Socio-economic appraisal of the importance and impacts of Anardana (Punica granatum L.) in District Dir Lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Present survey was conducted to explore the status, socio-economic importance and impact of Anardana (Punica granatum L.) by the inhabitants of Dir, lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Method: Different techniques like semi-structured, open-ended questionnaires and interviews, a field survey, and group discussions were undertaken in Dir lower to understand socio-economic relevance and influence on local peoples. The data was assessed using various ethnobotanical indicators such as the relative frequency citation (RFC), usage value (UV percent), and fidelity level (FL). Results: Quantitative indices revealed that the plant is mostly used for the treatment of urinary problems, stomach disease and dry cough. Furthermore, the RFC results show that the plant is frequently used for fuel (1.00), fruit (0.97), medicine (0.93), spices (0.89) and fencing (0.88) purposes. Moreover, the results declared that P. granatum is mostly used (UV %) as a remedy for dry cough (90.5%), stomach disorders (81 %), urinary troubles (79.5%), diuretic (72%), renal calculus (66.5%), and fever tonic (62.5%). Out of 52 ailments, 16 ailments were identified with greater FL than 50 %. However, the highest ICF values were recorded for the dry cough (0.95) disease category, which shows that the disease is common in the community. The study naked that most informants agreed to P. granatum as a tonic for fever and dry cough, revealed the highest fidelity level (100 %) in the study area. Conclusions: Documentation of such ethnobotanical data will help conserve P. granatum, create awareness among the local community, and preserve the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plant species.