Ethnomedicinal use of some plant species by Gujjar and Bakerwal community in Gulmarg Mountainous Region of Kashmir Himalaya

Abstract

Background: Plants are being used since the time immemorial to alleviate sufferings and ailments. Herbal medicine forms an essential part of the traditional primary medical system of Kashmir Himalaya. Present study attempts to report the essential ethnomedicinal plant species used against various ailments by Gujjar and Bakerwal community of Gulmarg Mountainous region of district Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir.

Methods: Extensive surveys were conducted in the study area in different seasons during March 2019 to July 2020 for the collection of medicinally important plants and the traditional knowledge associated with them. Ethnomedicinal data was obtained through group discussions, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and field observations. During the study a total of 54 informants (36 males and 18 females) were interviewed aged between 29-78 years. The interviews were carried out in local dialect and all the documented data was then translated into English.

Results: A total of 60 plant species belonging to 56 genera and 35 different families were reported to be used by Gujjar and Bakerwal community in order to treat various ailments. Asteraceae was recorded to be the dominant plant family in the area and leaves were the most commonly utilized plant part with decoction as the major mode of herbal recipe preparation. The highest ICF value of 0.83 was reported for dermatological disorders. Present study reported two plant species Taraxacum officinale and Viola odorata with a FL of 100% and Achillea millefolium, Chenopodium album, Phytollaca acinosa, Ajuga bracteosa, Cannabis sativa, Senecio chrysanthemoides were reported to be the most important medicinal plants according to their use value.

Conclusions: It was observed that herbal medicine plays a significant role in meeting primary health care needs of tribal communities living at high altitudes. Traditional knowledge of plants is passing on from one generation to another through the word of mouth only and this knowledge is on the verge of extinction. Hence there is a dire need to document these valuable medicinal plants and the traditional treasure associated with them. The species reported with high use value (UV) and fidelity level value (FL) should be employed for further phytochemical and pharmacological investigation to authenticate this indigenous knowledge.

Keywords: Ethno-medicinal uses, Gulmarg mountainous region, Traditional knowledge, Documentation.