Ethnomedicinal Plant Species Research Articles

A chromosome level reference genome of Diviner’s sage (Salvia divinorum) provides insight into salvinorin A biosynthesis

BackgroundDiviner’s sage (Salvia divinorum; Lamiaceae) is the source of the powerful hallucinogen salvinorin A (SalA). This neoclerodane diterpenoid is an agonist of the human Κ-opioid receptor with potential medical applications in the treatment of chronic pain, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Only two steps of the approximately twelve step biosynthetic sequence leading to SalA have been resolved to date.ResultsTo facilitate pathway elucidation in this ethnomedicinal plant species, here we report a chromosome level genome assembly. A high-quality genome sequence was assembled with an N50 value of 41.4 Mb and a BUSCO completeness score of 98.4%. The diploid (2n = 22) genome of ~ 541 Mb is comparable in size and ploidy to most other members of this genus. Two diterpene biosynthetic gene clusters were identified and are highly enriched in previously unidentified cytochrome P450s as well as crotonolide G synthase, which forms the dihydrofuran ring early in the SalA pathway. Coding sequences for other enzyme classes with likely involvement in downstream steps of the SalA pathway (BAHD acyl transferases, alcohol dehydrogenases, and O-methyl transferases) were scattered throughout the genome with no clear indication of clustering. Differential gene expression analysis suggests that most of these genes are not inducible by methyl jasmonate treatment.ConclusionsThis genome sequence and associated gene annotation are among the highest resolution in Salvia, a genus well known for the medicinal properties of its members. Here we have identified the cohort of genes responsible for the remaining steps in the SalA pathway. This genome sequence and associated candidate genes will facilitate the elucidation of SalA biosynthesis and enable an exploration of its full clinical potential.

Ethnomedicinal plants for cardiovascular diseases management in manikganj district

The present research deals with the identification of ethnomedicinal plants used by the local people for curing cardiovascular diseases in Manikganj district, Bangladesh. The present study aimed to record and validate the ethnomedicinal knowledge used by the local people for cardiovascular disease (CVD) management in Manikganj district, Bangladesh using recent ethnobotanical survey methods. The record of 131 ethnomedicinal plant species with diverse use patterns reflected the traditional knowledge richness in the study area. Among the ethnomedicinal plants, 10 plant species, including Phyllanthus emblica L., Allium sativum L., Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. Ex DC.) Wight & Arn, Achyranthes aspera L., Terminalia chebula Retz., Allium cepa L., Adhatoda zeylanica Nees, Cinnamomum tamala Nees & Eberm, Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp, and Ipomea aquatica Forssk, were cited most frequently by the local people. Among the disease categories, the highest Fic (factor of informant consensus) value was obtained in cardiac complaints, followed by blood purifiers, chest pain, high blood pressure, and antioxidants. In this research, 131 plant species were recorded, and 45 plants obtained the highest Fl (fidelity level) value of 100%. The members of the most common medicinal plants were from the families of Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Apocynaceae. This result provides baseline data to link the local population, including traditional health professionals and scientific communities, which could be significant in drug discovery and is very important for the sustainable development program and conservation management in Bangladesh. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 31(1): 101-121, 2024 (June)

Ethno-medicinal study of religiously sacred plants used by the Hindu community in southwestern parts of Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Hinduism has profound religious beliefs and cultural connections with many plants employed in various religious rituals to worship gods and goddesses. Most of these plants are believed to have curative properties for many ailments. In view of the Hindu population decline in Bangladesh during the last decades, there is a need to gather ethnopharmacological data on these sacred plants. This study focuses on documenting the therapeutic uses of plants significant to Hindu practices in southwestern Bangladesh. Through free listing interviews with 28 Hindu participants, medico-religious data on plants were collected using open-ended and semi-structured questionnaires. Results revealed 56 plant species from 32 botanical families as religiously sacred, with Aegle marmelos being most culturally significant. The study identified 89 diseases treated by these plants, with Curcuma longa being the most cited species, followed by Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. It introduced two new ethnomedicinal plant species, Oxystelma esculentum and Reinwardtia indica, previously unreported in Bangladesh. Additionally, new medicinal uses were uncovered, highlighting the intricate relationship between culture, religion, and traditional medicinal knowledge within the Bangladeshi Hindu community. This study represents the first attempt to compile a comprehensive list of plants utilized in Hindu religious practices in Bangladesh.

