Maroof Ali | Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (original) (raw)

Papers by Maroof Ali

Understanding residents' perceptions of ecosystem services (ESs) is important for modern ecosyste... more Understanding residents' perceptions of ecosystem services (ESs) is important for modern ecosystem management. However, these perceptions are often overlooked in managing nature reserves, leading to decreased residents' participation in policy implementation. This study proposes to investigate the perceptions and ecological concepts contained in ESs among residents using a questionnaire survey. The results showed that: (1) Residents prioritize supporting services and they value "leisure and recreation" the most, followed by "air purification" and "habitat for animals and plants". (2) Perceptions of different ESs have significant spatial differences, and distance significantly affects residents' perceptions. (3) Most types of ESs are significantly correlated with each other, and indigenous ecological concept has a profound impact on their perceptions. (4) Education and livelihood play a positive effect on the perceptions of ESs, while nationality, gender, age, distance, and relief show a negative influence. Improving education levels, establishing community rules and regulations, strengthening humans and nature connections, using ecological indigenous concepts in environmental management, and integrating residents' perceptions into regional development planning are some suggested solutions. This research study provides valuable insights into incorporating residents' perceptions and indigenous knowledge into ecological management and policy development at local and regional levels.

Circular Agricultural Systems, 2023

Understanding the relationship between the supply and demand for ecosystem services (ESs) is crit... more Understanding the relationship between the supply and demand for ecosystem services (ESs) is critical for ecological management and decisionmaking. However, it is unknown whether demand and supply for ESs vary in terms of time and space. In this study, the InVEST model was used to spatially quantify the supply and demand for ESs in the Taihu Lake Basin (TLB) between 2010 and 2020. We compared the difference in supply and demand for ESs at four spatial scales. We found that: (1) The high deficit areas are mainly located in densely populated towns in the eastern and central regions, while the high surplus areas are mainly located in forested areas in the southwest. From 2010 to 2020, the surplus area shrank while the deficit area expanded. (2) The comprehensive supply-demand ratio of ESs in the TLB decreased from −0.03 to −0.05, especially the contradiction between carbon sequestration service and heat regulation service. (3) The mismatch between supply and demand on a small scale will have an impact on the overall supply and demand, and expanding the scope can also help to alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand on a small scale. Therefore, we recommend that decision-makers and managers incorporate scale analysis into ecosystem management decisions, realize the balance between supply and demand through reasonable ecological protection and ecological restoration and strengthen the analysis of ecosystem service flows and stakeholders.

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 2023

Background The Shui are a small Chinese sociolinguistic group living in Sandu Shui Autonomous Cou... more Background The Shui are a small Chinese sociolinguistic group living in Sandu Shui Autonomous County, south of Guizhou Province. The Shui people have accumulated and developed rich traditional medicinal knowledge, which has played a significant role in their healthcare. Traditional ethnic herbal medicines, like Shui ethnomedicine, have become an important resource of rural development in Guizhou Province. However, not much research has been conducted to document the medicinal plants traditionally used by the Shui people. This study's aims are (1) to record the current use of medicinal plants in Sandu County and associated traditional knowledge, including the medicinal plant species used and the types of diseases treated by local healers and any unique aspects of their preparations; (2) to analyze the most important medicinal plant species using relative frequency of citation (RFC); and (3) to provide useful information and data for possible future development and application of ethnomedicine and promote the conservation and preservation of Shui traditional medicinal knowledge.

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas, 2021

Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. Polygonatum verticillatu... more Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. Polygonatum verticillatum (L.) All. ASPARAGACAE Synonyms Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle: Campydorum verticillatum (L.) Salisb.; Convallaria leptophylla D. Don; C. stellifolia Peterm.; C. verticillata L.; Evallaria verticillata (L.) Neck.; Polygonatum angustifolium Bubani; P. erythrocarpum Hua; P. jacquemontianum Kunth; P. kansuense Maxim. ex Batalin; P. leptophyllum (D. Don) Royle; P. macrophyllum Sweet; P. minutiflorum H. Lév.; P. roseum Hook.;

