# Ethnoveterinary Study of Medicinal Plants in a Tribal Society of Sulaiman Range

Authors: Akash Tariq; Sakina Mussarat; Muhammad Adnan; Naser M. AbdElsalam; Riaz Ullah; Abdul Latif Khan
Journal: The Scientific World Journal
 (2014)

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## Abstract

The aims of the present study were (i) to document ethnoveterinary plants and their formulation techniques in an unexplored region of Pakistan and (ii) to select candidate medicinal plants with high consensus factor and fidelity value for furtherin vitro investigation. A total of 60 informants were interviewed using semistructured questionnaire. A total of 41 plants belonging to 30 families were used to treat livestock ailments in study area. Mostly leaves (47%) were used in recipes formulation mostly in the form of decoction. Gastrointestinal infections were found more common and majority of the plants were used against cow (31) and buffaloes (24) ailments. Recovery time of majority of the recipes was three to four days. Informant consensus factor (Fic) results have shown a high degree of consensus for gastrointestinal, respiratory, and reproductive (0.95 each) ailments. Fidelity level (FL) results showed that Asparagus gracilis ranked first with FL value 93% followed by Rumex hastatus ranked second (91%) and Tinospora cordifolia ranked third (90%). Aged farmers and nomads had more traditional knowledge as compared to younger ones. Plants with high Fic and FL values could be further investigated in vitro for the search of some novel bioactive compounds and young generation should be educated regarding ethnoveterinary practices.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

Traditional veterinary medicine was experienced as early as 1800 B.C. at the time of King Hammurabi of Babylon who devised laws on veterinary fees and charged for treating animals [1]. Many ethnoveterinary medicines were neglected due to the development of initial western drugs. Ethnoveterinary practices have gained tremendous importance for the last decade due to the discovery of some effective ethnoveterinary products [2]. Traditional veterinary medicines provide a cheap therapy and easy accessibility in comparison with western drugs [3].Ethnoveterinary practices are more common in developing countries due to different socioeconomic factors [4]. Pakistan is an agriculture country and almost 80% of its population is dependent on agriculture and livestock. Pakistan is the world’s 5th largest milk producing country due to its high dependency on agriculture and livestock [5]. Resource-poor farmers of Pakistan greatly rely on traditional medicine due to their limited access to modern prevention health practices and particularly lack of modern health facilities in their areas [6]. Despite the fact that traditional knowledge is very much important for the livestock health and productivity, the documentation of this knowledge is very much neglected in majority of the remote areas of Pakistan. Livestock farmers all over Pakistan can draw on over 4000 years of knowledge and experience [7]. This traditional knowledge has been passed orally from generation to generation but it may be extinct or may be endangered due to the current rapid socioeconomic, environmental, and technological changes [8]. Therefore, the documentation of such knowledge is very crucial before its extinction for future developments.The present research study was therefore designed to document detailed ethnoveterinary knowledge of an unexplored region of Pakistan. The present study was designed with the objectives (i) to document ethnoveterinary plants of the Kohat region, (ii) to document the detailed formulation techniques of the reported ethnoveterinary plants, and (iii) to select candidate medicinal plants with high consensus factor and fidelity value for furtherin vitro investigation. The present study would provide baseline information to phytochemists, pharmacologists, and conservationists for further future research studies. This work would also make a great contribution to the conservation of this valuable knowledge.


## 2. Methodology

### 2.1. Study Area

Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35′13 N, 71°26′29 E, with an altitude of 489 m, and is the capital of the Kohat District (Figure1). Summer temperatures usually shoot above 50°C and winters are mild [9]. The dominant vegetation of the study area isZizyphus species,Acacia species, and other xerophytes plants. The area is rural in nature and inhabitants are very much dependent on livestock for agricultural, economic, and food purposes. Locals of the region use a variety of medicinal plants for the treatment of livestock ailments due to expensive veterinary drugs.Figure 1
Study area map.


### 2.2. Sampling and Data Collection

Field work was done from January to May 2014. Initially, local administrative officers and representative (Malik) of the study area were visited, who provided information on key resource persons in the field of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants. They suggested 60 informants having strong traditional knowledge regarding livestock treatment. Out of 60 informants 45 were farmers and 15 were nomadic people. A brief group discussion was held with the informants prior to data collection for explaining to them the main theme of the present study and to get their consent for the publication of their traditional knowledge. This was done in order to acknowledge informants’ cooperation in preserving the traditional knowledge of the study area and build their confidence for providing reliable information. Each informant was separately interviewed in their local languages. Semistructured questionnaires were designed addressing detailed ethnoveterinary information (Hindko). Informants were asked about the number of plants they use to treat their livestock, which part of plant used, recipe formulation, recovery, and other essential questions.


