Ethnobotanical inventory and medicinal uses of some important woody plant species of Kotli,Azad Kashmir,Pakistan

Objective:To document ethnobotanical informations of useful woody plant species in the region of Kotli,Azad Kashmir.Methods:An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Kotli.Data were collected by interview and semi structured questionnaire from selected local informants and traditional practitioners as well as by field assessment.Results:The present study documented the etnobotanical uses of 33 woody plant species.Most of the species have been used for dual purpose.Only 5 species are used for one purpose.Study revealed all species have medicinal value,among which 21 were used as fuel wood species,16 as fodder species,4 as timber wood species,12 as edible fruit species,6 as fence or hedge plant,7 as ornamental species and 12 species had other uses.Conclusions:Medicinal plants are still widely used for health care by locals of Kotli.Some species of woodlands seem to be vulnerable to overcollection and deforestation.As the young generation is diverted toward allelopathic medicines,ethnobotanical knowledges of important medicinal plants are restricted to the old people only.It is suggested to close the forest of district Kotli for next two to three decades for the conservation of plant biodiversity.

Ethnobotanical profiling of the medicinal flora of Kotli,Azad Jammu and Kashmir,Pakistan:Empirical reflections on multinomial logit specifications

Objective:To report the indigenous people's uses of plants from a multidimensional perspective in a remote area where strong ethnobotanical cultural practices prevail. Methods:An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in the field during 2014-2016. Ethnobotanical data were gathered from 182 informants through oral interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. The distribution of plants was explored using both descriptive and graphical methods. Further,a Multinomial Logit Specification was applied to find out the probability of the occurrence of diverse utilization of plants in multipurpose domains. Results:The study identified 202 plant species distributed among 71 families and 156 genera. Ethnobotanical data indicate that there are more medicinal(36.96%) uses of plants as compared to all other use categories. The output from the Multinomial Logit Specifications(MLS) model reveals that perennial and non-woody plants are exploited more for medicinal and food uses than annual and woody plants. In the context of ethnomedicinal uses,aerial plant parts particularly leaves are more extensively used for the preparation of herbal recipes as compared to underground parts. Conclusions:The results of the study emphasize the need to create awareness among the local communities about the conservation status of plant species in order to maintain a sustainable resource of plant-derived materials into the future. The novel econometric approach employed in this study adds a new insightful methodology to the existing body of literature in the field of ethnobotany. We strongly recommend conservation measures,alongside phytochemical and pharmacological studies on the useful plant species identified in this study in order to ensure their sustainable and effective utilization.

Ethnobotanical inventory and folk uses of indigenous plants from Pir Nasoora National Park,Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Objective:To document the medicinal and other folk uses of native plants of the area with a view to preserve the ethnobotanical knowledge associated with this area.Methods:The fieldwork was conducted during a period of one year.Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire and interviews with indigenous tribal people and traditional health practitioners residing in the study area.Results:The present study documented ethnobotanical uses of 104 plant species belonged to93 genera and 51 families.Results revealed that most of the documented species were used medicinally(78 spp..44.07%).Leaves were found to be the most frequently used part(69 spp..42.86%) for the preparation of indigenous recipes and for fodder.Conclusions:The current research contributes significantly to the ethnobotanical knowledge.and depicts a strong human-plant interaction.There is an urgent need to further document indigenous uses of plants for future domestication.

Ethnobotanical profiling and floristic diversity of Bana Valley, Kotli(Azad Jammu and Kashmir), Pakistan

Objective: To document the medicinal and other folk uses of native plants of the Bana Valley of district of Kotli-Azad Jammu Kashmir with a view to preserve the ethnobotanical knowledge of this area and to develop an ethnobotanical inventory of the species diversity.Methods: The fieldwork was conducted during a period of one year. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaire and interview of the informants including indigenous people, tribal people, and traditional health practitioners residing in the study area.Results: The present study documented etnobotanical uses of 86 plant species belonging to81 genera and 47 families. This study revealed that most of the species were used medicinally(74 spp; 42.29%). Leaves found to be the most frequently used part(56 spp., 36.13%) for preparation of indigenous recipes and fodder purpose.Conclusions: The current research provides a huge lump of ethnobotanical knowledge and depicts strong human-plant interaction. It is an urgent need to document indigenous uses of plants for future domestication.

