Ethnobotanical importance and bioactivity of wild herbal teas from District Poonch Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Wild herbal teas are a valuable source of antioxidants and play a significant role in the development of functional beverages. However, scientific validation of these teas remains limited in biodiversity-rich western Himalayas. This study documents the ethnomedicinal uses of 15 wild herbal tea plants from District Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and evaluates three culturally dominant species, such as Bergenia ciliata, Achillia millefolium, and Swertia alata, for total phenolics, total flavonoids, antioxidant, and antibacterial potential. The cultural significance of wild herbal teas was measured using indices such as use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), and relative importance (RI), indicating that B. ciliata, (A) millefolium, and S. alata are culturally significant species. Phytochemical analyses showed high phenolic and flavonoid contents, notably higher in (B) ciliata (TPC: 428.2 ± 3.33 µg GAE/mL; TFC: 327.7 ± 3.05 µg QE/mL). Antioxidant activity revealed potent radical scavenging, with B. ciliata exhibiting the lowest IC₅₀ value (48.0 µg/mL). Antibacterial assays confirmed significant activity of B. ciliata against Staphylococcus aureus (20.33 ± 0.33 mm), exceeding that of ampicillin (17.66 ± 0.88 mm). Correlation and multivariate analyses revealed substantial links between phenolic/flavonoid content and bioactivity. Overall, results scientifically validate local traditional knowledge, highlight the therapeutic potential of wild herbal teas, and emphasize their value as accessible, bioactive resources for community health and future natural product research.