### 2.3. Data Organization

Data collected from informants was organized using Microsoft Excel 2007 and Microsoft Word 2007. Plant habit was categorized into four classes, that is, herb, shrub, tree, and climbers. Plant parts were classified into leaves, stem, root, stem, whole plant, seeds, and fruit. Medicinal plants uses were categorized into 8 major categories, that is, gastrointestinal, dermatological, respiratory, reproductive, wound healing, antipyretic, parasitic, and general body tonic. Recipes were classified into different groups, that is, decoction, powder, crushed, juice, paste, poultice, infusion, and concoction. Route of administration was divided into 3 categories, that is, oral, dermal, and nasal.


### 2.4. Data Analysis

Informant consensus and fidelity level were used to verify the importance of medicinal plants.


### 2.5. Informant Consensus (Fic)

Fic on the reported cures of a given group of ailments was calculated as an informant consensus factor. Fic within a community designates the widely used plants and thus helps in the selection of plants for phytochemical and pharmacological studies [10]. Reported veterinary problems were grouped into 8 major ailments. Fic values are high when one or few plants are reported by the large number of respondents to treat a specific ailment, while low Fic values give an indication that informants do not agree over which plant to use [11, 12].The Fic can be calculated using the formula as follows:(1)Fic=nur-ntnur-1,
where Fic = Informants consensus factor, nur = number of used citations in each category, and nt = number of species used.


### 2.6. Fidelity Level (FL)

FL is useful for recognizing the most preferred plants used for curing certain ailments by the respondents. Highly preferred plants have always greater FL values than those that are less preferred. FL is always calculated in terms of percentage of informants claiming the use of a certain plant species for the same major purpose. The main purpose of FL is to calculate the importance of plant species for a specific purpose. Prior to the calculation of FL values all of the ailments that were reported are grouped into major classes [10]. FL value was estimated using the formula FL = Ip/Iu × 100, where Ip is the number of respondents who reported the utilization of medicinal plants for a specific main ailment and Iu is the total number of respondents who mentioned the same plant for any ailment [13]. It is assumed that those medicinal plants which are plants used in some recurring manner for the same disease category are more likely to be biologically active [14].


### 2.7. Collection and Preservation of the Reported Medicinal Plants

Field trips were made with local informants for the collection of the reported medicinal plants. Collected medicinal plants were brought to the laboratory of Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat, Pakistan, for further processing. Specimen identification and confirmation were undertaken by using Flora of Pakistan and taxonomic experts. Plants were dried and pressed on herbarium sheets and deposited at the Herbarium of Department of Botany, KUST, Kohat, Pakistan.


## 2.1. Study Area

Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35′13 N, 71°26′29 E, with an altitude of 489 m, and is the capital of the Kohat District (Figure1). Summer temperatures usually shoot above 50°C and winters are mild [9]. The dominant vegetation of the study area isZizyphus species,Acacia species, and other xerophytes plants. The area is rural in nature and inhabitants are very much dependent on livestock for agricultural, economic, and food purposes. Locals of the region use a variety of medicinal plants for the treatment of livestock ailments due to expensive veterinary drugs.Figure 1
Study area map.


## 2.2. Sampling and Data Collection

Field work was done from January to May 2014. Initially, local administrative officers and representative (Malik) of the study area were visited, who provided information on key resource persons in the field of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants. They suggested 60 informants having strong traditional knowledge regarding livestock treatment. Out of 60 informants 45 were farmers and 15 were nomadic people. A brief group discussion was held with the informants prior to data collection for explaining to them the main theme of the present study and to get their consent for the publication of their traditional knowledge. This was done in order to acknowledge informants’ cooperation in preserving the traditional knowledge of the study area and build their confidence for providing reliable information. Each informant was separately interviewed in their local languages. Semistructured questionnaires were designed addressing detailed ethnoveterinary information (Hindko). Informants were asked about the number of plants they use to treat their livestock, which part of plant used, recipe formulation, recovery, and other essential questions.


