Importance of Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants and their uses can never be ignored at any time, because medicinal plants are the useful natural resource. It has been observed that the world is trying its best to save natural resources such as oil, natural gas etc but medicinal plants are endangered and many useful plants are extinct due to grazing and deforestation by people  the reason is lack of awareness among people and the rules and strict laws. If such negligence will continue the world will face a very big crisis of vegetation especially medicinal plants. There for‘’Medicinal Plants and their Uses’’ is a platform of awareness so every reader can think and play a role to save these important plants. The following is short introduction of medicinal plants of Gilgit Baltistan. In upcoming posts different important medicinal plants and their uses will be discussed individually.

Gilgit Baltistan is a highly mountainous area having severe weather conditions and various seasonal changes these variations provide chance for distinct groups of medicinally important plants and the area is considered to be ethno-botanically important place. People have always preferred plant material as cure for human diseases. It is an ancient experience in all over the world to cure the diseases by men using ways of traditional phyto-therapy.  These experiences are at present days also used in the treatment of various diseases such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, alcoholism, Artemisia laciniata is used for jaundice, gall bladder and for high fever. Leaf extract of Artemisiamaritiama is used for skin infections. Angelica glauca has been used for such diverse medical problems as chest infection, insomnia, flatulence, headache, fever, skin infections and wounds. Betula utilis is used for ear pain other related issues (Fahad and Bano, 2012)

Medicinally important plants are also studied on Himalayan Mountains of Pakistan, about 28 important plants belong to 25 families were identified. The data recorded by interweaving with local people about 130 people shared their findings related to the purpose of different uses of these plants such as Viburnum foetens, Bergenia ciliata, Berberis lyceum and Geranium walichianum are used for different purposes like body strength, internal wounds and disorders, Skimmia laureola is used for respiratory disorders in children along with these many more plants are recorded in this research (Qureshi et al., 2009).         

Ethno botanical studies by (Khan and Surayya, 2007) are carried out in Haramosh and Bugrote valleys of Gilgit Baltistsn Northern Areas of Pakistan. These studies are based on interweaved with local people of the valleys, ethno botanical usefulness for 48 woody tree species eight of them are gymnosperms forty belong to Angiosperms are identified. The data collected and results of the studies identified the medicinal uses and other uses such as agricultural tools making, fuel house hold items and as timber by the local people. 40 Angiosperms consisting of 32 genera, 4 Gymnosperms, 28 Angiosperms and 21 Angiosperms are identified in the research, of these 24 are trees. Gymnosperm belong to family cupressaceae the plant known as Juniperus communis the barriers of this plant are used for kidney stone, urinary bladder problem, lieucorrhorea and tuberculosis. J. excels is also used for kidney problems, ash of wood used for skin infections as well. Ephedra gerrardiana is ethno botanically useful for asthma, cough and other respiratory disorders. Angiosperms belong to family anacadiaceae, berberidaceae and batulaceae are used for infections, jaundice, liver infection and diabetes. Root barks of family capparidaceae are also used for joint pains, paralysis, diabetes, asthma and nerves disorders many more such ethno botanically important trees and shrubs are still not identified so there is a need of research on medicinal plants.

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