SURVEY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN NORTHERN AREAS

Medicinal Plant of Northern Areas (A book by Mr. Ghulam Rasool, President BASDO)

The main body of the book (Rasool, 1998) contains introduction, suggestions, information on medicinal plants of Northern Areas, miscellaneous drugs and salajeet. He has reported a total of 64 medicinal plants in Northern Areas out of which 63 are found in Astore valley.

He lists plant species with information like family, botanical name, local name (Urdu, Hindko, Shina, English), habitat and distribution, importance, mode of collection, active principle and action and uses. Some of the plants mentioned in the book are as under:

Abies webbiana, Aconitum hetrophylum, Aconitum chasmanthum, Aconitum napellus, Artemisia maritime, Berberis lyceum, Cannabis sativa, carum bulbocastanum, Chenopodium album, colchicum loteum, Cumium cyminum, Datura stramonium, Ephedra intermedia, Ferula foetida, Fragaria vesca, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Hyppophae rhmnoides, Hyoscymus niger, Juniperus macropoda, Jurinea macrocephla, Lavatera kashmirinana, Mentha sylvestris, Onosma braceatum, Orchis latifolia, Peganum harmala, Pecrorhiza kurrooa, Plantago major, Podophyllum emodi, Prunus amygdalus, Punica granatum, Rheum emodi, Rumex crispus, Saussurea lappa, Swertia petiolata, Tamarix gallica, Traxacum officinale, Thymus serphyllum, Utrica dioica, Valeriana wallichii, Verbascum thapsus, Viola serpens.

Rasool also gives the following description of some important medicinal plants of the area.

(a) Artemisia maritimia (afsanteen) and Saussurea lappa (kuth) have historically been the most important plants medicinal. The Jammu and Kashmir State Government had a monopoly of drugs produced from these two plants. The upper Astore area and Gurez/ Kashanganga valley have been most valuable for the production of these two drugs.

Raibahadur D. Kaul, a prominent businusman of Kashmir state had a long term contract for the extraction of Artemisia from Astore and Guzer valley before Partition. After partition from 1950 to1954 about 3,000 large size bags of this drug were exported to London by M/S Biddle and Sawyers of London. Since then no large scale extraction has been done for export. However, small quantities have been extracted by local contractors for use in the country. The above two areas are completely covered with this plant, which has an exportable percentage of santonin but is going to waste.

Sassurea lappa (kuth, costus) has a great demand in Buddhist countries. Large quantities of costus roots have regularly been exported for a long time to China. The main importing countries include Hong Kong, France, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and Sri-Lanka. The Kashmir State government had a monopoly over this drug as it was a main source of state revenue, and its extraction was directly supervised by the state government. It was valued as the (then) present day narcotic and the state army used to be deployed for its protection against illicit extraction. Large quantities of this drug have been extracted from the forests of Astore and Guraz since Independence. Due to the lack of control and over-exploitation, this herb is now on the verge of extinction. Illicit extraction of this drug is done by the Gujar nomadic grazers, although the Forest Department has tried to stop its further exploitation. In view of its deteriorating condition this plant needs strict conservation to save it from extinction. Internationally it is included in Appendix II of CITES. This herb can both be propagated from seed and roots.

(b) Picrorhiza kurrooa (karru), was exploited for the first time after Partition by Haji Ghulam Ali, a refugee from Kulu (India), who had vast experience of its extraction and marketing. It was commonly found growing in and around Qamri and Bruzil passes and in the Deosai plains above 9,000 ft, but was not known to others dealing with medicinal plants of this area. Haji Ghulam Ali extracted this drug continuously for several years. This plant is presently being cultivated in northern Indian Kashmir on a large scale. This species is believed to have become extinct in many of its natural habitats due to uncontrolled exploitation and destruction of habitat. Although its extraction has been stopped by the forest department, it is being illicitly extracted by the Gujars and smuggled to the markets of Pakistan.

(c) Podophyllum emodi (bankakri), has been exploited from the forests of Astore and Minimurg only after Independence on regular contracts given by the Forests department. Due to lack of supervision this drug has already been overexploited by the contractors to the extent that it has now been put on the endangered species list. In view of this the Forest department has stopped its further exploitation but still its illicit extraction by the Gujars is reported. Due to its reported cancer curing properties, this plant has attracted the attention of Sandoze, Pakistan which has tried its artificial cultivation in Murree, Kaghan and Swat.

(d) Glycyrrhiza glabra (malathi), was to be found growing wild on the margins of agricultural fields at Thalichi, Oshikandass, Danyor, Gujerdass, Jutial, Chalat, Rahbat and Selpi (Punyal) and has been used as a household remedy for throat, stomach, cough and flu and similar other diseases since time immemorial. It has never been extracted for commercial purposes. This drug has now been weeded out completely by the farmers who treat it as a weed that competes with agricultural crops. It is however, most beneficial to the farmer because of its soil improving properties, being a leguminous plant. Pakistan imports 104, 440 kg of pulverized Glycyrriza annually from China spending foreign exchange equivalent to Rs 2,200, 000 and its demand in the country is unlimited.

(e) Carum spp. (zeera or cumin) is an important herb which is extensively used as condiment in South Asian foods. Although zeera is found all over the Northern Areas, the quality of zeera collected from upper Astore areas, particularly from Rattu, gives the best smell and is much valued. The present market price of zeera is Rs 200 per kg. Zeera is being collected by villagers all over the Northern Areas and brought to the market for sale. There is practically no restriction on the collection of zeera, although it is termed as minor forest produce under the provision Pakistan Forest Act 1927. However, large scale extraction and export is allowed by the Forest department on payment of a royally and export duty.

Almost every household in vicinity of zeera producing area collects zeera. These areas including the village from Doyan to Rattu and adjoining areas in the Astore valley. A major quantity is smuggled to down country by the Gujars without payment of royalty and a small quantity of this plant comes to the local market. Zeera is biannual and yields one crop every alternate year. It grows mostly on easy slops, deep soils, on drier aspects and on the margins of agriculture fields. Due to expanding agriculture, the zeera producing areas are shrinking rapidly. Crude methods of processing and storage lower the quality of the seeds and the collection of immature seeds further reduces chances of their regeneration. Large zeera producing areas have been rendered unproductive and have become dominated by local grasses.