scholarly journals Historical Evidence and Documentation of Remedial Flora of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fozia Abasi ◽  
Muhammad Shoaib Amjad ◽  
Huma Qureshi

Determining the pharmacognostic specifications of medicinal plants used in several drugs is very necessary and actually crucial. Ethnobotany has significant role in understanding the active relations between the biological diversity and cultural systems. Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is gifted with variety of medicinal plants. The theme of this chapter is to present information about wild medicinal plants in different areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Common woody species are Diospyros lotus, Taxus wallichiana, Viburnum cylindricum, and perennial herbs comprise Geranium nepalense, Oxalis acetosella and Androsace umbellata. Betula utilis, Berberis lycium, Cedrus deodara, Abies pindrow, Pinus wallichiana, Juglans regia and Salix species with large number of herbal diversity at elevations are common. Most of people use wild plants as traditional food and medicine. This ethnic flora not only plays important role in human health care but it is also an important source for present and future drug development. There is need for correct documentation, conservation of plants samples in herbarium of research institutes, and growing plants in gardens.


2016 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Tina Vanadis Bundschuh ◽  
Karen Hahn ◽  
Rüdiger Wittig

In rural Africa, the use of wild plants for medicinal purposes is widespread. Many publications provide regional checklists of medicinal plants, but only a few of these checklists cover Malawi. In the Karongo district, northern Malawi, 30 traditional healers and birth attendants were interviewed regarding their use of woody medicinal plants. This survey reveals that 71 of the 102 woody species that are found in this area are used for a variety of treatments. These medicinal plants are most commonly applied in obstetrics. The favoured wild plants are frequently found in the area; however, three species are perceived as decreasing in abundance.



PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0243151
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ishtiaq ◽  
Mehwish Maqbool ◽  
Muhammad Ajaib ◽  
Maqsood Ahmed ◽  
Iqbal Hussain ◽  
...  

The current study describes ethnobotanical (EB) and traditional ethnomedicinal (TEMs) uses of medicinal plants (MPs) of Tehsil Samahni area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Indigenous inhabitants of the area mostly reside in remote mountainous areas and depend on wild plants for life necessities and treatment of different diseases. This paper presents first quantitative ethnobotanical study describing the popularity level of MPs in indigenous communities by using relative popularity level (RPL) and rank order of priority (ROP) indices. The data of TEMs and EB uses were collected from 200 interviewees consisting of traditional herbal practioners (110) and farmers (90) from study area using structured and semi-structured interview methodology during year 2019. It was found that illiterate peasants have more knowledge and practice of TEMs than other people. A total of 150 plant species belonging to 58 families with botanical and local names, parts used, mode of recipes preparation, administration mechanism and TEMs uses were documented in systematic manner. It was explored that highest number (7.69%) of plants of Moraceae were used in TEMs and followed by species of Asteraceae (6.29%). The ethnobotanical data was analyzed by using quantitative ethnobotanical tools viz: informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), relative frequency of citation (RFC), use value index (UVI), relative importance of plants (RIP), relative populatiry level (RPL) and rank order of popularity (ROP). The leaf ranked first (36.49%) and fruit 2nd (12.07%) being used in TEMs while prevalent use-form was decoction (29.28%), followed by tea (23.05%) and preferably taken as oral (46.66%). ICF analysis proved that diabetes, hypertension, rabies, snake sting and joint pains were the most prevalent occurring infirmities. The highest RFC (0.95) was found for Acacia modesta, followed by Boerhavia procumbens (RFC:0.87) and Berberis lycium (RFC:0.85). The relative importance of MPs was calculated by using UVI and Moringa oleifera showed highest (1.38), followed by Zanthoxylum armatum (1.25) and Withania somnifera (1.24) use-values. High UVI of plants depicts that these species are predominantly used in local health care system. The plants Phyllanthus emblica, Morus macruora, Justicia adhatoda and Melia azedarach depicted high values (1.00) of FL and RPL proving that these taxa are commonly used in indigenous medicines by local inhabitants and have better potential for drug discovery by ethnopharmacological analysis. Out of total, 26 species had more than 50% ROP index and Phyllanthus emblica and Flacourtia indica (ROP = 100) followed by Morus macruora (ROP: 97) were used to cure ‘hypertension and hyperlipidemia’ and ‘cough, chest infection’, respectively. It was found that 30% of total species were previously reported as medicinal while 70% plants were first time reported to be used in TEMs and authenticated by using of quantitative ethnobotanical tools. Ethnopharmacological potential of indigenous plants was confirmed by RIP and RPL indices which had been used to cure one or more body systems and were promulgated in the local herbal medicine system. The research provides clues to screen these plant species by using latest phytochemical and pharmacological analysis for novel drug discovery. This study will also be useful for conservation of bioculture traditional knowledge of indigenous communities and the most important is to conserve medicinal plants of the study area for future generations.



2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saira Karimi ◽  
Muhammad Ali Nawaz ◽  
Saadia Naseem ◽  
Ahmed Akrem ◽  
Olivier Dangles ◽  
...  

