Indigenous knowledge of the use of medicinal plants in Bheri, Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan

The nexus between ecology of foraging and food security: cross-cultural perceptions of wild food plants in Kashmir Himalaya

BACKGROUND

Wild food plants (WFPs) play an important role in the traditional dietary habits of various indigenous communities worldwide, particularly in mountainous regions. To understand the dynamics of food preferences, cross-cultural studies on food plants should be conducted across diverse ethnic groups in a given area. In this context, the current study investigated the use of WFPs by seven different cultural groups in the Kashmir Himalayan Region. In this area, people gather wild plants and their parts for direct consumption, traditional foods, or sale in local markets. Despite this reliance, documentation of the food system, especially concerning WFPs, is notably lacking. Hence, our research aimed to document WFPs, along with associated traditional ecological knowledge, and identify major threats to their long-term sustainability in Division Muzaffarabad.

METHODS

Through a comprehensive approach involving questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and market surveys, we gathered data from 321 respondents. PCA was performed to analyze threats and plant use using "factoextra" in R software. Origin Pro was used to create a chord diagram, while R software was used to generate a Polar heat map. Additionally, a Venn diagram was created using Bioinformatics software.

RESULTS

The study included 321 informants, of whom 75.38% were men and 24.61% were women. In total, 113 plant taxa from 74 genera and 41 botanical families were reported. Polygonaceae and Rosaceae accounted for the majority (17 species each), followed by Lamiaceae (7 species). Leaves were the most used part as food sources (41.04%), followed by fruits (33.33%). Most of the species are consumed as cooked (46.46%) and as raw snacks (37.80%). A total of 47 plant species were collected and cooked as wild vegetables, followed by 40 species used as fruits. This study is the first to describe the market potential and ecological distribution of WFPs in the study area. Cross-comparison showed that utilization of WFPs varies significantly across the region and communities, including their edible parts and mode of consumption. Jaccard index (JI) value ranged from 5.81 to 25. Furthermore, the current study describes 29 WFPs and 10 traditional food dishes that have rarely been documented in Pakistan's ethnobotanical literature. Climate change, invasive species, expansion of agriculture, and plant diseases are some of the most significant threats to WFPs in the study area.

CONCLUSIONS

The older age group has more knowledge about WFPs compared to the younger generation, who are not interested in learning about the utilization of WFPs. This lack of interest in information about WFPs among the younger generation can be attributed to their limited access to markets and availability of food plants in the study area. Traditional gathering of food plants has been reduced in younger generations during recent years; therefore, it is crucial to develop effective conservation strategies. These efforts not only safeguard indigenous flora, food knowledge, and cultural heritage, but they also contribute to food security and public health by utilizing local wild foods in the examined area.

Folklore use of medicinal plants for the treatment of gynecological diseases in Pakistan-a review

Background

Gynecological issues and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose significant challenges to women's health, particularly in developing nations. These challenges are exacerbated by limited access to modern reproductive healthcare facilities, economic constraints, and entrenched cultural norms. Consequently, most of the Pakistani population relies on traditional ethno-medicinal healthcare systems. This preference stems from the ease of access, affordability, widespread availability, and inherent trust placed in these alternative healthcare methods.

Aim/objective

The inquiry aimed to report details on the application of conventional uses of plants in the health field in rural areas that could contribute to advancing the natural discovery of drugs. The objective of this analysis is to provide researchers with information on conventional and empirical knowledge of plant species concerning women's diseases.

Methodology

Information on the common use of medicinal plants in treating women's diseases was gathered from electronic databases. As a keyword for the quest, ethnobotany, and ethnopharmacology were used together with gynecological complications.

