Aqeel Mahmood

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants from Leepa valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

AIM OF STUDY Ethnomedicinal studies were conducted first time in the Leepa Valley, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan to document indigenous medicinal knowledge of most common plant species. Pakistan is diverse country by possessing a wide range of climatic and geological condition; this country also has a mammoth diversity of flora. MATERIAL AND METHODS Rapid appraisal approach, semi-structured interviewees, personal observations and field work guided by local informants having sufficient knowledge of indigenous medicinal plants were employed to acquire ethnomedicinal information. RESULTS In this study 61 medicinal plants belonging to 40 families have been reported through 705 informants (267 females, 393 males and 45 herbal specialists) from 17 sites of Leepa valley. The main sources of herbal medicines were wild herbs (64%) followed by trees (10%), wild shrubs (8%), cultivated herbs (3%), wild and cultivated herbs (3%), wild grasses (3%), climbing wild herbs (2%), prostate wild herbs (2%), spiny shrubs (2%), fungi (2%) and ferns (1%). The most repeatedly used plant parts were leaves (34%) followed by root (16%), seed (10%), shoot (9%), fruit (8%), flower (8%), bark (6%), whole plant (4%) and barriers, tubers, nuts, oil, milky latex (1%). Preparations of medicinal plants were administrated through oral and topical routs. CONCLUSION Leepa Valley is wealthy in its indigenous medicinal plants species and the allied traditional knowledge. Indigenous medicines play important role in the local healthcare system. Most of the local community prefers to use the traditional herbal preparation for against ailments. This is the first record of indigenous knowledge from this area and there is dare need for more studies to authenticate traditional plants used in herbal remedies of study area.

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants from Gujranwala district, Pakistan.

AIM OF STUDY This study was focused with the aim to investigate and document the indigenous medicinal knowledge and commonly used medicinal plants from Gujranwala district, Pakistan and to establish a baseline data in continuing studies aimed at more comprehensive investigations on bio-active compounds of indigenous medicinal plants. MATERIAL AND METHODS Rapid appraisal approach (RAA) was used along with the interviews, group meetings with people having knowledge about indigenous uses of medicinal plants and individual meetings with herbalists were conducted, to collect the ethnomedicinal data. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS About 71 species of medicinal plants belonging to 38 families have been documented through 203 informants. Most favored plant part used for indigenous medicine was leaves (38%) followed by the seed (13%), whole plant (11%), flower (9%), fruit (8%), root and bark (6%) and the main source of these medicines was wild herbs (54%) followed by the wild shrubs, wild trees (13%), cultivated herbs (10%), cultivated trees (5%), cultivated shrubs (3%) and wild grasses (2%). The herbal preparations were mainly administrated orally and topically. CONCLUSION Gujranwala district has great diversity of medicinal plants and people are aware about their medicinal values. Few plants are playing vital role in the basic health care needs of study areas; such plants should be screened for detailed pharmacological studied to explore new biological compounds.

ETHNOMEDICINAL SURVY OF PLANTS FROM DISTRICT SIALKOT, PAKISTAN

From ancient times, plants are being used in various diseases. Many of today’s drugs have been derived from plant sources. This study was conducted to record the ethnomedicinal information of highly medicinal plants of district Sialkot, Pakistan. Medicinal uses of plants were collected through questionnaire method, interviews and direct observation of plants and their actions. Data was recorded on questionnaires and plants were collected. 25 plants belonging to 17 families were recorded in this survey and 135 locals were visited, including 80 males 43 females and 12 Hakims. Medicinal information collected by this study is presented here. This study indicated that the district Sialkot has abundance of indigenous medicinal plants to cure a broad spectrum of human ailments. There is therefore, a need to preserve this treasure and to harvest these medicinal plants from the wild, train local collectors. Thus; the fundamental features of source, scientific origin and clinical value have been established to develop the future plans of isolation, purification and synthesis therapeutical effective medicinal plants of the area.

Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants in Kotli Sattian, Rawalpindi district, Pakistan

AIM OF STUDY The present study aimed to report the ethnomedicinal information from Kotli Sattian, district Rawalpindi for detailed medicinal uses and to inform the community about conservation of medicinal plant diversity and ethnomedicinal knowledge of plants. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ethnomedicinal data were collected via Rapid Appraisal Approach (RAA) along with interview, group meetings with local people having awareness about medicinal knowledge of plants and individual meetings with local healers. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS This study reported eighty seven (87) indigenous medicinal plants, distributed among fifty five (55) families and seventy nine (79) genera. Among these, herbs contributed 43%, trees 28%, shrubs 21% and climbing plants 8%. About 34% of herbal preparations were made from whole plants followed by the leaves (27%), fruits (08%), bark (06%), seeds (05%), root (05%), rhizome (04%), stem, flower, gum, pod and tubers (02%) and milky latex (01%). Justicia adhatoda showed the maximum use value (0.91) while Cuscuta reflexa showed the least use value (0.11). CONCLUSION Elder people in the study area still rely on herbal remedies although the modern heath care facilities are present in the study area; thus, the indigenous plants remain important medicines in solving health problems.

