Medicinal plants used for the treatment of liver diseases in Jammu province (Jammu and Kashmir, India)

Abstract

Liver is a vital organ in the human body. Almost all the drugs, foods, and water constituents are metabolized and detoxified in the liver. Liver diseases such as hepatitis, jaundice, cirrhosis, and liver cancer are continuously on the rise in recent years. Limited options are available for the treatment of liver diseases in the allopathic system of medicines. A study was conducted to document the plants used for the treatment of liver diseases in Jammu division of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), India. Two districts (Doda and Samba) of Jammu province were selected for the study. One hundred twenty respondents were selected for the study, based on random sampling. Face to face interviews were conducted. Fourty medicinal plants belonging to 39 genera and 25 families used for the treatment of liver diseases were recorded. Majority of plants were herbs (55%). Most commonly used plant part was root (27%) followed by fruit (22%), leaf (20%), whole plant (12%), seed (10%), stem (3%) and flower, rhizome and bark (2%). The most common mode of consumption was decoction (45.97%). RFC values for species used in treating liver disorders were between 0.02 and 0.30, respectively. FIV was highest for Lamiaceae (3.3) as 10% of the species reported belonged to this family. The study has documented the list of species used against liver disease that may be subjected to pharmacological and phytochemical studies that may be critical for the discovery of novel hepatoprotective drugs.