Indigenous Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Used by the People of Ghazni District, Afghanistan

Abstract

The indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants is scientifically and culturally crucial. Medicinal plants are used traditionally in different parts of Afghanistan since centuries but much of the information is not yet documented. Study on medicinal plants was conducted in 2023 in Ghazni district (center of Ghazni province) and documented different species of medicinal plants used traditionally by the different ethnic group of people in Ghazni district.  The study was focused on 45 common medicinal plants under 42 genera with local and scientific names, families, diseases treated usually, methods of preparation, parts of plants used, route of administration and so on. The medicinal plants were trees, shrubs and herbs. The data was collected using structured questionnaires by selecting 8 healers or Hakims (Experienced elders and druggist) from 8 ethnic groups such as; Tajik, Pashtun, Sadat, Hazara, Bayat, Arab, Uzbek, Sikhs/ Hindus by using purposive sampling method. The targeted medicinal plants species were cultivated and wild. About 51% of the plants were cultivated where 49% were wild. Different parts of the plants prepared in different methods and used in various mode of administration. The most dominant part of the plants used was leaves (31%). The route of administration was oral administration (77%) and the most common method of preparation was decoction (29%). Local people were highly dependent to medicinal plants in Ghazni district and most of the medicinal plants were cheap and easily reachable. Uprooting, overgrazing and overexploitation were the main challenges for the local medicinal plants in the study area. It is recommended that proper conservation and suitable usages strategies should be considered by ministry of agriculture, irrigation and livestock in order to protect medicinal plants in Ghazni district and all over the country.