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Cultural Significance and Indigenous Knowledge of Medicinal Plants in Tehsil Arifwala, Punjab, Pakistan: A Comprehensive Study

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Last updated: 24 Dec 2024

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Abstract

For countless generations, humans have incorporated plants into their daily lives for a variety of purposes, particularly in traditional medicine. The objective of the present study was to ascertain, document, and investigate the cultural significance of medicinal plants and the associated indigenous knowledge among the population of Tehsil Arifwala, Punjab, Pakistan. An analysis of the indigenous knowledge regarding these plants was conducted through interviews with the local population using a semi-structured questionnaire, supplemented by group discussions and field observations. Quantitative indices, including Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Utilization Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL), Relative Popularity Level (RPL), and Rank Order Priority (ROP), were employed in the analysis. A total of 148 plant species, representing 129 genera and 58 families, were recorded. The study involved 120 participants (70 men and 50 women), revealing 148 medicinal plant species across 58 families. Among these, monocots accounted for 26 species from 8 families, while dicots comprised 122 species from 50 families, with Poaceae being the most prevalent monocot family (17 species). The dominant growth form identified was herbs (52%), followed by trees (16%), shrubs (15%), grasses (12%), creepers (3.30%), and climbers (3.30%). The most commonly utilized plant parts were whole plants (35%), leaves (33%), and fruits (10%). Extraction methods primarily included extracts (19%), followed by powders, pastes, decoctions, oils, infusions, teas, and syrups, with values of 14%, 11%, 9%, and 8%, respectively. Respiratory disorders were the most frequently reported ailments (78 occurrences), followed by joint pain (59 occurrences) and gastrointestinal issues (56 occurrences). The ICF varied significantly, ranging from 0.13 for asthma to 0.96 for digestive problems. Utilization Values ranged from 0.07 for Pistia stratiotes to 0.66 for Withania somnifera L. Popular plants, including Mentha spicata and Ocimum basilicum, exhibited RPL values between 0.8 and 0.9, while less commonly utilized species, such as Alhagi maurorum Medik and Withania somnifera L. had RPL values of 0.33 and 0.36, respectively. Based on the ROP, Mentha spicata L. and Ficus palmata ranked the highest with scores of 90 and 88, respectively, whereas Parthenium hysterophorus L. and Veronica persica were less utilized with ROP scores of 63 and 64, respectively. This study aims to bridge the gap between scientific and traditional medicinal practices, supporting drug development and conservation efforts for endangered medicinal plants. The high RPL values for popular plants suggest their viability for further research and potential therapeutic applications.

DOI

10.21608/cat.2024.284131.1277

Keywords

Ailments treated, Ethnobotany, Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Medicinal flora, Relative popularity level (RPL), Rank order priority (ROP)

Authors

First Name

Saima

Last Name

Ramzan

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore Pakistan

Email

simaabhattti@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Wail

Last Name

Alsolami

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Biology, College of Science, Jazan University, P.O. Box. 114, Jazan 45142, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Email

walsolami@jazanu.edu.sa

City

-

Orcid

0009-0002-6466-532X

First Name

Uzma

Last Name

Hanif

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

1Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore Pakistan

Email

uzmahanif@gcu.edu.pk

City

Lahore

Orcid

0000-0002-3425-6886

First Name

Andleeb

Last Name

Sardar

MiddleName

Anwar

Affiliation

1Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore Pakistan

Email

andleebanwar@gcu.edu.pk

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Hammad

Last Name

Jan

MiddleName

Ahmad

Affiliation

Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore Pakistan

Email

hajmughul@yahoo.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Adeel

Last Name

Mustafa

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore Pakistan

Email

adeellashari698@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Muhammad

Last Name

Bilal

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore Pakistan

Email

bilaljunaid172@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Krishna

Last Name

Sharma

MiddleName

Prasad

Affiliation

Tribhuvan University, Trichandra Multiple Campus, Nepal

Email

krishna.sharma@trc.tu.edu.np

City

-

Orcid

0000-0002-3307-938X

First Name

Ahmed

Last Name

El-Shabasy

MiddleName

Eesa

Affiliation

Department of Biology, College of Science, Jazan University, P.O. Box. 114, Jazan 45142, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Email

ael-shabasy@jazanu.edu.sa

City

-

Orcid

0000-0002-1671-111X

Volume

32

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

52168

Issue Date

2024-12-01

Receive Date

2024-04-21

Publish Date

2024-12-01

Page Start

29

Page End

43

Print ISSN

1687-5052

Online ISSN

2090-2786

Link

https://cat.journals.ekb.eg/article_382145.html

Detail API

https://cat.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=382145

Order

382,145

Type

Original Article

Type Code

644

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Catrina: The International Journal of Environmental Sciences

Publication Link

https://cat.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Cultural Significance and Indigenous Knowledge of Medicinal Plants in Tehsil Arifwala, Punjab, Pakistan: A Comprehensive Study

Details

Type

Article

Created At

24 Dec 2024