Traditional knowledge of wild medicinal plants used by the inhabitants of Garam Chashma valley,district Chitral,Pakistan

Garam Chashma valley is a mountainous valley situated in the Hindukush mountain range in Pakistan. This area is blessed with rich and diverse medicinal flora extensively utilized by the local community to cure health issues. The present article aims to explore and document the indigenous traditional knowledge about wild plants and their curative properties. This survey was carried out during April 2018 to September 2019. Data was collected from 153 indigenous people through semi structure questionnaire, group discussion, field survey and formal talks with elder people. Quantitative analysis of recorded data was obtained by applying quantitative indices like Frequency of Citation (FC) Use Reports (UR), Family Use Value (FUV), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC). About 83 plant taxa belonging to 36 different families were recorded for the treatment of 95 different disorders grouped into sixteen disease categories. Herbs were the most leading plant habit (81.9%) and dried plant material (51.8%) usually preferred for therapeutics uses. Among families Asteraceae (16.86%) was recorded as major taxon with highest number of species followed by Lamiaceae (12.06%). Leaves 33% were recorded most abundantly used plant part followed by flowers (17%). Regarding to formulations, decoction (39.3%) and powder (17.1%) were recorded most frequent mode of preparation while oral intake (78%) was most preferred administration route. About (40%) plants species were utilized to treat Gastrointestinal diseases (GIT) disorders. Informant consensus revealed that Gastrointestinal disorders and Dermatological disorders were top ranked ailments categories with 0.94 consensus. The current study imparted that medicinal plants are still used by the indigenous communities of Garam Chashma valley, district lower Chitral, Pakistan. Thus, this investigation provides basis for the conservation of medicinal flora in the area. Medicinal plants (MPs) having high value of FC, RFC, UV, FUV, FL and ICF should be further study for phytochemistry and ethnopharmacology to evaluate novel active ingredients for new drugs discovery.     

Ecological Characteristics of Plants of Harboi Rangeland, Kalat, Pakistan

The Harboi rangeland, Kalat, Pakistan, covers an area of 22 351 hectares and it lies between 29°N and 66°45' to 67°E. It was declared as Protected Forest since January 1967 (Fig.1). The study area has rugged mountainous limestone and conglomerates with many small valleys and dry ravines. The altitude varies from 2 900 to 3 300 m. The area is under heavy grazing and human pressure due to lopping and uprooting of plants for fuel, forage and medicinal purposes. The climate is of dry tempe…     

Medicinal plants resources of Western Himalayan Palas Valley,Indus Kohistan,Pakistan: Their uses and degrees of risk of extinction

Present study was intended with the aim to document the pre-existence traditional knowledge and ethnomedicinal uses of plant species in the Palas valley. Data were collected during 2015–2016 to explore plants resource, their utilization and documentation of the indigenous knowledge. The current study reported a total of 65 medicinal plant species of 57 genera belonging to 40 families. Among 65 species, the leading parts were leaves (15) followed by fruits (12), stem (6) and berries (1), medicinally significant while, 13 plant species are medicinally important for rhizome, 4 for root, 4 for seed, 4 for bark and 1 each for resin. Similarly, thirteen species were used as a whole while twelve species as partial for medicinal purpose. Further, it is concluded that every part of plants such as bulb, rhizome, roots, barks, leaves, flowers, fruit and seed were used for various ailments. Moreover, among 65 plants species, 09 species are threatened and placed into Endangered (EN) and Least Concern (LC) categories of IUCN. The recorded data are very useful and reflects the significance of the Palas valley as medicinal plants resource area.     

Ethnobotanical studies of plants of Charkotli Hills, Batkhela District, Malakand, Pakistan

A survey was conducted with the aim to document the indigenous information of Charkotli Hills, Batkhela District, Malakand, Pakistan. The area has rich vegetation and a high potential for ethnobotanical utilization. Information was collected on various traditional uses of 100 plants distributed over 49 families, of which 43 families were of dicot, 2 of monocot, 2 of pteridophyta, and 1 of gymnosperms. Most plants have more than one local use. Sixty-six plants were found to be medicinal species, 21 fruit and edible seed species, 11 furniture species, 18 fodder or forage species, 12 vegetable species, 12 fuel species, 11 thatching and building species, 5 hedge or fencing species, 5 timber wood species, 5 poisonous plants, 3 species used in ketchup, 2 fixed oil yielding species, 2 miswak species, 2 species for making sticks for cattle and defense purposes, 2 species cultivated for ornamental purposes, 2 species used as mehindi by girls, 1 irritant species, 1 species for the making of Salai (a little stick for applying ‘surma’ to the eyes), 1 species for tanning, 1 species used as refresher in milk pots, 1 species giving gum used as chewing gum, and 1 species used as insect repellent. The area is under heavy pressure of deforestation and overgrazing, which have reduced the regeneration of woody plants. Proper ecological management is required to protect the wildlife and ethnobotanical resources for the coming generations.     

