Phyto-ecological studies and distribution pattern of plant species and communities of Dhirkot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Mumshad M
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8494300 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Traditional knowledge about the use of medicinal plants for herbal drinks (HDs) is not well documented in the Azad Kashmir region despite their widespread use. This study highlights the taxonomic diversity and traditional knowledge on medicinal plants used for HDs while examining the diversity of diseases treated with HDs in the study area.Individual discussions were conducted with 255 informants (84 women and 171 men). Data gathered included (i) informant age and gender, (ii) HD species and respective plant parts used, (iii) health disorders treated, and (iv) mode of preparation and utilizations. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices including relative frequency of citation (RFC), informant consensus factor (ICF), and use value (UV) were used for data analyses.Altogether, 73 medicinal plants belonging to 40 families and 66 genera were reported to be used in HD preparations, with Asteraceae being the richest family. The average number of HD species cited was 9.09?±?0.17 per informant and did not vary either by age or gender. In addition, men and women, and adults and the young used the same pool of species (dissimilarity nearly zero). The most used plant parts were leaves (20.00%), roots (17.25%), and fruits (16.47%). Based on UV, the top five most used species were Valeriana jatamansi, Isodon rugosus, Onopordum acanthium, Acacia nilotica, and Viola canescens; and the UV was similar among gender and age categories too. The most utilized herbal preparation forms included decoctions, infusions, and tea. One hundred and eleven diseases grouped into 13 ailment categories were reported to be cured using HDs. The main category of disease treated with HDs was gastrointestinal (GIT) disorders (RFC?=?17.43%). Relatively few species were used by a large proportion of informants for each category of ailment (ICF???0.60). Only one species was used for "glandular disorders" and "eye diseases" (ICF?=?1). A novelty of about 22% (16 species) was recorded for HD species in the present work.The diversity of medicinal plant species used as HDs and the associated traditional knowledge are of considerable value to the indigenous communities of the Azad Kashmir region. Therefore, there is a need for conservation and preservation of medicinal HD species as well as the wealth of indigenous knowledge. The conservation effort should be high for species in the ailments categories glandular disorders and eye diseases. The therapeutic uses of HDs have provided basic data for further research focused on phytochemical and pharmacological studies and conservation of the most important species.
| S-EPMC5822664 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe present study is the first quantitative ethnobotanical evaluation of Harighal, an inaccessible and unexplored area of District Bagh Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK). The exploration, quantification, and comparison of ethnobotanical knowledge among different rural communities of the study area were mainly focused during field survey.MethodologyIn total, 79 informants (49 men and 34 women) were selected randomly to collect data using a semi-structured questionnaire. Various quantitative indices, including use value, relative frequency of citation, relative importance, fidelity level, and informant consent factor, were employed to evaluate the gathered information. Furthermore, primary data were also compared with twenty-two papers published from adjoining areas.ResultA total of 150 medicinal plants belonging to 98 genera and 60 families were documented. Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Rosaceae were the dominant families having 15 species each. Of these, 76 species were indigenous, 74 exotic, 136 were collected in the wild, 10 cultivated, and 4 both wild-collected and cultivated. Herbaceous taxa were the most used life form, and leaves were the most exploited plant part. Decoctions were the most preferred method used in preparation of herbal recipes. Three species viz. Mentha longifolia, Berberis lycium, and Galium aparine had the highest use value (1.05), relative frequency of citation (0.81), and relative importance value (96), respectively. The highest informant consensus factor (ICF) was reported for digestive disorders. Mentha longifolia, Punica granatum, Zanthoxylum alatum, and Olea ferruginea had 100% fidelity values. The Jaccard index revealed that uses of plants were more similar in two neighboring areas, i.e., Pearl Valley and Toli Peer.ConclusionLocal inhabitants still prioritize herbal medicines as an effective way to treat a wide variety of ailments. Elders and health practitioners of the study area are well aware of indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants, but young people are not much interested in herbal practices. Thus, valuable knowledge about the use of plants is on the verge of decline.