## 2.3. Data Organization

Data collected from informants was organized using Microsoft Excel 2007 and Microsoft Word 2007. Plant habit was categorized into four classes, that is, herb, shrub, tree, and climbers. Plant parts were classified into leaves, stem, root, stem, whole plant, seeds, and fruit. Medicinal plants uses were categorized into 8 major categories, that is, gastrointestinal, dermatological, respiratory, reproductive, wound healing, antipyretic, parasitic, and general body tonic. Recipes were classified into different groups, that is, decoction, powder, crushed, juice, paste, poultice, infusion, and concoction. Route of administration was divided into 3 categories, that is, oral, dermal, and nasal.


## 2.4. Data Analysis

Informant consensus and fidelity level were used to verify the importance of medicinal plants.


## 2.5. Informant Consensus (Fic)

Fic on the reported cures of a given group of ailments was calculated as an informant consensus factor. Fic within a community designates the widely used plants and thus helps in the selection of plants for phytochemical and pharmacological studies [10]. Reported veterinary problems were grouped into 8 major ailments. Fic values are high when one or few plants are reported by the large number of respondents to treat a specific ailment, while low Fic values give an indication that informants do not agree over which plant to use [11, 12].The Fic can be calculated using the formula as follows:(1)Fic=nur-ntnur-1,
where Fic = Informants consensus factor, nur = number of used citations in each category, and nt = number of species used.


## 2.6. Fidelity Level (FL)

FL is useful for recognizing the most preferred plants used for curing certain ailments by the respondents. Highly preferred plants have always greater FL values than those that are less preferred. FL is always calculated in terms of percentage of informants claiming the use of a certain plant species for the same major purpose. The main purpose of FL is to calculate the importance of plant species for a specific purpose. Prior to the calculation of FL values all of the ailments that were reported are grouped into major classes [10]. FL value was estimated using the formula FL = Ip/Iu × 100, where Ip is the number of respondents who reported the utilization of medicinal plants for a specific main ailment and Iu is the total number of respondents who mentioned the same plant for any ailment [13]. It is assumed that those medicinal plants which are plants used in some recurring manner for the same disease category are more likely to be biologically active [14].


## 2.7. Collection and Preservation of the Reported Medicinal Plants

Field trips were made with local informants for the collection of the reported medicinal plants. Collected medicinal plants were brought to the laboratory of Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), Kohat, Pakistan, for further processing. Specimen identification and confirmation were undertaken by using Flora of Pakistan and taxonomic experts. Plants were dried and pressed on herbarium sheets and deposited at the Herbarium of Department of Botany, KUST, Kohat, Pakistan.