Ethnobotanical studies of plants of Charkotli Hills, Batkhela District, Malakand, Pakistan

A survey was conducted with the aim to document the indigenous information of Charkotli Hills, Batkhela District, Malakand, Pakistan. The area has rich vegetation and a high potential for ethnobotanical utiliza-tion. Information was collected on various traditional uses of 100 plants distributed over 49 families, of which 43 families were of dicot, 2 of monocot, 2 of pteridophyta, and 1 of gymnosperms. Most plants have more than one local use. Sixty-six plants were found to be medicinal species, 21 fruit and edible seed species, 11 furniture species, 18 fodder or forage species, 12 vegetable species, 12 fuel species, 11 thatching and building species, 5 hedge or fencing species, 5 timber wood species, 5 poisonous plants, 3 species used in ketchup, 2 fixed oil yielding species, 2 miswak species, 2 species for making sticks for cattle and defense purposes, 2 species cultivated for ornamental purposes, 2 species used as mehindi by girls, 1 irritant species, 1 species for the making of Salai (a little stick for applying 'surma' to the eyes), 1 species for tanning, 1 species used as refresher in milk pots, 1 species giving gum used as chewing gum, and 1 species used as insect repellent. The area is under heavy pressure of deforestation and overgrazing, which have reduced the regeneration of woody plants. Proper ecological manage-ment is required to protect the wildlife and ethnobotanical resources for the coming generations.     

Ethnobotanical assessment of plant resources of Banda Daud Shah,District Karak,Pakistan

Background

The Indigenous knowledge of plants is scientifically and culturally very significant. This paper elucidates the empirical findings of an ethnobotanical survey of Banda Daud Shah, District Karak, Pakistan.

Methods

Data collection was carried out from October 2011 to September 2012. Total twelve survey trips were made, three in each season. About 100 respondents were interviewed; most of them were aged people between 60–70 years. Interviews were conducted using structured questionnaire composed of variety of questions regarding ethnomedicinal uses of plants of the study area. Direct matrix ranking (DMR), informant citations and market survey of multipurpose plants were also carried out.

Results

The local community was using 58 plant species belonging to 52 genera and 34 families for different purposes. A total of 25 plant species were herbs followed by 18 shrubs. Leaf (45%) was the most commonly used plant part followed by the whole plants (23%). In total, 40 plant species were medicinally used to treat variety of diseases, of which highest number of species being used for gastro-intestinal problems (19 spp.), expectorant (3 spp.) and antipyretic (3 spp.). Beside medicinal values, 25 species were used for fuel and 18 for fodder purposes. Informant consensus showed that gastrointestinal and respiratory infections were ranked highest (F_IC?=?0.75) among all ailments. According to DMR output, Dalbergia sisso ranked first due to high multipurpose uses among all species and was found most threatened with higher market value.

Conclusion

The investigated area is rural in nature and the inhabitants are highly dependent on the native plants for their health care needs and other requirements like fuel wood and fodder due to financial constraints and unavailability of resources. Medicinal plants for high ranked diseases may be phtyochemicaly and pharmacologically investigated to prove their efficacy. The local medicinal flora is facing overexploitation, overgrazing and improper way of collection. Proper conservation strategies such as controlled grazing, reforestation and rangeland management among many others may be adopted to promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants.

