Ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies of medicinal plants used in rural areas of Kavrepalanchok District (Central Nepal).

The current economic and social conditions in many rural areas of the world are threatening the precious heritage of ethnobotanical knowledge and traditional farming practices.This can cause loss of precious cultural heritage and reduction in plant biodiversity, as ancient crops tend to disappear. The main aim of this thesis is to document traditional uses of plants by different ethnic groups (Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan) living in certain rural areas of the Kavrepalanchok District in Central Nepal. In the study area, due to distance from urban centres and difficulty in accessing the government healthcare system, people still rely heavily on the use of local plants for various purposes, above all for primary healthcare. Through interviews with 32 informants, most of whom were key informants, we explored uses of 116 plant species, of which 101 were plants with medicinal value employed in the treatment of human and veterinary diseases. Some unusual uses of medicinal plants and original recipes were also reported. The data document the richness of the local flora and traditional knowledge of medicinal plant species used by ethnic communities in these rural areas. Therefore, future projects will have to involve local people in the improvement and conservation of the biological and cultural heritage.There is also a need for an ecological strategy for integrated management of land, water and living resources. Another aim of the research presented in this thesis is to better characterise some plants found to be of particular interest among those surveyed in the study area. With this in mind, we have focused our attention on those plants used by informants in the treatment of nervous system disorders, such as two species belonging to Caprifoliaceae (formerly Valerianaceae): Valeriana jatamansi Jones ex Rob. and Nardostachys jatamansi (D. Don) DC. These plants are widely used in traditional medicine for their sedative and anxiolytic properties in Nepal and in many other Asian countries. The pharmacognostic and phytochemical profile and the biological effects of essential oils (EOs) of these species were compared with those of Valeriana officinalis L., a species whose phytotherapeutic use is widespread in Western medicine. The multidisciplinary approach used represents a way to avoid adulteration of herbal drugs and allows evaluation of the effectiveness of EOs that could be used for a wide range of therapeutic applications. Overall, the results of this research could be useful for enhancing knowledge of the potential of still little-known medicinal plants for the possible formulation of new pharmaceutical products, eventually contributing to the economic development of local communities.