Correction: Sarwer et al. Green Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Using Myrsine africana Leaf Extract for Their Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Phytotoxic Activities. Molecules 2022, 27, 7612.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].

Correction: The fodder grass resources for ruminants: A indigenous treasure of local communities of Thal desert Punjab, Pakistan.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224061.].

Integrative analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome reveals the molecular regulatory mechanism of isoflavonoid biosynthesis in Ormosia henryi Prain.

Flavonoids are important components of many phytopharmaceuticals, however, most studies on flavonoids and isoflavonoids have been conducted on herbaceous plants of the family Leguminosae, such as soybean, and less attention has been paid to woody plants. To fill this gap, we characterized the metabolome and transcriptome of five plant organs of Ormosia henryi Prain (OHP), a woody Leguminosae plant with great pharmaceutical value. Our results indicate that OHP possesses a relatively high content of isoflavonoids as well as significant diversity, with greater diversity of isoflavonoids in the roots. Combined with transcriptome data, the pattern of isoflavonoid accumulation was found to be highly correlated with differential expression genes. Furthermore, the use of trait-WGCNA network analysis identified OhpCHSs as a probable hub enzyme that directs the downstream isoflavonoid synthesis pathway. Transcription factors, such as MYB26, MYB108, WRKY53, RAV1 and ZFP3, were found to be involved in the regulation of isoflavonoid biosynthesis in OHP. Our findings will be beneficial for the biosynthesis and utilization of woody isoflavonoids.

Physiological and transcriptomic responses to magnesium deficiency in Neolamarckia Cadamba.

Magnesium (Mg2+) is a critical component of chlorophyll and enzymes involved in various physiological and biochemical processes essential for plant growth, biomass accumulation, and photosynthesis. Mg2+ deficiency (MgD) is common in hot and rainy subtropical areas due to its easy loss from soil. Neolamarckia cadamba, an important tropical tree in South Asia, faces severe effects of MgD, however, the responses of N. cadamba to MgD stress remain unclear. In here, effects of N. cadamba under MgD stress were investigated. The study revealed that MgD had lower plant biomass, fresh and dry weight, root length, root volume, and surface area compared to CK (normal Mg2+). As treatment time increased, the leaves began to yellow, and lesions appeared. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll content, along with fluorescence-related parameters and leaf photosynthetic capacity, were significantly reduced in MgD stress compared to CK treatment. Transcriptome analysis showed that transporters as well as transcription factors (TFs) from MYC (v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog), MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog), bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) and WRKY families were upregulated in leaves at 10 d of MgD stress, indicating that magnesium signaling transduction might be activated to compensate MgD. In addition, genes including chlorophyll(ide) b reductase (NYC1/NOL) chlorophyll/bacteriochlorophyll synthase (G4) and 7-hydroxymethyl chlorophyll a reductase synthesizing (HCAR) chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b were down-regulated in leaves, while those scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) were mainly up-regulated at 10 d of MgD stress. These results shed light on underlying MgD in N. cadamba.

Green Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Using Myrsine africana Leaf Extract for Their Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Phytotoxic Activities.

Nanotechnology is the study and control of materials at length scales between 1 and 100 nanometers (nm), where incredible phenomena enable new applications. It affects all aspects of human life and is the most active research topic in modern materials science. Among the various metallic nanoparticles used in biomedical applications, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most important and interesting nanomaterials. The aim of this study was to synthesize AgNPs from the leaf extract of Myrsine africana to investigate their antibacterial, antioxidant, and phytotoxic activities. When the leaf extract was treated with AgNO3, the color of the reaction solution changed from light brown to dark brown, indicating the formation of AgNPs. The UV-visible spectrum showed an absorption peak at 438 nm, confirming the synthesis of AgNPs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the AgNPs were spherical and oval with an average size of 28.32 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms the presence of bio-compound functional groups on the surface of the AgNPs. The crystalline nature of the AgNPs was confirmed by XRD pattern. These biosynthesized AgNPs showed pronounced antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with higher inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli. At 40 µg/mL AgNPs, the highest antioxidant activity was obtained, which was 57.7% and an IC50 value of 77.56 µg/mL. A significant positive effect was observed on all morphological parameters when AgNPs were applied to wheat seedlings under constant external conditions at the different concentrations. The present study provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for the synthesis of AgNPs, which can be effectively used in the field of therapeutics, as antimicrobial and diagnostic agents, and as plant growth promoters.

Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses of Growth in Neolamarckia cadamba Stimulated by Exogenous Gibberellins.

(1) The phytohormones gibberellins (GAs) play a crucial role in plant growth and development, such as seed germination, flowering, fruiting, and stem elongation. Although many biological roles of GAs have been studied intensively, the molecular mechanisms of GAs in woody plants are still unclear. (2) In this study, we investigated the effects of exogenous application of GAs on Neolamarckia cadamba. (3) The height and biomass of N. cadamba increased after 7 days of GA treatment, especially on the second internode. Transcriptome analysis showed that although the majority of genes involved in the GA signaling pathway were up-regulated, the expression of GA20 oxidase (GA20ox) and GA3 oxidase (GA3ox) was down-regulated in the 3 days GA-treated group compared to the CK group. The expression of the cell elongation-related basic helix-loop-helix genes bHLH74 and bHLH49 was up-regulated in the GA-treated group compared with the CK group. Transcriptional expression levels of transcription factors involved in hormone signaling were changed, mainly including bHLH, ethylene response factor (ERF), and WRKY families. In addition, the transcriptional expression level of the key enzymes engaged in the phenylalanine pathway was downregulated after GA treatment. (4) In brief, our findings reveal the physiological and molecular mechanisms of exogenous GA treatment stimulation in N. cadamba.

Characterization of hemicellulose during xylogenesis in rare tree species Castanopsis hystrix.

Hemicellulose is an important component of the plant cell wall which vary in structure and composition between plant species. The research of hemicellulose structures is primarily focused on fast-growing plants during xylogenesis, with slow-growing and rare trees receiving the least attention. Here, hemicellulose structure of the rare species Castanopsis hystrix during xylogenesis was analyzed. Acetyl methyl glucuronide xylan was the most common type of hemicellulose in C. hystrix, with a unique tetrasaccharide structure at the reducing end. Hemicellulose type, structure, molecular weight, thermal stability, biosynthesis and acetyl substitution content and pattern remained stable during the xylogenesis in C. hystrix, which could be attributed to its slow growth. The stable polymer type, low side chain modification and high acetyl substitution of hemicellulose throughout the stems are among the reasons for the hardness and corrosion resistance properties of C. hystrix wood. Genetic modification can be used to improve these properties.

Potassium deficiency inhibits leaf growth and promotes leaf necrotic spots in Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser.

Leaves, being a key plant organ involved in photosynthesis, play an important role in plant growth and development. Although there have been a few studies on the effects of potassium (K+) deficiency on the leaves of woody plants, knowledge about mechanism of necrotic spot formation on leaves during K+ deficiency is scarce. We used a hydroponics setup to understand the effects of K+ deficiency on Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) Bosser. K+ deficiency resulted in smaller leaves and necrotic spots on the older leaves, whereas regulatory modules of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in cell proliferation, cell cycle and cell expansion were downregulated. K+ deficiency increased the activity of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidases and malondialdehyde, and expression of DEGs related to these was also upregulated. Strong diaminobenzidine staining was observed on the older leaves showing accumulation of H2O2 during K+ deficiency treatment. In addition, putrescine and ethylene synthesis genes were upregulated. Fifteen DEGs in response to ethylene signaling, including ETR1, ETR2, EBF1, ERF1 and ERF2, were upregulated in the third week. The leaf growth changes caused by K+ deficiency in N. cadamba were well demonstrated by our findings.

Transcriptomic Evidence Reveals Low Gelatinous Layer Biosynthesis in Neolamarckia cadamba after Gravistimulation.

