“Ethno-Medicinal Status of Plants in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India”

Abstract

Present study reports on the diversity, ethno-medicine knowledge, and conservation status of Medicinal plants in different areas of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. Purposive sampling method was used for area selection. A total of 107 plant species, representing 44 families and 86 genera, were documented as used in the traditional healthcare system of Meerut district. The most common life forms were trees (54 species, 50.5%), herbs (27 species, 25.23%), shrubs (18 species, 16.8%), climbers (8 species, 7.48%), and grasses (1 species, 0.9%). Bark was the most frequently used plant part (45 species), followed by leaves (42), fruits (33), roots (32), flowers (17), seeds (13), latex (09), whole plant (08), stem (4), oil (03), rhizome (02), and heartwood (01). The study emphasizes the continued importance of traditional knowledge for primary healthcare and highlights the need for conservation and pharmacological validation of these species.