An Insight into Indigenous Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants from Kashmir Himalayan Region

Abstract

Background: Documenting traditional knowledge of medicinal plants has enabled researchers to obtain a good understanding of the consumption patterns of plants for basic healthcare purposes. This study highlighted the ethnobotanical significance of medicinal and aromatic plants in the biodiversity hotspot landscape of the western Himalayan region of Kashmir.Methods: Extensive field visits were made to collect traditional ethnobotanical knowledge from the study area through group discussions in the local language using the questionnaire method. The acquired data was then analyzed using quantitative ethnobotanical measures such as Use Value (UV) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC).Results: Our findings revealed 72 plant species belonging to 51 genera and 16 families. The dominant families recorded were Lamiaceae and Apiaceae followed by Polygonaceae. Among plant parts, leaves were the most frequently used, followed by roots. The majority of the studied plants were herbaceous, accounting for 90.3% of the area flora. Based on the medicinal plant use category, 72 plant species with medicinal uses were identified. According to the Use Value and Relative Frequency Citation, Saussurea costus and Angelica cyclocarpa had remarkably high values of 1.38 and 0.68, respectively.Conclusions: These findings complement the considerable plant knowledge of the local population, confirming the traditional usage of plants in indigenous healing. People in Muzaffarabad continue to have vital information about native flora, even though younger individuals are losing it as a consequence of socioeconomic changes. There is a need to raise awareness among local populations about the sustainable use and conservation of medicinal flora.

Different drying methods alter the quality parameters of ethnobotanically important Curcuma caesia Roxb. rhizomes

“…Curcuminoids are useful for a variety of applications, including spices, coloring pigments, additives, and medicines (15). As the pharmaceutical industry continues to expand, there is an increasing need for plant-based raw materials to extract a wide array of bioactive compounds (16)(17)(18)(19). Preserving key components like phenolic and bioactive compounds such as curcuminoids from Curcuma spp.…”

Diversity of medicinal flora and traditional knowledge of Muzaffargarh District Punjab Province, Pakistan

“…In remote parts of Pakistan, knowledge of traditional medicine helps researchers to explore new medicinal plants with valuable medicinal properties. Ethnobotanical studies on medicinal plants have been carried out mostly across different parts of Northern Pakistan, i.e., Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad and Jammu Kashmir (Gillani et al 2024, Mirzaman et al 2023. The Punjab province has diverse sorts of climatic regions and has the potential to host a great diversity of plants (Jamil et al 2022).…”

Novel plant uses and their conservation status in a semiarid subtropical region of Pakistan

“…In addition, the imperative of sustainable resource management and the urgent need to mitigate environmental degradation underscores the need to document, understand, and harness the potential of these plants. Several previous studies have shown a significant lack of intergenerational transfer of traditional knowledge, resulting in the loss of an immense volume of invaluable data regarding native plant species due to the limited accessibility of written documents and records (Mirzaman et al 2023;Manzoor et al 2023;Gillani et al 2024). In addition, reports from the same region suggest a significant loss of traditional knowledge, which could hinder the transmission of locally communicated information regarding various plant-based treatment approaches (Shinwari et al 2011).…”