Exploration of ethno-medicinal herbs and their practices by indigenous people of Achanakmar regions of Chhattisgarh State, India

Abstract

The study was performed in the Achanakmar regions of Chhattisgarh state, India. At the study site, a total of 54 herbaceous medicinal plants belonging to 30 families were documented. Between March 2020 and March 2022, intensive field surveys were conducted in the research areas. Native knowledge of wild medicinal plants was obtained on field trips through questionnaires, discussions, and in-person interviews. In accordance with their correct nomenclature, plants were organized according to their botanical name, family, common name, parts used and diseases treated. The Zingiberaceae family was the most prevalent in the current study, accounting for 5 plant species used by the region's indigenous people. This was followed by the Amaranthaceae, Acanthaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families, each representing 3 species of plants. For a longer period of time, the rural residents of the Achanakmar region have used native flora for primary healthcare and the treatment of various diseases. However, there was little information about traditional knowledge of medicinal plants documented. Rural Achanakmar people asserted that younger generations are less interested in traditional knowledge of medicinal herbs due to societal development. Therefore, it is crucial to document ethnomedicinal plants before they are no longer available and go extinct. In order to effectively conserve plants and traditional knowledge for the future, this ethnobotanical database will be helpful to scientists, naturalists, planners, policymakers, and chemists.