Ethnomedicinal relevance of selected monocot taxa from different geographical regions of Pakistan

Authors

  • Saraj Bahadur Hainan University
  • Mushtaq Ahmad Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Zafar Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan
  • Najla Begum Qurtuba University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan
  • Maroof Ali Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla,Yunnan 666303 China
  • Tanweer Kumar Sugar Crops Research Institute (SCRI), Charsadda Road Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Yaseen 1College of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou China

Abstract

Background: Pakistan has a unique biodiversity of monocotyledon flora and due to its unique climatic condition a huge number of medicinal plants are distributed in the area. Ethnobotany plays a crucial role in understanding the dynamic relationships between biological diversity and social and cultural systems. However, studies about the ethnomedicinal significance of monocot taxa in Pakistan are very limited.

Methods: This study documented the indigenous uses of selected medicinal monocot taxa. The ethnomedicinal data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with the local men, women and herbalists of the area. The ethnomedicinal data were analyzed by different quantitative indices i.e. Use value (UV), frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), and information consent factor (ICF).

Results: In the present study, selected medicinal monocots belonging to seven families were collected from different geographical regions of Pakistan. Family Amaryllidaceae was reported as higher number of used species. Most often used parts were noted as bulbs followed by leaves and roots. The most frequent mode of preparation method was found as a decoction and raw form. Nine different disease categories were reported including respiratory diseases, antidote, gynecological problems, urogenital problems, digestive disorders, glandular disorders, blood circularity system disorders, dermatological problems, and musculoskeletal disorders. Among them, the respiratory disorders show the high value of ICF.

Conclusion: The study document showed that selected monocot taxa were used as folk medicine against various diseases. Medicinal monocots having high used value help to identify a phytochemical compound that is bioactive and indispensable for the synthesis of novel drugs for various diseases.

Keywords: Monocotyledons taxa, medicinal value, medicinal usage; local communities; ethnobotanical indices.

Author Biographies

Mushtaq Ahmad, Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan

 

 

Muhammad Zafar, Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan

 

 

Najla Begum, Qurtuba University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan

 

 

Maroof Ali, Center for Integrative Conservation & Yunnan Key Laboratory for Conservation of Tropical Rainforests and Asian Elephants, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla,Yunnan 666303 China

 

 

Tanweer Kumar, Sugar Crops Research Institute (SCRI), Charsadda Road Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

 

 

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Published

2023-09-03

How to Cite

Bahadur, S., Ahmad, M., Zafar, M., Begum, N., Ali, M., Kumar, T., & Yaseen, M. (2023). Ethnomedicinal relevance of selected monocot taxa from different geographical regions of Pakistan. Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 26, 1–17. Retrieved from https://ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/article/view/5327

Issue

Vol. 26 (2023)

Section

Research

License

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