**1. Introduction**

Humans have quite complex relationship with plants extending far back from the beging of human civilization on the earth. Plants are intially used for food, medicine and shelter. However various other uses ared discover by human beging with the passage of time and the dependence of human being on plant incresaed many fold, and in this manner support various other aspects of human proseperity and walfare [1, 2]. Ethnobotany paly key role in understaning the past and present dynamic interrelationship between socioculture system and phytodiversity [3]. The term Ethonotany was first coined by John W. Harsberge in 1896 [4]. However Ford (1978) developed the ethnobotanical discipline which descirbed the collection, identifcation and uses of plants by the people [5]. In borader aspect, ethnobotany referes to the discipline which use various anthropolgical approaches to understand the knowledge systems. During the current era, the ethnobotany emerge as mutidisplinay subject which focus on people plant relationship not only by collection and documentation of plants and their potential uses but also invovle economy, anthorpology, botany, pharmacology, public heatlh and vaious other fields. Thus people palnt interaction is quite broader aspect encompassing religious, social, artistic, commerical and symbolic relationship.

Ethnobotanical survey play pivotal role in highlighing the important plant species of the particular area. These species may be quite significant in pharmaceutical, farming, medicine and nuraceutical industry. The documentation of tradiational knowledge provide the basis for development of various modern drugs. It has been estimated that about 25% of modern medicine are plant based and majority of allopatheic medicine are synthetic analogue to the natural compound isolated from various plant species [6]. About 70–80% population of developing countries still depend upon herbal remedies for curing various ailments. This may due their cost effectivness, less side effect, cultural acceptibility and lack of modern health facilites. Herbal remedies are even extensivly used in various developed countries e.g. 40–50% population in Germany, 30–50% in China, 42% in the USA, 49% in France and 48% in Australia used plant based medicine as supplementary health care [7–9].

Wild plants species grows in natural or semi natural ecosystem spontaneously and exist independently without any human intervention. In contrast cultivated or domesticated plants have grown under human intervention, such as collection or breeding, and rely on management for their continuing survival. Wild edibel plant are gathered throughout the world using tradiational practice from different habitats such as forests, wetlands cultivateable fields and roadside. Since ancient times, wild plants have played a pivotal role in survival and livlehood of number of ethnic communities across the world by providing medicine, food, colors, shelter, poisons, textiles and also used in cultruarl and religious cermonies [10]. They are preffered by the people because of their aromatic and fresh taste, growing in pollutant free envirnoment, rich mineral nutrients, strong vitality and number of health and medicinal benefits [11].

According to estimate there are about 20,000 wild plant species across the world [12, 13]. In the past, more than 7000 wild edible plant species have been used by the humans [14]. Out of total, only 3000 speccies have been ued as agricultural crop and 150 species are commercially cultivated. However 90% of our food is obtained from only 20 species [12, 15, 16]. The usage of wild edible plant as food occur both in the time of food shortage and surplus and this usage has not completely disappeared even in the agricultural socities where people primarly depends upon crop plant [17, 18]. Throughout the contemporary world, about 200 million people full fill their food and livilehood requirments from frorest [12]. Previous reports also documented the theraputic potential and nturional value of wild edible plants [15, 16, 19].

The wild edible plants (WEPs) are an integral component of biodiversity and there in situ conservation offers various sociocultural, economic and agriculture benefits [10, 20]. The role of wild edible plants in folk tradiations is quite significant. However the most relevant and consistent reason for better management of wild edible plants are there use as food and medicine. Therefore, the ethnobotanical research is

#### *Ethnomedicinal Appraisal of Traditionally Used Wild Edible Plants of District Bagh, Azad… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.104492*

important in identifying new source for food and providing raw material for drug discovery. The presence of high amount of various micrnonutrients, minerals and vitamin increase the nutritional quality of wild edible as compared to domesticated varieties and hence prefered by ethnic communities [21]. Some areas of the world have particular diversity of plants and animals [15, 16]. District Bagh, is one of such area located in western Himalayan region of Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The area harbored number of wild edible plants, which are use by local in variety of ways. Large numbers of wild edible plants are widely distributed throughout the District and consumed in various ways. Nutritionally, most of these plants are highly important because of presence of fiber contents, minerals and vitamins. Root, nut, tubers, fruit and bark are commonly consumed parts, which were analyzed for carbohydrate, protein, fats and minerals.

Previous epidemiological reports confirmed that diet have key role in curing various chronic ailments. This evidence suggest that change in behavior of diet such as high consumption of grains, fruits and vegetable is a practical strategy in minimizing or controlling the incidence of various chronic ailments. High consumption of wild fruits and vegetables have strong link with low risk of cancer, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, Aging, cataracts. The connection between food and health is becoming highly significant as people now demand tasty, healthy and natural functional foods which grow in uncontaminated environment. In different regions of the world the knowledge about such wild edible plants as medicine and food is disappearing. This is because it mainly transferred orally and vertically from generation to generation as a part of traditional knowledge. Hence it is very crucial to document the data about popular uses of such plants before this knowledge become extinct. Therefore, current study is design to (a) document ethnomedicinal knowledge about wild edible plants (b) quantitatively analyze the data by using various indices such as frequency of citation, use value, informant consent factor, relative importance and fidelity level.

### **2. Material and methods**

#### **2.1 Study area**

District Bagh is one of the diversity rich area lies in western Himalayan region of Azad Kashmir. Its geographical coordinates are between latitude 33°53<sup>0</sup> –4°07<sup>0</sup> N and longitude 73°30<sup>0</sup> to 74° E. The altitude of the area varies between 600 and 3300 m. The total land area is 770 m<sup>2</sup> and total population is 0.397 illion. Map of the study area is given in **Figure 1**. The climate of the area is of Mediterranean type with annual precipitation of 1500 mm. January is coldest month with average minimum temperature fall below �2°C and June is warmest month where average maximum temperature remains close to 40°C.

The local inhabitant of the area belongs to diverse ethnic group mainly Maldial, Abbasi, Khawa, Rajpoot, Gujar and Sadaat. The whole population is Muslim. Commonly spoken languages include Hinko, Pahari, Kashmiri and Gojri. The vegetation of the area varies from subtropical to temperate type comprises a wide variety herbs, shrubs, trees and climbers. The people residing at higher altitude have poor socioeconomic condition and have a long abundant and tradition practices of eating wild plants. Due very limited access to modern health facilities, they still use these plants to

**Figure 1.** *Map of study area.*

cure various ailments. However, knowledge about medicinal and other use of plants are mainly confine to elder peoples and health Practionaire (hakims).
