Ethnomedicinal plants used in the local health care system: A survey of Parvati Valley, Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Background: Ethnomedicinal plant knowledge remains fundamental to primary healthcare in the remote Western Himalaya. This study documented the medicinal plants used in the local healthcare practices of the Parvati Valley.

Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected during 2022–2024 from 74 informants, including traditional healers, using semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions after obtaining prior informed consent. Plant specimens were identified using standard regional floras and authenticated herbarium collections, and the data were analyzed using quantitative ethnobotanical methods.

Results: A total of 47 medicinal plant species belonging to 31 families were documented, with Asteraceae (8 species) and Lamiaceae (4 species) being the dominant families. Roots were the most frequently used plant part (34.04%), while decoctions (34.04%) and powders (31.91%) were the predominant modes of preparation. Podophyllum hexandrum exhibited the highest use value (UV = 1.15), whereas Picrorhiza kurrooa recorded the highest citation frequency (FC = 68; RFC = 0.92). Gastrointestinal, respiratory, and dermatological disorders were the most frequently treated ailments. Ethnomedicinal knowledge was predominantly retained by informants aged >50 years and was mainly transmitted through oral tradition (70.27%).

Conclusions: Traditional medicinal plant knowledge continues to play a vital role in primary healthcare in the Parvati Valley. The ethnomedicinal plant species documented in this study provide a scientific basis for biodiversity conservation, the sustainable utilisation of medicinal plant resources, and future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations.

Keywords: Traditional knowledge; Local healers; Ethnomedicinal plants; Use Value; Parvati Valley.