Adilabad District Research Articles

Common plants of medicinal values in kolams of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh

Background: Common plants of medicinal values in Kolams are used as ethnomedical practices for various ailments and diseases inhabiting the Utnoor division of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India. Aim: This paper provides data on 31 medicinal plants used by Kolams for curing various ailments along with their local names, method of preparation, mode of administration and use. Materials and Methods: Our collections of ethnomedicinal plant specimens from this area were deposited in the Andhra University Herbarium (AUH), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Detailed interviews were conducted on four ethnomedical specialists drawn from the six study villages of the selected two Jainoor and Narnoor mandals of Utnoor division of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh. Results: The ethno-medical system among Kolam is quite diverse and the local knowledge is used mostly in primary health care. The vast traditional knowledge present among Kolam is mostly attributed to their cultural framework. Conclusion: The present study revealed the situation with regard to use common plants of medicinal values in the study area. 31 plant species from Utnoor division of Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh were used to treat 57 different ailments and diseases. Among these plant species only few species are used to treat more than one disease. Medicinal pastes are prepared from stem, root, and leaves to treat diseases by the tribal people.

PA01.48. Ethnomedicinal Heritage to combat Arthritis and its contribution to Ayurveda

Arthritis was known to mankind as "Sarjumshotham" from antiquity. This was known to Indian Ayurveda since 3000 years as a disease with painful swellings of joints and ligaments. This is the greatest and uncommon or less known crippling disease of unknown causation, infesting, claiming and involving maximum loss of human working power. The latest survey in US showed 11 million persons suffering from arthritis, consisting of about 6.4% of total US population. It is now widely spread in different parts of the World especially in temperate zones and with largest sufferers in India, Central America and Mediterranean countries. The onset of the disease is usually between age of 20 60 with two peaks at 35 and 45 years respectively. In clinical population, the females are more susceptible to disease than males and the ratio being 2 3 females to one male. Methodology: Ethnomedicinal surveys were undertaken during 2006 2009 in 42 tribal pockets of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India with good forest cover. The study area lies between 77° 47' and 80° 0' of the eastern longitude and 18° 40' and 19° 56' of northern latitude. Interviews were conducted with tribal vaidhyas belonging to Gond, Lambada and other tribal communities at their dwellings. The data were verified in different villages among the interviewers showing the same plant sample. The knowledgeable informants and medicinemen and vaidhyas were taken to the field and along with collection of plants for the voucher specimens, method of application, preparation of dose and mode of administration of the plants as given by the tribal informants was recorded. Each practice was cross checked with at least 4 5 informants.The survey yielded 8 plant species belonging to 6 families of Dicotyledons used to combat arthritis. Based on habit, herbs include 1species, followed by shrubs 2 and trees are 5. While classifying plants depending upon the plant part used, leaf constitutes highest percentage (62.5%) of utilization for the purpose and stem, stem bark and root 12.5% each. It is quite interesting to note that 1 plant viz., Dolichandrone atrevieres (Roth.) Sprague. And 5 practices are reported as new records after comparison with work of Jain (1991, 1997). Results: Most of the ethnic practices are now recognized to have specific beneficial effects in Ayurveda and the development of modern medicine. The methods of investigation employed by a traditional herbalist are not quantitatively different from modern chemotherapeutic investigation. In present day scenario, the herbal medicines and Ayurveda are gaining popularity and appreciated not only in India but also abroad. The knowledge and heritage of herbal medicines is an important source of information for scientific community, research workers and medicinal practitioners. It is high time now to conserve plants of medicinal value, bringing out light to ethnomedicinal practicesin Ayurveda as well as conservation and preservation of the original germplasm.

Survey-gap analysis for botanical research using integrated approach through taxonomical data and geoinformatics

India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world. There are still many areas where inadequate information on plant wealth is available. Gap area prioritization is of utmost concern to understand the species richness of different parts of India. In this context survey-gap analysis was carried out to assess exploration status and to prioritise areas using integrated approach through taxonomical data and geoinformatics. In order to highlight the gaps in botanical exploration in the country, the present case study was conducted in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh. A grid size of 5′×5′ has been prepared to analyse the exploration status. The results indicated that most parts of study area have been under-explored and unexplored. Of the 200 grids, only one grid has been well explored with species collections of above 100. The study brought to light that moist deciduous forests were not covered during floristic studies. Comparative analysis with disturbance index and biological richness maps evidently points out that explorations were undertaken only in high disturbed zones and areas of low to medium biological richness. This geospatial analysis clearly points the need for more attention to the exploration of tropical forests in India. There is a need of systematic botanical studies to prioritise the conservation strategies of varied natural ecosystems. It is recommended for national level survey-gap analysis as an important step to determine the floristic wealth, species representativeness and distribution.

Plant antidotes from the folklore of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh

The ethnobotanical survey was made during 2006-2008 and information was gathered from medicine men and other knowledgeable persons.