Indigenous medicinal knowledge of common plants from district Kotli Azad Jammu and Kashmir Pakistan

From ancient times, plants are being used in treatment of various diseases. Many of today’s drugs have been derived from plant sources. This research work reveals the indigenous medicinal knowledge of important medicinal plants from district Kotli Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. A total 25 common medicinal plants belonging to the 14 families were reported. Their medicinal and other botanically important uses are described by conducting a meeting and interviews from a total of 137 local inhabitants including 73 males, 47 females and 17 Hakims (herbal specialists). Primary source of indigenous medicines were herbs (56%), shrubs (28%) and trees (16%). Herbal preparations were made by the different plant parts. Most common plant part used to make the herbal preparation was leaf (39%) followed by the root (19%), whole plant (12%), seed (9%), bark (7%), fruit (7%), flower (5%) and tuber (2%).

Ethnopharmacological importance of medicinal flora from the district of Vehari, Punjab province, Pakistan

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Ethnopharmacological studies are important for the discovery of new drugs from reported indigenous flora. The current study was aimed to document medicinal flora and its therapeutic actions along with the relative importance in local health care system of the district of Vehari, Punjab province, Pakistan. MATERIALS AND METHOD Rapid appraisal approach (RAA) and semi structured interviews were used along with the group meetings with herbalists, local inhabitants and landowners to collect the relevant data. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS A total 77 medicinal plants belonging to 41 families disseminated among 71 genera were reported. Fabaceae was the predominant family over others with 9 reported medicinal plant species. Use frequency of leaves was at peak with 30.12% followed by stem 24.62%, fruit 14.22%, flower 12.97%, seeds 12.13%, bark 4.6% and pod 1.25%, in herbal preparations. Allium cepa exhibited the highest use value (0.90) while lowest use value (UV) was reflected by Aerva javanica (0.10). Documentation of various medicinal plants for the treatment of cancer, hepatitis and cardiac disorders is evidence in favor to highlight the value of medicinal flora. CONCLUSIONS Unfortunately, no attention has been paid to this treasure in term of conservation and utilization in modern healthcare system, where these plants can be a best replacement of chemically synthesized drugs. It is also recommended that plants exhibiting high UV should be screened for detailed bio-active phytochemicals.

Relative importance of indigenous medicinal plants from Layyah district, Punjab Province, Pakistan.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Ethnomedicinal reports are important for the discovery of new crude drugs from reported medicinal plants with high use value. The current study aimed to document the medicinal flora as well as medicinal knowledge of indigenous plants of local communities from Layyah district, Punjab Province, Pakistan. MATERIAL AND METHODS Rapid appraisal approach (RAA), semi-structured interviews, group meetings with herbalists, landowners and local people having awareness about the medicinal action of plants were employed to collect the data. Use values (UV) and frequency of citation (FC) were calculated to check the relative importance of plants. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS The current ethnomedicinal study reported 125 medicinal plant species diversified from 106 genus belonging to the 43 different families and Poaceae was the predominant family over others with 16 reported medicinal plants. Wild herbaceous plants were the predominant over other life forms while among plant parts, leaves contributed 32% followed by the stem (27%), fruit and flowers (15%). Allium sativum exhibited the highest use vale (UV) 0.92 while the lowest UV was exhibited by Lasiurus scindicus which was 0.15. CONCLUSION Local communities of district Layyah still have a strong faith on herbal medicines for basic healthcare needs. Indigenous plants having high UV and FC should be subjected to the detailed phytochemical investigations to explore new natural drugs.

Ethnopharmacological relevance of indigenous medicinal plants from district Bahawalnagar, Punjab, Pakistan.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Indigenous plants have played a key role in the treatment of human diseases. This study was aimed to report the indigenous medicinal plants from Bahawalnagar district of Southern Punjab, Pakistan to document the important medicinal plants and herbal preparations. MATERIAL AND METHODS Rapid appraisal approach (RAA) involved direct interaction with local people and observations during the field visits; was used to collect data during March to June and August to December 2012. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS A total of 63 plants were reported to be effective for ailments treatment in the local healthcare system of the study area, belonging to 56 genera and 34 families. Among families Fabaceae was the predominant by contributing 09 species. CONCLUSION Plants knowledge is not uniformly distributed among the 488 informants interviewed by mean of questionnaire.

Indigenous wild medicinal plants used by local people of Dudial area, District Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

An ethnobotanical study of common medicinal plants of Dudial area, district Mirpur AJK was conducted to investigate the traditional medicinal knowledge of plants. A total of 35 plant species belonging to 30 families were identified and recorded with the help of semi-structured and close ended questionnaires. During this study, 11 Hakims and 68 local informers were interviewed and 72 different sites were visited. Information obtained by this study is presented here.