Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants of Pashat Valley, Bajaur, along Pakistan–Afghanistan border: a mountainous region of the Hindu Kush Range

Background: People still use plant-based medicine for their basic healthcare requirements despite having easy access to contemporary medications. Individuals are more dependent on natural remedies, especially in rural areas. In Garyaum, North Waziristan, Pakistan, this study intends to investigate the key native plants utilized in medicine and their applications for treating various illnesses.Objectives: The objectives of this study was to: (1) conduct a systematic examination of the wild plants utilized by the inhabitants of the study area; (2) collect indigenous knowledge concerning wild plants; (3) assess species with considerable cultural importance to the Garyaum inhabitants; and (4) document the conservation status of the collected plants in study area.Methods: Ethnobotanical data based on sociodemographic characteristics were collected using the protocol of (Martin 1995). Techniques included direct led field walks, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews. 95 participants including 81 men and 14 women were interviewed. Quantitative approaches, such as relative frequency citation (RFC), use value (UV), and fidelity level (FL) were also conducted.Results: The participants reported a total of 66 plant species, belonging to 49 genera and 28 families. Of the total reported plants, 47 were fodder species, 35 were medicinal species, 14 were timber species, 20 were fuel species, 11 were fruits species, 7 was vegetable species, 2 were condiment species, 9 were thatching species, 3 were ornamental species while 3 were poisonous in nature. The current findings revealed 45 species (68.18 %) as vulnerable, 9 species (13.63 %) as rare, 8 species (12.12 %) as endangered and 4 species (6.06 %) was found infrequent. None of the species was ranked in the dominant category (IUCN 2001) which clearly described the unpleasant situation of the local flora. Conclusion: It is concluded that local people still rely on plant-based medication for their basic medical requirements. The vast majority of the species are utilized as fuel, wood, and fodder. In addition, plant diversity is diminishing as a result of many anthropogenic influences, infrastructural expansion, and climate change as well. Hence, proper identification and cultivation of significant medicinal and aromatic plants, as well as appropriate conservation and management techniques, are urgently needed in the research region. And the value of floral diversity and conservation must be entrenched in local inhabitants' children.

Section: Relative Frequency Of Citation (Rfc)supporting

confidence: 84%

Indigenous knowledge and conservation status of wild plants collected from Garyaum, North Waziristan, Pakistan

Shah¹,

Buni²,

Badshah³

et al. 2023

“…The comparative analysis of these 206 plants showed that similarity index ranges from 15.86% to 6.45% and the dissimilarity index ranged from 63.00% to 41.46%. The maximum level of the Jaccard index (JI) was found in the literature with the studies of Hussain et al (2022), Haq et al (2022, Ullah et al (2021), Hussain et al (2018b) and Aziz et al (2016) with JI values (24.8, 23.45, 22.8, 21.63 and 19.5% respectively (Table 5). The highest degree of similarity index with Aziz et al (2016) in the area of South Waziristan agency, Pakistan, revealed similarity in ethnic groups, geography and vegetation in both regions.…”

Section: Jaccard Index (Ji)mentioning

confidence: 74%

Ethnomedicinal study of medicinal plants used by the inhabitants of tribal District North Waziristan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Rahman,

Iqbal,

Qureshi

et al. 2023

Background: Therapeutic plants are the wealth of any area for disease treatment. The current study was focused on report the traditional knowledge of unexplored areas of District North Waziristan, Pakistan. This was the first quantitative survey for studying the medicinal plants of the study area.Methods: Ethnomedicinal data was collected from 130 informants through face-to-face interviews as well as semi-structured questionnaires. The collected data was analyzed through quantitative indices viz., Relative frequency of citations (RFC), Use value (UV), Fidelity level (FL), Jaccard index (JI), and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF).Results: A total of 206 medicinal plant species belonging to 78 families were recorded which are being used by the natives of the área under study. Maximum number of species were reported for the treatment of constipation (36 spp.), followed by blood purification (22 spp.). The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (63 spp.) followed by fruits (49 spp.). In the case of recipe formulation, decoction was the leading method (58 spp.), followed by powder (47 spp.). The highest relative frequency of citation (RFC) was recorded for Cydonia oblonga (0.56), followed by Morus alba (0.55), Berberis lycium (0.54), and Salvadora oleoides (0.52). The highest Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) value was reported for gastrointestinal disorders (0.91). Conclusions:The indigenous health professional in North Waziristan have a wealth of knowledge on therapeutic plants and their utilization. Harvesting of whole plants and roots exerted huge pressure on the native flora and there is an urgent need to initiate conservation strategy for the safeguard of medicinally important flora.

“…The relative frequency is calculated by dividing the frequency citation by the number of informants without considering the use of groups. In the ethnoveterinary study RFC stands for the ratio of informants who revealed the use plants of FC to the total number of informants for all plants surveyed (Kayani et al, 2014;Ibrar et al, 2015;Haq et al, 2022). RFC is defined by the following formula: RFC = CF/N RFC values range from 0 (when none of the informants cited the plants as useful) to 1 (when every informant reported the plants to be useful) (Mirzaman et al, 2023, Ibrar et al, 2015.…”

Section: Relative Frequency Citationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnoveterinary study of plant resources of Takht Bhai, Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Shah,

Adil,

Ullah

et al. 2024

Background: This ethnoveterinary medicine study conducted in Takht Bhai investigates plant-based remedies for animal diseases, acknowledging the significant role animals play in the environment. Local residents possess substantial knowledge of medicinal plants.Methods: Ethnoveterinary data were obtained through interviews, observations and questionnaires in 2018-2019, with a primary focus on documenting plant habits, local names, ethnoveterinary uses and the plant parts employed for treating animal diseases.Results: A total of 79 plants from 46 different families were collected, dried, and preserved on herbarium sheets, encompassing 47 herbs, 26 trees, 4 shrubs, and 2 climbers. Various plant parts were analyzed, including leaves from 26 plants, bark from 5 plants, roots from 2 plants, oils from 2 plants, tubers from 1 plant, stems from 1 plant, and rhizomes from 2 plants. Additionally, 5 complete plants were utilized for treating various ailments. Herbs demonstrated particular efficacy in addressing severe illnesses such as hepatitis, diarrhea, mastitis, bleeding, gastrointestinal issues, mouth and foot tympany, and gas. Local residents utilized diverse plant parts, such as leaves, fruits, seeds, barks, and rhizomes, to prepare medicinal remedies. Conclusions:The ethnoveterinary study conducted in Jalala, Mad-e-Baba, and Takkar underscores the potential of indigenous flora for promoting livestock health. This knowledge holds promise for informing sustainable healthcare solutions tailored to rural communities reliant on livestock.