Evidence mapPaperPMID 40836265Full record

ArticleJournal of health, population, and nutrition2025

Plant-based traditional remedies and their role in public health: ethnomedicinal perspectives for a growing population.

Xueqin Wang, Tauseef Anwar, Huma Qureshi, Hossam S El-Beltagi, Zobia Sehar, Dilafruz Solieva, Bakhrom Azizov, Nazih Y Rebouh, Mehraj A Abbasov, Farrukh Yakubov and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, and Pharmacological Activities ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Selected Cannabinoids, Cannabimimetic Agents andPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Xueqin WangSchool of Sociology and Population Studies, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China.
Tauseef AnwarDepartment of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan. tauseef.anwar@iub.edu.pk.
Huma QureshiDepartment of Botany, University of Chakwal, Chakwal, 48800, Pakistan.
Hossam S El-BeltagiAgricultural Biotechnology Department, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia. helbeltagi@kfu.edu.sa.
Zobia SeharDepartment of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan.
Dilafruz SolievaDepartment of Botany and Genetics, National University of Uzbekistan, 4 University Str, Tashkent, 100174, Uzbekistan.
Bakhrom AzizovDepartment of Plant Science of Oilseed Crops, Tashkent State Agrarian University, University street, 2A, Kibray district, Tashkent region, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Nazih Y RebouhDepartment of Environmental Management, Institute of Environmental Engineering, RUDN University, Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, 117198, Russia.
Mehraj A AbbasovScientific Research Centre, Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku, Azerbaijan.
Farrukh YakubovDepartment of Plant Protection and Quarantine, Tashkent State Agrarian University, 2A Universitet Str, Kibray district, Baku, 100140, Tashkent region, Uzbekistan.
Maryam M AlomranDepartment of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTraditional plant-based remedies remain essential to public health, especially in regions where formal healthcare access is limited. This study documents ethnomedicinal practices in Tehsil Hasilpur, Punjab, Pakistan, highlighting how growing and diverse populations utilize local flora for therapeutic purposes.

methodsA total of 421 informants (247 males, 174 females) across 39 villages contributed to the documentation of 39 medicinal plant species from 19 botanical families. Informants represented varied age groups and occupations, including herbalists (25), farmers (18), and Pansars (15). Education levels varied, with 23 illiterate and 18 educated beyond matriculation. Preparation methods included powders (21), juices (15), decoctions (15), and infusions (14), with leaves (35) and whole plants (29) being the most used parts. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices such as Frequency Index, Use Value, and Rank Order Priority were calculated to assess plant significance. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) was also determined for various ailment categories.

resultsPhysalis peruviana exhibited the highest Frequency Index (3.78), while Rorippa sylvestris showed notable Use Value (0.57) and Rank Order Priority (32.57) for kidney stones and skin disorders. Informant Consensus Factor values ranged from 0.67 to 1.00, with strong agreement on treatments for ulcers, asthma, and urinary infections. The study also identified novel uses, such as Emex spinosus for fever and pain relief.

conclusionThese findings emphasize the cultural and therapeutic relevance of ethnomedicine for growing populations. The preservation and pharmacological validation of such knowledge are vital, especially in areas with limited clinical infrastructure. Integrating scientifically supported traditional remedies into public health strategies could enhance healthcare accessibility while honoring indigenous knowledge systems. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Medicine, TraditionalPhytotherapyPlants, MedicinalPublic HealthAdolescentAdultAgedEthnobotanyFemaleHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansMaleMiddle AgedPakistanYoung AdultEthnomedicinal knowledgeHealthcare practicesIndigenous communitiesPlant species diversityTraditional healing

Identifiers

PMID40836265
PMCPMC12369213

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.