title: Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants from Sudhanoti district (AJK), Pakistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ethnobotanical study was aimed to document indigenous medicinal plants along with the ethnopharmacological therapeutic values, and to explore the frequencies and relative importance of reported plants. Objective of this study was to trace out the disease prevalence pattern with help of informant consensus factor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Visual appraisal approach (VAA) and rapid rural appraisal (RRA) methods along with the group meetings and discussions about wide range of topics in an open-ended questionnaire with local people were employed for collection of qualitative ethnomedicinal data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current study reported 58 medicinal plants belonging to 33 families, where Rosaceae was the predominant family. Berberis lycium dominated among shrubs, which is used to treat liver problems (jaundice). Females and old people were found more allied to the indigenous healthcare system. Conservation threats to valued medicinal plants were detected during course of the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Local communities of the study area are highly dependent on medicinal plants and reported the best therapeutic results for specific disorders. Urgent attention must be paid on conservation of medicinal flora, comprehensive documentation of indigenous medicinal knowledge and pharmacological/phytochemical validation of reported plants for specific diseases.
authors: Department of Botany, Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST) Bhimber Campus, Bhimber Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.
authors: Muhammad
authors: M
authors: Ishtiaq
authors: Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, PO: 45550, Pakistan. Electronic address: adilqau5@gmail.com.
authors: Adeel
authors: A
authors: Mahmood
authors: Department of Botany, Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST) Bhimber Campus, Bhimber Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.
authors: Mehwish
authors: M
authors: Maqbool
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: Azad Kashmir; Ethnomedicines; Indigenous knowledge; Information consensus factor; Pakistan; Use value