Micron (Oxford, England : 1993), Jan 29, 2018

Dryopteris and Polystichum are the 2 complex taxonomic genera of Dryopteridaceae. The comparative... more Dryopteris and Polystichum are the 2 complex taxonomic genera of Dryopteridaceae. The comparative foliar epidermal anatomy of 12 species of both genera from Pakistan were studied using standard protocols of light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The objective of which was systematic comparison and investigation to elucidate the taxonomic importance of foliar micromorphology, which may be useful to taxonomists for identifying complex Dryopteridaceae taxa. Principal component analysis and UPGMA clustering analysis were performed to test the validity of leaf anatomical features as method of separating species and genera. The foliar epidermal anatomy described here is a good source of taxonomic characters in both groups that can help genera and species delimitation. This is the first report on leaf micromorphology in most of these species. Observation of foliar anatomy showed that stomata are only present on the abaxial surface; i.e., leaves of all species are hyp...

Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 2019

Background: The present study was the first one of its own kind conducted in the study area. Thro... more Background: The present study was the first one of its own kind conducted in the study area. Throughout the world digestive system diseases and their related symptoms are widely prevalent. People of Chitral still heavily rely upon therapeutic plants to cure digestive disorders. Aim of the study: The present study was conducted in order to document the traditional uses of medicinal plants for the cure of digestive disorders in Laspur Valley of Chitral. Methods: Ethnomedicinal data was obtained from 200 inhabitants of the area through face to face interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. To analyze data quantitatively, Use-Value (UV), Familiarity-Index (FI), Family Importance Value (FIV), Consensus-Index (CI), and Informant Consensus Factor indices (ICF) were applied. Results: A total of 44 medicinal plants were documented. The recurring life forms were herbs (75%), shrubs (15.91%) and trees (6.82%). The most frequently utilized part was the leaves (43.18%). To prepare medicine leaves were used unprocessed in fresh/dried form, as powder, and decoction, and were usually taken orally. The FI value was led by Coriandrum sativum (0.285). The family Apiaceae had the maximum FIV value (46.5). The value of "CI" was highest for Coriandrum sativum. ICF values for Dysentery, Vomiting and Intestinal Disorders (1.0) presented the maximum consensus factor. Conclusion: The practice of using therapeutic plants to cure digestive disorders by medicinal plants is still prevalent in the study area.

Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 2022

An interview with Narel Paniagua-Zambrana, Senior Scientist of the Department of Ethnobotany at t... more An interview with Narel Paniagua-Zambrana, Senior Scientist of the Department of Ethnobotany at the Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, Georgia, Associated Researcher of Herbario Nacional de Bolivia and co-director of Saving Knowledge. Her work focuses on ethnobotanical research and the preservation of traditional knowledge, in the Andes, the Caucasus, and the Himalayas. Narel Paniagua-Zambrana interviewing Ese Eja indigenous people in the community of Palma Real, Tambopata, Peru (Photo RW Bussmann). I am an ethnobotanist, and I study the complex relationship that people establish with plants through their use. This implies aspects related to their culture, their history, their socioeconomic context, and the environment in which they develop. I started studying ecology, seeking to understand the effect of the use of plants on ecosystems, and very quickly I understood that without incorporating people, their vision, knowledge, and perceptions, we could never conserve the ecosystems and plants that we wanted to protect. We now collaborate with local communities to protect and preserve their knowledge as the most important tool in conservation. Pressing the collection of the day, one of the most common activities in botany and ethnobotany. Rio Marañon, Peru 2013 (Photo RW Bussmann). Describe your work/what you see as your mission My motivation / mission has changed a lot over the years that I have been collaborating with indigenous and local communities. It started with a fascination for the way people use plants, and now it has morphed into a deep respect for the way they "relate" to plants. After more than 15 years working on this issue, I must say that the word "use" does not fit at all for the "relationship" that people establish with plants that allows them to take advantage of their benefits. It is a relationship that involves social, cultural, historical, economic, and environmental aspects, and it is as complex as it is fascinating. And precisely to contribute to understanding this complex relationship, our research consists of documenting this knowledge and correctly identifying the plants to which people attribute a use. In this way we have the information on use, local names and local classification provided by members of the community, and we also have a scientific collection of plants that allows us to know exactly what species we are talking about. These collections are deposited in local (national) herbaria, and in this way, they also serve to protect the Natural Heritage in their own countries. In addition, the results of all our research have been returned to the local populations in formats and languages chosen by them (Balslev et al.