     

Comparative study on floristic diversity of protected and unprotected Forests of Sathan Gali,District Mansehra,KP, Pakistan

This first ever study was carried out to explore the floristic composition of protected and unprotected forests of Sathan Gali, District Mansehra, KP, Pakistan. The study area being the part of the Western Himalayas harbours rich floristic diversity. In the current investigation, an effort was made to record primary data about floral diversity of the area. The study area was visited recurrently during 2013 and 2014. Plants were collected from different sampling sites, identified, preserved and deposited in Herbarium of Hazara University, Mansehra. A total of 127 plants species including 59 common and 68 different were found in 13 stands of reserved forest. The different species were only confined with this forest whereas common plant species were distributed in both forests. The dominant family was Asteraceae (13 species, 10.7%) followed by Labiateae (10 species, 7.75%), Poaceae and Rosaceae (8 species, 6.2%) each, Polygonaceae and Pteridaceae by (5 species, 3.87%) each. Angiosperms were represented by 118 (92.91%), plant species, Pteridophytes 5(3.93%) species and Gymnosperms 4 (3.14%) species were recorded in reserved forest. Only single species of climber was documented. The number of herbs, shrubs and trees species recorded were 73.64%, 13.17% and 10.07% respectively. A total of 103 plant species of 55 families including 61 common in both forest types and 42 species different to guzara Forest. These plant species were recorded from 22 sampling stands. Angiosperms by (92.3%) plant species, Gymnosperms (2.88%) and Pteridophytes (4.8%) were recorded. The dominant family was Poaceae by 11 plant species followed by Asteraceae and Rosaceae each represented by 10 species and Pteridaceae by 5 plant species. Habit wise 69.23% were herbs, 14.42% shrubs and 16.34% species of tree were reported. This study will assist ecologists, botanists, taxonomist, conservationists and policy makers to mend, and manage the current vegetation status and sustainability for upcoming generations. The present investigation will also serves as base line for future researches on the Himalaya regions.     

Traditional medicinal plant knowledge and use by local healers in Sekoru District, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

The knowledge and use of medicinal plant species by traditional healers was investigated in Sekoru District, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia from December 2005 to November 2006. Traditional healers of the study area were selected randomly and interviewed with the help of translators to gather information on the knowledge and use of medicinal plants used as a remedy for human ailments in the study area. In the current study, it was reported that 27 plant species belonging to 27 genera and 18 families were commonly used to treat various human ailments. Most of these species (85.71%) were wild and harvested mainly for their leaves (64.52%). The most cited ethnomedicinal plant species wasAlysicarpus quartinianus A. Rich., whose roots and leaves were reported by traditional healers to be crushed in fresh and applied as a lotion on the lesions of patients ofAbiato (Shererit). No significant correlation was observed between the age of traditional healers and the number of species reported and the indigenous knowledge transfer was found to be similar. More than one medicinal plant species were used more frequently than the use of a single species for remedy preparations. Plant parts used for remedy preparations showed significant difference with medicinal plant species abundance in the study area.     

Dermatological remedies in the traditional pharmacopoeia of Vulture-Alto Bradano, inland southern Italy

This study documents indigenous medicinal plant utilization, management and the threats affecting them. The study was carried out in Mana Angetu district between January 2003 and December 2004. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi structured interviews, field observations, preference and direct matrix ranking with traditional medicine practitioners. The ethnomedicinal use of 230 plant species was documented in the study area. Most of the plants (78.7%) were reportedly used to treat human diseases. The most frequently used plant part were roots (33.9%), followed by leaves (25.6%). Most of the medicinal species (90.4%) were collected from the wild. Direct matrix analysis showed that Olea europaea L. Subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) was the most important species followed by Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne (120) indicating high utility value of these species for the local community. The principal threatening factors reported were deforestation (90%), agricultural expansion (85%) and fire (53%). Documenting the eroding plants and associated indigenous knowledge can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in the area.     

Quantitative ethnobotany of medicinal plants uses in the Jhelum valley,Azad Kashmir,Pakistan

Indigenous knowledge provides information on phytotherapeutic potential of medicinal plants for basic health care mangements in local communinites. The present study was aimed to document folklore knowledge of ethnic communities, who are practicing the herbal medicines in the Jhelum valley (District Hattian), Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The information regarding folklore use of plants was collected from local communities through informed consent semi- structured interviews from 152 key informants. The ethnobotanical data were quantitatively analyzed using indices of use value (UV), relative frequency citation (RFC) and Informant census factor (ICF). A total of 113 medicinal plant species belong to 52 families were documented in the local communites of Jhelum Valley. The Asteraceae and Polygonaceae were the dominant plant families. The plant species hold potential folklore uses against hepatitis, stomach and respiratory problems, tooth ache, skin ailments and tumor treatment. The whole plants (32.52%), leaves ((21.14%)) were highly consumed plant parts and decoction (22.99%), powder form (18.39%) and infusion (13.79%) was the commonly used method for herbal formulation. The species with maximum use value was Beberis lyceum (0.80) and Valeriana jatamansi (0.60). The highest ICF value was obtained for disease catergories that is ear pain (1.00) followed by heaptic disorder (0.94) and urinary system disorders (0.89). The lowest ICF value was recored for nervous system disorders (0.44). The present study disclosed that traditional knowledge of medicinal plants is still widespread in ethnic people, but gradually decline in youngers. Documentation of newly documented plant species with their folklore uses shall uphold further phytochemical and pharmacological studies.     