AbstractThe response of wild plants towards climate warming is taxa specific, but overgrazing could also be a determining factor for the alpine ecosystems. Overgrazing and climate warming are important drivers of alpine grassland degradation worldwide. Local indigenous peoples will be the first impacted by such degradation due to impacts on animal production and the availability of local medicinal plants. Studies on plant responses to overgrazing and climate change are rarely performed to assess threats to these biological and cultural systems. Long-term observations or manipulative experiments are promising, but rarely use strategies to evaluate the sensitivity and vulnerability of such ecosystems to climatic change. We studied the combined effects of overgrazing and increased temperatures on culturally important medicinal plants of Khunjerab National Park, Pakistan. Three experimental treatments were used (control, warming through an open-top chamber, and exclusion of grazing animals vs. the control). These experimental plots were installed at different elevations (3352-4969 m) and were monitored routinely. Grazing reduced vegetation cover & biomass by 2.3% and 6.26%, respectively, but that was not significant due to the high variability among study plots. However, warming significantly increased the overall percentage cover and biomass of all target plant species, ranging from 1±0.6% in Bistorta officinalis to 18.7 ± 4.9% in Poa alpina. Thus, warming may increase the availability of therapeutic plants for indigenous people while overgrazing would have deteriorating effects locally. This research illustrates that vegetation sensitivity to warming and overgrazing is likely to affect man– environment relationships, and traditional knowledge on a regional scale.



Author(s):  
Mohammad Rafiq Wani ◽  
Humaira . ◽  
Shreekar Pant ◽  
Abdul Rashid Dar ◽  
Afroza Akhter ◽  
...  

Background: Indian Himalayan region has a rich heritage of species and genetic strains of flora and fauna and is considered as mega hot spot of biological diversity. Wild plant raw material is in great demand around the world for use by pharmaceutical companies, ethnomedicinal practitioners and variety of traditional medicines. India is one of the world’s major exporters of raw herbal drugs and the Himalayas are renowned for their vast storehouse of medicinal plants. The present study conducted at Baba Ghulam Shah Basdshah University located in District Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir recorded the presence of 46 species of medicinal plants belonging to 34 families. Methods: The plant specimens were collected from different parts of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Campus. All the parameters like habit, habitat, life form, parts used, methods of use were recorded on filed notebook along with date of collection. Routine herbarium practices were followed for preserving the plant specimens. The plant specimens were collected and their external morphology was studied and examined carefully. The specimens of medicinal plants were properly labelled and subsequently deposited in the Herbarium, Centre of Biodiversity Studies, BGSBU, Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Result: During ethnobotanical exploration, 46 species distributed over 44 genera in 34 Families of wild medicinal plants were documented from four sampling sites. The details pertaining to common names, part used, medicinal uses and active constituents of each species were tabulated. Among the plant parts used, leaves contributed for medicinal use in about 63% species, followed by fruits in 19% species, underground parts in 10.8% species and flowers in 6.5% species. The enlisted plant species belonged to three life forms viz., herbs (21), shrubs (15) and trees (10). Asteraceae was the most dominant family represented by 4 species followed by Moraceae, Lamiaceae and Fabaceae each represented by 3 species, while as families like Meliaceae, Violaceae, Berberidaceae were represented by 01 species each.



2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
JAMIL AHMED KHAN ◽  
RAJINDER PAUL

Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir is a reservoir of enormous natural resources including the wealth of medicinal plants. The present paper deals with 12 medicinal plant species belonging to 8 genera of angiosperms used on pneumonia in cattle such as cows, sheep, goats and buffaloes in different areas of Poonch district. Due to poverty and nonavailability of modern health care facilities, the indigenous people of the area partially or fully depend on surrounding medicinal plants to cure the different ailments of their cattles. Further research on modern scientific line is necessary to improve their efficacy, safety and validation of the traditional knowledge.



2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-110
Author(s):  
R. Verma

A study was conducted to understand the floristic diversity along an altitudinal gradient with elevations varying from 1800-2400m above msl in Lakadmandi beat of Kalatop Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary in district Chamba, Himachal Pradesh during 2011. Total number of plant species was 81 belonging to 52 families and 76 genera. The dominant families were Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Pinaceae and Polygonaceae. The number of trees species was 6, 6 and 10 with the dominance of Quercus leucotrichophora, Cedrus deodara and Cedrus deodara at 1800-2000m, 2000-2200m and 2200-2400m elevation ranges respectively. The number of shrub species was 16, 13 and 23 with the dominance of Quercus leucotrichophora sapling, Sarcococca saligna and Sarcococca saligna at 1800-2000m, 2000-2200m and 2200-2400m elevations respectively. The number of herb species was 46, 46 and 58 at 1800-2000m, 2000-2200m and 2200-2400m elevation ranges respectively. On the basis of Importance Value Index (IVI), Valeriana jatamansii was the dominant herb at 2000-2200m and 2200-2400m elevation ranges respectively. The distribution pattern of most of plant species was contiguous at all altitudinal ranges. Index of diversity for herb species in these elevational ranges was 3.420, 3.568 and 3.250. Out of 40 medicinal plant species recorded from the area, 3 species i.e. Paris polyphylla, Podophyllum hexandrum and Taxus wallichiana fall in the category of threatened plants. The better conservation of natural resources can be done through promotion of community based conservation, ex-situ conservation through tissue culture, developing cultivation technologies and nurseries of medicinal plants and conducting of regular training on the procedure of medicinal plants collection and processing among the end users.



