Ethno-medicinal knowledge and geo-referenced profiling of medicinal plants in Amazi Valley, Buner, Pakistan

Phytochemicals produced by plants have been exploited and utilized by people globally for their essential healthcare requirements for a long while the adoption of synthetic drugs has endangered the survival of this precious ethnic knowledge. This study focused on the identification and and documentation of some of the previously reported and new medicinal plants used by the local population of the Amazai Valley District Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. To conserve this valuable traditional knowledge, data were collected from 800 local inhabitants aged 15-100 from 2023 to 2024 through semi-structured one-on-one interviews, group discussions, as well as geo-referenced profiling of 90 plant species performed by Global Positioning System (GPS). The most dominant family was Moraceae (9 species) followed by Rosaceae (7 species), Asteraceae and Rhamnaceae (6 species of each), Lamiaceae and Poacea (5 species of each). Leaves were the most dominant plant parts used in medicine preparation (49 species), while decoction (80 sp.) was the most common herbal formulation method. Medicinal plants (60 species) were used to cure digestive and respiratory diseases. Relevant field data, Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, local names, therapeutic uses (to relieve disease's signs and symptoms), doses per day (10-100 g), overdosage reaction, effectivity, and the availability status of the plants were also documented. For preservation purposes, specimens were mounted on sheets at the herbarium of the Department of Botany, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, Pakistan. It is recommended to conserve the important indigenous medicinal flora of Amazi Valley for future phytochemical and pharmacological applications.