceae family are collected in Ilkhji and sharafaldin regions during growth seasons of 2007-2009. Plants were collected in 2 regions according to the classical method of regional floristical studies. Collected plants were recognized by valid references (Parsa and Reshinger). Then medical species are chosen by using pharmacopeias. The results of the current study demonstrated that at Ilkhji region 31 species belong to 24 genuses and at Sharafaldin region 25 species belong to 20 genuses that all of them belong to Asteraceae family. Among these species, 19 species at Ilkhji and sharafaldin region had medicinal properties. Medicinal species of these 2 regions consist of: Achillea tenuifolia, Achillea vermicularis, Achillea millefolium, Arctium lappa, Acroptilon repens, Cardus pycnocephalus, Carthamus oxyacantha, Centaurea aggregate, Cichorium intybus, Cirsium ravens, Cnicus benedictus, Cousinia calcitrapa ,Lactuca scarioloides, Lactuca serriola, Onopordon leptolepis, Senecio mollis, Sonchus oleraceus, Tragopogon marginatus, Xanthium spinosum. The results of this study showed that the region has a great potential for producing respective medicinal plants species belong to those families. Medicinal plants recently become more important because of their medicinal uses and in addition they are valuable source of protein. (Leila Joudi, Ghassem Habibi Bibalani and Hamide shadkami. Introduction the medicinal species of Asteraceae family in Ilkhji and Sharafaldin regions of Esat Azarbaijan in Iran. Journal of American Science 2011;7(5):455- 458). (ISSN: 1545-1003). http://www.americanscience.org.