Ethnomedicinal knowledge of the rural communities of Dhirkot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
Authors
Asia Farooq
Department of Botany, Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Bagh, Pakistan
Muhammad Amjad
Department of Botany, Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Bagh, Pakistan
Khalid Ahmad
Department of Environment Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, 22060 Pakistan
Muhammad Altaf
Department of Zoology, Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Bagh, Pakistan
Muhammad Umair
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240 China
Arshad Abbasi
Department of Environment Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, 22060 Pakistan
Keywords:
Traditional knowledge, Medicinal plants, FC, ICF, Dhirkot
Abstract
Being an isolated locality and having a tough mountainous terrain, strong ethnomedicinal practices still prevail in Dhirkot and its allied areas, which have been rarely explored yet. The present study was intended with the aim to document and compare the traditional knowledge of local communities on botanical taxa of Dhirkot, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir.
Methodology
Ethnomedicinal data were collected from 74 informants using a semi-structured questionnaire in addition to field observation and group discussion. Various indices were also used to evaluate the ethnomedicinal data. Furthermore, the present findings were compared with previous reports to assess data novelty.
Result
A total of 140 medicinal plant species belonging to 55 families were recorded, which are used by local communities to treat 12 disease categories. Asteraceae was dominating with 20 species, followed by Poaceae, Lamiaceae, and Rosaceae (14, 11, and 10 species, respectively). Herbs were leading with 66% contribution, whereas leaves were the most utilized plant part with 29% utilization and decoction was the common mode of administration. Viola canescens depicted the highest use value and relative frequency of citation (1.7 and 0.92, respectively). Maximum informant consensus factor (0.88) was calculated for digestive and liver disorders. Five plant species including Berberis lycium Mentha arvensis Pyrus malus, Taraxacum officinale, and Viola canescens had 100% fidelity level.
Conclusion
Dhirkot and its allied areas harbor rich botanical and cultural diversity because of its unique geography and diverse climatic conditions. However, mostly, traditional ethnobotanical knowledge is restricted to healers, midwives, and older people, and could be extinct in the near future. Therefore, such documentation not only conserves traditional knowledge but may also contribute significantly to novel drug resources.
Keywords: Traditional knowledge, Medicinal plants, FC, ICF, Dhirkot
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