An Ethno-Pharmacological Study of Wound Healing Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers in Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract

Ethno-pharmacology is "the multidisciplinary scientific investigation of the biologically active substances that are customarily used." As a result, the ethno-pharmacological approach is founded on a corpus of research encompassing pharmacology, chemistry, and botany, among other fields. The research was conducted in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari areas. Fifteen families and a total of eighteen therapeutic plants with ethno-pharmacological potency, particularly in wound healing, were identified at the study site. In the research areas, extensive field surveys were carried out between March 2021 and February 2023. On field excursions, native knowledge of wild medicinal plants was gathered through conversations, questionnaires, and in-person interviews. Plants were arranged according to their scientific names, families, common names, and parts that were utilised to cure or promote wound healing. In the survey, the dominant families of plants like Amaranthaceae, Liliaceae, and Fabaceae had two (02) species of medicinal importance, particularly for wound healing treatment. The Dhamtari region's rural inhabitants have traditionally utilised native flora for primary healthcare and the treatment of a variety of ailments. On the other hand, hardly much was recorded regarding traditional knowledge of therapeutic herbs. The Dhamtari people of the countryside claimed that as society developed, newer generations became less interested in the traditional knowledge of therapeutic herbs. Therefore, before they become extinct and are no longer available, it is imperative to document ethno-medicinal plants that can heal wounds. In order to properly conserve plants and traditional knowledge for the future, this ethno-botanical database will be valuable to scientists, naturalists, planners, policymakers and chemists.