A survey of medicinal plants used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in two northern districts of Bangladesh

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a debilitating disease leading to chronic pain, disability and often joint destruction, deformity and loss of function. The estimated prevalence of the disease is 1–2% worldwide and approaches 5% in women over age 55. Modern medicines can only alleviate some of the symptoms associated with the disease but cannot cure the disease. On the other hand, alternative medicine practitioners (AMPs) of various countries claim to cure this diseases with formulations prepared from a single or a combination of medicinal plants. RA is widely prevalent in Bangladesh and is present in both rural as well as urban segments of the country's population. The objective of the present study was to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey amongst the AMPs of two northern districts of Bangladesh, namely Dinajpur and Panchagarh to collect information on medicinal plants used for treatment of RA. Interviews with AMPs were done with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and plant species pointed out by them were collected and identified at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. A total of 17 plant species were found to be used by the AMPs to treat RA. These species included (with family name given in parenthesis) Aerva sanguinolenta (Amaranthaceae), Crinum asiaticum (Amaryllidaceae), Hemidesmus indicus (Apocynaceae), Scindapsus officinalis (Araceae), Carica papaya (Caricaceae), Gloriosa superba (Colchicaceae), Costus speciosus (Costaceae), Erythrina variegata (Fabaceae), Tinospora crispa (Menispermaceae), Mimosa pudica (Mimosaceae), Piper chaba (Piperaceae), Piper cubeba (Piperaceae), Bacopa monnieri (Scrophulariaceae), Smilax china (Smilacaceae), Smilax macrophylla (Smilacaceae), Leea macrophylla (Vitaceae), and Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae). Due to loss of natural habitat, a number of the above plants are rapidly becoming endangered. It is imperative to conduct scientific studies on these plants towards finding a better cure for RA.