Medicinal plants are utilized around the globe for the treatment of a wide range of ailments. This study is an attempt to document the utilization of medicinal plants across the four different cultural groups residing in the rural and remote villages of the northern districts of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. To gather information related to medicinal plants and health care practices among the local folk, field surveys were conducted from February 2018 to May 2021. The ethnomedicinal information was gathered through semi-structured interviews and group discussions. During the study, a total of 109 plant species belonging to 35 families were recorded as commonly utilized by the local population, with Asteraceae reported as the dominant family. The most common growth form was herbs, with a percentage contribution of 86%. Leaves (38%) were the most commonly used plant part for the preparation of traditional remedies, and most of the remedies were prepared as paste and applied topically. The highest use value of 0.30 was reported for Capsella bursa-pastoris. Greater similarity (14% species) in the usage of plants was shown by Bakerwal, Gujjar, and Pahadi ethnic groups, whereas the least similarity (1%) was observed between Bakerwal and Kashmiri ethnic groups. Based on the results obtained in the present study, further phytochemical and pharmacological analysis of plants is recommended to confirm the efficacy and safety of the remedies used and to possibly elucidate candidates for the development of new drugs.

Introduction: Exposure to malathion has been linked to various toxicities that can affect nearly every organ in the human body. This study aimed to examine how malathion toxicity affects certain sero-biochemical and hematological parameters in chickens in order to determine the harmful effects on the blood, liver, and kidneys. Methods: Two experiments were conducted as part of the study design. Experiments 1 and 2 were used to determine the LD50 value and the hazardous dose in chickens, respectively. In the first experiment, 10 groups of 30 birds each were used. Over a period of 4 weeks, each group was divided into five subgroups (with six birds in each replicate), and one group served as a control. In the second experiment, six groups of birds and one control group of 10 chicks each were used (60 + 10 birds). Results: The LD ₅₀ in this study was found to be 620 mg/kg of body weight. As the hazardous dose of malathion increased, the levels of hemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) gradually decreased. Compared to the control group, all treatments had significantly higher red blood cells (RBC) and total leukocyte counts (TLC) ( p < 0.01). Albumin and glucose concentrations increased in tandem with the increases in malathion dosages. Significant increases were observed in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. Bilirubin, creatinine, and urea levels progressively increased when dosages were increased. Triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels exhibited modest decreases as dosages increased. Toxic levels of malathion had a severe impact on magnesium and inorganic phosphate levels. Conclusion: Hepatic, renal, and hematological functions are sensitive markers of malathion toxicity. The findings of the study provide a fundamental basis for understanding the acute toxicity of malathion in chickens. This study provides useful information for regulatory monitoring and risk assessment.