Ethnobotany of Mountain Regions, 2020

Ethnobotany Research and Applications

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Background: The use of plants for different ethnobotanical purposes is a common practice in the r... more Background: The use of plants for different ethnobotanical purposes is a common practice in the remote areas of developing countries, particularly in reference to human and animal healthcare. For this aim, it is important to document ethnomedicinal use of plants for human and livestock healthcare from unexplored regions. Objective: The current study aimed to document the use of medicinal plants and to assess their conservation status. We hypothesized that Central Kurram, due to its remoteness and maintenance of traditions would show distinct differences in medicinal plant use in comparison to other areas of Pakistan. Method: The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and was analyzed using various quantitative indices including use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), use report (UR), fidelity level (FL), informant consensus factor (ICF) and family importance value (FIV). Plant samples were collected identified and then processed as voucher specimens following standard ethnobotanical practice. Results: One hundred twenty participants including 80 men and 40 women were interviewed. The participants reported a total of 106 plant species, belonging to 96 genera and 50 families. There were two families of pteridophytes (2 species), 2 families of gymnosperm (4 species) and 100 species belonging to 46 families of 2 angiosperms. The local population used therapeutic plants to heal 114 different diseases in 19 aliment categories in the study area.A total of 106 species belonging to 50 families were documented as used to treat different types of illness. The UV ranged from 0.01 (Artemisia scoparia and Malva sylvestris) to 0.75 (Conyza canadensis). The RFC varied from 0.025 (Hyoscyamus niger and Senecio crysanthemoides) to 1.992 (Ephedra intermedia). The species with 100% FL were Astragalus stocksii and Artemisia scoparia, while the FCI ranged from 0 to 1 for insecticides and acoustic disorders. The conservation assessment revealed that 49 plant species were vulnerable, followed by rare (34 spp.), infrequent (7 spp.), Dominant (5spp.) And 5 endangered species. Conclusion: The current study showed that Central Kurram has a significant diversity of medicinal plant, and the use of medicinal plants and plant-based remedies is still common in the area. A total of 106 medicinal plant species, belonging to 50 families were documented for the treatment of 114 disorders. The residents used medicinal plants in treatment of important diseases such as Covid-19, cancer, dysentery, as diuretic, wound healing, and sexual diseases.

Investigation on medicinal plants’ therapeutic potential has gained substantial importance in the... more Investigation on medicinal plants’ therapeutic potential has gained substantial importance in the discovery of novel effective and safe therapeutic agents. The present study is aimed at investigating the hepatoprotective potential of Seriphidium kurramense methanolic extract (SKM) against carbon tetrachloride- (CCl4-) induced hepatotoxicity in rats. S. kurramense is one of the most imperative plants for its various pharmacological activities. Therefore, this study was aimed at evaluating the hepatoprotective potential against CCl4-induced liver toxicity. The serum samples were analyzed for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) together with the oxidative stress mediator levels as nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), reduced glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as peroxidation and H2O2 activity. CCl4 administration resulted in an elevated free radical generation, altered liver marker (AST and ALT) enzymes, reduced antioxidant enzyme, and increased DNA damage. Methanolic extract of S. kurramense decreased CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity by increasing the antioxidant status and reducing H2O2 and nitrate content generation as well as reducing DNA damage. Additionally, SKM reversed the morphological alterations induced by CCl4 in the SKM-treated groups. These results demonstrated that SKM displayed hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced hepatic damage in experimental rats.

Modifications of land use and vegetation cover are proceeding faster than ever before in human hi... more Modifications of land use and vegetation cover are proceeding faster than ever before in human history, with a considerable reduction in forest cover in biodiversity hotspots. We investigated the land use and vegetation cover changes, their impact on biodiversity in the Kurram District, Pakistan, for 27 years (1989 to 2015). Temporal satellite imagery was processed using a supervised maximum likelihood classification algorithm in ARCGIS 10.1 to elucidate information regarding land use/land cover changes, with conducted structured interviews to obtain the inhabitants' perspectives on their dependence on ecosystems in Kurram, and how their environment is changing. We found that the land under forest cover and rangeland showed a remarkable decrease over the study period. This decline in rangeland and forest cover was a result of the increased of farmland, barren land. The study area is part of a biodiversity, with important medicinal, rare and unique plant species.

