Ethnobotanical inventory and medicinal perspectives of herbal flora of Shiwalik mountainous range of District Bhimber, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

Abstract

The present study was carried out to document traditional ethnobotanical knowledge (TEK) of herbal flora of District Bhimber, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan to explore medicinal potential of wild indigenous plants (WIPs) for drug discovery. The research data was conducted during years 2015–2017 using questionnaire proforma employing structured and semi-structured interview models. The informants belonged from indigenous communities comprising of both genders with age ranging from 35–105 years. The interviews were conducted using local translator or guide who knew the dialects of all local languages. The study produced ethnobotanical inventory of 173 herbal species belonging to 45 families and out of these Poaceae was dominant family with 27 species. It was explored that maximum herbal species depicted multi-usage especially food, fodder and fuel. Among 173 herbal plant species, 69% species were used as fodder, 72% species as fuel source, 9.8% as ethnoveterinary medicines, 16% for home construction, 12% for cosmetics, 5.2% as honeybee plants and 2.7% were used as fiber source by the local people. Many local plants have been in promulgation for cure of different diseases in traditional cultures such as for cure of stomach problems, cough, cancer, jaundice, kidney diseases, diabetes, snake biting and tooth problems. Different parts of plants such as leaf, root, stem bark, flower, seed and gums are used for the treatment of different diseases by the local people. The major aliments being cured are classified into 12 disease categories by using informant consensus factor (ICF) protocol. According to ICF, the highest numbers of plant species were used against wound healing, snake bite, skin diseases, eye diseases and asthma. Fidelity level (FL) was assessed to check the reliability and use consistency of herbal drugs by the indigenous communities of the study area. The use value index (UVI) of different herb species ranged from 0.29 to 0.57 while the highest value was calculated for Alternanthera pungens L. (UVI: 0.57). Relative frequency of citation (RFC) value was calculated on the bases of the response of the interviewees recorded during survey in correlation with authenticating of traditional data. The RFC values represented the relative popularity of individual species in study area according to their use values. The highest value was calculated for Alternanthera pungens L. (0.90) and followed by Achyranthes aspera L. (0.80. The study reveals that many species are known for commonly used in traditional ethnomedicines (TEMs). Due to different biotic and abiotic factors in conjunction with climatic changes many herbal flora of Shiwalik mountain range (SMR) of District Bhimber of AJK is under threat. The factors like habitat loss, overgrazing, construction of communication infrastructure, silviculture practices, shelter construction (houses) and other more domestic use of wild land by clearing wild lands are boosting towards plant biodiversity loss. There is dare need to work on comprehensive exploration of TEMs to discover neo drugs from wild indigenous plants and do work for conservation of wild flora of the area for future generations.