Ethnomedicinal application of plants in Doodhganga forest range of district Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Abstract

IntroductionTraditional herbal medicine plays a vital role in meeting the primary healthcare needs of people living in and adjacent to forest areas in Budgam. The present study was conducted in the Doodhganga forest range of District Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir to explore the herbal medicinal practices of people living in the area. MethodsField surveys were conducted from September 2019 to January 2021 to collect the ethnomedicinal data through semi-structured interviews and group discussions by using standard questionnaire. Reported data was analyzed using various ethnobotanical indices. All the collected plant specimens were deposited in the KASH Herbarium of Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar for future reference. ResultsA total of 82 plant species belonging to 73 genera in 42 families were reported during the current study. These plants species were used for the treatment of 157 different diseases categorised into 16 ailment categories. The highest ICF of 0.77 was obtained for gastrointestinal disorders. Notholirion thomsonianum recorded highest UV and FL of 0.40 and 100%, respectively. Leaves (37%) were the most commonly used plant part. ConclusionTraditional knowledge of plants was only passed on tby word of mouth and this knowledge is on the verge of extinction. Hence there is a real need to document these medicinal plants and the traditional treasures associated with them. The species reported with high use value (UV) and fidelity level value (FL) should be explored for further phytochemical and pharmacological investigation to authenticate this indigenous knowledge.