Medicinal Plant Diversity Use for Gynecological Disorders among the Rural Communities Northern Pakistan

The present study aimed to documentation of medicinal plants specifically used for gynecological disorders by the rural communities of, Northern Pakistan. Ethnomedicinal data was collected from 156 informants, including local people and traditional healers, through a wellstructured questionnaire which falls under the category of participatory rural appraisal (PRA). The informants reported 67 plant species belonging 62 genera of 43 families used to treat gynecological disorders. Among the plant parts used, leaves were found to be highly utilized (28 %) followed by roots (25%), whole plant (21%), seeds (9%), bark (7%), flowers (4%), fruits (4%) and bulb (2%). Methods of preparation fall into various categories like decoction (37%), fresh parts (14%), infusion (9%), powder (9%), paste (9%), boiled (3%), extract (9%), juice, latex and poultice (1.5%). Folk treatment of gynecological disorders is prevalent among the indigenous communities of the area due to its remoteness and limited modern medical facilities. The survey reports sixty seven plants used to treat thirty one gynecological disorders which provide a baseline data for further pharmacological and phytochemical studies.