Keywords
Ethnomedicinal study; Medicinal plants; Informant consensus factor; Goleen valley
Abstract
The study was conducted with the aim to document the indigenous practices of therapeutic plants of Goleen Valley, Chitral, Pakistan. Ethnomedicinal data was obtained from inhabitants of the area through face to face interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. To analyze data quantitatively, Familiarity index, Family Importance Value, Consensus-index, Informant consensus factor indices were applied. A total of 36 medicinal plants were documented. The recurring habit forms were herbs (53%), shrubs (25%), trees (19%) and climbers (3%). The most frequently utilizing plant part was the leaves (36%). The mode of preparation was dominated by decoction (26.19%). The Familiarity index value has been dominated by Zea mays (0.54), followed by Peganum harmala (0.46). Family Malvacea has the maximum FIV value (60.31). The value of “CI” was highest for Zea mays (++++). The ICF value was high for Muscu-skeletal disorders (0.818), next to it was digestive diseases (0.78) and Fever-malaria-typhoid (0.76). The present study shows that the practice of therapeutic plants for the cure of various diseases is still prevalent in the study area. The high degree of consensus among the local population reveals that the information/knowledge about the uses of therapeutic plants is still living in the study area. Therefore, awareness about the conservation of medicinal flora should be raised among the local communities.
Citation
Jan HA, Jan S, Ahmad N and Aysha M. Ethno-Medicinal Survey of Indigenous Medicinal Plants used by the Local Population of Goleen Valley, Chitral, Pakistan. SM J Med Plant Stud. 2017; 1(1): 1004.