An ethnomedicinal survey of medicinal plants from a sacred forest of Western Odisha, India.

Antaryami Pradhan,Satyendra Prasad Mishra,Niranjan Behera

doi:10.5138/09750185.1843

Abstract

<p>Sacred forests are being protected by means of cultural and religious beliefs by the local communities and act as people participatory conservation sites for several important medicinal plants. Sacred forests are one of the oldest forms of biodiversity conservation sites still effectively managed by local people and act as in-situ conservation sites. In this context, the present study was carried out in Andhari sacred forest of Jharsuguda district as to collect the information regarding the traditional ethno medicinal knowledge acquired by the local medical practitioners. Only few indigenous people have adequate knowledge regarding the medicinal plants and their uses. These traditional knowledge were rapidly degrading and if not documented will be lost forever. The present study reveals the presence of 91 plants species belonging to 46 families being used by the practitioners to treat various diseases like dysentery, diarrhea, indigestion, worm infection, wound healing, headache, stomach disorders, Rheumatic disorders, snake bite, poisonous bite, menstrual problem etc. This ethnomedicinal information further needs to be validated by clinical trials for their safe uses. The study also reported the existence of 8 RET (Rare, Endangered and Threatened) medicinally important species which makes this site a biological hotspot and needs further effective conservation efforts.</p>

Highlights

India is a land of diverse natural resources with a strong tradition of nature conservation
The present study reveals 91 different plant species belonging to 46 families were medicinally used by the indigenous people (Table 1)
The indigenous people who were in close association with nature have the traditional knowledge of several ailments for several diseases

Summary

Introduction

India is a land of diverse natural resources with a strong tradition of nature conservation. Older people are the main custodian of such traditional knowledge which is rapidly degrading due to modernization of that area and lacking of interest of the younger generation to learn from the older generation, many information may be lost in the absence of proper documentation. Another cause of extinction of traditional knowledge is due to the rapid loss of biodiversity due to urbanization, developmental activities and population explosion, which results in the fast disappearance of medicinal plants in natural environment. The present paper aims at documentation of this ethno medical knowledge from the indigenous medicine practitioners of a sacred forest of Western Odisha for its scientific consideration and wider

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Conclusion