PJB-2021-683
Ethnobotanical appraisal and use values (UV) of medicinal plants of Takkar wildlife sanctuary and surrounding areas, District Khairpur, Sindh Pakistan.
Naeema Khatoon Khaskheli
Abstract
Ethnobotanical appraisal and use values (UV) of medicinal plants of Takkar wildlife sanctuary and surrounding areas, District Khairpur, Sindh Pakistan Abstract. The present study was conducted to document the herbal medicinal plants for preserving the ethnobotanical information of native populations of the area. During the field study, questionnaires were used to interview 22 local informants, aged 50 to 65, who were familiar with the common use of herbal medicinal plants. Data were collected based on plant medicinal uses, local name, botanical name, plant family. A use-value (UV) of each medicinal plant species was calculated based on the use report. Twenty-two medicinally valuable plant species of sixteen families were recorded. All of these were used to treat a wide range of disorders. The most frequently used family in ethnomedicine was Fabaceae (4 spp.), followed by Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, and Zygophyllaceae (2 spp. each). In the preparation of ethnomedicinal recipes, leaves (35%) were the most used plant parts followed by whole plant parts and root (16% each), fruit, flower, and seed (9% each), bark (4%), branches and latex (2% each). Mode of preparation were infusions (35%), powder (20%), decoctions (9%), tea (6%), ash, smoke, wrap, and gum (3% each). In applications of these plants as medicine, oral (81%) intake was the dominant route of administration. Salvadora oleoides (1.55), Prosopis juliflora (1.45), Calotropis procera (1.41), Capparis decidua (1.36), Aerva javanica (1.32) Acacia nilotica (1.27), Leptadenia pyrotechnica (1.23), Ziziphus nummularia with use-value (1.18), were observed most useful in medicines purposes. While the rest of the species had a use-value of less than 1.5. This research study was carried out to document important ethnobotanical plant species in a study area that has not been previously reported (to our knowledge). Traditional knowledge is only available to elders of the villagers and health practitioners. Due to a lack of interest from younger generations, this traditional knowledge is declining. Most of these medicinal plant species are facing serious threats and rapidly declining due to overgrazing, uprooting, erosion, population growth, mining, deforestation, and climatic factors. There is a huge need for the protection of these natural resources. There is an urgent need to safeguard these natural resources. Keywords: ethnobotanical knowledge, medicinal plants, use value, Takkar wildlife sanctuary, district Khairpur
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