INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND TRADITIONAL USES OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN BANJIR VALLEY, DISTRICT BUNER, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Banjir Valley is located on the Buner–Swat borderline. A total of 68 different plant species were documented for an ethnobotanical study. It was noted that nearly every part of the plants was utilized to prepare remedies of these, leaves of 29 species were used most often, followed by fruits of 16 species, whole plant of 8 species, roots of 7 species, branches of 6 species, wood, seeds, and shoots of 5 species each, bark of 4 species, stems and flowers of 3 species each, cones, resin, and needles of 2 species each, and bulbs of 1 species used in the preparation of remedies. Local people reported five primary methods for preparing remedies: decoction (27 species, 36%), powder (23 species, 30%), paste (13 species, 17%), infusion (5 species, 7%), and juice (8 species, 11%). In terms of administration, most medications (40 species, 73%) were taken orally, followed by topically applied medicines (4 species, 7%); 11 species (20%) were used both topically and orally. In Banjir Valley, the utilization of medicinal plants extends to the treatment of 33 different ailments by the local population. The most common uses included treatment for fever, skin issues, digestive disorders, wound healing, jaundice, urinary tract infections, lung diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, anthelmintic purposes, mouth problems, as tonics, cough, eye complaints, diabetes, toothache, analgesia (anodyne), snake bite, hemorrhoids, and scorpion sting.