Ethnobotanical study of traditionally used medicinal plants of Pauri district of Uttarakhand, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants is important part of primary health care system in almost every society, especially the far-flung areas. These areas, one of the last storehouses of traditional knowledge are under the constant threat of losing this valuable information as it moves from one generation to another through word of mouth. Modernization, migration, education, and changing socio-economic status of people also affect the perpetuality of traditional knowledge. Therefore, time-to-time updation of information regarding the ethnomedicinal plants must be carried out so that any addition to the traditional knowledge is recorded and further phytochemical and pharmacological studies may be conducted for developing new drugs. AIM OF THE STUDY: The study aimed at documenting the traditional knowledge and practices about the medicinal plants used by the inhabitants of Pauri district of Uttarakhand. Besides, the study strives to identify plants for future phytochemical and pharmacological studies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The information was collected through semi-structured questionnaire from 98 informants distributed in 15 villages of Pauri. The data was analyzed for use-reports (UR), frequency of citation (FC) and informant consensus factor (FIC). RESULTS: In the present study, total 236 species belonging to 80 families and 188 genera were found to treat 82 ailments. Asteraceae (23 species), Rosaceae (16 species) and Lamiaceae (13 species) were the most represented families. Correlation and regression analysis between the local flora and present study reveals that Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae were the main outlier species having more representatives in local flora than medicinally important species. Herbs (57.2%) were the most frequently used life forms, and leaves (24.5%) the most commonly utilized plant parts. All the plants were collected from the natural resources and none of them was under cultivation. Nearly 76% of the total drugs were administered orally. The informants divulged 1556 use-reports. The most utilized species based on frequency of citation were Urtica dioica L. (44), Bergenia ciliata Haworth (38), Viola canescens Wall. (38), Rhododendron arboretum Smith (32), and Ocimum tenuiflorum L. (30). All the disorders were grouped into 13 ailment categories based on ICPC-2 classification. The main ailment categories as per Informant Consensus Factor (FIC) were digestive (FIC, 0.83), urological (FIC, 0.83) and cardiovascular (FIC, 0.81) disorders. A comparative analysis between the present and other local and regional studies show that as many as 13 species were new record for the state of Uttarakhand. CONCLUSION: The inhabitants of Pauri have good knowledge of medicinal plants. Although the therapeutic value of most of the preferred medicinal plants has already been validated, some medicinal plants lack proper scientific validation. We recommend further phytochemical investigations and pharmacological validations of Begonia picta Smith, Citrus pseudolimon Tanka, Cotoneaster rotundifolia Wall., Heracleum canescens Lindl., Parochetus communis Buch-Ham., Pittosporum napaulense DC., and Plantago erosa Wall.

Traditionally used wild edible plants of district Udhampur, J&K, India.

BACKGROUND: Wild edible plants (WEPs) refer to edible species that are not cultivated or domesticated. WEPs have an important role to play in poverty eradication, security of food availability, diversification of agriculture, generation of income resources, and alleviating malnutrition. In the present study, an inventory of traditionally used WEPs from Udhampur district of J&K, India, has been prepared. METHODS: A systematic and extensive ethnobotanical survey was carried out in different villages of the district for the collection of information on WEPs. The data collected through questionnaire and interviews was then analyzed for cultural importance index (CI) and factor informant consensus (Fic) to know the cultural significance of WEPs and consensus for the knowledge of WEPs among the informants. RESULTS: A total of 90 plant species belonging to 45 families and 78 genera were edible and serve as wild phytofoods in the present study. Species richness of wild edible species was the maximum for vegetables (46 species) followed by fruits (37 species) and medicinal plants (36 species). Culturally (on the basis of CI), the most important vegetable and fruit species were Diplazium esculentum, Fumaria indica, Taraxacum campylodes, Urtica dioica, Phyllanthus emblica, Punica granatum, Cordia dichotoma, Syzygium cumini, Ficus palmata, etc. The highest use-report (626) was recorded for vegetables whereas the maximum mean use-report (14.8) was recorded for fruits. On an average, 20.7 wild edible species were used per informant. Informant consensus index (Fic) varied between 0.83 and 0.94 for raw vegetables and preserved vegetables, respectively. CONCLUSION: One of the most important issues of this era is hunger for which one of the possible solutions is the usage of WEPs. The local populace of Udhampur has good knowledge of WEPs, and this legacy of traditional culture must be conserved.