Survey of plant species used in the treatment of common ailments in Hawul Local Government Area, Borno State, Nigeria

To record the locals' knowledge of some of the medicinal plant species in the area, a survey of plant species used for the treatment of common ailments was carried out in Hawul Local Government Area Borno State. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Numerous quantitative indices, including Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL), Shannon Weiner Index, Simpson Index, Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), and Family Importance Value (FIV), were used to quantify the advantages, significance, and coverage of ethnomedicine. The Jaccard Index (JI) was used to assess the degree of homogeneity between the current study and earlier research as well as within indigenous tribes. A total of fifty-five (55) medicinal plants species, which were distributed under twenty-nine (29) families were documented from one hundred (100) informants. The majority of species that have been identified are tree species, and the most common plant portion used to make ethnomedicines is leaf material. The Fabaceae were the predominate families among the species that had been documented (11 species) Accacia nilotica, Piliostigma thonningii, Detarium microcarpum, Faidherbia albida, Sennia siamea, Prosopis Africana, Parkia baglobosa, Tamarindus indica, Pterocarpus erinaceus, Senna occidentalist, Senna obtusifolia, while the least represented was (1 species) Apocynacea. For digestive system problems, the highest ICF score was 0.77. According to the data gathered from the questionnaires, pile, yellow fever, malaria, typhoid, stomach ache, and ulcer were the most prevalent diseases, in that order. Based on UVs, the two most commonly cited ethnomedicinal plant species in the study area were Khaya senegalensis (0.40), Piliostigma thonningii (0.35) while the least was (0.01) Guinea senegalensis. The most common method of preparation was by decoction and the major route of administration was oral while least cited was sit bath. Phytochemical profiles demonstrated that flavonoids, alkaloids phenols, saponins and tannins were the major phytochemical component in Khaya. senegalensis and Piliostigma. thonningii leaves. This further justifies the frequent application of these plants in folklore medicine by the traditional herbal practitioners to treat different forms of illnesses. It is stated that due to their physiologically active ingredients and accessibility, herbal medicine will continue to play a significant role in the community's health care delivery system.

Traditional Healing of Bone Fracture Complications Through Wild Plants in Hamirpur, India

Wild plants have a medicinal sense that can be applied to treat different ailments of the human body worldwide. They have been assessed for pharmacological, pharmaceutical, nutritional and ecological significance. In the present work, an effort has been made to conduct an ethnobotanical survey in the Hamirpur district, Himachal Pradesh from 2012 to 2019. Key informants were identified in the preliminary study and information was collected by conducting semi-structured and open interviews. The focus was primarily on the wild plant the residents used to treat bones and related complications for ages. The local people employed 23 main ethnomedicinal plant species belonging to 15 families for the same purpose. The Citation Frequency (CF) and Medicinal Importance Value (MIV) of wild plants were evaluated. It varied from 0.68 to 10.63 and 1.16 to 42.2, respectively. The highest CF was observed for Cissus quadrangularis (10.63) and lowest for Peristrophe bicalyculata (0.68), whereas the highest (42.12) MIV was calculated for Cissus quadrangularis and lowest (1.16) for Cleome viscosa. The present study found that Cissus quadrangularis, Tinospora cordifolia, Celastrus paniculata, Litsea glutinosa, Cuscuta reflexa, Soymida febrifuga and Osyris arborea are traditionally important ethno-medicinal plants for the treatment of bone problems, such as hematoma formation, inflammation and repair.

Ethnobotanical survey of plant species in folkloric medicine in Hawul Local Government Area, Borno State

Area of Borno State was conducted with a view to document the indigenous knowledge of some medicinal plant species found in the area. The information was obtained through semi-structured questionnaire. The benefits, importance and coverage of ethnomedicine were expressed through several quantitative indices including Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV) and Fidelity Level (FL). The agreement of homogeneity between the present and previous studies and among the indigenous communities was evaluated using the Jaccard Index (JI). A total of fifty-five (55) medicinal plant species, which were distributed in twenty-nine (29) families were documented from one hundred (100) informants. Majority of documented species were trees, and leaves were the most utilised plant parts for the preparation of ethnomedicines. The highest ICF value was 0.77 for digestive system disorders. The information retrieved from the questionnaires revealed that the most common ailments were pile and ulcer. Based on UVs, the two most commonly cited ethnomedicinal plant species in the study area were Khaya senegalensis (0.40) and Piliostigma thonningii (0.35) . The most common method of preparation was by decoction and the major route of administration was oral. Phytochemical profiles showed that flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, saponins and tannins were the major phytochemical components in Khaya senegalensis and Piliostigma thonningii leaves. This justified the frequent use of these plants in folklore medicine by the traditional herbal practitioners to treat different illnesses.

