An ethnopharmacological survey and comparative analysis of plants from the Sudhnoti District, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

Abstract

Background This is the first comprehensive report on the traditional and novel uses of medicinal plants practiced by the indigenous communities of the Sudhnoti district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. The area is rich in folklore and indigenous medicinal knowledge due to a unique tribal composition and socioeconomic conditions. This study aimed to document traditional knowledge of native plant use by the local communities, particularly those used for therapeutic purposes. Methods Field surveys were conducted from September 2015 to March 2017. Interviews with 125 local inhabitants of different tribes, age groups, genders, and occupations were conducted using structured and semi-structured questions along with group discussions. Data gathered on plant uses, local names, and modes of application of each plant species were organized in tables. Ethnobotanical indices such as use value (UV) and cultural significance index (CSI) were used to produce quantitative information on the plant use category, frequency, and cultural preference of species. Reports on therapeutic uses of medicinal plants were compared with previous studies. Results In all, 88 plant species from 45 families were reported, out of which 67 (77%) were used in ethnomedical applications. Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae were the dominant families. Berberis lycium was the most valued plant species, followed by Zanthoxylum armatum and Taraxacum officinale. Mentha arvensis had the highest cultural significance, followed by Mentha longifolia, Punica granatum, and Zanthoxylum armatum. Leaves were the most preferred plant parts in the preparation of medicine exclusively or mixed with other parts. The most frequently used process of crude preparation of medicinal plants was cooking. Oral intake was the predominant route of administration. Conclusions Our comparative analysis confirmed that most of the plants documented have uses that match those previously reported for the region and other parts of the world, with the exception of novel medicinal uses for 11 plant species, including Verbascum thapsus for earache, Elaeagnus umbellata for hepatitis, Achillea millefolium for oral care, Dicliptera roxburghiana to prevent sunstroke in cattle, Rumex hastatus for allergy antidote, Pyrus pashia for hepatitis, and Nerium oleander for diabetes.

Genome-wide characterization of the MBF1 gene family and its expression pattern in different tissues and stresses in Zanthoxylum armatum

“…For instance, Z . armatum is planted as the second most important medicinal species in Pakistan [ 32 ]. The fruit pulp of Zanthoxylum could be extended to treat skin diseases, toothache, fever, and stomach ache [ 24 , 26 , 30 ].…”

Comparing ethnobotanical knowledge of medicinal plants between community health workers and local experts in the “Mata da Paraíba” zone, northeastern Brazil

“…D. ambrosioides is cited in the literature for sputum, cough, bruises, flu, tuberculosis, urinary diseases, scarring and pain in the body (Cock et al 2021;Farias et al 2019, Magalhães et al 2019. M. arvensis is seen in the treatment of abdominal pain (diarrhea), gastric and intestinal problems, stomach acidity, earache and respiratory problems, menstrual pain and anxiety (Khan et al 2021;Magalhães et al 2019;Rehman et al 2017). L. alba is used in the treatment of digestive and respiratory diseases, hypertension, headache, skin diseases, injuries, insomnia, colic, heart and liver diseases, lack of appetite, diarrhea, tonic, dizziness, worms (Hennebelle et al 2008;Magalhães et al 2019;Medeiros et al 2013).…”

Ethno-veterinary practices for animal healthcare from Sudhanoti Azad Kashmir, Pakistan

“…al. 2006;Ahmed et al, 2015;Khan et al 2021). An important point noted during the current study that the aged informants (65 %) have more traditional knowledge than the females (35 %) and young ones.…”

“…Local communities depend on ethnoveterinary herbal therapies for treatments of livestock ailments. However, few ethnobotanical studies of medicinal plants have been reported in District Sudhanoti for the treatments of human ailments (Ishtiaq et al 2016;Khan et al 2021). The area of District Sudhanoti is rich of ethnobotanical knowledge due to diverse tribal communities and socioeconomic condition (Khan et al 2021).…”

“…However, few ethnobotanical studies of medicinal plants have been reported in District Sudhanoti for the treatments of human ailments (Ishtiaq et al 2016;Khan et al 2021). The area of District Sudhanoti is rich of ethnobotanical knowledge due to diverse tribal communities and socioeconomic condition (Khan et al 2021). However, ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plant species have not been yet explored due to remoteness and harsh climate condition.…”