Background: Medicinal plants occupy an important place in the lives of people around the world. T... more Background: Medicinal plants occupy an important place in the lives of people around the world. This study covers an area where medicinal plants are widely used for various health-related problems due to easily available sources. Objective: The current study aimed to document the quantities of data about the most commonly used medicinal plants in the district Bannu and two common species' biological activities. Methods: Ethno-pharmacological data were collected from different locations of district Bannu in the period from 2018 to 2019.The information about biological activities was concentrated on two species: Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal and Mentha viridis L. The data was compiled randomly by semi-structured interviews from having different groups, ages consist of both genders, male and female. Results: The ethno-pharmacological data were collected from 115 native people, including 14 traditional healers. The most frequently cited families were: Solanaceae and Moraceae with 5 species (5.88%) followed by Apiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae with 4 species each (4.7%). The highest use-value was reported for Withania coagulans (0.47), followed by M. viridis (0.44), Tamarix aphylla (0.43), Curcuma longa (0.42), Plantago ovata (0.41), Linum usitatissimum (0.40). Least use value was reported for Ziziphus nummularia (0.04).The highest RFC value was reported for W. coagulans (47.82), followed by M. viridis (44.34), and T. aphylla (43.47). Conclusion: The study will result in further pharmacological and clinical research to discover new medicines to improve the health system. It is the first step in unraveling natural products' potential and requires careful study and investigation to enrich the system worldwide. The study will also contribute to the conservation of medicinal plants in the area of Bannu.

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. Polygonatum verticillatu... more Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. Polygonatum verticillatum (L.) All. ASPARAGACAE Synonyms Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle: Campydorum verticillatum (L.) Salisb.; Convallaria leptophylla D. Don; C. stellifolia Peterm.; C. verticillata L.; Evallaria verticillata (L.) Neck.; Polygonatum angustifolium Bubani; P. erythrocarpum Hua; P. jacquemontianum Kunth; P. kansuense Maxim. ex Batalin; P. leptophyllum (D. Don) Royle; P. macrophyllum Sweet; P. minutiflorum H. Lév.; P. roseum Hook.;

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Understanding residents' perceptions of ecosystem services (ESs) is important for modern ecosyste... more Understanding residents' perceptions of ecosystem services (ESs) is important for modern ecosystem management. However, these perceptions are often overlooked in managing nature reserves, leading to decreased residents' participation in policy implementation. This study proposes to investigate the perceptions and ecological concepts contained in ESs among residents using a questionnaire survey. The results showed that: (1) Residents prioritize supporting services and they value "leisure and recreation" the most, followed by "air purification" and "habitat for animals and plants". (2) Perceptions of different ESs have significant spatial differences, and distance significantly affects residents' perceptions. (3) Most types of ESs are significantly correlated with each other, and indigenous ecological concept has a profound impact on their perceptions. (4) Education and livelihood play a positive effect on the perceptions of ESs, while nationality, gender, age, distance, and relief show a negative influence. Improving education levels, establishing community rules and regulations, strengthening humans and nature connections, using ecological indigenous concepts in environmental management, and integrating residents' perceptions into regional development planning are some suggested solutions. This research study provides valuable insights into incorporating residents' perceptions and indigenous knowledge into ecological management and policy development at local and regional levels.

Circular Agricultural Systems, 2023

Understanding the relationship between the supply and demand for ecosystem services (ESs) is crit... more Understanding the relationship between the supply and demand for ecosystem services (ESs) is critical for ecological management and decisionmaking. However, it is unknown whether demand and supply for ESs vary in terms of time and space. In this study, the InVEST model was used to spatially quantify the supply and demand for ESs in the Taihu Lake Basin (TLB) between 2010 and 2020. We compared the difference in supply and demand for ESs at four spatial scales. We found that: (1) The high deficit areas are mainly located in densely populated towns in the eastern and central regions, while the high surplus areas are mainly located in forested areas in the southwest. From 2010 to 2020, the surplus area shrank while the deficit area expanded. (2) The comprehensive supply-demand ratio of ESs in the TLB decreased from −0.03 to −0.05, especially the contradiction between carbon sequestration service and heat regulation service. (3) The mismatch between supply and demand on a small scale will have an impact on the overall supply and demand, and expanding the scope can also help to alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand on a small scale. Therefore, we recommend that decision-makers and managers incorporate scale analysis into ecosystem management decisions, realize the balance between supply and demand through reasonable ecological protection and ecological restoration and strengthen the analysis of ecosystem service flows and stakeholders.

