Ethnobotanical Survey and Traditional Knowledge of Ayurvedic Plants for Gynecological Disorders in Jammu Region, J&K: Linking Folk Claims to Scientific Validation

Abstract

Background: The Jammu Division of Jammu & Kashmir, a transitional Himalayan zone encompassing subtropical plains, mid-hills and temperate forests, harbours a rich reservoir of ethnomedicinal knowledge that local Vaidyas, Hakims, Gujjar and Bakerwal communities, and elderly rural women have traditionally applied to gynecological complaints. While this folk knowledge is widely practiced, it has rarely been systematically documented alongside laboratory-based validation.

Objective: This study aimed to (i) document, through a structured ethnobotanical survey, the traditional knowledge of Ayurvedic medicinal plants used for gynecological disorders in the Jammu region, and (ii) link these folk claims to scientific validation through phytochemical and antioxidant profiling of the identified species.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews and questionnaire-based field surveys were conducted with traditional healers, herbal practitioners, and knowledgeable villagers across representative districts of Jammu Division (Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch and Doda), documenting local names, plant parts used, modes of preparation, dosage, and the specific gynecological indications treated. Twelve Ayurvedic medicinal plants identified through this survey and cross-verified among multiple informants were authenticated, collected, and sequentially extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water. Qualitative phytochemical screening, quantitative estimation of total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), alkaloid (TAC) and saponin (TSC) content, and antioxidant assays (DPPH, FRAP) were performed, followed by correlation, regression and principal component analysis (PCA).

Results: Informants consistently reported the use of these twelve species for dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, leucorrhea, infertility, menstrual irregularities, vaginal infections, postpartum weakness, hormonal imbalance and uterine inflammation. Methanolic extracts gave the highest yields (mean 10.7%) and the greatest phenolic, flavonoid and alkaloid recovery, while aqueous extracts were richest in saponins and tannins, mirroring traditional decoction-based preparation. Vitex negundo, Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Punica granatum showed the highest phenolic/flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity (DPPH IC₅₀ 45-52 µg/mL; FRAP 458-490 µmol Fe²⁺/g), Asparagus racemosus and Foeniculum vulgare were saponin-dominant, and Berberis lyceum and Cissampelos pareira were alkaloid-dominant. Antioxidant activity correlated strongly with TPC (r = 0.91–0.93, p < 0.01). PCA and hierarchical clustering grouped the species into three chemotypic clusters that aligned closely with the folk-use categories reported during the survey (antioxidant/anti-inflammatory, fertility/adaptogenic, and uterotonic/hormonal regulatory).

Conclusion: The close correspondence between informant-reported indications and species-specific phytochemical/antioxidant signatures demonstrates that the ethnomedicinal knowledge of Jammu Division is not anecdotal but chemically coherent. The findings provide a scientific rationale for prioritizing these plants for standardization, quality control and further pharmacological and clinical validation, while underscoring the need to conserve both the plant resource and the associated traditional knowledge.