Trees can control their shape and resist gravity by producing tension wood (TW), which is a special wood that results from trees being put under stress. TW is characterized by the presence of a gelatinous layer (G layer) and the differential distribution of cell wall polymers. In this study, we investigated whether or not gravistimulation in N. cadamba resulted in TW with an obvious G layer. The results revealed an absence of an obvious G layer in samples of the upper side of a leaning stem (UW), as well as an accumulation of cellulose and a decrease in lignin content. A negligible change in the content of these polymers was recorded and compared to untreated plant (NW) samples, revealing the presence of a G layer either in much lower concentrations or in a lignified form. A transcriptomic investigation demonstrated a higher expression of cell wall esterase- and hydrolase-related genes in the UW, suggesting an accumulation of noncellulosic sugars in the UW, similar to the spectroscopy results. Furthermore, several G-layer-specific genes were also downregulated, including fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins (FLA), beta-galactosidase (BGAL) and chitinase-like proteins (CTL). The gene coexpression network revealed a strong correlation between cell-wall-synthesis-related genes and G-layer-synthesis-specific genes, suggesting their probable antagonistic role during G layer formation. In brief, the G layer in N. cadamba was either synthesized in a very low amount or was lignified during an early stage of growth; further experimental validation is required to understand the exact mechanism and stage of G layer formation in N. cadamba during gravistimulation.

Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses to Nitrogen Deficiency in Neolamarckia cadamba.

Nitrogen (N) is one of the abundant and essential elements for plant growth and development, and N deficiency (ND) affects plants at both physiological and transcriptomic levels. Neolamarckia cadamba is a fast-growing woody plant from the Rubiaceae family. However, the physiological and molecular impacts of ND on this species have not been well investigated. Here, we studied how N. cadamba responds to ND under hydroponic conditions. In a physiological aspect, ND led to a reduction in biomass, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic capacity. ND also impaired the assimilation of N as the activities of glutamine synthetase (GS) and nitrate reductase (NR) were decreased in the root. Interestingly, the lignin content of stem increased progressively during the ND stress. The main transcription factors, the transcription factors that are important to N regulation has been found to be upregulated, including Nodule inception-like protein 7 (NLP7), TGACG motif-binding factor 1 (TGA1), basic helix-loop-helix protein 45 (BHLH45), NAM, ATAF1,2, CUC2 (NAC) transcription factor 43 (NAC43), and basic leucine zipper pattern 44 (bZIP44). The expression of N transporters, such as nitrate transporter 2.4 (NRT2.4), ammonium transporter 3 (AMT3), and amino acid transporter protein 3 (AAP3), was also upregulated. In addition, phosphorus- and calcium-related genes such as phosphate starvation response 2 (PHR2) and cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel 15 (CNGC15) were expressed more abundantly in response to ND stress. Our results reveal the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which woody plants respond to ND.

Characterization of hemicellulose in Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) stem during xylogenesis.

Cassava is one of the three major potato crops due to the high starch content in its tubers. Unlike most current studies on the utilization of cassava tubers, our research is mainly focused on the stem of cassava plant. Through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and other methods, we found that cassava stalk hemicellulose consists of ß-1,4 glycosidic bond-linked xylan backbone with a tetrasaccharide reducing end and decorated with methylated glucuronic acid, acetyl groups and a high degree of arabinose substitutions. Hemicellulose content gradually increased from the upper to the lower parts of the stem. The apical part of cassava stalk contained more branched and heterogeneous glycans than the middle and basal parts, and the molecular weight of hemicellulose increased from top to bottom. Our findings will be helpful in understanding of structural variations of cassava hemicellulose during xylogenesis, as well as in better utilization of cassava plant waste in industry.

Physiological, Biochemical, and Transcriptomic Responses of Neolamarckia cadamba to Aluminum Stress.

