Medicinal flora plays a vital role in treating various types of ailments in living beings. The present study was planned to investigate and document systematically the indigenous knowledge in a scientifically little explored area of Ladha sub-division, South Waziristan agency, Pakistan. Hence, this study would contribute positively to the field of ethnopharmacology. Prior to ethnomedicinal data collection, regular field visits were conducted during the month of May and June 2015 to locate the sites and respondents from where the traditional knowledge was to be recorded. Ethno-medicinal data was collected during the month July and August 2015 through rapid appraisal approach (RAA) based on direct interaction with the indigenous communities by making group discussions, corner meetings and semi-structured interviews. Data was evaluated statistically by using the index of Use value (UV) and Frequency of citations (FC). A total of 82 medicinal plants belonging to 42 families were reported in the study. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts. Highest use values were recorded for Peganum harmala (0.93), Punica granatum (0.91), Thymus mongolicus (0.90), Chenopodium album (0.89), Coriandrum sativum (0.87), Mentha longifolia (0.87), Lactuca serriola (0.87) and Portulaca oleracea (0.87). Medicinal plants used for the gastro intestinal complexities and respiratory diseases were more than 9% followed by skin and diarrhea (7% each), liver disorders (5%) cough and cold fever (5%). People of the area mostly still rely on traditional herbal therapies. Keeping in mind the dependence of the indigenous community for their primary health care on such herbal remedies, pharmacological and critical toxicological investigation of certain flora is necessary. Moreover, projects should be designed to analyze the existing issues and problems related with medicinal plants conservation.

This study optimized the extraction of flavonoids from Fagonia cretica using deep eutectic solvents (DESs), focusing on key factors such as the type of DES used, molar ratio, water content, solid/liquid ratio, extraction temperature, and time. Among six DESs tested, the betaine–acetic acid combination exhibited the highest extraction efficiency, attributed to its low viscosity (4.98 mPa·s). Optimal extraction conditions were determined to be a 1:4 molar ratio of betaine to acetic acid, a 25% water content, a solid/liquid ratio of 1:60 g/mL, an extraction temperature of 50 °C, and an extraction time of 30 min. Under these conditions, the flavonoid yield was maximized while preserving bioactivity. Antioxidant assays revealed that flavonoids extracted with DESs exhibited superior scavenging activity against DPPH and hydroxyl radical compared to ethanol-extracted flavonoids, highlighting DESs’ potential to enhance antioxidant properties. The recyclability of DESs was demonstrated using ultracapacitor porous activated carbon, achieving an 89.78% recovery efficiency. The reused DES maintained a high flavonoid extraction yield, retaining 92% efficiency after six cycles, emphasizing its sustainability and cost-effectiveness. This study establishes DES-based extraction as an environmentally friendly and efficient approach for isolating flavonoids with strong antioxidant properties, offering significant advantages in green chemistry and bioactive compound recovery.