Medicinal plants used during Pregnancy and Childbirth in Baramulla District of Jammu and Kashmir, India

Abstract

Background: Although medicinal plants have long been beneficial to women's health, understanding regarding their usage during pregnancy and childbirth is scarce. This is the first research of its kind in the study area, with the aim of documenting and preserving traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used during pregnancy and childbirth.Materials and methods: Field surveys were carried out from August 2018 to December 2020 in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. Information was gathered through group discussions, field tours and personal interviews using standard questionnaire with the tribal people, traditional healers, midwives and pregnant women. The data collected was analyzed through Use value (UV) and Informant Consensus factor (ICF).Results: A total of 60 medicinal plant species belonging to 56 genera and 30 families were reported to be commonly utilized by women for treating various health issues during pregnancy and childbirth. The Lamiaceae was found to be the most prevalent plant family, with leaves being the most regularly used plant part. Of all other methods of remedy preparation decoction was reported to be the most preferred. Childbirth had the highest ICF value and the most widely accepted medicinal plants were Cydonia oblonga, Malva neglecta, Thymus linearis, Geranium wallichianum, Achyranthes aspera, Taraxacum officinale and Ajuga bracteosa as per the Use Value. Conclusion:The current findings highlight the need for more in-depth research into the phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological aspects of commonly used medicinal plants for pregnancy and childbirth related health issues in order to provide reliable information to primary users and to develop novel drugs.

A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Medicinal Plant Utilization among the Four Ethnic Communities in Northern Regions of Jammu and Kashmir, India

“…The dominance of this family might be due to its herbaceous life form, extensive distribution, and richness in the study area, and members of this family are well-known for their aromatic quality [ 32 , 33 ]. A large number of species were monotypic, i.e., with one species each, similar to other studies conducted earlier [ 25 , 34 , 35 ]. Despite their diversity, members of each family are distinguished by their ability to synthesize secondary metabolites with potentially significant biological activity.…”

“…Special care was taken to avoid non-genuine information [ 24 ], and responses were cross-checked through informal methods for confirmation. Consent was always obtained verbally before conducting every interview [ 10 , 25 ]. The project objectives and procedures were clearly explained in the local language to the informants.…”

Traditional usage of plant resources in Ethnoveterinary practices in Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh, Northwestern Himalayas India

“…Notable studies in respect of herbal medicinal plants have been conducted in different districts of Himachal Pradesh by (Arya et al 2012) in Kangra; (Sharma and Sood, 2013) in Solan; (Singh and Thakur 2014) in Shimla; (Thakur et al 2014) in Chamba; (Rani et al 2015) in Chamba, Kangra Hamirpur and Mandi; (Prakash et al 2021) in Shimla and (Thakur et al 2016) in Chamba. Similar studies have been reported by ) in Jammu and Kashmir; (Mir et al 2022) in Bandipora district of Kashmir Himalayas; in Lolab valley, Kashmir Himalaya;(Rajkumar and Shivanna 2009) in Shimoga district of Karnatka and (Jan et al 2021) in Baramullah district of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the literature pertaining to the ethnoveterinary practices followed in the Spiti region of Himalayas is still unavailable.…”

Ethnobotanical applications of medicinal plants of family Asteraceae in Allah Wali Lake Gutumsar, District Astore, Gilgit- Baltistan, Pakistan

“…The Asteraceae (Compositae) family stands as the most diverse vascular plant family globally, comprising 1600 to 1700 genera and 24,000 to 30,000 species (Hanif, 2012). Many unique medicinal plants from this plant family are utilized in traditional medicine practices across the globe (Jan et al 2021a, Jan et al 2021b, reflecting a long-standing human tradition of utilizing plants for healing (Jan et al 2022, Pradhan et al 2020.…”