PJB-2025-94
ETHNOBOTANICAL ASSESSMENT OF PLANTS USED BY THE INHIBITANTS OF MAMUND VALLEY, DISTRICT BAJAUR, PAKISTAN: APPLICATION OF QUANTITATIVE INDICES
Fazlullah
Abstract
This assessment mainly focused on enlisting ethnobotanical plants along with their medicinal uses by the people of the Mamund Valley, district Bajaur, Pakistan. Twenty-seven informants were randomly selected to collect ethnobotanical data from 2021 to 2024, with the help of two data-collecting instruments like a semi-structured questionnaire and group discussion. The ethnobotanical data were analyzed through three quantitative indices, such as informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), and direct matrix ranging (DMR). The results of the ethnobotanical study showed that the plants identified belong to 20 different genera and 9 families, respectively. The findings further indicated that herbs (50%) were the most dominant plant habit used for medicinal purposes, whereas Fabaceae (7 (35%) species) was the most dominant family. In the research region, locals used about 79 plant remedies to treat various human ailments. Decoction (24.02%) was the most dominant method of recipes preparation, whereas oral (89.87%) was the most common method of administration of recipes. The result of ICF indicated that dermatological problems (0.95), musculoskeletal ailments (0.88), and antipyretics (0.87) exhibited the greatest ICF values. Similarly, Cassia fistula L., had the highest FL (100%) value. Similarly, the DMR analysis divulged that Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle and Berberis lycium Royle were ranked first and second, while Indigifera heterantha Wall. ex., Acacia modesta Wall., and Artemisia vulgaris L. were third in rank. The present study indicated that inhabitants of the study region utilized the medicinal plants for the curing of various human ailments from prehistoric times. The demographic analysis revealed that men have more indigenous knowledge than women. More studies of phytochemical and pharmacological determination on ethnobotanical plants are primarily to isolate the bioactive compounds to convert them into novel drug. The management strategies are strictly mandatory to control the factors, i.e., overcollection of ethnobotanical plants for medicine, fodder, fuel, construction, human food, and agricultural tools, and conserve local biodiversity for incoming generations.
Key words: Ethnobotanical plants, Medicinal uses, Quantitative indices, Conservation, Human ailments, Overcollection, Biodiversity
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