Diversity, distribution, and sustainability of traditional medicinal plants in Kaski district, western Nepal

Abstract

Medicinal plants are the primary source of traditional healthcare systems in many rural areas mostly in developing countries. This study aimed to document and analyze the diversity, distribution, and sustainability of the traditional medicinal plants used by the Gurung people of the Sikles region in western Nepal. Ethnobotanical data were collected through focus group discussions and individual interviews, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Prior informed consent was obtained before each interview. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, and use values were also calculated. A possible association among these indices was tested using correlation analysis. A total of 115 wild medicinal plant species belonging to 106 genera and 71 families were documented. Asteraceae and Rosaceae were the dominant families whereas herbs were the most dominant life form. Roots were the most used plant part, paste was the most common method of preparation, and most of the medical formulations were taken orally. The highest number of medicinal plants were used to treat stomach disorders. The average informant consensus value of 0.79 indicates a high consensus among respondents in selecting medicinal plants. Lindera neesiana, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, Paris polyphylla, and Bergenia ciliata were found to be high-ranking medicinal plants based on the relative frequency of citation and use value. The genders did not affect medicinal plants’ knowledge but age had a significant correlation. Most of the informants agreed that medicinal plants are under pressure due to overharvesting and a lack of proper forest management practices. The number of medicinal plants reported from the study area indicates that the Gurung people possess rich traditional knowledge, and the vegetation of the Sikles region constitutes rich diversity of medicinal plants.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the people of Mosop, Nandi County in Kenya

“…Torres-Avilez et al (2016) also did not find a significant difference between men and women in terms of their knowledge on traditional herbal medicine because these differences are not unidirectional and can only be detected on small scales of studies. A greater knowledge gap between both genders is not likely or improbable (Torres-Avilez et al, 2016;Khakurel et al, 2022). There have also been various reports of studies on ethnomedicinal knowledge and applications among Kenya's various communities consistent with the current study reporting a higher proportion of male participants than the females (Kimondo et al, 2015;Ochwang'i et al, 2014;Wanjohi et al, 2020b) and indeed other regional and international studies (Amjad et al, 2017;Faruque et al, 2018;Okori et al, 2022).…”

“…The older responders provided more information since they have access to a greater amount of the oral tradition knowledge passed down from generations before them (Miguéis et al, 2019;Dapar et al, 2020;Weldearegay and Awas, 2021). This outcome is based on a great deal of experience, indicating that knowledge on medicinal plants develops over a long period of time (Dapar et al, 2020;Khakurel et al, 2022). Where "Ip" is the number of informants who share their knowledge about a given species for the treatment of a specific disease and "Iu" is the total number of all informants who reported all uses about a given plant species.…”

Gender Influence on Local Botanical Knowledge about Medicinal Plants: A Study in Northeast Brazil

“…Our findings indicate no difference in the number of known medicinal species between genders, similar to what other studies have reported (Khakurel et al 2022, Pfeiffer & Buzts 2005. Men and women show significant differences in how they acquire knowledge and use plants significantly (Alqethami et al 2020).…”