Ethnomedicinal plants of Kathua district, J&K, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Natural products, especially those derived from plants, continue to provide new and important leads in the drug discovery process. The first step in drug discovery is to document material traditionally used to treat an ailment. Documentation of such knowledge will lead to its conservation and facilitate future research on medicinal plant safety and efficacy to validate traditional use. The present study was undertaken with an aim to document the ethnomedicinal plants of Kathua district. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data were quantitatively analysed using indices like use-value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (Fl). RESULTS: A total of 112 informants (78 males and 34 females) were interviewed. They were using a total of 197 plants from 87 families and 174 genera for the ethnomedicinal purposes. The most dominant families were Fabaceae, Asteraceae and Lamiaceae. The most important plants of the study site on the basis of use-value were Mentha longifolia, Curcuma domestica, Zingiber officinale, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Adiantum capillus-veneris, Viola odorata, Mentha arvensis and Acorus calamus. The diabetes treatment had the maximum consensus (0.96 ICF) among the informants. Other important categories with high ICF values were gastrointestinal disorders and respiratory disorders. Total 23 species recorded 100% Fl. Medicinal plants with high Fl were Brassica rapa, Plumbago zeylanica, Punica granatum, Catharanthus rosea, Tinospora cordifolia, Acacia catechu, Aegle marmelos, Abrus precatorius, Oxalis corniculata, Nicotiana plumbaginifolia, Achillea millefolium, Tamarindus indica, Taxus baccata and Butea monosperma. CONCLUSION: The plants with high UV and Fl like M. longifolia, C. domestica, Z. officinale, O. tenuiflorum, A. capillus-veneris, A. calamus, B. rapa, P. zeylanica, C. rosea, T. cordifolia, A. catechu, O. corniculata, N. plumbaginifolia, A. millefolium, T. indica, T. baccata and B. monosperma should be analysed for pharmacological components and discovery of new drugs.

Ethnomedicinal plants of Shankaracharya Hill, Srinagar, J&K, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Primitive human societies have always relied on plants and plant products for various remedies. In certain areas, these folk medical prescriptions are endemic and have survived through ages from one generation to the next through word of mouth. They do not exist as written knowledge. The present study was undertaken with an objective of documenting the ethnobotanical information of medicinal plants of Shankaracharya Hill by taking the help of local herbalists, elderly and knowledgeable people. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data was quantitatively analysed using use-value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (Fl%) indices. RESULTS: Total 130 plant species from 57 families and 111 genera were ethno-medicinally utilized by the 103 informants interviewed in the present study. The most used families were Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae and Brassicaceae. The medicinal plants were mainly herbs (79.2%). Leaves were the most used (27.6%) plant part followed by whole plant (14.8%), root (11.4%) and seed (10.5%). The most important species on the basis of UV were Viola odorata, Taraxacum campylodes, Aesculus hippocastanum, Artemisia absinthium, Daucus carota, Thymus serphyllum, Ephedra gerardiana and Salvia moorcroftiana. The values ICF ranged between 0.93 and 0.76. Only Epilobium hirsutum recorded 100% Fl. Some of the most important medicinal plants with high Fl values were Tribulus terrestris, Asparagus officinalis, Trifolium repens, Anemone biflora, Melia azedarach, A. absinthium, Lonicera quinquelocularis, Rosa webbiana, D. carota, Oxalis corniculata and Potentilla reptans. CONCLUSION: The contribution of plant parts collected through destructive methods was 29.5%. Harvesting of roots, rhizomes, bulbs and corm kills the parent plant and could be a severe threat for survival of the often rare and slowly reproducing medicinal plants, and therefore need sustainable utilization and conservation strategies. Ethnomedicinal species like A. absinthium, A. hippocastanum, D. carota, M. azedarach, T. campylodes, T. serphyllum, T. terrestris having high number of citations, UV and FL should be analyzed for phytochemicals and pharmacology.

Ethnoveterinary plants for the treatment of camels in Shiwalik regions of Kathua district of Jammu & Kashmir, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Camel is an important mode of transportation in the hot and hilly tracts of Shiwaliks of Kathua districts. The camel owners of the region lack the modern veterinary facilities and therefore depend heavily upon local treatments for the animal. This ethnoveterinary knowledge of plants is acquired by them from their forefathers and generally moves from one generation to another orally. The oral mode of transferring this valuable knowledge is vulnerable to erosion with the passage of time and generations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ethnoveterinary information was collected by interviewing 38 camel keepers and traditional healers as per the questionnaire. The data collected was analysed quantitatively using three indices viz. use-value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF), and fidelity level (Fl %). RESULTS: A total of 41 plants were found to be of ethnoveterinary importance in the present study. Herbs and trees (41.5% each) were the most used life forms. The most used plant part was fruit (27.9%). Rhizome, root and whole plant parts collectively contributed to 18.6%. Most of the ethnoveterinary practices (65.9%) used oral mode of medication. The values of UV and Fl (%) shows that the most important species for curing the ailing camels were Curcuma longa, Trachyspermum ammi, Brassica campestris, Tamarindus indica, Phyllanthus emblica, Cassia fistula, Eruca sativa, Plumbago zeylanica etc. The high values of ICF (0.91-0.99) show that the informants share the knowledge for the treatment of camels amongst themselves on regular basis. CONCLUSION: A good number of plants are utilised by the informants to cure camels. Most of the preparations used fruits and leaves. Only 18.6% of the practices required destructive collection and such species need sustainable use and conservation. Some of the species like Tamarindus indica, Cassia fistula, Eruca sativa, Albizia lebbeck and Citrus medica require further phytochemical and pharmacological studies.

