Traditional herbal medicines practiced by the ethnic people in Sathyamangalam forests of Western Ghats, India

Abstract

IntroductionTraditional medicine plays an important role in the primary healthcare of people residing in forest areas and selling raw herbal products provides livelihood opportunities. In view of this, an extensive survey was undertaken among local people and herbalists in Sathyamangalam forests of Western Ghats, India in order to conduct a quantitative analysis of traditional knowledge about herbal medicines practiced along with their market potential. MethodsData associated with the information collected from ethnic people were analysed using the frequency of citations. During the survey period, 45 informants were identified who had much knowledge on practicing herbal medicines. ResultsA total of 78 plants representing 41 families and 68 genera were recorded to treat 40 types of ailments. Of these 64 species were sold by traders, local people and herbalists in herbal markets. Also 71 species of documented plants were included in the list of traded Indian plants. ConclusionOur study exhibited the importance of plant sources to human welfare which can serve as a key for discovery of potential new drugs. Through the results of our explorative field survey and previous reports, Andrographis alata, Aristolochia bracteolata, Aristolochia tagala, Bulbophylum fuscopurpureum, Canarium strictum, Cinnamomum tamala, Curculigo orchioides, Ipomoea obscura, Mucuna pruriens, Pandanus odoardii and Tylophora asthmatica were investigated pharmacologically, as these plants were frequently used by studied ethnic people. So we suggest that there is a need for more future scientific research on these plants to determine their efficacy and safety based on their associated ethnomedicinal uses documented in the present study.