title: Ethnomedicinal knowledge of the most commonly used plants from Deosai Plateau, Western Himalayas, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current survey was aimed to identify the prime important medicinal plants in terms of medicines and further pharmacological screening of such plants. As far as, we know, no reported data from Deosai Plateau have been published and this is the first documented information of the study area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ethnomedicinal information of plants was collected through semi-structured interviews through a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provided information of 50 medicinal plant species used to treat 29 different ailments. A total of 42 species (84%) were herbs while shrubs and subshrubs were represented by 8 species (16%). Leaves (37%) were the predominant plant parts followed by, roots (27%), aerial parts (13%), flowers (12%), fruit (7%), seeds (3%), and tuber (1%). Method of preparation fall into five categories including infusion (31%), paste (23%), decoction (20%), powder (18%), and juice (8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study area is rich in medicinal plant diversity growing in wild. Our efforts in this regard are only a little contribution to the ethnobotanical study of this area focusing on medicinal plants while more clinical studies are required in future to prove such claims of local inhabitants.
authors: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan. Electronic address: abidabano86@yahoo.com.
authors: Abida
authors: A
authors: Bano
authors: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors: Mushtaq
authors: M
authors: Ahmad
authors: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors: Muhammad
authors: M
authors: Zafar
authors: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors: Shazia
authors: S
authors: Sultana
authors: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors: Sofia
authors: S
authors: Rashid
authors: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
authors: Mir Ajab
authors: MA
authors: Khan
mesh_terms: D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: Alpine Zone; Deosai Plateau; Ethnomedicine; Indigenous plants; Pakistan; Western Himalayas