*Corresponding Author Address: Nazima Rasool, Department of Botany, Satellite Campus KU, Khumbathang, Suru Valley, Kargil- 194105, India, Email: rasoolnazima@gmail.com Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences ISSN: 2320-1924; CODEN: JPBSEV Published by Atom and Cell Publishers © All Rights Reserved Available online at: http://www.jpabs.org/ Review Article Economic and Ethno-Medicinal Uses of Prunus armeniaca L. in Trans-Himalayan Zone of Ladakh Nazima Rasool 1 *, Aijaz Hassan Ganie 1 , Mohd. Sadiq Lone 2 and G.M. Mir 3 1 Department of Botany and 2 Department of Chemistry, Satellite Campus KU, Khumbathang, Suru Valley, Kargil- 194105 3 Department of Chemistry, Government College for Women Anantnag, Kashmir, J&K, India Received: 04-12-2016 / Revised Accepted: 23-12-2016 / Published: 01-01-2017 ABSTRACT From the last few years the trend in healthcare has seen a sea change. More and more people are now opting for traditional system of medicine. In the allopathic system of medicine as well there is an increasing dependence on natural resources which are under huge exploitation pressure. Collecting traditional knowledge on use of various plants for treating different diseases and knowing their other economic uses is the need of the hour. The documentation of local uses of the plants is also very important to reduce the poverty and to improve the economic conditions of the people living in far-flung areas. Therefore we assessed ethano-medicinal uses and economic importance of Prunus armenica L. in Ladakh region of the State of Jammu and Kashmir where this fruit is cultivated on a very large scale. Key words: apricot, ethano-medicine, economic condition, trans-Himalaya INTRODUCTION Prunus armeniaca L. commonly known as apricot, belonging to family Rosaceae [1], is cultivated world over including in the countries like China, Iran, India, Korea North Africa, Turkey the US etc. [2]. It is believed to have originated, and first domesticated and cultivated in China around 2000 BC. Total apricot production of the world is 2.6 million tonnes, Turkey being the major producer. While the ancient Persians called apricot “Egg of the sun”, in Eastern countries, the apricot is known as “moon of the faithful” [3, 4]. Apricot is cultivated through the length and breadth of the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir State. Plants are deciduous and can withstand temperatures as low as -30 °C. Apricot is grown under rain fed conditions and usually without any additional irrigation [5]. Well-drained alkaline loam and saline soils are the best for apricot cultivation; these soils usually don’t require chemical fertilization for cultivation of this prized fruit [4]. The trees are 9 m high [6], with serrate leaves ovate in shape; the flowers are typical rosaceous, clustered, white in color. Plants bloom in the month of April-May and the fruits ripen in July-August. Fruits are yellow to orange in colour and may have a reddish tinge. The plants are propagated by seeds, cuttings and grafting. The time to maturity i.e. the period from juvenility to first flowering is 6-7 years. The trees are drought- resistant and usually long-lived with an average age of 50-60 years with some trees living upto100 years or longer under favourable conditions. The trees don’t require any particular pesticide spray, moderate temperature, adequate sunlight and water are sufficient for proper cultivation. The State of Jammu and Kashmir is home to several ethnic groups each with its own stock of traditional knowledge that has been propagated from one generation to the next through the word of mouth [7]. This valuable knowledge requires to be documented immediately in order to prevent its loss. Up till now, no study has been carried out to document the economic significance and ethno- medicinal uses of apricot from Ladakh region because of its inaccessibility on account of inclement weather and, remote and difficult terrain. It is in this backdrop the present study was carried out to document the economic and ethno-medicinal