Rapid In Vitro Regeneration and Genetic Fidelity Assessment of Regenerated Plants in Ayapana Triplinervis (Vahl) R.M. King & H. Robinson: An Ethnomedicinal and Ornamental Herb

Background: Ayapana triplinervis is a popular ethnomedicinal and ornamental plant species. Due to its high medicinal importance, A. triplinervis was recently documented in the French Pharmacopeia. Objective: Rapid and efficient tissue culture protocol development is crucial for the high production and biotechnological applications of this plant. Methods: In this study, an efficient tissue culture protocol was developed for plant regeneration using nodal explants of A. triplinervis. The nodal explants were treated in Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with various individual concentrations of cytokinins (BAP and KIN) and auxins (IAA and IBA). The nodal explant was regenerated in three different steps: (1) initial shoot induction, (2) shoot multiplication and elongation, and (3) rooting. Results: The results revealed that all individual concentrations (10, 20, 30, or 40 mg/L) of BAP or KIN responded to induce shoot initiation. The highest shoot multiplication and elongation were achieved in the MS medium with 20 mg/L BAP and 20 mg/L KIN. The regenerated plantlets produced better roots on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L of each IAA or IBA. The well-established rooted plantlets were maintained in the culture room and greenhouse for better acclimatization and achieved a 100% survival rate. We analyzed the genetic fidelity of in vitro regenerated plants using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. No genetic polymorphisms were observed in vitro plants compared to the mother plants. Conclusion: This efficient protocol could benefit future biotechnological applications like mass multiplication, genetic transformation and gene editing for improving the bioactive molecules in A. triplinervis.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the people of Mosop, Nandi County in Kenya.

Background: Throughout the history, nature has provided mankind with most of their basic needs, which include food, shelter, medicine, clothes, flavours, scents as well as raw materials. Given that they are an integral part of cultural heritage, medicinal plants have played a significant role in human healthcare systems around the world. Investigating various biological resources for use as medicines requires ethnomedicinal studies. Methods: Data on utilization of ethnomedicinal plants from local healers in Kenya's Mosop Sub-County in Nandi County was documented through open-ended, semi-structured questionnaires. A number of quantitative indices, such as the Use Citation (UC), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV), Frequency of Citation (FoC) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) were used to convey the potential medical benefits, vitality and variety of the ethnomedicine. Results: 102 informants provided information on 253 ethnomedicinal plant species, classified into 74 families. There were 249 native plant species identified, along with few exotic species: Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton, Persea americana Mill, Carica papaya L. and Solanum betaceum Cav. Of all recorded species, 32% and 27% were herbs and trees, respectively. Among plant parts, leaves were most frequently utilized (27%) and roots (26%), while decoctions (21%) were the most widely used formulations. The dominant family was Asteraceae, with 28 species, followed by Lamiaceae, with 19 species. The highest ICF value was 0.778 for a number of parasitic and infectious illnesses, including ringworms, athlete's foot rot, tetanus, typhoid, intestinal parasites, abscesses, malaria, and amoebiasis. The study's data validates the region's widespread use of traditional medicinal plant remedies. Conclusion: The current study will lay a foundation of knowledge for future research investigations. The abundance of knowledge regarding ethnomedicinal species and their medicinal applications will stimulate further phytochemical and pharmacological research, which could lead to the discovery of potentially significant pharmaceuticals.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the indigenous community of the western region of Mizoram, India

BackgroundPlants have long been utilized as traditional medicines by the inhabitants. However, until recently, the traditional knowledge had not been extensively documented from the hilly state of Mizoram, India. The present study was designed to perform a quantitative analysis of ethnomedicinal plants used by Mizo tribes using quantitative ethnobotanical indices. The study attempts to find new ethnomedicinal plant species that could be a source for the discovery of new drug formulations.MethodsThe information was obtained through extensive and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor (ICF), use value (UV), fidelity level (FL), relative frequency of citation (RFC), and relative importance index (RI) were used to quantify the advantages, significance, and coverage of ethnomedicine. All the collected data were analyzed using the ethnobotanyR package in R.ResultsA total of 124 ethnomedicinal plant species, distributed in 112 genera under 60 families, were documented from 206 informants. Herbs (49.19%) were the most dominant growth form, and leaves (49.19%) were the most common plant parts used for the preparation of herbal medicine while decoction (61.21%) was the most popular formulation. Asteraceae (11) were the most common families among the documented species. Digestive disease, burns, cuts, and wounds had the highest ICF value (0.94), and Lepionurus sylvestris had the highest FL (91%). Oroxylum indicum (6.25) was the most commonly utilized ethnomedicinal plant based on UV, RI had the highest value in Blumea lanceolaria (1.12), and O. indicum (0.29) had the highest RFC value. According to the findings, the traditional medicinal plant treatment is still widely used in the research area.ConclusionDocumentation of new ethnomedicinal species and their therapeutic usage will encourage further phytochemical and pharmacological research, potentially leading to the discovery of new drug formulations.