Result

The work of the current analysis has revealed that 217 plant species belonging to 89 families have been used in Pakistan's rural communities. The majority of plant species belong to the Apiaceae family, followed by the Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Solanaceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, and other families. The biological interpretation of plants used in rural communities of Pakistan revealed that herbs and trees are the dominant forms with 58 % and 23 % respectively while shrubs and sub-shrubs with a low percentage of 17 % and 2 %. In natural preparation, leaves 29 %, flowers 22 %, seeds 14 %, fruits 14 %, roots 13 %, bark 7 %, and stems 5 % were the most used parts respectively and aerial parts, dried pericarp, bulb, bud, berry, latex, wood, rhizome, husk, fruit coat, oil, resins, twigs, and shoot were also used in minimum percentage. A multitude of plant species have found extensive application in the management of diverse women's health issues. These encompass concerns such as fatigue, mood fluctuations attributed to menstrual problems, gonorrhea, complications related to pregnancy, cravings for specific foods, throbbing breast pain, abdominal and pelvic cramps, excessive vaginal discharge, mastitis, irritability, abortion-related matters, headaches, uterine hemorrhage, Menorrhagia, Amenorrhea, Menopause, Vomiting Abortion, infertility and lactation challenges, as well as the regulation of lochia flow.

Conclusion

This review provides remarkable information about the use of medicinal plants against women's diseases in the rural communities of Pakistan. It opens the gateway for the discovery of natural drug development.

Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin and Clemants: bridging traditional knowledge, photochemistry, preclinical investigations, and toxicological validation for health benefits

Dysphania ambrosioides L. (Chenopodiaceae) is a Moroccan medicinal plant known locally as "M'Khinza." It is widely used in traditional medicine to treat numerous ailments, such as diabetes, digestive disorders, fever, fertility problems, immune disorders, hypertension, bronchitis, respiratory conditions, pharyngitis, cough, and flu. As part of this review, comprehensive preclinical investigations, including in vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies, were conducted to better understand the mechanisms of action of D. ambrosioides. Additionally, the phytochemical profile of the plant was examined, highlighting the presence of certain bioactive secondary metabolites. The information was gathered from electronic data sources such as Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Springer Link, and Google Scholars. Numerous studies have mentioned the pharmacological properties of D. ambrosioides, including its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal activities. Furthermore, research has also suggested its potential as an anticancer, antidiabetic, and vasorelaxant agent. Phytochemical characterization of D. ambrosioides has revealed the presence of over 96 major bioactive compounds, including terpenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and fatty acids. As for the toxicity of this plant, it is dose-dependent. Furthermore, more in-depth pharmacological studies are needed to establish the mechanisms of action of this plant more accurately before considering clinical trials. In conclusion, this review highlights the traditional use of D. ambrosioides in Moroccan medicine and emphasizes its potential pharmacological properties. However, to fully harness its therapeutic potential, further research, both in terms of chemistry and pharmacology, is necessary. These future studies could help identify new active compounds and provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of action of this plant, thus opening new prospects for its pharmaceutical application.

The local medicinal plant knowledge in Kashmir Western Himalaya: a way to foster ecological transition via community-centred health seeking strategies

BACKGROUND

The mountainous region of Kashmir is a biodiversity hotspot, with diverse local communities and a rich cultural history linked to nature. Mountain ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change. This study emphasises the need to record the indigenous ethnoecological knowledge of wild plants used for the treatment of various ailments at higher elevations in remote areas where globalisation poses a threat to this traditional knowledge.

METHODS

The field survey was carried out in 2020-2022, to collect data on wild medicinal plants. Informants were selected randomly to collect indigenous medicinal knowledge using semi-structured interviews and group discussions. Various quantitative indices were employed to evaluate ethnomedicinal data.