| S-EPMC7590686 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The current study describes ethnobotanical (EB) and traditional ethnomedicinal (TEMs) uses of medicinal plants (MPs) of Tehsil Samahni area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Indigenous inhabitants of the area mostly reside in remote mountainous areas and depend on wild plants for life necessities and treatment of different diseases. This paper presents first quantitative ethnobotanical study describing the popularity level of MPs in indigenous communities by using relative popularity level (RPL) and rank order of priority (ROP) indices. The data of TEMs and EB uses were collected from 200 interviewees consisting of traditional herbal practioners (110) and farmers (90) from study area using structured and semi-structured interview methodology during year 2019. It was found that illiterate peasants have more knowledge and practice of TEMs than other people. A total of 150 plant species belonging to 58 families with botanical and local names, parts used, mode of recipes preparation, administration mechanism and TEMs uses were documented in systematic manner. It was explored that highest number (7.69%) of plants of Moraceae were used in TEMs and followed by species of Asteraceae (6.29%). The ethnobotanical data was analyzed by using quantitative ethnobotanical tools viz: informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), relative frequency of citation (RFC), use value index (UVI), relative importance of plants (RIP), relative populatiry level (RPL) and rank order of popularity (ROP). The leaf ranked first (36.49%) and fruit 2nd (12.07%) being used in TEMs while prevalent use-form was decoction (29.28%), followed by tea (23.05%) and preferably taken as oral (46.66%). ICF analysis proved that diabetes, hypertension, rabies, snake sting and joint pains were the most prevalent occurring infirmities. The highest RFC (0.95) was found for Acacia modesta, followed by Boerhavia procumbens (RFC:0.87) and Berberis lycium (RFC:0.85). The relative importance of MPs was calculated by using UVI and Moringa oleifera showed highest (1.38), followed by Zanthoxylum armatum (1.25) and Withania somnifera (1.24) use-values. High UVI of plants depicts that these species are predominantly used in local health care system. The plants Phyllanthus emblica, Morus macruora, Justicia adhatoda and Melia azedarach depicted high values (1.00) of FL and RPL proving that these taxa are commonly used in indigenous medicines by local inhabitants and have better potential for drug discovery by ethnopharmacological analysis. Out of total, 26 species had more than 50% ROP index and Phyllanthus emblica and Flacourtia indica (ROP = 100) followed by Morus macruora (ROP: 97) were used to cure 'hypertension and hyperlipidemia' and 'cough, chest infection', respectively. It was found that 30% of total species were previously reported as medicinal while 70% plants were first time reported to be used in TEMs and authenticated by using of quantitative ethnobotanical tools. Ethnopharmacological potential of indigenous plants was confirmed by RIP and RPL indices which had been used to cure one or more body systems and were promulgated in the local herbal medicine system. The research provides clues to screen these plant species by using latest phytochemical and pharmacological analysis for novel drug discovery. This study will also be useful for conservation of bioculture traditional knowledge of indigenous communities and the most important is to conserve medicinal plants of the study area for future generations.
| S-EPMC7806180 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Medicinal plants are the basic source of health care in the Pearl Valley District Poonch, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir. The basic aim of present study was to record information about the use of plants in herbal preparation and quantification of recorded data.The research was conducted with the null hypothesis that there was no differential distribution of knowledge among the communities between genders and among different age groups in the study area and across cultural medicinal uses of the plants are similar. To check these hypotheses information about medicinal plants was collected from 46 laypeople and 18 herbalists by using an open ended and semistructured questionnaire. Different ethnobotanical indices were calculated in order to quantify the knowledge on the medicinal plants reported in the study.Our study recorded 136 species of medicinal plants belonging to 45 families with Asteraceae (14 species) as the dominant family of the area. Decoction (26 species), juice and powder (24 species each) were most common methods of preparation. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that age and gender had the significant effect on both numbers of mentioned species and different uses. A number of known medicinal plants and the number of different uses (H: 38.51; p < 0.001) differ significantly as indicated by Kruskal-Wallis tests. These results showed that the knowledge about the plant varies among different age groups, which were the first hypothesis of the present study. The highest use values (UVs) were reported for Berberis lyceum and Ajuga bracteosa (1.13 each) followed by Abies pindrow (1.03). Highest informant consensus factor (ICF) values were recorded for digestive system diseases (ICF = 0.90) and muscular and skeletal system diseases (ICF = 0.89). The value of Jaccarad index ranged from 6.11 to 32.97 with an average value of 19.84, percentage of similarity was highest between study area and Pir Lasura National Park (34.62%).High similarity might be due to the fact that the communities living in these areas have same sociocultural values and have more opportunities to exchange their traditional knowledge. The present study provides practical evidence about the use of medicinal plants among the inhabitants of the Pearl Valley.