## 3. Results

The present study revealed that local farmers of Kohat region utilize 41 medicinal plants belonging to 30 families for the treatment of different types of livestock ailments (Table1). Among all the families, Asteraceae was found to be dominant (4 species) in the study area being in use in ethnoveterinary practices in the region. Traditional farmers mostly used herbs (55%) for the preparation of ethnomedicines (Table 2) followed by shrubs (27%). Almost all plant parts were being used for medicinal purposes but leaves (47%) were found to be the most frequently used plant part followed by whole plant (32%) and roots (17%) (Table 2). Local farmers used these ethnomedicines to treat different types of domestic animals like buffaloes, cows, goats, sheep, and donkeys. A total of 31 plants were found to be used for treatment of cow ailments followed by 24 plants against buffalo’s ailments and 17 for goats (Figure 2). Different types of ailments were treated which were categorized into 8 major categories. Gastrointestinal infections were found to be most common in domestic animals and a total of 13 plants were used against them followed by 7 plants which are used as antipyretic while 6 are used for wounds treatment (Table 3). Local farmers prepare different types of ethnomedicines but the most preferred techniques were decoction and powder (10 plants each) followed by crushing (7 plants) in the studied region (Figure 3). Monotherapy was most common in the study area; only few plants were found to be used in concoction form (Table 1). For example, stem ofAllium sativum is mixed with flower ofPunica granatum and milk and used against gastrointestinal infection; roots ofAsparagus gracilis are mixed with leaves ofCoriandrum sativum to make fine concoction and given with water to cattle for delivery purposes. Different types of vehicles were found to be used for preparation and administration of plant recipes like sugar, flour, water, and milk (Table 1). The most common route of administration was oral (75%) followed by dermal (24%) and only single species is administered through nasal pathway (Table 1). Recovery time of majority of the recipes was three to four days. Informant consensus (Fic) results have shown a high degree of consensus for gastrointestinal, respiratory, and reproductive (0.95 each) ailments, which were followed by parasitic infections and wound healing (0.90 each) (Table 3). The highest plant use citation was for gastrointestinal (260) followed by wound healing (53) and reproductive (47) ailments. The present study revealed 10 medicinal plants having high FL value (Table 4). FL values in this study varied from 1.0% to 100%.Asparagus gracilis ranked first with the highest FL value (93%) followed byRumex hastatus ranked second (91%),Tinospora cordifolia ranked third (90%), andAloe barbadensis ranked fourth (85%). The entire informants interviewed were aged people ranging between 40 and 70 years old. No use of ethnoveterinary medicine by women or young generation was recorded.Table 1
Ethnoveterinary plants used for the treatment of livestock ailments in Kohat region.
Plant names/families name/voucher number
Local names
Habit
Part used
Ailment treated
Animal treated
Recipe
Vehicles
Route
Recovery
Acacia modesta Wall. FabaceaeKUH-421
Kikar
Tree
Leaves, seeds
Delivery
Buffaloes, cow
Decoction
Water
Oral
Two days
Achyranthes  aspera Linn. AmaranthaceaeKUH-422
Gishkay
Herb
Whole plant
Anthelmintic and delivery
Buffaloes, cow, goat, sheep
Powder
Sugar
Oral
One day
Allium cepa L.  AmaryllidaceaeKUH-423
Pyaz
Herb
Whole plant
Febrifuge, tonic
Sheep, goat
Decoction
Flour
Oral
Three days
Allium sativum L. LiliaceaeKUH-424
Thoom
Herb
Stem
Gastrointestinal
Goat
Concoction
Milk
Oral
Ten days
Aloe barbadensis Mill. LiliaceaeKUH-425
Kunwar
Shrub
Root
Gastrointestinal
Sheep, cow, buffaloes
Powder
Milk
Oral
Six days
Artemisia brevifolia Wall. AsteraceaeKUH-426
Jaukay
Herb
Leaves
Removal of placenta
Cow
Decoction
Sugar
Oral
Asparagus gracilis Royle. LiliaceaeKUH-427
Lachgawa
Herb
Root
Delivery
Goat
Concoction
Water
Oral
Brassica campestris L. BrassicaceaeKUH-428
Sarson
Herb
Whole plant
External lice (blood feeding)
Cow, buffaloes
Paste
Dermal
Five days
Calotropis procera (Willd.) R.Br. ApocynaceaeKUH-429
Spulmaey
Shrub
Fruit, leaves
Intestinal worms and skin infections
Buffaloes, cow, goat, sheep
Paste, concoction
Sugar
Oral, dermal
Three days
Cannabis sativa L. CannabaceaeKUH-430
Bhang
Shrub
Leaves
External parasite, appetizer
Cow, donkey, buffaloes
Poultice, powder
Dermal, oral
Two days
Chenopodium album L. AmaranthaceaeKUH-431
Samaray
Herb
Whole plant
Wound healing
Goat, sheep, cow
Paste
Dermal
One day
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L. AsteraceaeKUH-432
Chitti pulari
Herb
Whole plant
Increase milk production
