A Genome-Wide Search for Greek and Jewish Admixture in the Kashmiri Population

Invertebrates and herptiles for livelihoods-ethnozoological use among different ethnic communities in Jammu and Kashmir (Indian Himalayas)

BACKGROUND

Ethnic communities have relied on animals and their derived products for ages, and their use is often intricately related to many cultural features. In remote regions across the globe, indigenous peoples have been using invertebrates and herptiles for a variety of purposes (medicine, food, culture, and spiritual importance); however, related scientific research is sparse, particularly in the western Himalayas. In this respect, we collected useful information on invertebrates and herpetofauna from Jammu and Kashmir, India, across different ethnic groups, i.e., Gujjar, Bakarwal, Dogra, Kashmiri, and Pahari.

METHODOLOGY

The data were gathered using semi-structured interviews followed by group discussions. The information gathered was analyzed using ordination techniques (principal component analysis). The Venn diagram was used to investigate cross-cultural similarities and differences between ethnic groups.

RESULTS

We documented 30 species belonging to five classes and 20 families used for different ethnozoological practices (medicinal, magico-religious, food, costume, omen, poultry, and agricultural purposes). The use of fauna resources varied across ethnic groups, and cross-cultural examination revealed that Kashmiri and Pahari populations were more similar in their species utilization. The maximum number of species (27%) was uniquely used by Kashmiri, followed by Pahari (17%), and the least by Dogra and Gujjar (3% each). The ethnozoological use of all documented species is unprecedented. In addition to ethnozoological usage, various documented species (Apis cerana, Apis mellifera, Hirudinaria granulosa, and Bombyx mori) were also important for the local population's livelihoods.

CONCLUSION

Our findings can be considered the baseline for understanding the relationship of invertebrates and herptiles with specific ethnic groups and will aid in the development of future research projects that can assess the interaction between local fauna and the diverse ethnic groups.

A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Medicinal Plant Utilization among the Four Ethnic Communities in Northern Regions of Jammu and Kashmir, India

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.

A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Plant Resources among Five Ethnic Groups in the Western Himalayan Region of Jammu and Kashmir

Simple Summary

For generations, local ethnic communities have amassed a vast body of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) on the use of plant resources. Ethnobiologists have recently focused on cross-cultural studies in order to record and measure the processes guiding the evolution of TEK within a specific society; both to preserve it and use it sustainably in the future. The current study documents the TEK of plant resources from five ethnic communities of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) region, Western Himalayas. Through semi-structured interviews and group discussions, we recorded a total of 127 plant species used by local ethnic groups for various provisioning services (i.e., medicine, food, fodder, fuelwood, herbal tea) and/or with spiritual significance. Across the ethnic groups, Gujjar reported the highest number of plants (25% species), followed by Pahari (24% species), and the lowest number of plants were reported by Dogra (12% species). Looking at plant uses among different cultural groups, we discovered that, especially, some ritual practices were associated with specific plants. We found a relatively high overlap in the use of specific plants among the ethnic groups, namely Gujjar, Bakarwal, and Pahari. Certain species were found to be common in all cultures due to their food value. The current study is a collaborative effort that includes not only documenting, but also cross-cultural comparisons of the documented species, in order to better understand the diverse traditional plant usage systems. This will not only increase regional understanding of cross-cultural ethnobotany, but it will also open opportunities for local people to be rewarded for promoting and celebrating their expertise and participating in future development activities.