| S-EPMC5590857 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis paper presents the first quantitative ethnobotanical study of the flora in Toli Peer National Park of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Being a remote area, there is a strong dependence by local people on ethnobotanical practices. Thus, we attempted to record the folk uses of the native plants of the area with a view to acknowledging and documenting the ethnobotanical knowledge. The aims of the study were to compile an inventory of the medicinal plants in the study area and to record the methods by which herbal drugs were prepared and administered.Materials and methodsInformation on the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants was collected from 64 local inhabitants and herbalists using open ended and semi-structured questionnaires over the period Aug 2013-Jul 2014. The data were recorded into a synoptic table comprising an ethnobotanical inventory of plants, the parts used, therapeutic indications and modes of application or administration. Different ethnobotanical indices i.e. relative frequencies of citation (RFC), relative importance (RI), use value (UV) and informant consensus factor (Fic), were calculated for each of the recorded medicinal plants. In addition, a correlation analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 16 to check the level of association between use value and relative frequency of citation.ResultsA total of 121 species of medicinal plants belonging to 57 families and 98 genera were recorded. The study area was dominated by herbaceous species (48%) with leaves (41%) as the most exploited plant part. The Lamiaceae and Rosaceae (9% each) were the dominant families in the study area. Among different methods of preparation, the most frequently used method was decoction (26 species) of different plant parts followed by use as juice and powder (24 species each), paste (22 species), chewing (16 species), extract (11 species), infusion (10 species) and poultice (8 species). The maximum Informant consensus factor (Fic) value was for gastro-intestinal, parasitic and hepatobiliary complaints (0.90). Berberis lycium Ajuga bracteosa, Prunella vulgaris, Adiantum capillus-veneris, Desmodium polycarpum, Pinus roxburgii, Albizia lebbeck, Cedrella serrata, Rosa brunonii, Punica granatum, Jasminum mesnyi and Zanthoxylum armatum were the most valuable plants with the highest UV, RFC and relative importance values. The Pearson correlation coefficient between UV and RFC (0.881) reflects a significant positive correlation between the use value and relative frequency of citation. The coefficient of determination indicated that 77% of the variability in UV could be explained in terms of RFC.ConclusionSystematic documentation of the medicinal plants in the Toli Peer National Park shows that the area is rich in plants with ethnomedicinal value and that the inhabitants of the area have significant knowledge about the use of such plants with herbal drugs commonly used to cure infirmities. The results of this study indicate that carrying out subsequent pharmacological and phytochemical investigations in this part of Pakistan could lead to new drug discoveries.
| S-EPMC5305106 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND: The advancement in the healthcare systems, stringent interventions for infectious diseases and improved diet has significantly shifted the patterns of morbidities, and consequently hereditary and congenital anomalies (CA) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have emerged as the most common causes of morbidity and mortality. In Pakistan, there is no systematic health surveillance system to assess the impact of such diseases particularly on the young and adult populations. METHODS: In order to glean into the health and morbidity profile of Azad Jammu and Kashmir we have carried out an epidemiological study in Bhimber District in the north-east of Pakistan. A total of 1,731 female subjects of age 12-75 yr originating from Bhimber were recruited through a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: There were 74 cases (and 15 types) of CA with a prevalence estimate of 42.75/1,000. CA was significantly higher in subjects who were illiterate and married, speaking Pahari language and belonged to rural areas and nuclear families. Additionally, there were 104 cases (and 21 types) of NCDs (prevalence 60.08/1,000). NCDs were observed to have higher prevalence in subjects who were illiterate and married, speaking Punjabi language, and belonged to higher age groups and nuclear families. CONCLUSION: This study explores the types and dynamics of morbidity across the major socio-demographic parameters of adult females of Bhimber and would be helpful in estimating the impact of morbidity in this population. A comprehensive country-wide study is the need of the time to identify specific risk factors associated with certain morbidity types and help prioritize areas for interventions.
| S-EPMC4454034 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase 1 gene is used as a standardized, authenticated, and reliable genetic marker for a global species-level bio-identification system. The present study was conducted to determine whether barcoding can help accurate species identification in fishes. The overall base composition of Schizothorax species was 29.6% of T, 25.5% of C, 26.5% of A, and 18.4% of G, A?+?T content 56.1% and G?+?C content 43.9%. The Ts/Tv bias (R) was 2.51. Complete COI gene was amplified using PCR and sequenced from 17 samples collected from river Neelum and Jhelum, and identification of species were done by following Mirza (1991), Jhingran (1991) classification and also through BOLD (99.3 to 99.9%) and NCBI (99.6 to 99.9%) reference sequences of those species. Multiple alignments of CO1 mtDNA gene resulted in a range of 1535-1551 base pairs. Out of 1535 consensus sites, 1490 were constant, 61 characters were variable, in which 54 were parsimony informative, and 7 variables were parsimony uninformative. This is the very first study reported from a reservoir of cold water bodies of Azad Kashmir which have a great potential for conservation of cold water fish species. We emphasized that, DNA barcoding is an accurate, reliable and has the great potential for identification of freshwater fish species.