Traditional phytoremedies for the treatment of menstrual disorders in district Udhampur, J&K, India.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Herbal remedies form an integral part of healing and are considered to be the oldest forms of health care known to mankind. The present study aims to document traditional phytoremedies for the treatment of menstrual disorders in Udhampur district of J&K, India. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The informants were interviewed directly and information was gathered about plants used in different menstrual disorders. The data was further analyzed for use-value (UV), factor informant consensus (Fic) and fidelity level (Fl). RESULTS: In all, 62 informants were interviewed. Most of the informants (66%) were females. The patients prefer female healers over male vaids and hakims. A total of 50 plants were used to cure different menstrual disorders. Seeds were found to be of utmost medicinal importance (43.8%) followed by leaves (20.8%) and fruits (16.7%). Oral administration was observed to be the main mode (90.0%) of intake of medicine. The plants with high use-value were Triticum aestivum (UV=1.76), Taraxacum officinale (UV=1.16), Citrus limon (UV=0.95), Allium cepa (UV=0.79), Cicer arietinum (UV=0.77), Trigonella foenum-graecum (UV=0.66), Rubia manjith (UV=0.56), Ocimum tenuiflorum (UV=0.56) and Oryza sativa (UV=0.52). The various menstrual disorders were classified into 7 categories. The values of Fic varied between 0.96 (dysmenorrhea, itching and foul smell) and 0.92 (menorrhagia). The 100% Fl value was scored by 20 plants. Leucorrhea reported the highest 5 plants with 100% Fl. Nearly 40% of the formulations had two or more plants. CONCLUSION: Plants used for the treatment of different menstrual disorders were documented and analyzed for ethnogynecological problems. The study revealed some plants like Triticum aestivum, Rubia manjith, Dalbergia sissoo, Raphanus sativus, Citrus limon, Allium cepa, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Elettaria cardamomum etc. to be of great importance vis a vis menstrual disorders. Further pharmacological studies of these plants may provide some important drugs for the treatment of common menstrual disorders.

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.

Ethnomedicinal plants used by the villagers of district Udhampur, J&K, India.

UNLABELLED: Plants are an integral part of life in many indigenous communities. Besides, being the source of food, fodder, fuel, etc., the use of plants as herbal medicines in curing several ailments goes parallel to the human civilization. Ethnopharmacology involves the investigation of the plants used by the traditional communities and further understand the pharmacological basis of these culturally important medicinal plants. Present study was conducted to enlist the medicinal plants used by the local inhabitants of Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Direct interviews of the 182 informants were conducted. The data generated through interviews was analysed using quantitative tools like use-value, factor informant consensus and fidelity level. RESULTS: A total of 166 species of flowering plants belonging to 63 families and 145 genera were observed to be medicinal and used to cure 78 ailments. Medicinal plants were mainly from Asteraceae, Solanaceae, Lamiaceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae and Amaranthaceae families. Leaves were the most used plant part in the medicinal preparations. The most important medicinal species of the present study site as per the use-value (UV) were: Achyranthes aspera, Zanthoxylum armatum, Acorus calamus, Syzygium cumini, Phyllanthus emblica, Plumbago zeylanica etc. The important ailment categories classified on the basis of factor informant consensus (Fic) were diabetes, external parasite, liver complaints and gastrointestinal disorders. The maximum number of species was utilized to cure gastrointestinal and dermatological ailments. Important species for each ailment category were also assessed using fidelity level. It was found that the older informants provided more information about the ethnomedicinal plants, but this valuable treasure of traditional knowledge is depleting significantly with the decrease in age and increase in educational level. CONCLUSION: The results of present ethnobotanical survey reveal the rich wealth of indigenous knowledge associated with the villagers of Udhampur district. A number of plants with a high citation values have given some leads for the further pharmocological research. Apart from these highly cited plants, studies need to be done on some other promising plants like Anagallis arvensis, Euphorbia hirta, Ficus benghalensis, Fumaria indica, Prunus persica, Rubus ellipticus, Taraxacum officinale, Tribulus terrestris etc.

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.