Abstract
The aims of the present study were (i) to document ethnoveterinary plants and their formulation techniques in an unexplored region of Pakistan and (ii) to select candidate medicinal plants with high consensus factor and fidelity value for further in vitro investigation. A total of 60 informants were interviewed using semistructured questionnaire. A total of 41 plants belonging to 30 families were used to treat livestock ailments in study area. Mostly leaves (47%) were used in recipes formulation mostly in the form of decoction. Gastrointestinal infections were found more common and majority of the plants were used against cow (31) and buffaloes (24) ailments. Recovery time of majority of the recipes was three to four days. Informant consensus factor (Fic) results have shown a high degree of consensus for gastrointestinal, respiratory, and reproductive (0.95 each) ailments. Fidelity level (FL) results showed that Asparagus gracilis ranked first with FL value 93% followed by Rumex hastatus ranked second (91%) and Tinospora cordifolia ranked third (90%). Aged farmers and nomads had more traditional knowledge as compared to younger ones. Plants with high Fic and FL values could be further investigated in vitro for the search of some novel bioactive compounds and young generation should be educated regarding ethnoveterinary practices.
Highlights
Traditional veterinary medicine was experienced as early as 1800 B.C. at the time of King Hammurabi of Babylon who devised laws on veterinary fees and charged for treating animals [1]
The present study revealed that local farmers of Kohat region utilize 41 medicinal plants belonging to 30 families for the treatment of different types of livestock ailments (Table 1)
Asteraceae was found to be dominant (4 species) in the study area being in use in ethnoveterinary practices in the region
Summary
Traditional veterinary medicine was experienced as early as 1800 B.C. at the time of King Hammurabi of Babylon who devised laws on veterinary fees and charged for treating animals [1]. Many ethnoveterinary medicines were neglected due to the development of initial western drugs. Ethnoveterinary practices are more common in developing countries due to different socioeconomic factors [4]. Despite the fact that traditional knowledge is very much important for the livestock health and productivity, the documentation of this knowledge is very much neglected in majority of the remote areas of Pakistan. Livestock farmers all over Pakistan can draw on over 4000 years of knowledge and experience [7]. This traditional knowledge has been passed orally from generation to generation but it may be extinct or may be endangered due to the current rapid socioeconomic, environmental, and technological changes [8]. The documentation of such knowledge is very crucial before its extinction for future developments
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