武夷山市药用植物资源调查及其民间传统应用分析

通过查阅文献、野外采集调查、民间走访及传统集市访查等方法，对武夷山市药用植物资源和民间传统用药的特点进行调查分析。武夷山市药用植物有1842种，分属于253科923属。其中，共收集到有实物的民间常用药用植物226种，整理鉴定后，明确其来源、入药部位、功能主治的有164种。武夷山市药用植物种类多，民间医药文化知识丰富，具有较好的发展前景。     

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in Terai forest of western Nepal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Nepal Himalayas have been known as a rich source for valuable medicinal plants since Vedic periods. Present work is the documentation of indigenous knowledge on plant utilization as natural remedy by the inhabitants of terai forest in Western Nepal. METHODS: Study was conducted during 2010-2011 following standard ethnobotanical methods. Data about medicinal uses of plants were collected by questionnaire, personal interview and group discussion with pre identified informants. Voucher specimens were collected with the help of informants, processed into herbarium following standard methods, identified with the help of pertinent floras and taxonomic experts, and submitted in Department of Botany, Butwal Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal for future references. RESULTS: During the present study 66 medicinal plant species belonging to 37 families and 60 genera has been documented. These plants were used to treat various diseases and ailments grouped under 11 disease categories, with the highest number of species (41) being used for gastro-intestinal disorders, followed by dermatological disorders (34). In the study area the informants' consensus about usages of medicinal plants ranges from 0.93 to 0.97 with an average value of 0.94. Herbs (53 %) were the primary source of medicine, followed by trees (23 %). Curcuma longa (84 %) and Azadirachta indica (76 %) are the most frequently and popularly used medicinal plant species in the study area. Acacia catechu, Bacopa monnieri, Bombax ceiba, Drymaria diandra, Rauvolfia serpentina, and Tribulus terrestris are threatened species which needs to be conserved for future use. CONCLUSIONS: The high degree of consensus among the informants suggests that current use and knowledge are still strong, and thus the preservation of today's knowledge shows good foresight in acting before much has been lost. The connections between plant use and conservation are also important ones, especially as the authors note that neither the local inhabitants nor the government is addressing the potential loss of valuable species in this region.     

An ethnobotanical survey of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants used by the traditional healers of the Lwamondo area,Limpopo province,South Africa

The use of medicinal plants in the treatment and prevention of diseases is attracting the attention of scientists worldwide. Approximately 3000 plant species are currently used by an estimated 200,000 indigenous traditional healers in South Africa. The specific part of the plant used for medicinal applications varies from species to species, and from one traditional healer to another. This study was carried out to explore and record those plants and plant parts used for treating various human ailments by the traditional healers of the Lwamondo area in the Limpopo province, South Africa for medicinal purposes. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 30 traditional healers (24 females and 6 males) in the Lwamondo area of Venda, by means of a data capture questionnaire focusing on the local names of the medicinal plants, their medicinal uses, the plant parts used, and methods of preparation and of administering treatments to patients. The survey identified 16 medicinal plants from 7 families, with 14 genera, used to treat a range of ailments in the Lwamondo area. The Fabaceae family was the most commonly used plant family representing 43.8% of all the medicinal plants species recorded by this study, followed by the Varbenaceae family at 18.8%. The plant parts most frequently used were the roots (44.5%), followed by the leaves (25.9%), bark (14.8%), the whole plant (11%), and flowers (3.7%). Most of the traditional healers obtained their extracts by boiling the medicinal plants. The most often recurring ailment treated by healers was stomach problems, using 31.3% of all the medicinal plants reported in this study for preparing such treatments. The following medicinal plants were covered by this study: Annona senegalensis, Schkuhria pinnata, Diospyros mespiliformis, Piliostigma thonningii, Senna obtusifolia, Bauhinia galpinii. The rural communities of the Lwamondo area possess a wealth of information on medicinal plants and their applications. This ethnobotanical survey can help scientists identify for further research those plants whose medicinal properties may be useful in the development of new drugs.     