A Study on Ethnomedicinal Plants Used by Indigenous Tribes of East Godavari Forest Area

Abstract: In the present research, we investigated ethno medical information from the Indigenous people of Rampachodavaram Mandal, East-Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India. We interviewed the tribal people at their residences. As part of the oral interviews, specific questions were asked and the information provided by the informants was noted. For their health, the local tribes were familiar with most of the common diseases like pain, cuts, fever, headaches, wounds, headaches, and sprains. Additional field trips were conducted in different seasons in the same area to gather information and also to confirm the data already collected. A total of 140 ethno medicinal plant species were collected from 125 genera of 62 families used to treat 52 diseases.

Medicinal plants used for various health issues by rural inhabitant of Wayanad forest division-Kerala, India - A statistical analysis

Native peoples of Wayanad use a wide range of plants medicinally. Many of these Plants have profound meaning to their users. Quantitative ethnobotany deals with the computation and importance of plants and vegetation to people. It helps quantification of qualitative data in biological and social sciences. The traditional source of medicinal plants is an important way for daily curative uses in the rural area. A survey was carried out among the tribes of Wayanad forest division, Wayanad district, Kerala India. The present study identified traditionally using 64 species of ethnomedicinal plants distributed in 61 genera belonging to 42 families to treat various diseases. Moreover, among the plant habit wise analyzed there are 16 herbs, 9 shrubs, 10 Climbing shrubs, 25 trees, 3 Small trees and 1 Twiner. The status of plants was analyzed and recorded as 44 rare, 14 Common, 3 extinct, each one in Endangered, Least common and sporadic in this study area. In this communication, the information got from the rural inhabitants was compared with the already existing literature. The data were collected randomly from tribal and healers of 149 informants and the data were statistically analyzed by using suitable statistical tools such as Use Value (UV), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Fidelity Value (FL) and various ranking methods.Top of Form

Medicinal plants grown in the campus of Government Post Graduate College Dakpathar, Dehradun, Uttarakhand (India)

The paper enumerates 60 species of Ethnomedicinal plants belonging to 29 families growing in the botanical garden of Veer Saheed Keshari Chand Government Post graduate College Dakpathar of Uttarakhand in India along with their uses.

Study of Ethno-medicines among Some Tribes of Nandurbar District of Maharashtra

Abstract: The study on Ethno-medicinal Plant Survey in Nandurbar District, Maharashtra (2019-2021)" documented the traditional knowledge of ethnomedicinal plant species within the Bhil Pawara, Tadvi Gavit, Mavchi, Vasave, Dhanka, and Barela tribes of the Satpuda ranges in Nandurbar district, Maharashtra. The research focused on identifying and recording 31 plant species that are utilized by these tribes for ethnomedicinal purposes. In addition to detailing the therapeutic applications of these plants for various ailments, the study also captured their cultural significance in activities, customs, beliefs, as well as their roles in providing food, fodder, fiber, and shelter. The findings of this investigation contribute to enhancing the existing understanding of ethno-botanical practices in the Nandurbar district.

Medicinal Plants used for the Treatment of Jaundice in Lower Assam Districts of North East India

Jaundice is one of the very common diseases affecting general people of Assam. Traditionally used medicinal plants are found to be very much effective for the treatment of various types of diseases including Jaundice. The common people of Assam are mostly dependent on herbal medicines for the management of jaundice. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the medicinal plants used for the management of jaundice. A field study focused on the uses of herbal plants by the jaundice patients was carried out among the peoples of few lower Assam districts of North Eastern region of India. This article describes various ethnomedicinal plant species used to cure jaundice by the people of Assam. Information on 30 plant species, plant parts used, local name and mode of utilization of the plant parts which are traditionally used against jaundice was recorded. Further investigations are required to explore the biological activity of different active ingredients of traditionally used medicinal plants.

