Ethnopharmacological Uses of Medicinal Plants among the Communities of Murree Hills with Special Emphasis on their Selected Biological Activities

Abstract

Etlmopharmacology is a cross-cultural exploration of the utilization of plant based medicines by human population. The current study was aimed to evaluate the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants of Murree hills of Pakistan, because insufficient etlmobotanical data of this area is available in the literahlre. The present work is based on systematic account of etru1Ophannacoiogicai uses, phytochemical screening and biological activity of important medicinal plants of MmTee Hills. During this study, 131 plant species belonging to 104 genera and 64 families were recorded. The etlmopharmacological information was obtained from 84 community consultants (50 males and 34 females). A quantitative index was used to assess relative use values, whicg were found to be high for Myrsine a/ricana L. (0.9), Dodonaea viscosa (L). Jacq. (0.9), Debregeasia salicifolia (D.Don) Rendle (0 .88), Bauhinia variegata L. (0.88), Rumex hastatus D.Don (0.87), Vitex negundo L. (0 .83) and Indigo/era heterantha Wall. ex Brandis (0.75). The dominating functional group was O-H stretch, Carboxylic acids followed by O-H stretch, H-bonded alcohols and phenols. The plants showed a significant quantity of fatty acids (Oleic acid) as well as ascorbic acid, while some uncommon compounds were found in these plants extracts. Those previously unreported were ricinoleic acid (CI8I-b403) in D. viscosa flowers, Ar-tumerone (ClsH200), tumerone (ClsH220) and curlone (ClsH220) in R. hastatus leaves. Of the plants evaluated, R. hastatus leaves showed the highest anticancer activity (87.89±2.86%), followed by V. negundo leaves 8S.9±2.11 %. Hepato-protective activity of plant extracts was measured by evaluating blood liver markers, antioxidant enzymes, direct bilirubins and total proteins. V. negundo and M. africana leaves chloroform leaf extracts showed curative effects against abnormalities at the concentration of 300 mg/kg. Histopathological slides showed that cellular abnormalities induced by carbon tetrachloride were rectified by D. salicifolia and M. cifhcana leaves extracts. The above findings revealed that flavonoids (quercetin, rutin and p- coumeric acid), phenols, essential and non-essential fatty acids present in plant extracts possess activities in vitro and in vivo, thus supporting ethnomedicinal uses of the above plants. Therefore fmiher isolation, characterization and pharmacological analysis of novel medicinal plant constituents should be carried out to extract new and potent compounds.