Constraints and Opportunities for Sustainable Livelihoods and Cash Income Generation from NTFPs in the Mountains of Northern Parts of Pakistan

Pakistan′s forest resource base is mostly found in the mountains of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) supporting the livelihood of the rural poor and providing different ecological services. The present study was, therefore, initiated with the aim to evaluate different constraints and opportunities for sustainable livelihoods and cash income generation from NTFPs in the mountainous area of NWFP, Pakistan during 2008. Information was collected through questionnaire and interviews during field trips. A total of 117 NTFPs species have been recorded which are being used locally for various purposes such as fuel wood, fodder, medicinal plants, vegetables, mushroom, agricultural tools making, furniture, thatching, shade, fencing/ poles, ornamental purpose and animal products. The majority of plants are multi-functional like Pinus wallichiana provides timber, firewood, torch wood, the leaves/small branches are used as thatch for roofing, split logs are used for fencing and the decomposed needles are collected as humus for agricultural fields. These products were widely used by the indigenous community supporting their livelihood. The study proposes protection and sustainable management of these valuable resources for rural livelihoods, which might be useful for developing regional strategies of sustainable management of forest resources.     

Ethnobotanical study and conservation status of trees in the district Sargodha,Punjab, Pakistan

Sargodha district is one of the least studied regions of Pakistan regarding its ethnobotanical values. This paper is the first report related to the documentation and conservation status of the tree species in the Sargodha district, and their folk ethnobotanical uses. An interview base survey was conducted in the study area in 2010-2013. The ethnobotanical data revealed the use of 100 tree species (6 gymnosperms, 94 angiosperms) belonging to 77 genera (6 gymnosperms, 71 angiosperms) and 39 families (4 gymnosperms, 35 angiosperms), with the Fabaceae ranking first with 19 tree species, followed by the Moraceae (12 species). Tree species like Aegle marmelos, Butea monosperma, Diospyrus malabarica, Gmelina arborea, Kigelia africana, Manilkara hexandra, Manilkara zapota, Mimusops elengi, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Putranjiva roxburghii, Terminalia arjuna and Terminalia bellerica are not only unique in their medicinal value but also interesting because of their unusual occurrence here. Thevetia peruviana, Cassia fistula, Celtis australis, Delonix regia, Diospyrus malabarica, Grevillea robusta, Haplophragma adenophylum, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Plumeria rubra, Pterospermum acerifolium, Roystonea regia, Taxodium distichum and Tectona grandis are included among the worth looking ornamental tree species. Capparis decidua, Dalbergia sissoo, Tamarix aphylla, Tamarix dioica, Prosopis cineraria and Ziziphus mauritiana are the most commonly used timber species. Other common ethnobotanical utilization of these trees includes either sheltering or fuel or agricultural uses. Lack of awareness about the potential uses of these species, and particularly ignorance of the concerned authorities, have led to a decline in the population of this precious tree flora. Documentation of this tree flora, and as-sociated indigenous knowledge, can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of this flora in the study area. A well-organized management is critical to restore and conserve this endangered natural resource in the District Sargodha, Pakistan. The immense medicinal and timber value of these tree species make it necessary to promote their conservation to simultaneously alleviate the poverty and improve the socio-economic status of the study area.     

Uses of ethnomedicinal plants by the people living around Kitam Bird Wildlife Sanctuary,South Sikkim,India

The utilization of wild medicinal plants in primary healthcare system is still vital for mankind, particularly for people residing nearby the protected area. However, ethnobiological knowledge of indigenous people on plant usage is diminishing. The present study aimed at documenting the wild ethnomedicinal plants and to evaluate their importance in the healthcare among the local inhabitants in the fringe villages of Kitam Bird Sanctuary, South Sikkim, India. The methodology comprised interviews and questionnaire-based household surveys focusing on the informant's knowledge and experience in the use of wild medicinal plants against several diseases and ailments. Data was analysed using relative frequency citation (RFC), use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (FL%). A total of 23 ethnomedicinal plant species belonging to 20 families were recorded from the study area. Among the growth forms, herbs accounted the highest number of species (39%), followed by trees (30%), climbers (13%), ferns and shrubs with 9% each. Fruits have shown the highest use (20%), followed by leaves (16%) and whole plant. Terminalia chebula had the highest RFC (0.91) and UV (0.99), followed by Terminalia bellirica (RFC = 0.89, UV = 0.96) and Phyllanthus emblica (RFC = 0.84, UV = 0.91). Results indicate that the locals in the area had good ethnobotanical knowledge of medicinal plants which indicates their dependency on plants for treating several ailments and diseases. Some unexplored species such as Calamus erectus, Laportea bulbifera, Pteris biaurita and Solanum viarum possessing high fidelity level have scope for further pharmacological investigation.     

