Abstract
Investigation and documentation of the status of medicinal plants and associated knowledge was conducted in village Dawarian, Neelum valley AJ&K. A total of 59 plant species were used for furteen (14) different categories of diseases. The medicinal plants were economically used in treating a certain ailments, such as skin diseases (10spp., 14.49%) followed by headache & fever, cough & flu (8spp., 11.59% each), stomach problems & asthma (7spp., 10.14% each), jaundice & dysentery (5spp., 7.25% each), bronchitis (4spp., 5.80%), diabetics, rheumatic pain, bone fracture & wound healing (3spp., 4.35%), ulcer (2spp., 5.10% each) and dandruff (1spp., 1.45% ). The highest value of Informant consensus factor (ICF) is 0.71 for diabetics and lowest value is for bronchitis 0.21% whereas, Berberis lycium and Ajuga bracteosa has the highest fidelity level (FL: 100%) being used to cure diabetic patients. Direct Matrix Ranking (DMR) results showed that Juglan regia stands first in being the most multipurpose medicinal plant, followed by Morus alba whereas, Aconitum heterophyllum was found most threatened plant in the study area. Timber mafia/export was the leading threat followed by construction, fuel, grazing and urbanization respectively. Medicinal flora such as, Berberis lyceum, Ajuga bracteosa, Aconitum heterophyllum, Bistorta amplexicaule, Saussurea lapa and Jurinea dolomiaea are on the edge of extinction due to over exploitation.
Highlights
Indigenous knowledge has been significant in sourcing of medical remedies and development of commercial products
Many studies have been conducted on the indigenous uses of medicinal plants in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir (Ahmad et al, 2012a; Ahmad et al, 2012b; Ishtiaq et al, 2012; Shinwari and Qaiser, 2011; Mahmood et al, 2011; Shinwari, 2010; Ishtiaq et al, 2007; Ishtiaq et al, 2006; Hamayun et al, 2006; Shinwari & Gilani, 2003)
The medicinal plants were efficiently used in treating a certain disease, such as skin diseases (10spp., 14.49%) followed by headache & fever, cough & flu (8spp., 11.59% each), stomach problems & asthma (7spp., 10.14% each), jaundice & dysentery (5spp., 7.25% each), bronchitis (4spp., 5.80%), diabetics, rheumatic pain, bone fracture & wound healing (3spp., 4.35%), ulcer (2spp., 5.10% each) and dandruff (1spp., 1.45% )
Summary
Indigenous knowledge has been significant in sourcing of medical remedies and development of commercial products. Focus in ethnobotanical research has intensified on medicinal, cultural and commercial/livelihoods ethnobotany (Hossan et al, 2010). Ethnobotany is a broad term used to the study the direct interrelations between man and plants (Balick and Cox, 1996). The reliance of human beings on plants for their livelihoods is mandatory and it is primarily started by domestication and dates back to 10,000 years (Martin, 1995). Ethnobotanical study documents the facts on cultural interaction of people with plants. It tries to find out how local people have traditionally used plants for various purposes and how they integrated plants into their cultural tradition and religion (Balick and Cox, 1996)
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