Aluminum is the most abundant metal of the Earth's crust accounting for 7% of its mass, and release of toxic Al3+ in acid soils restricts plant growth. Neolamarckia cadamba, a fast-growing tree, only grows in tropical regions with acidic soils. In this study, N. cadamba was treated with high concentrations of aluminum under acidic condition (pH 4.5) to study its physiological, biochemical, and molecular response mechanisms against high aluminum stress. High aluminum concentration resulted in significant inhibition of root growth with time in N. cadamba. The concentration of Al3+ ions in the root tip increased significantly and the distribution of absorbed Al3+ was observed in the root tip after Al stress. Meanwhile, the concentration of Ca, Mg, Mn, and Fe was significantly decreased, but P concentration increased. Aluminum stress increased activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase from micrococcus lysodeiktic (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) in the root tip, while the content of MDA was decreased. Transcriptome analysis showed 37,478 differential expression genes (DEGs) and 4096 GOs terms significantly associated with treatments. The expression of genes regulating aluminum transport and abscisic acid synthesis was significantly upregulated; however, the genes involved in auxin synthesis were downregulated. Of note, the transcripts of several key enzymes affecting lignin monomer synthesis in phenylalanine pathway were upregulated. Our results shed light on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of aluminum stress tolerance in N. cadamba.

Characterization of hemicelluloses in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) culm during xylogenesis.

Hemicelluloses are effective renewable biopolymers that can be used in many different industrial processes and preparations. In plants, the content of hemicellulose might change with different developmental stages and/or tissues. Thus, in here chemical and structural differences in hemicellulose isolated from the apical, middle and basal segments of sugarcane stem were characterized using chemical techniques. Further, difference in expression levels of genes related to synthesis of hemicelluloses from these three segments were studied by RNA-seq and qRT-PCR etc. The sugarcane hemicellulose backbone was xylose residues connected via ß-1,4 glycosidic linkages which was further substituted with arabinose, acetyl and glucuronic acid side chains. Hemicellulose content was higher in the middle and basal segments with less backbone substitutions compared to apical segments. In terms of gene expression, hemicellulose synthesis and modification genes were intensely expressed in middle and basal segments. Taken together, our research describes differences in hemicellulose content and substitutions in sugarcane during xylogenesis, which will increase our knowledge for finding more refined use of sugarcane bagasse.

Balanced Xylan Acetylation is the Key Regulator of Plant Growth and Development, and Cell Wall Structure and for Industrial Utilization.

Xylan is the most abundant hemicellulose, constitutes about 25-35% of the dry biomass of woody and lignified tissues, and occurs up to 50% in some cereal grains. The accurate degree and position of xylan acetylation is necessary for xylan function and for plant growth and development. The post synthetic acetylation of cell wall xylan, mainly regulated by Reduced Wall Acetylation (RWA), Trichome Birefringence-Like (TBL), and Altered Xyloglucan 9 (AXY9) genes, is essential for effective bonding of xylan with cellulose. Recent studies have proven that not only xylan acetylation but also its deacetylation is vital for various plant functions. Thus, the present review focuses on the latest advances in understanding xylan acetylation and deacetylation and explores their effects on plant growth and development. Baseline knowledge about precise regulation of xylan acetylation and deacetylation is pivotal to developing plant biomass better suited for second-generation liquid biofuel production.

The fodder grass resources for ruminants: A indigenous treasure of local communities of Thal desert Punjab, Pakistan.

Indigenous people have been using local grasses for rearing their animals for centuries. The present study is the first record of traditional knowledge of grasses and livestock feeding system from the Thal desert in Pakistan. A snowball sampling method was used to identify key participants. Information was collected from the respondents from six districts of Thal Desert through semi-structural questionnaire and site visits. The data was analyzed through Smith's salience index and Composite Salience using ANTHROPAC package in R software. On the whole 61 grasses were recorded from the study area: most of them belong to the Poaceae family (52 species). Based on palatability grasses were categorized into three major groups i.e. (A) High priority, (B) Medium priority and (C) Low priority. Species in Group A, abundantly present in the study area represent a source of highly palatable forage for all ruminants. 232 (141M +91W) local participants were interviewed. Participants were grouped into three major age categories: 20-35 (48 participants), 36-50 (116 participants) and 51-67 years old (68 participants). ANTHROPAC frequency analysis confirmed the Smith's salience index and Composite Salience; Cynodon dactylon was the favorite species (6.46 SI, 0.6460 CS) followed by Cymbopogon jwarancusa (5.133 SI, 0.5133 CS) and Sorghum sp. was the third most salient species (5.121 SI, 0.5121 CS). Grasses were mostly available during the months of August and October and had also ethnoveterinary importance. This document about the traditional feeding of livestock in Thal Desert can underline the importance of conserving a traditional knowledge, which was poorly documented before.

