Standard medical ethnobotany of Kohistan, North Pakistan

Amin, Muhammad and Abdul Aziz, Muhammad and Khan Manduzai, Ajmal and Pieroni, Andrea and Alkahtani, Jawaher and Ragab AbdelGawwad, Mohamed and Gafforov, Yusufjon and Nazeer, Abdul and Mehmood Abbasi, Arshad (2024) Standard medical ethnobotany of Kohistan, North Pakistan. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE, 20. ISSN 1746-4269

[img] Text (Research Article)
s13002-024-00704-w.pdf - Published Version

Download (3MB)
Official URL: https://ethnobiomed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Abstract

Background This study was exclusively focused on the documentation and cross-cultural evaluation of ethnomedicinal knowledge (EMK) within the diverse linguistic groups of Kohistan situated between the Himalayan and Hindukush Mountain ranges in the north Pakistan. Methods Data were gathered during the field survey (May 2022 to July 2023) through group conversations, semi-structured interviews, and on-site observation. Venn diagrams were employed to illustrate the comparative assessment of EMK, and different ethnobotanical indices were utilized to examine the data. Results A total of 96 wild medicinal plant species (MPs) belonging to 74 genera and 52 botanical families were documented. The most reported MPs belong to the family Polygonaceae (11 species), followed by Asteraceae (9 species) and Lamiaceae (8 species). The ethnomedicinal uses of Leontopodium himalayanum, Pedicularis oederi, Plocama brevifolia, Polypodium sibiricum, Pteridium esculentum, Sambucus wightiana, Solanum cinereum, Teucrium royleanum, Rhodiola integrifolia, Aconitum chasmanthum were reported for the first time in this region. Among the reported taxa herbaceous species were dominated (72%), followed by trees and shrubs (17% and 10%, respectively). Digestive problems (40 taxa and 114 use reports) and skin disorders (19 taxa and 549 use reports) were the most cited disease categories, whereas M. communis, M. longifolia, Ajuga integrifolia, Ziziphus jujuba, and Clematis grata exhibited the highest percentage fidelity levels. Out of 109 documented medicinal uses, a mere 12 were shared across all linguistic groups, and Bateri emerges as a notable outlier with the highest number of medicinal uses. In addition, a significant homogeneity was noted in the reported botanical taxa (61 species) among different linguistic groups. However, since the last decade biocultural heritage of Kohistan is facing multifaceted risks that need urgent attention. Conclusion Our findings could be valuable addition to the existing stock of ethnomedicinal knowledge and may provide ethnopharmacological basis to novel drug discovery for preexisting and emerging diseases prioritizing detailed phytochemical profiling and the evaluation of bioactive potential.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Wild medicinal plants, Cross-culture, Fidelity level, Venn diagram: linguistics, Kohistan
Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General)
Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
Q Science > QK Botany
R Medicine > RV Botanic, Thomsonian, and eclectic medicine
S Agriculture > SB Plant culture
Depositing User: ePrints deposit
Date Deposited: 26 Sep 2024 14:01
Last Modified: 26 Sep 2024 14:01
URI: http://eprints.tiu.edu.iq/id/eprint/1719

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item