Traditional knowledge on poisonous plants of Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Poisonous plants comprise the third largest category of poisons known around the world. Other than affecting the humans directly, they are the major cause of economic losses in the livestock industry since the advent of civilisation. Aim of the present study was to collect and systematically document the traditional knowledge of poisonous plants of Udhampur District for the benefit of humanity before it is entombed forever. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Direct interviews of the informants were conducted and the plants identified as poisonous by them were collected, identified and herbarium sheets were prepared. The data collected through interviews was analysed with two quantitative tools viz. the factor informant consensus and fidelity level. RESULTS: A total of 90 toxic plants were listed from the study site. Most dominant toxic families were Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Solanaceae, Apocynaceae and Euphorbiaceae. Most of the poisonous plants were herbs (57.1%) and the whole plant toxicity was reported to be the highest (32.4%) followed by leaves (23.1%). According to the factor informant consensus, gastrointestinal category had the greatest agreement closely followed by the death category. The most important species on the basis of fidelity level for gastrointestinal category were Cannabis sativa, Cassia occidentalis, Cuscuta reflexa, Euphorbia helioscopia and Euphorbia hirta, for death category were Anagalis arvensis, Embelia robusta and Prunus persica, for dermatological category Euphorbia royleana, Leucaena leucocephala, Parthenium hysterophorus and Urtica dioica, and for sexual illness category were Calotropis procera and Carica papaya. CONCLUSION: Further phytochemical and pharmacological studies are required to ascertain the toxic components of the poisonous plants, so that they may be utilised for the betterment of future generations.

Ethnoveterinary remedies of diseases among milk yielding animals in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

UNLABELLED: The triangle of relationship between human beings, animals and plants has existed for ages, and has given rise to intense-relationships and consequently rich traditions of ethnoveterinary knowledge throughout the world. The predominantly rural population and the strong agricultural base have provided unique situation for rich ethnoveterinary practices in the study area. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study was conducted in the Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir between 2007 and 2009 to provide list of the important plants of the region for further phytochemical and pharmacological studies, and to prepare inventory of the ethnoveterinary practices for the future generations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Direct interview of 78 informants was conducted and the information gathered was analyzed for two quantitative methods viz. informant consensus factor (ICF) and use-value (UV). The characteristics of ethnoveterinary plants and practices were also documented. RESULTS: A total of 72 plants were used to cure 33 common ailments of milk yielding animals of Kathua district. Fabaceae (7 species) was the most represented family, along with Poaceae (6 species). Leaves (27.2%) were the most frequently used plant parts, herbs (48.6%) the most frequently used life-form and wild flora (58.3%) the most used source for the ethnoveterinary practices. The highest ICF was reported for urological disorders (0.95) and lowest for nutritional diseases (0.80). The values of ICF were generally on the higher side which shows that the informants share the knowledge about the ailment among themselves. The important ethnoveterinary plant species on the basis of use-values were: Brassica campestris, Saccharun officinarum, Emblica officinalis, Trachyspermum ammi, Asparagus adscendens, Musa paradisica, Oryza sativa, Curcuma longa, Azadirachta indica, Tinospora cordifolia and Tamarindus indica. CONCLUSION: High diversity of ethnoveterinary plants were found to cure the common milk yielding animals of Kathua district. Further phytochemical and pharmacological studies are required to ascertain their chemical nature for the betterment of the locals and farmers, and commercial utilization of this knowledge.