PJB-2017-508
An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used for the treatment of Snakebite and Scorpion sting among the people of Namal Valley, Mianwali district, Punjab, Pakistan
Amin Shah
Abstract
Snakebites and Scorpion stings are the most neglected public problems especially in the poor rural communities of the South Asia including Pakistan. The frequency of snakebites and scorpion stings in Pakistan has increased due to destruction of the habitats of snakes and scorpions, deforestation and consequent migration of these poisonous animals towards human populations. The management of these two public problems is unsatisfactory in this region. To investigate and collect information from the inhabitants regarding the curative values of plants for treatment of snakebites and scorpion sting, an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants was carried out from September 2015 to July 2016 to document information from 14 villages of Namal Valley of district Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan. Modified Martin method was followed for collecting information from informants about the usage of medicinal plants for these poisonous bites. A total of 68 plant species belonging to 61 genera and 38 families were recorded to be used as antidote. Information obtained included common name, family and uses with pictures. The family Solanaceae was found to be most the most frequent. The life forms of the plants documented were herbs (54%) followed by shrubs with (26%) and trees (20%). The dominant used plant part in the recipes were leaves (22%). The mostly used mode of utilization was paste. Calotropis procera, Arisaema tortuosum, Albizia lebbeck and Portulaca oleracea are the major medicinal plants recorded. This is the first ethnobotanical survey of the area and the first report of the importance of medicinal plants in the treatment of poisonous snake and scorpion bites among the indigenous communities of Namal Valley district, Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan.
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