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 2023

Background The Shui are a small Chinese sociolinguistic group living in Sandu Shui Autonomous Cou... more Background The Shui are a small Chinese sociolinguistic group living in Sandu Shui Autonomous County, south of Guizhou Province. The Shui people have accumulated and developed rich traditional medicinal knowledge, which has played a significant role in their healthcare. Traditional ethnic herbal medicines, like Shui ethnomedicine, have become an important resource of rural development in Guizhou Province. However, not much research has been conducted to document the medicinal plants traditionally used by the Shui people. This study's aims are (1) to record the current use of medicinal plants in Sandu County and associated traditional knowledge, including the medicinal plant species used and the types of diseases treated by local healers and any unique aspects of their preparations; (2) to analyze the most important medicinal plant species using relative frequency of citation (RFC); and (3) to provide useful information and data for possible future development and application of ethnomedicine and promote the conservation and preservation of Shui traditional medicinal knowledge.

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas, 2021

Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. Polygonatum verticillatu... more Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. Polygonatum verticillatum (L.) All. ASPARAGACAE Synonyms Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle: Campydorum verticillatum (L.) Salisb.; Convallaria leptophylla D. Don; C. stellifolia Peterm.; C. verticillata L.; Evallaria verticillata (L.) Neck.; Polygonatum angustifolium Bubani; P. erythrocarpum Hua; P. jacquemontianum Kunth; P. kansuense Maxim. ex Batalin; P. leptophyllum (D. Don) Royle; P. macrophyllum Sweet; P. minutiflorum H. Lév.; P. roseum Hook.;

Micron (Oxford, England : 1993), Jan 29, 2018

Dryopteris and Polystichum are the 2 complex taxonomic genera of Dryopteridaceae. The comparative... more Dryopteris and Polystichum are the 2 complex taxonomic genera of Dryopteridaceae. The comparative foliar epidermal anatomy of 12 species of both genera from Pakistan were studied using standard protocols of light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The objective of which was systematic comparison and investigation to elucidate the taxonomic importance of foliar micromorphology, which may be useful to taxonomists for identifying complex Dryopteridaceae taxa. Principal component analysis and UPGMA clustering analysis were performed to test the validity of leaf anatomical features as method of separating species and genera. The foliar epidermal anatomy described here is a good source of taxonomic characters in both groups that can help genera and species delimitation. This is the first report on leaf micromorphology in most of these species. Observation of foliar anatomy showed that stomata are only present on the abaxial surface; i.e., leaves of all species are hyp...

Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 2019

Background: The present study was the first one of its own kind conducted in the study area. Thro... more Background: The present study was the first one of its own kind conducted in the study area. Throughout the world digestive system diseases and their related symptoms are widely prevalent. People of Chitral still heavily rely upon therapeutic plants to cure digestive disorders. Aim of the study: The present study was conducted in order to document the traditional uses of medicinal plants for the cure of digestive disorders in Laspur Valley of Chitral. Methods: Ethnomedicinal data was obtained from 200 inhabitants of the area through face to face interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. To analyze data quantitatively, Use-Value (UV), Familiarity-Index (FI), Family Importance Value (FIV), Consensus-Index (CI), and Informant Consensus Factor indices (ICF) were applied. Results: A total of 44 medicinal plants were documented. The recurring life forms were herbs (75%), shrubs (15.91%) and trees (6.82%). The most frequently utilized part was the leaves (43.18%). To prepare medicine leaves were used unprocessed in fresh/dried form, as powder, and decoction, and were usually taken orally. The FI value was led by Coriandrum sativum (0.285). The family Apiaceae had the maximum FIV value (46.5). The value of "CI" was highest for Coriandrum sativum. ICF values for Dysentery, Vomiting and Intestinal Disorders (1.0) presented the maximum consensus factor. Conclusion: The practice of using therapeutic plants to cure digestive disorders by medicinal plants is still prevalent in the study area.

Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 2022

An interview with Narel Paniagua-Zambrana, Senior Scientist of the Department of Ethnobotany at t... more An interview with Narel Paniagua-Zambrana, Senior Scientist of the Department of Ethnobotany at the Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, Georgia, Associated Researcher of Herbario Nacional de Bolivia and co-director of Saving Knowledge. Her work focuses on ethnobotanical research and the preservation of traditional knowledge, in the Andes, the Caucasus, and the Himalayas. Narel Paniagua-Zambrana interviewing Ese Eja indigenous people in the community of Palma Real, Tambopata, Peru (Photo RW Bussmann). I am an ethnobotanist, and I study the complex relationship that people establish with plants through their use. This implies aspects related to their culture, their history, their socioeconomic context, and the environment in which they develop. I started studying ecology, seeking to understand the effect of the use of plants on ecosystems, and very quickly I understood that without incorporating people, their vision, knowledge, and perceptions, we could never conserve the ecosystems and plants that we wanted to protect. We now collaborate with local communities to protect and preserve their knowledge as the most important tool in conservation. Pressing the collection of the day, one of the most common activities in botany and ethnobotany. Rio Marañon, Peru 2013 (Photo RW Bussmann). Describe your work/what you see as your mission My motivation / mission has changed a lot over the years that I have been collaborating with indigenous and local communities. It started with a fascination for the way people use plants, and now it has morphed into a deep respect for the way they "relate" to plants. After more than 15 years working on this issue, I must say that the word "use" does not fit at all for the "relationship" that people establish with plants that allows them to take advantage of their benefits. It is a relationship that involves social, cultural, historical, economic, and environmental aspects, and it is as complex as it is fascinating. And precisely to contribute to understanding this complex relationship, our research consists of documenting this knowledge and correctly identifying the plants to which people attribute a use. In this way we have the information on use, local names and local classification provided by members of the community, and we also have a scientific collection of plants that allows us to know exactly what species we are talking about. These collections are deposited in local (national) herbaria, and in this way, they also serve to protect the Natural Heritage in their own countries. In addition, the results of all our research have been returned to the local populations in formats and languages chosen by them (Balslev et al.

Ethnobotany of Mountain Regions, 2020

Ethnobotany Research and Applications

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Background: The use of plants for different ethnobotanical purposes is a common practice in the r... more Background: The use of plants for different ethnobotanical purposes is a common practice in the remote areas of developing countries, particularly in reference to human and animal healthcare. For this aim, it is important to document ethnomedicinal use of plants for human and livestock healthcare from unexplored regions. Objective: The current study aimed to document the use of medicinal plants and to assess their conservation status. We hypothesized that Central Kurram, due to its remoteness and maintenance of traditions would show distinct differences in medicinal plant use in comparison to other areas of Pakistan. Method: The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and was analyzed using various quantitative indices including use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), use report (UR), fidelity level (FL), informant consensus factor (ICF) and family importance value (FIV). Plant samples were collected identified and then processed as voucher specimens following standard ethnobotanical practice. Results: One hundred twenty participants including 80 men and 40 women were interviewed. The participants reported a total of 106 plant species, belonging to 96 genera and 50 families. There were two families of pteridophytes (2 species), 2 families of gymnosperm (4 species) and 100 species belonging to 46 families of 2 angiosperms. The local population used therapeutic plants to heal 114 different diseases in 19 aliment categories in the study area.A total of 106 species belonging to 50 families were documented as used to treat different types of illness. The UV ranged from 0.01 (Artemisia scoparia and Malva sylvestris) to 0.75 (Conyza canadensis). The RFC varied from 0.025 (Hyoscyamus niger and Senecio crysanthemoides) to 1.992 (Ephedra intermedia). The species with 100% FL were Astragalus stocksii and Artemisia scoparia, while the FCI ranged from 0 to 1 for insecticides and acoustic disorders. The conservation assessment revealed that 49 plant species were vulnerable, followed by rare (34 spp.), infrequent (7 spp.), Dominant (5spp.) And 5 endangered species. Conclusion: The current study showed that Central Kurram has a significant diversity of medicinal plant, and the use of medicinal plants and plant-based remedies is still common in the area. A total of 106 medicinal plant species, belonging to 50 families were documented for the treatment of 114 disorders. The residents used medicinal plants in treatment of important diseases such as Covid-19, cancer, dysentery, as diuretic, wound healing, and sexual diseases.