Pharmacology and biochemistry of Polygonatum verticillatum:A review

Polygonatum verticillatum(Linn.)All.syn.Convallaria verticillata Linn.is a valuable medicinal plant,distributed in the temperate Himalaya at the elevations 2400 to 2800 m.It is a perennial rhizomatous herb and contains various pharmacologically important secondary metabolites among which the most important areα-bulnesene,linalyl acetate,eicosadienoic,pentacosane,piperitone,docasane,diosgenin,santonin and calarene.It also possesses antimalarial,antipyretic,anti-inflammatory,anticonvulsant,lipoxygenase,urease inhibition,diuretic,tracheorelaxant,antidiarrheal,antispasmodic,antinociceptive,antifungal,antibacterial and bronchodilator activities.The plant also got importance in traditional systems of medicine due to its broad therapeutic potential especially of its rhizome.But in the past few years,over exploitation of plant parts caused the decline in the frequency of this species due to which it became threatened,endangered and vulnerable in different parts of the world.So efforts are being made in certain regions of the world for both ex-situ and in-situ conservation.This paper briefly reviewed the botanical,traditional,phytochemical,pharmacological and conservation related aspects of this plant.

Biotechnological leap in biopharmaceuticals:Current status and challenges ahead

Fermentation based vaccine production system is replaced by edible vaccine technology. Plant derived vaccines are produced by using transgenic plants which have immunogenic properties. For combating infectious diseases especially in developing countries there is a practical need of new technology to produce and deliver inexpensive vaccines. We have best option of plant derived edible vaccines. There are many benefits of plant derived vaccinesi.e. they are cheaper, simple and easy to administer, more stable, extra versatile, with more acceptance power and highly efficient. Some plant derived vaccines are under clinical trials to use commercially and many are under research. This paper reviews the current status and future of this technology.

Ethnopharmacology,phytochemistry and cytotoxicity of emerging biotechnological tool:Mayapple(Podophyllum hexandrum L.:Berberidaceae)

Podophyllum hexandrum is a perennial herb and a valuable medicinal plant.Its common name is mayapple and is native to the lower elevations in and surrounding the Himalayan area of Pakistan.It has been used through the ages and in modern time as an intestinal purgative,inhibitor of tumor growth and salve for necrotic and infected wounds.Many important secondary metabolites have been reported to be extracted from the plant among which the most important one is podophyllotoxin as it possesses antitumor property which is used for the treatment of testicular cancer as well as lung cancer.The plant is very badly overexploited which causes decline in the frequency of this species in the past few years.It needs immediate attention for conservation by improving propagation techniques.This article reviews briefly the medicinal,phytochemical,pharmacological and conservation-related aspects of the plant.

The incredible queen of green:Nutritive value and therapeutic potential of Moringa oleifera Lam.

Moringa oleifera,rightly called as the miracle tree,is the extensively grown and highly valuable species of Moringaceae family.The tree has a pantropical distribution with nativity to Indian subcontinent.Nutritionally and therapeutically,it is a highly valued plant.Vitamins,proteins,β-carotene,aminoacids and various phenolics such as β-sitosterol,caffeoylquinic acid,kaempferol,quercetin and zeatin with potential for nutritional and therapeutic applications are enriched in different plant parts.Different plant parts of this plant such as roots,leaves,bark,flowers,fruit of immature pods and seeds possess a number of therapeutic properties such as diuretic,antipyretic,antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,antihypertensive,antitumor,antiulcer,antispasmodic,antidiabetic,cholesterol lowering,hepatoprotective and antimicrobial activities,and are being operational in various traditional medicine system for curing different health problems.Moringa is higly beneficial in depression,malnutrition,general weakness and osteoporosis.The present review is intended to emphasize the phytochemical constitution,traditional medicinal uses along pharmacological properties with the purpose to create public awareness regarding therapeutic and nutritive potential of this multipurpose tree as well as to facilitate the pharmacists and the researchers to fill the gap by exploring novel therapeutic compounds that will,of course,be in favor of humanity.

Clinical and therapeutic potential of Aconitum heterophyllum

Aconitum heterophyllum is a plant that has very important medicinal value.Lots of phytochemical constituents(metabolites)are extracted from this plant,especially diterpene alkaloids which are the main compounds having pharmacological activities such as analgesic and anti-inflammatory.Study of the structures of these compounds was done by the technique of nuclear magnetic resonance.