| S-EPMC7800177 | biostudies-literature
Project description:This study aimed at estimating temporal (1989-2018) change in forest cover, carbon stock and trend in corresponding CO2 emissions/sequestration of a sub-tropical pine forest (STPF) in AJK, Pakistan. Our field inventory estimation shows an average above ground biomass (AAGB) accumulation of 0.145 Kt/ha with average carbon stock (ACS) value of 0.072 Kt/ha. Landsat TM, ETM+ and OLI images of 1989, 1993, 1999, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018 were used to extract vegetation fractions through Linear Spectral Mixture Analysis (LSMA) and forest area was calculated for respective years. Based on the forest area and estimated ACS value, the biomass carbon stock with corresponding CO2 emissions/sequestration was worked out for each time and change in forest carbon stock was determined for different time periods from 1989 to 2018. Our analysis shows net increase of 561 ha in forest cover and 40.39 Kt of ACS along with increase in corresponding CO2 sequestrations of 147.83 Kt over the study period. The results based on combination of remote sensing and field inventory provide valuable information and scientific basis to plan and ensure sustainable forest management (SFM) through reforestation, protection and conservation to enhance and maintain adequate forest cover and reduce CO2 emissions.
| S-EPMC6977729 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Despite intensive vaccination, endemicity of Avian paramyxoviruses-1 (APMV-1) is a significant problem in developing countries in Africa, Middle East, and Asia. Given the importance of APMV-1 in poultry and multiple non-poultry avian species, it is important to continue surveillance programs, routine monitoring and characterization of field isolates in the region where viruses are endemic. The purpose of this study was to pathotyped and genetically characterized 21 APMV-1s isolated from multiple avian species reared in different regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Phylogenetic analysis based on complete fusion (F) gene sequences showed that 17 APMV-1 isolates obtained from commercial poultry and backyard birds belonged to sub-genotype VIIi. Though, one pigeon-origin APMV-1 isolate was clustered in sub-genotype VIg and three in recently designated new sub-genotype VIm of genotype VI. The pigeon-origin isolates had the following two motifs 113-RKKR↓F-117 and 113-RQRR↓F-117, while all other isolates had the polybasic amino acid sequence 113-RQKR↓F-117 at the F-cleavage site, which is characteristic of virulent APMV-1 strains. These results are consistent with the five viruses that had intracerebral pathogenicity indices (ICPIs) of between 1.50 and 1.73, corresponding to a velogenic pathotype. The APMV-1s isolated from commercial poultry and backyard birds in this study showed low nucleotide distance (0.3-0.9%) and genetically closely related (> 97%) to viruses repeatedly isolated (2011-2017) from multiple avian species in other states of Pakistan. Strengthened surveillance programs in both commercial poultry and backyard flocks are needed to better assess the commercial-backyard bird interface and form a basis for evidence-based measures to limit and prevent APMV-1 transmission.
| S-EPMC7058752 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Birth weight is the most important factor that affects infant and child mortality. The most common cause of low birth is malnutrition before and during the pregnancy period. The present study was conducted to explore the associated risk factors of low birth weight which will be helpful to undertake effective measures to reduce the incidence of the low birth weight babies.The study was conducted at Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayad Al-Nayan Hospital Muzaffarabad. A sample size of 1603 live births over a period of five months were analyzed. The pregnant women were recruited in the last trimester of their pregnancy and followed up till their delivery. Information regarding maternal age, parity, income of family, gestational age, maternal occupation, degree of illiteracy, birth interval was collected. The birth weight was recorded within 24 hours of delivery. Data analysis was done using Graph Pad Prism version 6.0.Data of 1863 birth out of which 1603 were live births and among these live births, 1442 were normal birth weight babies and 161 number of low birth weight (LBW) were analyzed. The incidence of LBW in this study was (10.04%). LBW was more common in female (n=84) than in male (n=77) babies. However, this difference was statistically insignificant. Among different risk factors maternal age (p<0.05), parity (P = 0.0167), income of family (P = 0.0190), has a statically significant association with incidence of LBW. The gestational age of mother, maternal occupation, degree of illiteracy was found to affect the incidence of LBW babies, however the difference was found to be statistically insignificant for LBW. Birth interval less than three years and low hemoglobin level (P<0.0260) was found to have a significant association with LBW babies.LBW a common problem in Pakistan is an important factor for perinatal mortality and morbidity. Among different risk factors maternal age, parity, income of family, gestational age of mother, maternal occupation, degree of illiteracy, birth interval less than three years were found to be the important risk factors contributing to LBW babies born in Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayad Al- Nayan Hospital Muzaffarabad.
| S-EPMC5510115 | biostudies-other