RESULTS

A total of 110 medicinal plants belonging to 49 families were recorded in the study area. These medicinal plants are extensively used by local communities for the treatment of 20 major disease categories. Asteraceae was the dominant family contributing (9.09%) to medicinal plants, followed by Polygonaceae (8.18%), Apiaceae (7.27%), Lamiaceae (5.45%), and Ranunculaceae (5.45%). We observed 166 remedies were used for the treatment of various diseases in humans, and 9 remedies were used for animals. The most frequently used medicinal remedy was tea or decoction (30.91%). Among the medicinal plants, herbs (85.5%) were most frequently used by the local populations of Kashmir, whereas leaves (10.26%) were used for the treatment of various ailments. Out of 110 species, 31 were endemic, 15 of which are endemic to the Kashmir region and 16 to the Western Himalaya. The highest RFC value was reported for Allium humile (0.77), the highest UV value for Fritillaria cirrhosa (1.33), and the highest ICF value for gastro-intestinal/digestive disorders (0.85).

CONCLUSIONS

Local communities still rely on wild medicinal plants for primary healthcare. These communities retained valuable indigenous knowledge, which needs to be preserved for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural resources. Further field exploration is required to fully explore indigenous knowledge in the mountainous regions of Kashmir, and this knowledge has the potential to support the ongoing ecological transition.

Study of plant resources with ethnomedicinal relevance from district Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan

An ethnomedicinal expedition was conducted to collect and record indigenous knowledge about the use of medicinal plants by local inhabitants of four villages (Chittra, Topi, Pandi, and Kalri) of district Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Ethnomedicinal data were obtained from 60 randomly selected local inhabitants of the study area through semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. These data were analyzed quantitatively through different ethnobotanical indices including family importance value, relative frequency of citation, use value (UV), fidelity level (FL), informant consensus factor (ICF), and Jaccard index (JI). our study reported 69 medicinal plants belonging to 39 families. Rosaceae (9 species) was a dominant family of the study area. Herb (54.83%) was dominant growth form of plants used for medicinal purpose. Leaves contributed maximum usage (44.29%) for curing diseases. Decoction (23 records) was most used mode of utilization. Relative frequency of citation and UV ranged from 0.03–0.85 and 0.05–1.17, respectively. There were 4 plant species with 100% FL. Highest ICF (0.88%) was found for gastrointestinal diseases. By comparing results with previous study, JI ranged from 0.54 to 24.43%. Our results found that there were 18 plant species not reported with ethnomedicinal aspect in previous studies from district Bagh region. The research of this study concludes that the area is rich with medicinal plants and the local inhabitant of this area still prefer medicinal plants over allopathic medicines for treating different ailments. Comparative analysis has shown some novel uses of plant species which may be due to cultural differences of the study area. However, awareness and pharmacological study are needed to conserve and unveil pharmaceutically important plants.

Inventory of Medicinal Plants Used Traditionally to Manage Kidney Diseases in North-Eastern Morocco: Ethnobotanical Fieldwork and Pharmacological Evidence

Kidney disease is one of the most common health problems and kidney failure can be fatal. It is one of the health disorders associated with extreme pain and discomfort in patients. In developing countries, such as Morocco where socioeconomic and sanitary conditions are precarious, medicinal plants are considered the primary source of medication. In the present work an ethnobotanical survey was conducted in a remote area of North-Eastern Morocco and we focused on (1) establishing a record of medicinal plants used traditionally by local people to treat kidney diseases and (2) correlate the obtained ethnomedical use with well-studied pharmacological evidence. From February 2018 to January2020, information was gathered from 488 informants using semi-structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using three quantitative indices: The use value (UV), family use value (FUV), and informant consensus factor (ICF). A total of 121 plant species belonging to 57 botanical families were identified to treat kidney diseases. The families most represented were Asteraceae (14 species), followed by Lamiaceae (12 species) and Apiaceae (10 species). The most commonly used plant parts were leaves, followed by the whole plant and they were most commonly prepared by decoction and infusion. The highest value of the (UV) index was attributed to Herniaria hirsuta L. (UV = 0.16), and the highest family use value (FUV) was assigned to Caryophyllaceae with (FUV = 0.163). Regarding the informant consensus factor (ICF), this index's highest values were recorded for kidney stones (ICF = 0.72). The use of 45% of the selected plants were validated based on literature review. This study helped document and preserve crucial traditional plant knowledge of 121 plant species used to treat kidney problems that can be used in the search for new biologically active compounds through more upcoming pharmacological studies.

