Ethnobotanical knowledge and ethnomedicinal uses of plant resources by urban communities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: a novel urban ethnobotanical approach.
Irfan Ullah, Seemab Akhtar, Muhammad Adnan, Javed Nawab, Sajid Ullah, M Abdullah-Al-Wadud
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Abstract
Study background: Ethnobotanical knowledge of plants in rural and remote areas is more common in Pakistan than in urban areas. This study was carried out to find the indigenous knowledge of plants in anthropogenically disturbed urban areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Materials and methods: Eight visits (Two per season) were carried out from March 2023 to March 2024. The semi- structured questionnaire was administered to informants and analyzed using informant consensus factor (ICF), use values (UV), fidelity level (FL%), average direct matrix ranking (ADMR), and Jaccard index (JI).
Results: A total of 138 plant species belonging to 54 families, Asteraceae with the highest number of plant species (14) were recorded from 101 informants. Herbs were the dominant plant species (75%) and leaves were the most used parts (43%). The ICF value of 0.97 indicated a high consensus among informants regarding the use of plants for kidney disorders. The highest UV value of 0.78 showed a maximum use of the plant for ear diseases. The highest FL% of 91.8 indicated the highest use of A. sativum for alopecia. For plant use in medicinal purposes, the ADMR ranking came in first. JI values showed that 73 plant species were common in all the three urban areas.
Conclusions: The study area was highly disturbed by anthropogenic activities. However, it still contains a rich diversity of plant resources. Furthermore, investigation is required for the conservation and utilization of plant resources, discovery of novel drugs and climate resilience for the welfare of mankind.
期刊介绍：
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine publishes original research focusing on cultural perceptions of nature and of human and animal health. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine invites research articles, reviews and commentaries concerning the investigations of the inextricable links between human societies and nature, food, and health. Specifically, the journal covers the following topics: ethnobotany, ethnomycology, ethnozoology, ethnoecology (including ethnopedology), ethnogastronomy, ethnomedicine, ethnoveterinary, as well as all related areas in environmental, nutritional, and medical anthropology.
Research focusing on the implications that the inclusion of humanistic, cultural, and social dimensions have in understanding the biological word is also welcome, as well as its potential projections in public health-centred, nutritional, and environmental policies.
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