Goat, cow, buffaloes
Powder
Flour
Oral
Continuously
Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. CucurbitaceaeKUH-433
Karthuma
Herb
Root
Skin infection
Buffalo, cow, goat, sheep
Juice
Dermal
Two days
Convolvulus arvensis L. Convolvulaceae KUH-434
Shankpuspi
Herb
Whole plant
Constipation
Cow, buffaloes, sheep
Crushed
Sugar
Oral
Four days
Coriandrum sativum L. ApiaceaeKUH-435
Dhania
Herb
Leaves, root
Antidiuretic
Buffaloes
Decoction
Water
Oral
One week
Curcuma longa L. ZingiberaceaeKUH-436
Haldi
Tree
Leaves
Wound healing
Cow
Decoction
Sugar
Oral
Two days
Cynodon dactylon L. PoaceaeKUH-437
Wakha
Herb
Whole plant
Wound healing, analgesic
Cow, buffaloes
Concoction
Milk
Oral
Two days
Cynoglossum lanceolatum Forssk. BoraginaceaeKUH-438
Pachy
Herb
Root
Common cold
Cow, buffaloes
Crushed
Water
Oral
Two days
Cyperus niveus Retz. Cyperaceae KUH-439
Kulio
Herb
Whole plant
Common cold, stomach worms, joint pains
Cow, goat
Crushed
Water
Oral
Four to five days
Datura inoxia Mill. SolanaceaeKUH-440
Mangaz
Herb
Whole plant
Antilice
Sheep, cow
Paste
Milk
Dermal
Three days
Hedera nepalensis K. Koch AraliaceaeKUH-441
Zalai
Shrub
Leaves
To remove leeches
Sheep
Infusion
Nasal
Three days
Melia azedarach L. MeliaceaeKUH-442
Dhrek
Tree
Leaves
Stomach flatulence
Cow, buffaloes
Powder
Sugar
Oral
Four days
Mentha arvensis Linn. LamiaceaeKUH-443
Pudina
Herb
Leaves
External parasite
Cow
Paste
Dermal
Four days
Morus alba L., Moraceae KUH-444
Toot
Tree
Leaves, fruit
Laxative
Buffaloes
Crushed
Milk
Oral
Two days
Morus nigra L. MoraceaeKUH-445
Tor toot
Tree
Leaves
Tonic, laxative
Cow, buffaloes
Powder
Water
Oral
Three days
Nerium oleander L. ApocynaceaeKUH-446
Ghanderay
Shrub
Whole plant
Stomachache
Sheep
Concoction
Water
Oral
One week
Ocimum basilicum L. LamiaceaeKUH-447
Kashmalay
Shrub
Leaves
Gastrointestinal
Buffaloes
Decoction
Water
Oral
Four days
Punica granatum L. LythraceaeKUH-448
Anar
Shrub
Fruit, leaves
Anthelmintic
Cow, buffaloes, goat
Decoction
Milk
Oral
Two days
Ricinus communis Linn. EuphorbiaceaeKUH-449
Arund
Shrub
Leaves, stem
Common cold
Buffaloes, cow
Powder
Flour
Oral
Three days
Rumex hastatus  D. Don. PolygonaceaeKUH-450
Tarooky
Shrub
Root and leaves
Wound healing
Goat, cow, buffaloes
Powder
Flour
Oral
Four days
Solanum surrattense Burm. f. SolanaceaeKUH-451
Kandiari
Herb
Whole plant
Fever, cough, intestinal infections
Cow, buffaloes, goat, sheep
Crushed
Flour
Oral
One week
Sonchus asper (L.) Hill. AsteraceaeKUH-452
Spingul
Herb
Whole plant
Milk production
Goat, cow, buffaloes
Decoction
Flour
Oral
Continuously
Tagetes minuta L. AsteraceaeKUH-453
Ban hanjari
Herb
Leaves
Skin infections
Cow, buffaloes
Juice
Dermal
Five days
Tamarix aphylla (L.) H. Karst. TamaricaceaeKUH-454
Khagal
Tree
Leaves
Kill worms of wounds
Cow
Paste
Dermal
Four days
Tinospora cordifolia Miers. MenispermaceaeKUH-455
Giloe
Climber
Whole plant
Skin infections
Cow, goat
Poultice
Dermal
Three days
Tribulus terrestris Linn. ZygophyllaceaeKUH-456
Markondai
Herb
Whole plant
Chronic cough
Cow, buffaloes, goat
Crushed
Sugar
Oral
One week
Trifolium repens L. PapilionaceaeKUH-457
Shoutal
Shrub
Root
Tonic, laxative
Goat, cow
Powder
Flour
Oral
One day
Triticum aestivum L. PoaceaeKUH-458
Gandam
Herb
Seeds
Common cold, dysentery
Cow
Powder
Flour
Oral
Two days
Verbena officinalis L. VerbenaceaeKUH-459
Shamakay
Herb
Stem, leaves
Wound healing
Buffaloes
Decoction
Milk
Oral
Three days
Vitex negundo L. VerbenaceaeKUH-460
Marmandi
Shrub
Stem
Mange, fever, stomach problems
Cow, goat
Crushed, decoction
Sugar
Oral
Four to six days
Zizyphus nummularia W. & A. RhamnaceaeKUH-461
Kurkunda
Tree
Leaves
Wound healing
Cow
Decoction
Sugar
Oral
Three daysTable 2
Habit and parts used of ethnoveterinary plants.
General attributes
Total plants
Percentage
Habit
Herbs
22
55
Shrubs
11
27
Trees
06
15
Climbers
01
02
Parts used
Leaves
19
47
Whole plant
13
32
Root
07
17
Stem
04
10
Fruit
03
07
Seed
01
02Table 3
Informant consensus factor.
Disease categories
Nur
Nt
Fic
Gastrointestinal
260
13
0.95
Respiratory
22
02
0.95
Reproductive
47
03
0.95
Dermatological
12
04
0.77
Wounds
53
06
0.90
Antipyretic
14
07
0.53
Parasitic
45
05
0.90
General body tonic
09
03
0.75Table 4
Fidelity level of highly utilized species.
Number
Plant species
Disease category
Ip
Iu
FL %
01
Asparagus gracilis
Reproductive
29
31
93
02
Rumex hastatus
Wound healing
32
35
91
03
Tinospora cordifolia
Dermatological
28
31
90
04
Aloe barbadensis
Gastrointestinal
23
27
85
05
Convolvulus arvensis
Gastrointestinal
24
29
82
06
Tribulus terrestris
Respiratory
17
21
80
07
Zizypus nummularia
Wound healing
18
23
78
08
Chenopodium album
Wound healing
17
25
68
09
Artemisia brevifolia
Reproductive
19
30
63
10
Cannabis sativa
Parasitic
17
29
58Figure 2
Number of plants used to treat different domestic animals.Figure 3
Traditional medicines preparation.


