Ethnopharmacological studies of indigenous plants in Kel village, Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
Authors
Khawaja Ahmad
Department of Botany, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, 12350 Pakistan
Abdul Hamid
Department of Horticulture, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, 12350 Pakistan
Fahim Nawaz
Department of Agronomy, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
Mansoor Hameed
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Farooq Ahmad
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Jiabin Deng
School of Geography and Tourism, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang, China
Noreen Akhtar
Department of Botany, G.C. Women University, Faisalabad, 38000 Pakistan
Ambreen Wazarat
Department of Botany, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, 12350 Pakistan
Sehrish Mahroof
Department of Botany, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, 12350 Pakistan
Keywords:
Ethnobotany, Use value, Informant consensus factor, Jaccard index, Neelum Valley, Western Himalaya
Abstract
This explorative study was undertaken for the first time in Kel village located in the Upper Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The purpose was to document the indigenous knowledge of the native people used in the preparation of herbal medicines.
Methods
To get the data on traditional uses of medicinal plants, 20 informants were interviewed. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices, i.e., use value (UV), relative frequencies of citation (RFC), informant consensus factor (Fic), fidelity level (FL), data matrix ranking (DMR), preference ranking (PR), and jaccard index (JI), were calculated for the recorded medicinal plants.
Results
A total of 50 medicinal plants belonging to 33 families used in 13 disease categories were documented. Leaves were the frequently used plant parts, and decoction was the commonly used method for herbal medicine. Plants with high use value were Berberis lycium (2.05), Impatiens glandulifera (1.95), Artemisia scoparia (1.75), Ageratum conozoides (1.75), and Achillea millefolium (1.7). The highest RFC value was calculated for Berberis lycium (0.75), Cynoglossum lanceolatum (0.65), and Impatiens glandulifera and Achillea millefolium (0.60 each). The maximum informant consensus factor was for urinary system, cardiac diseases, baldness, and abortion and miscarriage (1.00). Berberis lyceum (95%) used in jaundice, hepatitis, typhoid, fever, and tuberculosis disorders. Plants with maximum fidelity level (FL) were Berberis lycium (95%) followed by Dioscorea bulbifera, Impatiens glandulifera, and Artemisia vulgaris (90%). Olea ferruginea was the most multipurpose plant and exports (21.2%) was the leading threat in the area. The pearson correlation coefficient (0.500) showed a positive correlation between the use value and relative frequency of citation.
Conclusion
The present study provides useful information about traditional uses of medicinal plants used by local communities in different ailments. The plants with the highest use values could be employed in pharmacological research and biotechnological approaches in order to achieve adequate revenue. Some of the plants in the study area are facing high threats of becoming rare, and conservation initiatives are needed to conserve them for sustainable management in the region.
Keywords: Ethnobotany, Use value, Informant consensus factor, Jaccard index, Neelum Valley, Western Himalaya
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