Indigenous medicinal usage of family Solanaceae and Polygonaceae in Uri , Baramulla , Jammu and Kashmir

Kashmir Himalaya is known for it’s dense and diverse vegetation. People here have gained immense knowledge regarding the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of different ailments. Present study attempts to explore and document the medicinal plants belonging to family Solanaceae and Polygonaceae used against different ailments by tribal communities of Uri, Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir. Data was collected by using semi structured interviews and group discussions. Besides local tribal communities of Gujjar and Bakerwal, herbal healers and local knowledgeable persons were consulted during the course of study. During the study a total of 25 plants were reported with a species contribution of 10 and 15 of Solanaceae and Polygonaceae respectively. The study revealed that either whole plant or some plant parts are used as remedies against different ailments in the area.


INTRODUCTION
Plants have been playing a great role in human health care system from thousands of years and is an old age practice in Indian Himalayan region including Kashmir. This practice of treatment is relied on belief and experience of the ethnic people, which is a part of their ancestral culture and tradition [1]. The history of use of plants in traditional healthcare system can be traced back to Vedic periods about 4500-1600 B.C. The oldest book of Vedas, The Rigveda is said to be first written attempt towards the knowledge of medicinal plants for the treatment of frequently occurring diseases [2]. According to World Health Organization (WHO), medicinal plants have maintained its popularity in all the parts of the developing world and is rapidly expanding in the industrialized countries like China and USA [3,4]. Medicinal plants have gained a wide recognition in escalating faith in herbal medicine due to lesser side effects and cost effective as compared to allopathic medicines [5]. Herbal medicines are believed to support about eighty five per cent of ailments in healthcare system across the world [6,7]. According to an estimate by World Health Organization, sixty five per cent population of India depends on traditional medicines to meet their primary health care needs [8. Knowledge on the medicinal plants has been found to be one of the reliable approaches towards the development of modern drugs [9]. A properly documented and validated information on ethnomedicinal practices play a pivotal role in new scientific research [10]. The valuable knowledge associated with medicinal plants validated by scientific perceptions, may provide a novel model for sustainable development. However, traditional knowledge is threatened by unsustainable development with anthropogenic climate change [11]. Jammu and Kashmir being the part of western Himalayas is a reservoir of more than 572 different medicinal plants [12]. It harbours a great diversity of medicinal plants used in traditional health care system by tribal communities from thousands of years. Traditional medicines are the only means of healthcare in rural and remote areas [13]. Due to the luxuriant growth of high value medicinal plants in the nearby forests in the area, tribal communities of the study area still use folk medicines to a greater extent for the treatment of various ailments. But this traditional knowledge about the use of plants for the treatment of various ailments is being passed on from one generation to another in the tribal communities as a word of mouth and is on the verge of extinction in certain areas as it is not well documented [14]. Keeping in view these facts, present study was conducted to document the use of medicinal plants belonging to family Solanaceae and Polygonaceae by the tribal Gujjar and Bakerwal communities of the Uri region of Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir.

Study Area
Uri area of district Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, is located some 61 kms form district headquarters between 34.0881° N, 74.0340° E, at an altitude of 3000-5000 m above sea level

Indigenous medicinal usage of family Solanaceae and Polygonaceae in Uri, Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir
( Figure 1). Uri is located away from district headquarters and is sharing border with Pakistan. The temperature of the area ranges from -7 0 C minimum in winters as it receives a good snowfall which goes to a maximum of 27 0 C in summers. The area is inhabited by people mostly of tribal communities such and Gujjar and Bakerwal. Being a border area and located at high altitude people are mostly dependent on indigenous medicine for their primary health care system. The traditional attire of the people of Uri, with complex designs and embroidery reflects the rich culture and climate of the area.

Data Collection
Present study deals with the collection of the medicinal plants of family Solanaceae and Polygonaceae and associated knowledge among the tribal communities of the Uri region of Baramulla. For the collection of medicinal plants of the respected families, field surveys were performed between April to October 2019. Data was collected by using semi structured interviews and group discussions. Besides local tribal communities of Gujjar and Bakerwal, herbal healers and local knowledgeable persons were consulted during the course of study. Data collected was recorded in field notebook. Information regarding the use of medicinal plants by local people for the treatment of various ailments was collected in local language so as to get appropriate and reliable information. Collected plant species were dried, pressed and mounted on herbarium sheets of standard size following standard herbarium techniques [15]. Identification of the plants was conducted by Flora of Kashmir [16], Flora of British India [17] and other concerned literature form Kashmir Himalaya. [18,19]. Data obtained from the field is presented in Table 1, showing scientific name, vernacular name, family, part used, mode of administration and application of the remedy.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
During the course of study a total of 25 plants of family Solanaceae and Polygonaceae were reported with a species contribution of 10 of Solanaceae and 15 of Polygonaceae (Table 1). Solanaceae was found to be the dominant family in comparison of Polygonaceae ( Figure 2). The use pattern of the plants of both the families indicated that leaves, whole plant, fruits, roots, seeds, stem, rhizome and tuber are used. It was found that leaves are the most frequently used plant parts (6-species), followed by fruits and root (4-species each), whole plant, seeds and rhizome (3-species each), tuber and stem (1-species each) (Figure 3). The mode of application of the plant remedies was either oral (15-species) or topical (10-species) (Figure 4). During the study plant species were taken from wild as well as from cultivated sources.
Present study revealed the use of medicinal plants belonging to family Solanaceae and Polygonaceae for the treatment of various ailments by the tribal communities of Uri region of district Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir. It has been estimated that 80 % of the world's population is dependent on traditional medicine for their primary health care needs [20,21]. Herbal medicines are being used because people are not able to get allopathic medicines. During the current study it was found that the knowledge regarding the use of medicinal plants of Uri area is transmitting from one generation to another orally without any written document. It was revealed that this knowledge is   Topical Cultivated now only confined to old age folks only as new generation is not so keen to keep this knowledge with them due to their modern lifestyle and this knowledge is on the verge of extinction. Our study will provide a database of plants belonging to family Solanaceae and Polygonaceae being used for the treatment of different ailments and will work towards the conservation of locally available valuable knowledge regarding these plants.

CONCLUSION
Medicinal plants are the backbone of traditional health care system as it is the primary health care facility being used by most of the people around the world. Medicinal plants are not only used in developing countries but they are making their popularity in industrialised countries as well because of their negligible side effects and cost effective condition. But due to urbanization and modernization this asset is on the verge of extinction. So there is dire need to conserve it before it will get vanished. Therefore documentation of the plants provides a way towards the conservation of this valuable resource.