Ethnomedical uses, chemical constituents, and evidence-based pharmacological properties of Chenopodium ambrosioides L.: extensive overview

Background

The Chenopodium genus is a plant family widely spread worldwide that includes various plant species reputed to possess several medicinal virtues in folk medicines. Chenopodium ambrosioides L. is among the most used plants in traditional medicines worldwide. This review aimed to highlight ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical status, and pharmacological properties of C. ambrosioides L.

Main body of the abstract

The analysis of relevant data highlights various ethnomedicinal uses against human and veterinary diseases in forty countries. Most indications consisted of gastrointestinal tract dysfunctioning troubles and worms parasitemia. Around 330 chemical compounds have been identified in different plant parts, especially in its essential oil fractions (59.84%). However, only a few compounds—mainly monoterpenes and glycosides—have been isolated and characterized. Experimental pharmacological studies validated a large scale of significant health benefits. It appeared that many monoterpenes are antioxidant, insecticidal, trypanocidal, analgesic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, acaricidal, amoebicidal, anthelmintic, anticancer, antibacterial, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, antifertility, antifungal, anti-leishmanial, antimalarial, antipyretic, antisickling, antischistosomal, antiulcer, anxiolytic, immunomodulatory, molluscicidal, and vasorelaxant agents.

Short conclusion

Thus, the Chenopodium ambrosioides species necessitates further chemical studies to isolate and characterize new bioactive secondary metabolites and pharmacological investigations to precise the mechanisms of action before clinical trials.

Arundo donax L.: An overview on its traditional and ethnomedicinal importance, phytochemistry, and pharmacological aspects

Arundo donax L. (Giant reed) is a grass species belong to Poaceae family with a myriad of uses such as traditional and ethnomedicinal values, bioenergy, and socio-economic importance. The plant is used in conventional medicine to treat various disorders related to skin, gastrointestinal, skeletal, menstrual problems, respiratory and urinary diseases. The present review summarises the scattered information on socio-economic importance, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological aspects of this plant. We conducted a rigorous literature survey using databases such as Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed entering keywords like A. donax, Giant reed, and Spanish reed, etc. Phytochemical investigations have identified several alkaloids, terpenoids, sterols, phenolics, and lignin derivatives. The isolated phytoconstituents are reported to exhibit multiple pharmacological activities such as anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-spasmolytic, and also used to treat helminthic infestations in cattle. However, the scientific validity of traditional practices to cure various diseases has not been correctly evaluated yet. Therefore, it is recommended to further investigate the plant for clinical trials to unleash its therapeutic importance towards chemical characterisation for drug discovery and development in the pharmacological field.

Identification of natural compounds of Jurinea species by LC-HRMS and GC-FID and their bioactivities