## 4. Discussion

Livestock keeping is one of the most important economic sources of rural community of study area. The farmers and nomadic people of the area not only depend on plants to get fodder for their animals but also use different medicinal plants to treat various animal diseases. The majority of the people interviewed using ethnoveterinary plants have got this knowledge from their forefathers while some have learned from the other people. The majority of the farmers and nomadic pastoralists were not very well off and heavily dependent on medicinal plants due to their unaffordable potential of using modern veterinary drugs for their animals treatment.The present study revealed that people of the region use 41 medicinal plants for their livestock health care. Similar studies have also been documented in other parts of Pakistan [5, 15]. Traditional healers of the region mostly use herbs for the treatment of their animals that might be due to the fact that herbs are available everywhere and easy to collect as compared with other growth forms. The results indicate the abundance of herbs in the study area and their high usage might also be due to the strong efficacy of herbaceous plants against livestock ailments. The same findings were also reported from other studies conducted at different parts of the world [16, 17].The wider utilization of this Asteraceae family might be due to its higher abundance in the study area or might be due to high bioactivity. Similar studies have also been reported from other parts of world [18] and from Pakistan [19, 20] where traditional healers mostly use the member of Asteraceae family for the preparation of traditional medicines for the treatment of different livestock and human ailments. This observation is however different from that of Appidi et al. [21] and Offiah et al. [22] who in an ethnoveterinary survey reported Fabaceae family as the highest. The difference among studies might be related to the different dominant vegetation of the areas or might be associated with traditional beliefs of different cultures in using specific plants traditionally.Most of the ethnoveterinary recipes in the study region are prepared using leaves of plants. The highest use of leaves in large number of ethnomedicinal and ethnoveterinary studies has also been documented from different parts of the world [23, 24]. Preferred use of leaves might be associated with ease of collection as compared to other plant parts. Leaves are the main site of photosynthetic apparatus and are involved in a variety of physiological processes of plants and produce numerous secondary metabolites that could be a possible reason for their effectiveness and efficacy against different livestock diseases. Local people also use whole plants after leaves for herbal formulation that could be a very destructive type of harvesting for rare and slowly growing plants from conservation point of view. Harvesting of leaves does not pose any serious impact on the life cycle of plants and is considered a sustainable type of harvesting. The present results are in contradiction with other studies where roots are the most widely used plant part in ethnoveterinary practices [25, 26].Cows and buffaloes were the most commonly treated animals followed by goats and sheep in the studied region. Similar results have also been conducted by van der Merwe et al. [27] and Benítez et al. [16]. There was almost no mention of treating dogs, cats, or donkeys. This is probably because rural people do not generally keep animals as pets and because nonproduction animals are perceived as being more resistant than humans to different kinds of ailments. Production animals are also more important because of their socioeconomic importance in the local inhabitant life. The majority of the plants in the region are used to treat different types of gastrointestinal problems of the livestock like diarrhea, expulsion of worms, constipation, and so forth. It has already been found that stomach infections are more common in lactating animals which might be due to poor quality of fodder and drinking water [17]. Informant consensus results also showed the highest informant citation for gastrointestinal, respiratory, and gynecological problems. The highest informant citation against these infections gives an indication of high prevalence of these diseases in the region. According to Heinrich et al. [11], high Fic values are very useful in the selection of specific plants for further search of bioactive compounds. Widely used medicinal plants for species ailments always score the highest fidelity level. The present study determined different plants likeAsparagus gracilis, Rumex hastatus, Tinospora cordifolia, Aloe barbadensis, and so forth, scored highest fidelity values and should be further subjected to phytochemical and pharmacological investigation to prove their medicinal efficacy.The method of drug preparation in many cases varied from individual to individual. The same plant material for the same ailment was prepared in different ways by different traditional veterinary healers. Traditional healers prepare ethnoveterinary recipes mostly in the form of powder and decoction in the study area. Deeba [28] powdering or boiling is the most common method of drugs extraction. These findings are in line with a study conducted in the Malakand valley of Pakistan [5] while they are contradictory with the studies conducted in other parts of the world [29, 30]. Most of the recipes are prepared using single plant mixture while some of the recipes are also prepared in the form of concoction and it is generally believed that potency of the drugs can be enhanced when used in concoction form [31]. These recipes are mostly taken orally in the study area due to the high prevalence of the internal diseases. These recipes are given to the livestock with their feed along with different types of ingredients like sugar, flour, milk, and so forth, in the region. Similar findings are also reported from other regions of the world [18, 32]. The use of these vehicles might be due to their enhancing potential of taste and medicinal properties of certain plant remedies. Uniformity was lacking regarding amount of medicines to be used among informants during the interview. It was determined that a contradiction in ethnoveterinary dosage is a serious drawback of traditional medicinal plants. Informants only provided the knowledge of observed time of recovery of animals in response to given recipes. Full recovery is confirmed when the animals restart proper feeding and activities. Similar findings are also reported by other ethnoveterinary studies conducted elsewhere [5, 22].It was confirmed from the present study that men had better knowledge regarding ethnoveterinary practices as compared to women. The reason might be due to the fact that men are mostly favored in shift of knowledge while women in the majority of the cultures are considered for family’s care. This noticeable gender bias reflects the limited involvement of women in cattle production and herd health in Kohat region of Pakistan. Aged males had much more indigenous knowledge as compared to young generation which might be due to the lack of interest in such practices. Therefore, documentation of ethnoveterinary practices is an essential step toward the conservation of such knowledge before its extinction.