Abstract

Plant resources have always been valuable in human life, and many plant species are used in medicine, food, and ritual, and resource utilization is closely related to cultural diversity. Our study was conducted from June 2019 to April 2021, during which we aimed to document the local knowledge of plant resources of five ethnic groups, i.e., the Gujjar, Bakarwal, Kashmiri, Pahari, and Dogra communities of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) region, Western Himalayas. Through semi-structured interviews (N = 342) and group discussions (N = 38), we collected data on the ethnobotanical uses of plant resources. The data was subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis and ordination techniques (Principal Component Analysis) via, R software of version 4.0.0. Traditional uses were classified into three groups, i.e., single-, double-, and multi-use groups. The study recorded a total of 127 plant species, belonging to 113 genera and distributed among 64 botanical families. The dominant plant families were the Asteraceae, with 8% of all species, followed by Lamiaceae (6%), Polygonaceae (5%) and Ranunculaceae (4%). The recorded plant taxa were frequently used for medicine (51.4% responses), followed by food (14.9%), and fodder (9.5%). Principal component analysis (PCA) separated three groups of provisioning services depending on plant consumption preference levels. Comparative analysis showed remarkable similarities in plant uses (food, medicinal) among the Gujjar and Bakarwal ethnic groups, as both groups share a common culture. Some plants like Azadirachta indica, Brassica campestris, Ulmus wallichiana, Amaranthus blitum, and Celtis australis were also used for magico-religious purposes. We also recorded some medicinal uses that are new to the ethnobotanical literature of the J&K Himalayas, such as for Betula utilis, Sambucus wightiana, and Dolomiaea macrocephala, in our case for example local medicinal recipe, which is derived from Dolomiaea macrocephala, often known as Nashasta, used to treat weakness, back pain, and joint pain. Similarly, we also recorded new food uses for Eremurus himalaicus. Moreover, we also observed some plants for instance, Fragaria nubicola, Betula utilis and Juniperus communis have spiritual significance (i.e., amulets and scrolls) for this part of the Himalayan region. The present study provides a useful tool for resource management and can help in developing scientifically informed strategies for the conservation of plant resources.

A case-control study of tumor necrosis factor-alpha promoter polymorphism and its serum levels in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Kashmir, North India

Aim:

Data about polymorphism in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and its serum levels in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are conflicting. We aimed to evaluate the association of TNF-α-308 G > A polymorphism in patients with COPD in Kashmir (North India), a high burden area and also determined the serum TNF-α levels in these patients.

Materials and Methods:

One hundred spirometrically confirmed COPD patients and 163 controls resident from Kashmir valley (North India) were recruited. Genotyping of the promoter region of TNF-α was carried out using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The serum TNF-α was quantified using the Cytometric Bead Array flex system by flow cytometry. Results were subjected to appropriate statistical treatment and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

Ninety-one COPD patients (91%) had G/G (wild homozygous) genotype and nine patients (9%) had G/A (heterozygous) genotype. Among the control population, 150 (92%) had G/G genotype and 13 (8%) had G/A genotype. The variant allele “A” was not detected in either of the two groups. Serum levels of TNF-α were significantly higher in patients compared to control group (8.0 ± 10.1 pg/ml vs. 3.3 ± 0.42 pg/ml, respectively, P = 0.0001).

Conclusion:

While serum levels of TNF-α are higher in COPD patients compared to the controls, there was no difference in the prevalence of TNF-α-308 polymorphism in the ethnic Kashmiri population with COPD.

The genetic affinities of Gujjar and Ladakhi populations of India

The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh in North India owing to their unique geographic location offer a wide variety of landscape from plains to high altitudes and is a congruence of many languages and cultural practices. Here, we present the genetic diversity studies of Gujjars from Jammu region of J&K and Ladakhi population based on a battery of autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and short tandem repeats (STRs), Y-chromosomal STRs and the control region of the mitochondrial genome. These two populations were observed to be genetically distant to each other as well as to other populations from India. Interestingly, Y-STR analyses showed a closer affinity of Gujjars to other nomadic populations of Pashtuns from Baghlans and Kunduz provinces of Afghanistan and Pashtuns and Sindhis of Pakistan. Gujjars exhibited lesser genetic diversity as compared to Ladakhi population. M30f and M9 were the most abundant mitochondrial haplogroups observed among Gujjars and Ladakhis, respectively. A lower matrilineal to patrilineal diversity was observed for both these populations. The current study presents the first comprehensive analysis of Gujjars and Ladakhis and reveals their unique genetic affiliations with other populations of the world.