The Jurinea Cass. is one of the most important genera within Asteraceae and it comprises about 250 species in total. This genus is known for its numerous biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antilipid peroxidation, anticholinesterase, antileishmanial activities. The aim of this study was to determine chemical composition and biological activities of ethanol and n-hexane extracts of three different Jurinea species. For this purpose, different parts of J. mollis, J. cadmea and J. pontica were extracted and totally six n-hexane and six ethanol extracts were obtained. Fatty acid content of n-hexane extracts was determined by GC-FID whereas phenolic and flavonoid content of ethanol extracts by LC-HRMS. Palmitic acid (16:0) was detected as the most abundant fatty acid in all n-hexane extracts with the rates ranging from 42.16%-55.08%, except flowers of J. mollis (JMF) and J. cadmea (JCF). LC-HRMS analysis showed the rutin content of all extracts was higher than other flavonoids, except of J. cadmea flowers, whereas apigenin-7-glucoside was found the most abundant in JCF. Cytotoxic effects of the extracts on HeLa and HEK-293 cells were determined by MTT method, and antioxidant activities were evaluated by DPPH and CUPRAC assays. Ethanol extract of J. mollis flowers significantly inhibited cancerous HeLa cells, with the IC₅₀ value of 9.683 μg/mL while it was more less toxic on healthy HEK-293 cells. Ethanol extracts of J. mollis flowers and J. mollis steams-leaves (JMSL) showed the highest antioxidant activity by a DPPH inhibition % of 45.516 ± 2.497 and 56.671 ± 1.496, respectively. JMF and JMSL have also the highest CUPRAC values (0.880 ± 0.067 and 1.085 ± 0.152 mmol TR/g DWE, respectively). Total flavonoid content was determined using aluminum chloride colorimetric assay while total tannin and phenolic content by Folin Chiocalteu's reagent. Results showed that JMSL has the highest total phenolic (108.359 ± 6.241 mg GAE/ G DWE) and flavonoid (32.080 ± 4.385 mg QE/ g DWE) contents whereas JMF has the highest tannin content (121.333 ± 17.889 mg TAE/ g DWE). In the light of these results, various parts of Jurinea species may be regarded as alternative sources for cytotoxic and/or antioxidant flavonoids, phenolics and unsaturated fatty acids that can arouse the interest of pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries.

A Review of the Phytochemistry, Traditional Uses and Biological Activities of the Essential Oils of Genus Teucrium

The genus Teucrium is a large and polymorphic genus of the Lamiaceae family distributed in mild climate zones, particularly in the Mediterranean basin and Central Asia. Studies of nonvolatile constituents of Teucrium species showed that they are a rich source of neo-clerodane diterpenoids, considered as chemotaxonomic markers of the genus. In addition to the nonvolatile metabolites, there has been a large interest in the essential oils of this genus. In this review, a complete survey of the chemical composition and biological properties of the essential oils isolated from Teucrium taxa is provided. In traditional medicine, since ancient times, species of this genus have been widely implemented for their biological properties, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, insecticidal, anti-malaria, etc. Therefore, a complete review of all of the traditional uses of Teucrium taxa are also reported.

Eco-friendly green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their potential applications as antioxidant and anticancer agents

Eco-friendly green synthesis of nanoparticles using medicinal plants gained immense importance due to its potential therapeutic uses. In the current study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using water extract of Jurinea dolomiaea leaf and root at room temperature. MTT assay was used to study anticancer potential of AgNPs against cervical cancer cell line (HeLa), breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7), and mouse embryonic fibroblast (NIH-3 T3) cell line for toxicity evaluation. The antioxidant potential was evaluated using stable DPPH radicals. In addition, the apoptotic nuclear changes prompted by AgNPs in more susceptible HeLa cells were observed using fluorescence microscope through DAPI and PI staining. Physiochemical properties of biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized using various techniques. AgNPs were formed in very short time and UV-vis spectra showed characteristic absorption peak of AgNPs. SEM and TEM showed spherical shape of AgNPs and XRD revealed their crystalline nature. EDX analysis revealed high percentage of silver in green synthesized AgNPs. FTIR analysis indicated involvement of secondary metabolites in fabrication of AgNPs. In vitro cytotoxic and antioxidant study revealed that herb and biosynthesized AgNPs exhibited significant dose-dependent and time-dependent anticancer and antioxidant potential. Furthermore, study on normal cell line and microscopic analysis of apoptosis revealed that AgNPs exhibited good safety profile as compared to cisplatin and induces significant apoptosis effect. Based on the current findings, it is strongly believe that use of J. dolomiaea offers large scale production of biocompatible AgNPs that can be used as alternative anticancer agents against cancer cell lines tested.