## 5. Conclusions

Local farmers and nomads of the region utilize different medicinal plants for the treatment of livestock due to their low income status and high expenses of western drugs. Traditional healers possess tremendous expertise in preparing herbal formulations of medicinal plants. Gastrointestinal infections were most common in the studied region; therefore attention should be given to provide good quality fodder and water to the livestock. Plants with high informant consensus and fidelity level should be subjected to furtherin vitro investigation for their phytochemical analysis and pharmacological activities. Young generation should be mobilized to take interest in ethnoveterinary practices in order to conserve this knowledge.


## Questionnaire of Ethnoveterinary Data Collection

Informants’ Consent for the Participation in the StudyI__________ (name of informant) hereby give my full consent and conscious to participate in this study and declare that to the best of my knowledge the information that I have provided is true, accurate, and complete.Date _____________ (signature/thumb impression of informant).Informants’ Details
Name
Gender
Age
Occupation
Education
Location/residenceData about Medicinal Plant and Its Use
Number of plants known
Names of plants (local names)
Plant part used
Name of disease(s) treated
Type of animal treated
Method of crude drug preparation
Use of single or mixture of plants
Ingredients used
Recovery time
Route of administration
DosageInformant Consensus Factor and Fidelity Level
Name of plants used against disease category 1
Name of plants used against disease category 2
Name of plants used against disease category 3
Name of plants used against disease category 4
Name of plants used against disease category 5
Name of plants used against disease category 6
Name of plants used against disease category 7
Name of plants used against disease category 8
Name of plants used against disease category 9
Name of plants used against disease category 10RemarksPlant identified as —— (botanical name and family)Signature of researcher



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*Source: 127526-2014-10-21.xml*