Discovery and biological evaluation of a new type of dual inhibitors of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase from ethnomedicinal plant Dactylicapnos scandens

The root of Dactylicapnos scandens (D.Don.) Hutch (Papaveraceae), one of the most famous ethno-medicinal plants from the Bai communities in P. R. China, is used to treat various inflammations and tumours. Bioassay-guided phytochemical research on D. scandens followed by semi-synthesis led to a series of undescribed tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids with dual inhibitory activities against indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO). The previously undescribed dark-green alkaloid dactycapnine A exhibited the best dual inhibitor effects among the identified compounds. Structure-activity relationship analysis revealed the importance of the base skeleton with a hyperconjugation system. The performed semi-synthesis further yielded bioactive dimeric and trimeric compounds with hyperconjugated systems. Performed STD NMR experiments disclosed direct interactions between dactycapnine A and IDO1/TDO. Inhibition kinetics indicated dactycapnine A as a mixed-type dual inhibitor. These findings provided a possible explanation for the anticancer properties of the ethno-medicinal plant species D. scandens.

Ethnomedicinal practices in the arid zone of India: A study in urban and semi-urban areas of Bhuj, Gujarat

Plants are a vital and life-sustaining natural resource as they provide many ecosystem services and supply food, fibre, fuel, medicine, etc. They are distributed heterogeneously in different ecosystems. With the increasing urbanization in all parts of the world, the vegetation overlapped with urban localities like parks, gardens, roadsides, wasteland and other human habitations. Among this vegetation, many of them are used in ethnomedicine or in ayurvedic medicine by people for a long period of time. These valuable plant resources are now under threat due to various anthropogenic activities in the urban landscape. Bhuj is a small historic city in the arid zone of India with a rich diversity of medicinal plants. With the increasing human population and associated developmental activities within the city, many of these plants are under threat of extinction. Therefore, an attempt was made to document these medicinal plants distributed in different parts of the city and their uses for ethnomedicinal purposes. The plants were intensively surveyed and documented using a questionnaire survey, discussion and cross-checked with available literature. A total of 123 species of ethnomedicinal plants were documented and analysed for their uses in curing different health problems and conservation purposes in the urban landscape.

Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Tamang Community in the Konjyosom Rural Municipility, Lalitpur District, Nepal

Background: In Nepal, plant resources play an important role in the health of local communities. However, in many parts of the country, this role and its patterns are understudied. The purpose of this study was to document medicinal plant species and assess their use among the Tamang community in Lalitpur district, Central Nepal. Methods: Ethnomedicinal information was collected through focus group discussions, semi structured interviews with local peoples and key informants from the Tamang community using rapid rural appraisal tools (RRA) across the five wards vz. Nallu, Chaughare, Bhardew, Dalchoki and Sankhu of the Konjyosom rural municipality. Botanical voucher samples were collected for scientific identification. The quantitative data were analyzed for informants consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL) and relative frequency of citation (RFC). Results: A total of 176 plant species were recorded under 82 families and 158 genera as medicinal to treat different ailments. Among them, 169 species were angiosperms, one gymnosperm and six pteridophytes. Herbs (78 spp.) occurred most frequently in the study area, and the leaves (38 spp.) were commonly foraged. The most common route of consumption was oral (98 spp.) and the paste (36 spp.) was frequently administered. The majority of the species (58%) were collected from the forest. The ICF value ranged from 0.26 (digestive) to 0.97 (respiratory). The RFC value ranged from 0.01 to 0.87. Curcuma longa had the highest frequency of citation index of 0.87. is this RFC? Merge these 2 sentences The FL index ranged from 42.86% to 100%. The most preferred medicinal plant species was Curcuma longa which was used to treat cuts and wounds and common cold (51%). Conclusion: Medicinal plants have played a significant role in the health care of local people. This study provides a comprehensive documentation of ethnomedicinal plant species using among the Tamang community of Konjyosom rural municipality, Lalitpur district. This study concluded that it is necessary to document and preserve biodiversity and its associated knowledge, which may lead to additional research activities. Keywords: Ethnic people; Ethnobotanical, Informants, Interview

Identification of 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) as the Major Contributor of Anti-colon cancer Activity of Active Chromatographic Fraction of Parkia javanica (Lamk.) Merr. Bark Extract