Investigation on medicinal plants’ therapeutic potential has gained substantial importance in the... more Investigation on medicinal plants’ therapeutic potential has gained substantial importance in the discovery of novel effective and safe therapeutic agents. The present study is aimed at investigating the hepatoprotective potential of Seriphidium kurramense methanolic extract (SKM) against carbon tetrachloride- (CCl4-) induced hepatotoxicity in rats. S. kurramense is one of the most imperative plants for its various pharmacological activities. Therefore, this study was aimed at evaluating the hepatoprotective potential against CCl4-induced liver toxicity. The serum samples were analyzed for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) together with the oxidative stress mediator levels as nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), reduced glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as peroxidation and H2O2 activity. CCl4 administration resulted in an elevated free radical generation, altered liver marker (AST and ALT) enzymes, reduced antioxidant enzyme, and increased DNA damage. Methanolic extract of S. kurramense decreased CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity by increasing the antioxidant status and reducing H2O2 and nitrate content generation as well as reducing DNA damage. Additionally, SKM reversed the morphological alterations induced by CCl4 in the SKM-treated groups. These results demonstrated that SKM displayed hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced hepatic damage in experimental rats.

Modifications of land use and vegetation cover are proceeding faster than ever before in human hi... more Modifications of land use and vegetation cover are proceeding faster than ever before in human history, with a considerable reduction in forest cover in biodiversity hotspots. We investigated the land use and vegetation cover changes, their impact on biodiversity in the Kurram District, Pakistan, for 27 years (1989 to 2015). Temporal satellite imagery was processed using a supervised maximum likelihood classification algorithm in ARCGIS 10.1 to elucidate information regarding land use/land cover changes, with conducted structured interviews to obtain the inhabitants' perspectives on their dependence on ecosystems in Kurram, and how their environment is changing. We found that the land under forest cover and rangeland showed a remarkable decrease over the study period. This decline in rangeland and forest cover was a result of the increased of farmland, barren land. The study area is part of a biodiversity, with important medicinal, rare and unique plant species.

Background: Medicinal plants occupy an important place in the lives of people around the world. T... more Background: Medicinal plants occupy an important place in the lives of people around the world. This study covers an area where medicinal plants are widely used for various health-related problems due to easily available sources. Objective: The current study aimed to document the quantities of data about the most commonly used medicinal plants in the district Bannu and two common species' biological activities. Methods: Ethno-pharmacological data were collected from different locations of district Bannu in the period from 2018 to 2019.The information about biological activities was concentrated on two species: Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal and Mentha viridis L. The data was compiled randomly by semi-structured interviews from having different groups, ages consist of both genders, male and female. Results: The ethno-pharmacological data were collected from 115 native people, including 14 traditional healers. The most frequently cited families were: Solanaceae and Moraceae with 5 species (5.88%) followed by Apiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae with 4 species each (4.7%). The highest use-value was reported for Withania coagulans (0.47), followed by M. viridis (0.44), Tamarix aphylla (0.43), Curcuma longa (0.42), Plantago ovata (0.41), Linum usitatissimum (0.40). Least use value was reported for Ziziphus nummularia (0.04).The highest RFC value was reported for W. coagulans (47.82), followed by M. viridis (44.34), and T. aphylla (43.47). Conclusion: The study will result in further pharmacological and clinical research to discover new medicines to improve the health system. It is the first step in unraveling natural products' potential and requires careful study and investigation to enrich the system worldwide. The study will also contribute to the conservation of medicinal plants in the area of Bannu.

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. Polygonatum verticillatu... more Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All. Polygonatum verticillatum (L.) All. ASPARAGACAE Synonyms Polygonatum cirrhifolium (Wall.) Royle: Campydorum verticillatum (L.) Salisb.; Convallaria leptophylla D. Don; C. stellifolia Peterm.; C. verticillata L.; Evallaria verticillata (L.) Neck.; Polygonatum angustifolium Bubani; P. erythrocarpum Hua; P. jacquemontianum Kunth; P. kansuense Maxim. ex Batalin; P. leptophyllum (D. Don) Royle; P. macrophyllum Sweet; P. minutiflorum H. Lév.; P. roseum Hook.;

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas