Abstract
India has richest genetic resources of medicinal plants and indigenous systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. However, there is a need to understand ethnomedicinal plants used by tribal populations. Hence, a survey of some ethno medicinal plants used by tribal population in Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, India was conducted. A total of forty-nine plant species belonging to twenty-nine families are documented in this survey. In this report, six plants from Astraceae, four plants from Lamiaceae, three from Solanaceae and Rutaceae, two each from Scrophulariaceae, Apiaceae, Myrtaceae, Liliaceae and Poaceae are recorded. Common names of the medicinal plants, their parts employed as medicine and their ethnomedicinal uses were documented. The tribal medicines have shown good results and healing properties in treating various symptoms and diseases. Hence, conservation of these medicinal plants is of utmost importance and utilizes the traditional ethnomedicinal heritage of tribals to mankind.
Highlights
Medicinal herbs are moving from fringe to mainstream use with a greater number of people seeking remedies and health approaches free from side effects caused by synthetic chemicals
The traditional use can provide valuable clues for the selection, preparation and indications for use of herbal formulation basically starts from the survey of tribal population
This study has been initiated to document the plants used in the ethnomedicinal practices of Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, and India together with the associated ethnobotanical knowledge and practices
Summary
Medicinal herbs are moving from fringe to mainstream use with a greater number of people seeking remedies and health approaches free from side effects caused by synthetic chemicals. It is documented that 80% of the world’s population has faith in traditional medicine. These are used for primary health care in rural areas in developing countries, and in developed countries [1]. India officially recognizes over 3000 plants for their medicinal value [2]. In rural India, 70% of the population is dependent on the traditional system of Ayurveda medicine. The traditional use can provide valuable clues for the selection, preparation and indications for use of herbal formulation basically starts from the survey of tribal population. This study has been initiated to document the plants used in the ethnomedicinal practices of Nilgiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, and India together with the associated ethnobotanical knowledge and practices
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