The Effects of Protease Inhibitors on Metabolic Complications and Lipodystrophy in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients

Problem statement: Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)-associated metabolic complications include lipoatrophy (loss of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue (SAT) and insulin resistance. The risk of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-infected patients receiving Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) especially protease inhibitors has not been well defined. Approach: We conducted an analysis in the Hospital of Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh to determine the prevalence and incidence of DM in the cohort of HIV-infected and HIV seronegative men. Prevalence analysis included 1278 men (710 HIV seronegative and 568 HIV infected, 411 receiving protease inhibitors) with fasting glucose concentration determinations at baseline. Results: Fifty-seven (14%) of the 411 HIV-infected men using protease inhibitors at the baseline visit had prevalent DM compared with 33 (5%) of the 711 HIV-seronegative men (prevalence ratio = 4.6; adjusted for age and body mass index). The rate of incident DM was 4.7 cases per 100 person-years among HIV-infected men using protease inhibitors compared with 1.4 cases per 100 person-years among HIV seronegative men (rate ratio = 4.11; adjusted for age and body mass index), during the 4 year observation period, based on a median follow-up of 2.3 years. Conclusion: The incidence of DM in HIV-infected men with exposure of protease inhibitors was greater than 4 times that of HIV-seronegative men, representing a risk that is higher than previous estimates.

Haplotype Diversity and Linkage Disequilibrium atDRD2Locus—A Study on Four Population Groups of Andhra Pradesh, India

Dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) is expressed in the central nervous system and has a high affinity for many antipsychotic drugs. Besides several epidemiological investigations on association of DRD2 locus polymorphism(s) with neuropsychiatric problems and addictive behavior, a few polymorphisms in this locus have also been used to understand genomic diversity and population migratory histories globally. The present study attempts to understand the genomic diversity/affinity among four endogamous groups of Andhra Pradesh (India) against the backdrop of diversity studies from other parts of India and the rest of the world, with special reference to DRD2 locus. The four population groups from Adilabad District of Andhra Pradesh, namely, Brahmin (n=50), Nayakpod (n=49), Thoti (n=52), and Kolam (n=53), were included in the study. The DRD2 markers typed for the present study are three biallelic restriction fragments, that is, TaqI A (rs1800497), TaqI B (rs1079597), and TaqI D (rs1800498). Scoring of DRD2 haplotypes with respect to the three TaqI sites shows that five out of eight possible haplotypes are shared by the four populations. Ancestral haplotype B2D2A1 is most frequent among Thotis (0.359). The results of the present study indicate a differential gene flow into South India followed by certain important demographic events resulting in diversified peopling of India.

Methodological issues in developing a community forestry greenhouse gas emissions mitigation project in Mancherial forest division of Andhra Pradesh, India

There are several contentious issues related to forestry mitigation projects. The special report of the IPCC and literature published so far have shown that permanence, leakage, baseline establishment, measurement, monitoring, etc., could be addressed satisfactorily using existing scientific methods and accounting rules. To understand the methodological issues of developing community forestry projects, a case study was conducted in Mancherial forest division of Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh, India. This paper addresses: the setting of project boundaries, baseline selection, establishment of additionality and the calculation of carbon sequestration as a result of the project, prior to project implementation. The steps involved in development of the project and the different methods used for establishing baseline, estimating leakage and transaction cost of developing a community forestry project are presented. The stock is projected to increase by $1480\times 10^3$ t C during 2000–2012 over the baseline scenario under the modeling approach and the cost of establishing a baseline and project formulation for a project extending over 32,956 ha is estimated to be US\$ $1.25 ha^{-1}$ and US\$ 4 t $C^{-1}$.

Demographic Profile of Thoti - A Primitive Tribal Population of Andhra Pradesh

The Thoti is a primitive tribal population fou nd in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh practicing a high degree of consangu ineous marriages. In the present paper an attempt has been made to give...

Basinal autoclastic mass flow regime in the Precambrian Chanda Limestone Formation, Adilabad, India

The Precambrian Chanda Limestone Formation in Adilabad District, Andhra Pradesh, India transcribes carbonate mass flow deposition in an extensional basin within the Godavari rift valley system. In the lower part of the formation, conglomerate beds which commonly interrupt the sequence of thin-bedded lime-mud turbidites, register pulsatory reinvigoration of mass flow processes. These gravelly mass flow products are significant because they indicate (i) deposition far below the wave base, (ii) intrabasinal origin, (iii) disassociation with any depositional slope like reef margins, (iv) occurrence in discrete vertical packages, (v) clear signals for sediment gravity flows, and (vi) invariable facies successions. The conglomerate bodies are extensive, parallel to the depositional strike, but restricted across the latter. The main mode of accretion is dominantly vertical aggradation, only the muddy turbidites spreading far and wide into the basin. The course of temporal evolution of the mass flows are also interpreted from vertical facies transitions. Although every flow eventually gave rise to turbidity currents, their initial states differred in three distinct ways which are correlated with gradient of the translational slope. Gradual decrease in declivity of the depositional substrate through time is interpreted.

