Preprint / Version 1

Ethno-Dentistry of Medicinal Plants Used in North Waziristan, Pakistan

Authors

  • Sabith Rehman aDepartment of Botany, Hazara University Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
  • Zafar Iqbal aDepartment of Botany, Hazara University Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
  • Rahmatullah Qureshi bDepartment of Botany, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
  • Taghrid AlOmar cDepartment of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourahbint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Najla Almasoud cDepartment of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourahbint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Muhammad Younas bDepartment of Botany, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
  • Abdur Rauf dDepartment of Chemistry, University of Swabi, Swabi, Anbar, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Irfan eDepartment of Botany, University of Swabi, Swabi, Anbar, Pakistan

Keywords:

Key words: Ethno-dentistry, Traditional medicine, Ethnomedicinal applications, Dental disorders, Fidelity level, North Waziristan, Pakistan

Abstract

Objective This study aimed at recording therapeutic plant species used by inhabitants to treat dental disorders in the district of North Waziristan, Pakistan. The indigenous people of the studied area are dependent on medicinal plants for their basic health care needs including dental care. Methods Ethnomedicinal data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaires, and in addition 130 local informants were interviewed. The collected data were evaluated using various quantitative indices, including use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), fidelity level (FL%), and Jaccard Index (JI). Results A total of 69 plants belonging to 48 plant families used in dental disorders were identified. The Lamiaceae was the leading family that shared 7 species, followed by Solanaceae (4 spp).The dominant life form used was herbs (47.83%), folowed by leaves (43.90%) in preparing remedies for different dental disorders. Decoction was the most common mode of preparation (34.21%), followed by pastes (21.05%). The highest RFC (0.36) was reported for Bergenia ciliata, followed by Salvadora oleoides (0.35). The majority of the plants (36 spp) were utilised as herbal medicine to treat toothache, followed by 13 species for periodontal (gum) infections, 11 species used for teeth cleaning, and 9 species for halitosis (bad breath). Conclusions This study is the first-ever record of ethnomedicinal applications for the treatment of dental diseases from Pakistan. Some of the forgeoing hebal medications should be further evalauted for the development of pahrmaceutical bio-products for the treatment of dental disorders. Key words: Ethno-dentistry, Traditional medicine, Ethnomedicinal applications, Dental disorders, Fidelity level, North Waziristan, Pakistan

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