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Ganta Afeshum District,Eastern Zone of Tigray,Northern Ethiopia

Background

Starting from the ancient time, the people of Ethiopia use medicinal plants as traditional medicine to heal different human and livestock ailments. This ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants was carried out in Ganta Afeshum District, Eastern Zone of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, to identify medicinal plant species used by the local community to treat various human and livestock ailments.

Methods

A total of 78 informants (54 men and 24 women) were selected to collect ethnobotanical information from four study sites. Among the 78 informants, 20 key informants were selected purposefully; the other 58 informants were selected randomly by lottery method. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, field observations, guided field walks, and group discussions and were analyzed by preference ranking, paired comparison, direct matrix ranking, informant consensus factor, fidelity level (FL), use-value, independent samples t test, and Pearson correlation coefficients.

Results

A total of 173 medicinal plants were collected and identified that were distributed across 77 families and 156 genera. The family Fabaceae stood first by contributing 17 (9.8%) species followed by Lamiaceae and Solanaceae with 9 (5.2%) species each. Rhamnus prinoides was reported for the treatment of many of the described diseases. One hundred sixteen (67.1%) medicinal plant species were collected from natural vegetation, 34 (19.7) were from home gardens, 13 (7.5%) from farmland, and 10 (5.8%) were from natural vegetation and home gardens. The most widely used life form was herbs (69 species, 39.9%) followed by shrubs (58 species, 33.5%). The most commonly used part of the medicinal plants was the leaves followed by roots. The plants were prepared by grinding, powdering, squeezing, roasting, and burning and were administered through oral, dermal, nasal, anal, ocular, and vaginal, and on the surface of the teeth. The most commonly used applications were by drinking, smearing, eating, fumigation, and chewing. There was no difference between men and women informants, showing that the two sexes had similar knowledge in the use of traditional medicinal plants. Educational level and medicinal plant knowledge of informants were negatively correlated; whereas age and medicinal plant knowledge of informants were positively correlated.

Conclusions

Ganta Afeshum District is relatively rich in diversity of medicinal plant resources accompanied with a rich indigenous knowledge within the local communities to harvest and effectively use to prevent different human and livestock ailments. However, nowadays, deforestation, agricultural expansion, overgrazing, drought, and overexploitation are threatening these properties. Therefore, people of the study area should apply complementary conservation approaches (in situ and ex situ) for sustainable use of these resources and to prevent species extinction.

     

The market medicinal plants of Monterrey,Nuevo León,México

The purpose of this study is to record the popular uses of various medicinal plants collected in the market medicinal stalls of Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. One hundred and thirty-five medicinal plants were collected from 11 hierberias (stalls) of two mercados (markets) and two additional medicinal plant sources. Included is a total of 70 species in 65 genera of 38 plant families. The plant vendors of the hierberias were interviewed to determine the folk uses of these plants. Eighty-five folk uses, of both general and specific nature, are reported for the specimens collected.     

Ethno-medicinal plants of tribal people: A case study in Pakyong subdivision of East Sikkim,India

BackgroundTribal people of India still use ancient traditional health care practices, using available plants in their surroundings. Traditional knowledge of medicine is vanishing due to urbanization and outmigration thus its urgent need to preserve this valuable knowledge.MethodsThis recent study was carried out in Pakyong subdivision of East Sikkim during 2016–17, and information was collected interviewing 71 informants of the Lepcha, Bhotia, and Nepali tribes.ResultsPresent study documenting 60 useful plant species belonging to 38 families, used for local health care needs including ten veterinary useful species. Herbaceous plants were used in high proportion (32 species, 54%) followed by trees (20, 33%), shrubs (20, 8%) and climbers (3, 5%). Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts and decoction was the common drug formulation among the inhabitants. The Informant consensus factor (ICF) ranged between 0.88 and 0.97, and fidelity levels in the study region were varied from 11.53% to 100%.ConclusionDocumentation of local plant uses by tribal people will be helpful in sustainable use of indigenous practices of medicinal plants, and further information may be used for pharmacological investigation and novel phytoconstituents isolation.