Botany, ethnomedicines, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Himalayan paeony (Paeonia emodi Royle.)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Himalayan paeony (Paeonia emodi Royle.) is an important species used to treat various diseases. This study aimed to compile the detailed traditional medicinal uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicological investigations on P. emodi. This study also highlights taxonomic validity, quality of experimental designs and shortcomings in previously reported information on Himalayan paeony.

METHODS

The data was extracted from unpublished theses (Pakistan, China, India and Nepal), and different published research articles confined to pharmacology, phytochemistry and antimicrobial activities using different databases through specific keywords. The relevant information regarding medicinal uses, taxonomic/common names, part used, collection and identification source, authentication, voucher specimen number, plant extracts and their characterization, isolation and identification of phytochemicals, methods of study in silico, in vivo or in vitro, model organism used, dose and duration, minimal active concentration, zone of inhibition (antimicrobial study), bioactive compound(s), mechanism of action on single or multiple targets, and toxicological information.

RESULTS

P. emodi is reported for diverse medicinal uses with pharmacological properties like antioxidant, nephroprotective, lipoxygenase inhibitory, cognition and oxidative stress release, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antiepileptic, anticonvulsant, haemaglutination, alpha-chymotrypsin inhibitory, hepatoprotective, hepatic chromes and pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine expression, β-glucuronidase inhibitory, spasmolytic and spasmogenic, and airway relaxant. Data confined to its taxonomic validity, shows 10% studies with correct taxonomic name while 90% studies with incorrect taxonomic, pharmacopeial and common names. The literature reviewed, shows lack of collection source (11 reports), without proper source of identification (15 reports), 33 studies without voucher specimen number, 26 reports lack information on authentic herbarium submission and most of the studies (90%) without validation of taxonomic names using recognized databases. In reported methods, 67% studies without characterization of extracts, 25% lack proper dose, 40% without duration and 31% reports lack information on proper controls. Similarly, only 18% studies reports active compound(s) responsible for pharmacological activities, 14% studies show minimal active concentration, only 2.5% studies report mechanism of action on target while none of the reports mentioned in silico approach.

CONCLUSION

P. emodi is endemic to Himalayan region (Pakistan, China, India and Nepal) with diverse traditional therapeutic uses. Majority of reviewed studies showed confusion in its taxonomic validity, incomplete methodologies and ambiguous findings. Keeping in view the immense uses of P. emodi in various traditional medicinal systems, holistic pharmacological approaches in combination with reverse pharmacology, system biology, and "omics" technologies are recommended to improve the quality of research which leads to natural drug discovery development at global perspectives.

Bergenia ciliata: A comprehensive review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and safety

Bergenia ciliata is a medicinal plant used for the treatment of kidney stones. The presented review is the first attempt to gather utmost information about the distribution, ethno-medicines, phytochemical analysis, pharmacology and toxicology of B. ciliata. This review was designed with the aim to compile fragmented information about B. ciliata in addition to explore its therapeutic potential and future research opportunities. A total of 185 research papers were reviewed using several data sources such as; Web of Science, Scopus, Google scholar, Science direct and PubMed. Results of this review revealed that B. ciliata is being used to cure 104 different types of ailments. Although among reported disorders B. ciliata showed high potential in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders but it is well known for the treatment of kidney disorders particularly kidney stones. Literature review showed that traditional healers mostly utilize it in powder form. Moreover, B. ciliata was reported to possess high antifungal, antiviral, anti plasmodial and antibacterial activities. Pharmacological studies reported that it has good antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tussive, anti-ulcer and anti-neoplastic activities. Variety of secondary metabolites belonging to different classes of compounds such as phenols, alcohols, terpenoids and fatty acid were reportedly isolated from B. ciliata. In spite of having better efficiency of ethno medicines and good pharmacological potential, B. ciliata has also shown toxic effects on living system in several studies. We invite the attention of researchers to carry out detailed ethno-pharmacological and toxicological studies on this valuable plant species in order to provide reliable knowledge to the patients and discover more novel compounds for the development of new drugs with fewer side effects on the living system as compare to modern medicines.