2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Shahijahan Dar ◽  
◽  
GH. Nabi Joo ◽  
Showkat Ahmad Ganaie ◽  
◽  
...  

Man has used plants since time immemorial to alleviate sufferings and ailments. The present study attempts to explore and document the medicinal plants used against several diseases by the tribal and rural community of Sata Pokhran area of district Pulwama. During the survey from March to September 2017, a total of 28 different plant species belonging to equal number of genera and 16 different families were found to be used as effective remedies. The present study revealed that either whole plant or some plant parts are used to cure different diseases. It was also observed that majority of plant species are used to treat more than one disease and likewise more than one plant species is used to treat a particular disease. The scientific, local and family names of these medicinal plants along with their parts used, mode of administration and ethno medicinal uses are presented in this paper



2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Smita G. Bhat

Plants have been used as a source of medicine for the treatment of different diseases from thousands of years ago. There is numerous evidences are available for use of plants as a medicine in the treatment of diseases in Indian, Egyptian, Chinese, Greek and Roman system of medicine. Pharmacognosy is the study of medicines derived from natural sources, mainly from plants which may further lead to development of new drug. The exploration, extraction and screening of biological diversity such as herbs, spices, microbes and other natural resources is the worldwide activity in recent years. Phytochemicals are the naturally available bioactive compounds which are derived from different plant parts and are primarily responsible for biological activities. The most important chemical compounds which are present in the plants are alkaloids, phenols, saponins, carbohydrates, terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids and tannins etc.



2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 949-953
Author(s):  
Elza Makaradze ◽  
Galina Meparishvili ◽  
Natela Varshanidze ◽  
Inga Diasamidze ◽  
Ketevan Dolidze ◽  
...  

Wild plants form the basis of biological resources both for Georgia and the whole world. A strategic task of any country is to preserve the biological diversity of plants. In the territory of Ajara, a large species diversity of plants grows, among which there are rare, endemic and relict plants. In particular, Cyclamen adzharicum. Modern systematics of wild plants in Georgia is based on classical methods of botany. In this regard, it is relevant to conduct genetic studies of species diversity and genetic polymorphism of species and populations using molecular genetic markers, in particular RAPD-PCR methods. The purpose of this study was to identify genetic polymorphism in Cyclamen L species using RAPD methods. As a result of the conducted research the 65 RAPD-markers in length from 150 to 1500 BP have been revealed. The number of the amplified fragments DNA varied depending on the primer from 6 (OPA-2) to 11 (OPB-4). The results of grouping Cyclamen adzharicum and C. coum samples allowed two clusters to be identified. In the first cluster were samples of three populations Cyclamen adzharicum and showed a low stubble in the intra-species variability. Cyclamen coum was attributed to the second cluster. The used primers gave the opportunity to identify polymorphism between the tested types of cyclamen.



2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-47
Author(s):  
Grażyna Silska

Abstract Introduction Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants (INF&MP) is involved in gathering and evaluation of genetic resources of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) and medicinal plants, because Poland has signed the Convention on Biological Diversity. Field trials were carried out in 1990–2001 in the Experimental Station in Wojciechów located in Opolskie region. The research material was accessions of genetic resources from the collection of flax, stored at the Institute of Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute in Radzików near Warsaw. Objective The aim of the publication was to evaluate the following biological features of flax: time of beginning of flowering and vegetation period to yellow maturity. Methods The characteristics data for flax accessions are presented according to the methodology of development of the International Flax Database. Each flax accessions from the world collection of flax genetic resources received one of the following assessments of two vegetation periods: very short, short, medium, long and very long. Descriptors of biological features of flax were used, presented in “List of flax descriptors (L. usitatissimum L.)” edited by Janka Nozkova, published in 2011. These descriptors are used to develop the International Flax Database, which in turn helps in the rapid evaluation of the L. usitatissimum genetic resource collection. Carrying out a detailed characterization of biological features of L. usitatissimum accessions is very helpful for breeders in selecting genetic material for breeding new varieties of flax. Results The following results were obtained from the time of the beginning of flowering and the vegetation period to yellow maturity. Time of beginning of flowering was the following: very short – 0 accessions, short – 97 accessions, medium – 20 accessions, long – 2 accessions and very long – 0 accessions of flax. The genotypes tested were characterized by the following results in terms of vegetation period from sowing to yellow maturity: very short – 0, short – 37, medium – 62, long – 0 and very long – 0 accessions of flax. Conclusions Time of beginning of flowering and the vegetation period to yellow maturity shall be revalorised to the International Flax Database for those L. usitatissimum accessions that did not receive the same assessment of the biological features tested in the two or three years of the study.



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