Rice Straws With Different Cell Wall Components Differ on Abilities of Saccharification.

Rice straw has an enormous amount of biomass for energy use, but the complexity of the cell wall component hinders technical processes. Although belonging to rice straws, the straws from different varieties should be with different treatment strategies to obtain best energy efficiency. To confirm this hypothesis, 7 different rice varieties (RPY GENG, RIL269, RIL272, RIL31, RIL57, RIL06, LUOHUI 9) with different cell wall traits from RIL population were evaluated for their response toward different pretreatments. For japonica RPY GENG, 2% of H2SO4 acid was best pre-treatment while high acid (5% of H2SO4) pretreatment caused undue loss. For Indica LUOHUI 9 rice, high acid pretreatment was suitable, while RIL57 had maximum of glucose yield with high alkali (10% NaOH) pretreatment. High-concentration alkali pretreatment is the most convenient and effective pretreatment method for the treatment of unknown varieties of rice straws, because the lignin has been removed and has the lowest negative effects on the glucose yield under the high alkali condition. As the RILs used in this study vary considerably in their wall structure, an understanding of their response to different pre-treatments confirms our hypothesis and help us to understand the influence of different wall compositions on the final output.

Effects of Pre-Anthesis Drought, Heat and Their Combination on the Growth, Yield and Physiology of diverse Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes Varying in Sensitivity to Heat and drought stress.

Independent and combined drought and heat stress negatively affect wheat yield and physiology. The present study was aimed to quantify effects of Drought [D], heat [H] and combined heat and drought [HD] during reproductive stage on wheat yield and to identify physio-biochemical traits which were strongly associated with improved yield and tolerance of wheat under stressful conditions. One hundred and eight elite diverse wheat genotypes were exposed to [H], [D] and [HD] treatments from heading till maturity. Grain yield was reduced by 56.47%, 53.05% and 44.66% under [HD], [H] and [D] treatment, respectively. The [HD] treatment affects the grain yield by reducing metabolism and mobilization of reserves to developing grains and leaves. Disintegration of membrane structure, chlorophyll and protein molecules was higher under [H] stress than [D] stress while water status of genotypes and sink strength was more affected by [D] than [H] stress. Multivariate analysis showed a strong correlation of chlorophyll content before and after anthesis, water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), proline content (PC) and all other studies agronomic and physiological traits with grain yield while days to anthesis (DTA) and days to maturity (DTM) were negatively associated with grain yield under stress showing advantage of early maturity during stress. Traits having a major contribution in the first two principal components under different stress treatments may lead to improved varieties with heat and drought stress tolerance. To best of over knowledge, the present study is the first detailed study which used physiological and biochemical traits to explain the variation in grain yield and related traits in diverse wheat germplasm.

Genome-wide association analyses for yield and yield-related traits in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under pre-anthesis combined heat and drought stress in field conditions.

Understanding the genetic basis of heat and drought stress tolerance in wheat is prerequisite for wheat breeding program. In the present study, a wheat panel comprising of 192 elite bread wheat genotypes was phenotyped in eight environments for yield and related traits in field conditions. Four stress environments were created by implying four different treatments differing in sowing date and water availability, panel was evaluated for two years in field conditions. The panel was genotyped with 15K Illumina chip and 9236 polymorphic markers concentrated on B genome were employed in GWAS analysis. Consistent, fast LD decay was observed on D genome and structure analysis germplasm divided panel into three major populations. GWAS was performed using BLUEs values of combined environment data in R package GAPIT using log10(P) = 3.96 as significance threshold. The significance of association was further checked using FDR<0.05 threshold. The GWAS identified 487 loci associated with the traits and were significant at log10(p) threshold out of these 350 loci were significant at FDR threshold. For two stress indices 108 associations were significant at FDR threshold. Nine genomic regions were shared among all treatment, while multiple pleiotropic regions were present on chromosome 7D followed by unmapped chromosome. The present study validated many marker trait associations for yield and other traits, MTAs significant under combined drought and heat stress were novel. These regions are important and can be used for fine mapping and marker assisted selection to discover new genes responsible for heat and drought tolerance in wheat.