Parkia javanica (Lamk.) Merr. is an ethnomedicinal leguminous plant species from northeastern India with a long history of medicinal use among various tribes of this region to treat cholera, dysentery, stomach aches, diarrhea and food poisoning, having antibacterial, wound-healing, anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, in this current study, the methanolic bark extract was carried out and fractionated by using flash chromatography, examined the cytotoxicity of the respective fractions on colon cancer cell lines, and evaluated the major phytochemical compounds present in the fractions using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) chemical profiling. Chemical profiling of the fractions by GC-MS revealed in fraction-1 and -2, 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol was the major compound (50.740% in fraction-1, 21.277% in fraction-2, and 7.859% in fraction-3) having reported anticancer activity. The gradation of the presence of this compound in the fractions was corroborated by the gradation of anti-colon cancer activity of the respective fractions on both the colon carcinoma cell lines. However, the presence of D-Allose in a substantial amount (20.870%) in only fraction-3 could not increase the anticancer activity of fraction-3 over the other two fractions. An in vitro cytotoxic assay guided evaluation of three flash chromatographic fractions (fraction-1, -2, and -3) of methanolic extract of Parkia javanica bark showed significant anticancer properties on two human colon carcinoma cell lines (HCT116 and SW480). The order of efficacy of the fractions was fraction-1> fraction-2 > fraction-3. In a time and dose-dependent experiment, fraction-1, being the most active one, showed an IC50 value of 16.25 µgml-1 (24 hrs), 9.94 µgml-1 (48 hrs), and 9.38 µgml-1 (72 hrs) on HCT116 and 35 µgml-1 (24 hrs), 20.14 µgml-1 (48 hrs), and 19.71 µgml-1 (72 hrs) on the SW480 cell line. Parkia javanica bark extract is bestowed with the potential of anti-colon cancer property and upon chemical profiling of different chromatographic fractions of the extract, 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol has been identified as the primary anticancer component of the extract.

Exploration of ethnomedical knowledge of ‘Gowda community’ of Sullia Taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India

Introduction and Aim: An ethnobotanical investigation of the Gowda community in the Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India reveals the diversity of ethnomedicinal plants as well as the wealth of traditional medical knowledge. The Gowda community is one of the indigenous communities.Locals in the remote regions of Sullia taluk still lack access to modern medicine, so they rely on traditional medicine for their healthcare.The aim of the present study was to examine traditional medical knowledge, record the significant knowledge and raise awareness of knowledge erosion. Materials and Methods: Ethnomedicinal information gathered from traditional healers during semi-structured open-ended interviews. Various qualitative and quantitative indices were used for data analysis, including Cultural Importance Index (CI), Family Use Value (FUV), Family Importance Value (FIV), percentage of habit used, percentage of plant species used, and consensus value for Plant Part (CPP), Fidelity Level (FL), and Informants Consensus Factor (ICF). Results: A total of 214 plant species from 113 genera and 51 families were recorded and assigned to 13 use categories for diseases. Skin disease has a high ICF value and 61 species extensively used to treat. High FL value plants of Breynia vitis-idaea, Indigofera tinctoria, Plectranthus amboinicus, Sida alnifolia, Cynodon dactylon, Citrus limon, and Oryza sativa are widely used for the treatment of various skin ailments. Conclusion: Ethnobotanical data showed that the Gowda community has a rich knowledge of traditional therapies for many diseases whose skin problems are mainly treated by healers. The numerous ethnomedicinal plant species showed effective treatment of multiple skin diseases.

Ethnomedicinal Uses of Plants from Kapurkot, Salyan District, Nepal

The present study aims to document the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants of Kapurkot rural municipality of Salyan District, Karnali province, Nepal. Ethno medicinal information was collected through interview with 40 respondents from Mulpani, Sallyan District. Altogether 59 ethnomedicinal plant species are used for the remedies of different health ailments. Respondents of the age group 25-35 years were found actively participating in this survey. Zingiberaceae as well as the Lauraceae family were found to have the highest number of species used for ethno-medicinal purposes. On the basis of their habit, herb species are found to be highly dominated. The recorded 59 ethnomedicinal plants were used in the treatment of various diseases such as cuts and wounds, skin diseases, fever, cough, boils, burns, common cold, etc. From this study, mainly common cold and cough are mostly recovered ailments from medicinal plant species. The study is mainly based on the experienced knowledge and information which they gain from their elders, mainly from grandparents, which might pass from generation to generation. This current study reveals that Zanthoxylum armatum (Timur), Cinnamomum tamala (Tejpaat) and Zingiber officinale (Adhuwa) are respectively found to be highly traded medicinal plants of the study area. For the preservation of ethnomedicinal plants species as well as their traditional knowledge, different conservation activities should be practiced. Such gained information and knowledge should be passed from generation to generation and encourage them to preserve for sustainable use of traditional documentation.