Catastrophic landslip activity in two hard rock terrains of peninsular India

This paper presents the case histories of two catastrophic landslips in hard rock terrains with varied climatic and geological environments. The first slip is associated with a power project in very close proximity (200 m) of the Porthimund Dam (11°22′N, 76°34′30′′E), in a charnockitic terrain in the Nilgiri hills (Tamil Nadu), and the second is associated with a railroad structure (19°52′5′′N, 78°17′20′′E), in Adilabad district (Andhra Pradesh), in a basaltic terrain.

Syndepositional and postdepositional features of the manganese ore deposits of the Proterozoic Penganga group, Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India

The Proterozoic Penganga Group consisting of terrigenous and orthochemical sediments including a manganese orebody is well developed in the northwestern part of the Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh. The manganese orebody of unmetamorphosed and undeformed, interbanded manganese oxide ore, chert, and minor calcareous shale has retained excellent syndepositional and postdepositional features both on the macro-and microscales. The primary depositional features include meso- and microbands of manganese oxide and silica of different descriptions, scour-and-fill structures, and Mn oxide micronodules. Spherical siliceous μm-sized structures and other features of biogenic origin have been observed. Diagenetic features such as fabric changes, syneresis cracks, concretionary pods, and Mn oxide nodules have been recorded. They are accompanied by penecontemporaneous deformation structures such as pinch-and-swell structures, gravity-density features, brecciation, and folding and faulting of various kinds. All these features suggest that the manganese orebody was formed in a shallow-marine environment on a stable shelf possibly behind a barrier bar and subsequently underwent diagenetic reorganization and penecontemporaneous deformation when the sediments were still in a hydroplastic state.

Plant fossils from the Gangapur Formation

Plant fossils have been recovered from the Gangapur Formation, originally known as ‘Gangapur beds’ of the Kota ‘Stage’. The material was obtained from 11 localities in the vicinity of Gangapur Village, Adilabad District, Andhra Pradesh. The megafossils belong to the common Upper Gondwana forms. The commonest fossil is Elatocladus. A new species of the genus (E. kingianus) has been identified on the basis of epidermal features. Epidermal features of a species of Pagiophyllum, viz., P. marwarensis, have also been studied. The palynological assemblage comprises about 64 taxa. The dominant element is the Araucariacites-Callialasporites complex. The stratigraphically important forms occurring in the samples are Trilites tuberculiformis, lschyosporites crateris, Cooksonites variabilis, and Microcachryridites antarcticus. After analyzing the available palaeobotanical and palynological data, a basal Lower Cretaceous age for the Gangapur Formation is suggested.

Genetic studies on the Kolams of Andhra Pradesh, India.

A total of 220 persons belonging to the Kolam tribe in the Adilabad District of northwest Andhra Pradesh have been tested for 18 red cell eyzyme systems and for haemoglobin. Generally, the gene frequencies for the systems which showed electrophoretic variation were within the range for Indian populations; the gene frequency for AK1 is high by Indian standards and Hb AS is present. LDH Calcutta 1 was not detected in this population and a single example of PHI 2-1 was observed.

Selection intensities among the tribal populations of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Abstract Selection intensity, as indicated by total pre‐reproductive mortality and fertility (Crow, 1958), was computed among three Indian tribal populations living in similar geographical environments—the Kolams, Raj Gonds, and Pardhans of Adilabad District, Andhra Pradesh. The Pardhans showed the greatest selection intensity, (1.1811) followed by the Kolams (0.8564) and Raj Gonds (0.7240). Pre‐reproductive mortality and infertility contributed equally to selection intensity in these tribal groups.

The Mahānubhāvas

The Mahānubhāvas are a Hindu sect whose members are largely concentrated in northern and eastern Maharashtra, between the old districts of Khandesh and Nagpur, while they are strongest of all in Berar. In many respects they have a rather marginal place in the culture of Maharashtra today. Unlike the Vārkarīpantha, the much more celebrated and popular Vaiṣṇava sect, they are centred on a backwoods area. They tend to gather inmaṭhas(monasteries) in decayed villages that are a day's journey from the nearest railway or main road. Instead of Alandi, which is on Poona's doorstep, or Pandharpur, their holy places are Ritpur, a crumbling dusty village in the rolling country north of Amraoti, and Mahur, on a mountainside on the borders of Berar and the Adilabad district of Andhra. Like the Vārkarīs their followers are almost all non-Brahmans, but unlike the Vārkarīs they have, until recently at least, acquired few Brahman champions to lend them ethical and religious respectability, and indeed they are chiefly known in Marathi folk-lore as typifying a virulent brand of hypocrisy—the stereotype of a sweet tongue and professions of virtue that cover up all sorts of unseemly and unspecified ‘goings-on’. Their numbers are relatively small. Enthoven, whose section on them inThe tribes and castes of Bombayis one of the few references to the sect in English, gives it an estimated membership of about 22,000 in 1901, and it is hard to judge what relation this figure would bear to the number of professed Mahānubhāvas today. The modern census figures are of course no help, since Mahānubhāvas are included under the general heading of Hindus.

Origin of manganese ores of Adilabad District, Andhra Pradesh, India

The ores contain braunite, pyrolusite, cryptomelane, and birnessite. They are believed to be primarily chemical sediments, deposited along with the limestones in which they occur. Weathering has caused some reworking.