Genome-wide association mapping in bread wheat subjected to independent and combined high temperature and drought stress.

Most investigations to date aiming to identify the genetic basis of the stress response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) have focused on the response to single stress agents such as high temperature or drought, even though in the natural situation, these stresses tend often to occur together. Here, a panel of 108 spring type bread wheat cultivars was phenotyped for 15 yield and yield related traits for two years (2014/15 and 2015/16) under non-stressed conditions, under high temperature stress, under drought and under a combined high temperature and drought regime. The mean loss in grain yield caused by all stress regimes was 51.33%. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of yield trait showed significant differences among genotypes environments and their interactions (G×E). All the studied traits had higher heritability values which ranged from 0.35-0.94 under [C], 0.58-0.95 under [D], 0.62-0.93 under [H] and 0.60-0.95 under [HD]. GWAS was performed by using 9,646 informative SNP markers and based on these polymorphic SNPs population structure analysis divided whole germplasm into five major sub-populations. Mixed model association analysis detected 503 marker-trait associations (MTAs) at P ≤0.001 while 329 MTAs crossed FDR ≤ 0.05 for all traits with phenotypic variances (R2) ranged from 24.83% to 12.51%. Seven new pleiotropic SNPs on chromosome 7D and IAAV8258 (86.91cM) and wsnp_Ex_c7168_12311649 (57.93cM) on chromosome 5A were most stable association in present study. Furthermore, candidate genes Psy and Sr25 (TG0040) were also significant in present study, these genes were previously mapped on 7A and 7D. The region on 7D was assiociated with 7DL.7Ag translocation from Lophopyrum carring rust resistance Yr16 and many other genes. Similarly region on chromosome 7A which was associated with Psy gene was linked with grain yellow pigment content QTLs. Favourable alleles controlling grain yield were of vital importance and incorporation of these alleles after validation through marker assisted selection and fine mapping could be helpful in wheat yield improvement stress and non-stress conditions.

Exploration of ethno-medicinal knowledge among rural communities of Pearl Valley; Rawalakot, District Poonch Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants are the basic source of health care in the Pearl Valley District Poonch, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir. The basic aim of present study was to record information about the use of plants in herbal preparation and quantification of recorded data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research was conducted with the null hypothesis that there was no differential distribution of knowledge among the communities between genders and among different age groups in the study area and across cultural medicinal uses of the plants are similar. To check these hypotheses information about medicinal plants was collected from 46 laypeople and 18 herbalists by using an open ended and semistructured questionnaire. Different ethnobotanical indices were calculated in order to quantify the knowledge on the medicinal plants reported in the study. RESULTS: Our study recorded 136 species of medicinal plants belonging to 45 families with Asteraceae (14 species) as the dominant family of the area. Decoction (26 species), juice and powder (24 species each) were most common methods of preparation. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that age and gender had the significant effect on both numbers of mentioned species and different uses. A number of known medicinal plants and the number of different uses (H: 38.51; p < 0.001) differ significantly as indicated by Kruskal-Wallis tests. These results showed that the knowledge about the plant varies among different age groups, which were the first hypothesis of the present study. The highest use values (UVs) were reported for Berberis lyceum and Ajuga bracteosa (1.13 each) followed by Abies pindrow (1.03). Highest informant consensus factor (ICF) values were recorded for digestive system diseases (ICF = 0.90) and muscular and skeletal system diseases (ICF = 0.89). The value of Jaccarad index ranged from 6.11 to 32.97 with an average value of 19.84, percentage of similarity was highest between study area and Pir Lasura National Park (34.62%). CONCLUSION: High similarity might be due to the fact that the communities living in these areas have same sociocultural values and have more opportunities to exchange their traditional knowledge. The present study provides practical evidence about the use of medicinal plants among the inhabitants of the Pearl Valley.