Common Traditional Practices of herbal medicine by tribal communities belonging to various ethnic groups in some states of India

Ramesh Patel*, Manoj K. Rathore, B.P. Nagori, G.K. Singh, Prashant K. Desai

Lachoo Memorial College of Sci. and Tech., Pharmacy Wing, Jodhpur, Rajasthan- 342005

ABSTRACT:

Natural plant remedies have created an enormous need for information about the properties and uses of the medicinal plants. Tribal people and ethnic races throughout the world have developed their own culture, customs, medicinal practices, etc. A large number of wild and cultivated plants are being used by them for the treatment of various ailments, thus a considerable amount of information on medicinal plants is available with these communities. The state of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan comprises of a large population of tribal communities belonging to various ethnic groups. These forest dwellers live in forests and possess a vast knowledge on various aspects of plants. Ethno botanical studies on different aspects of many tribal communities have been carried out in various districts of the states. In Madhya Pradesh main tribes of the state are Gond, Bhil, Oraon, Sahariya, Bhilala, Sor, etc. Bhil and Sahariya are the major tribal communities of the district. They move around the forest for their day-to-day requirements, cultural activities and performing rituals. They possess a vast knowledge of the treatment of their cattle through herbs. The method of treatment is traditional and drugs are used in crude form only. Besides medicinal uses, they possess a vast knowledge on other ethno botanical uses of plants. The tribal people, who live in different remote areas of the region under study, treat their various ailments with plant remedies on the basis of their rich heritage knowledge.

KEYWORDS: Ethnobotanical, traditional knowledge, tribal community, medicinal plants.

INTRODUCTION:

Natural plant remedies have created an enormous need for information about the properties and uses of the medicinal plants. Tribal people and ethnic races throughout the world have developed their own culture, customs, medicinal practices, etc. A large number of wild and cultivated plants are being used by them for the treatment of various ailments, thus a considerable amount of information on medicinal plants is available with these communities. The state of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan comprises of a large population of tribal communities belonging to various ethnic groups. These forest dwellers live in forests and possess a vast knowledge on various aspects of plants. Ethnobotanical studies on different aspects of many tribal communities have been carried out in various districts of the states. In Madhya Pradesh main tribes of the state are Gond, Bhil, Oraon, Sahariya, Bhilala, Sor, etc. Bhil and Sahariya are the major tribal communities of the district. They move around the forest for their day-to-day requirements, cultural activities and performing rituals. Forest resources are the only means of livelihood for catering to the need of food, fodder, fuel, medicine, etc. They possess a vast knowledge of the treatment of their cattle through herbs. The method of treatment is traditional and drugs are used in crude form only. Besides medicinal uses, they possess a vast knowledge on other ethno botanical uses of plants ^{[1- 4]}.

Table-1: Ethno medicinal plants used by tribal communities against various ailments

Plant name(family)	Local name	Uses
Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa (Rutaceae)	Bel, Belpatra	Pulp of unripe or half ripe fruit mixed in water is given in diarrhoea; pulp of ripe fruit mixed with water for making sharbat, acts as soothing agent.
Asparagus racemosus Willd. (Liliaceae)	Satavar	Fresh tuberous roots considered good tonic. Roots are mixed with cow fodder for increasing lactation.
Holarrhena pubescens (Buch- Ham) Wallich (Apocynaceae)	Kuretha, Kulentha, Dudhi	Flowers and fruits are used as vegetable, specifically consumed in joints pain.
Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk. (Rhamnaceae)	Ber, Beri	Cooled decoction of dried fruits is given during cold and cough.
Acacia senegal Willd. (Mimosaceae)	Goradiyo-baval	Crushed root and stem bark soaked overnight in a glass of water and filtered next morning; half cup of the filtrate is taken orally once daily for a week to cure painful urination.
Coccinia indica W & A. (Cucurbitaceae)	Ghilodi	Fresh juice of leaves and stem is given orally once a day for a week to relieve burning sensation during urination.
Echinops echinatus Roxb. (Asteraceae)	Utkantaro	Fresh root decoction is taken twice a day till cured to relieve scanty urination. Plant is pungent, bitter, used in strangury and urinary discharges.
Emblica officinalis Gaertn. (Euphorbiaceae)	Amla	Morabba made from fruit is given to relieve dysuria. Fruit powder mixed with equal amount of haldar (Curcuma longa L.) powder is taken with water once daily morning for one week to cure dysuria. The fruit is acrid, sour, bitter, sweetish; cooling, useful in burning sensation, urinary discharges, strangury.
Pedalium murex L. (Pedaliaceae)	Ubhu-gokhru	Fresh whole herb is soaked overnight in water. The sticky infusion mixed with cane sugar is taken daily once daily to cure painful urination, excess urination, haematuria, etc. An infusion is a remedy in dysuria. Fruit decoction is given for incontinence of urine, nocturnal emission.
Raphanus sativus L. (Brassicaceae)	Mulo	Fresh leaves or roots are eaten raw to relieve urinary complaints. Fresh leaf juice is used as a diuretic; root is useful for urinary complaints.
Sesamum indicum L. (Pedaliaceae)	Tal	Mixture of seeds and equal quantity of jaggery is given orally once daily at bed time to cure night wetting in children. The seeds are acrid with a sharp bitter sweet taste; cooling, diuretic; useful in urinary concretions, strangury, burning sensation while micturating.
Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae)	Bethu-gokhru	Decoction of root or powdered whole herb (Panchang) is taken with water twice a day for a week for curing painful micturition. Fruits are regarded as cooling, diuretic, tonic and useful in painful micturition. The root and fruit are sweetish, cooling, and useful in strangury, urinary discharges.
Calotropis procera Br. (Asclepiadaceae)	Akra	Dried stem is used as a piper and the smoke of Xanthium fruit is inhaled through the pipe to relieve headache; root paste is applied on scorpion bite; leaf is rolled to make pipe for smoking.
Capparis decidua (Forsk.) Edgew. (Capparaceae )	Kair	Flower buds are eaten to relieve stomachache; root paste is applied on scorpion bite, powdered coal from stem is taken during fractured bone.
Chlorophytum tuberosum Baker (Liliaceae)	Dholi musali	Dried fasciculate roots are used in the preparation of laddu with Anogeissus latifolia gum and are taken during winter season.
Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (Hypoxidaceae)	Moosli	Root extract mixed with diluted curd is taken thrice.
Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae)	Ratan Jot	Root juice is taken with 1 glass of water for 3 times a day for 1-3 days; latex is used in the treatment of itching of genital organs.
Ricinus communis L.(Euphorbiaceae)	Arandi	In case of muscular injury without bleeding, leaf paste with mustard oil is applied on the affected area; leaf paste is applied on head to relieve headache; leaves boiled with maize grain is used as a rat killer.
Hordeum vulgare Linn. (Gramineae)	Barley	Recommended food for diabetic patients.
Balanites aegyptiaca L. (Balanitaceae)	Hingot	Pulp of ripe fruit mixed with mother’s milk is given twice a day for 3-4 days for children suffering from pneumonia.
Hyptis suaveolens L. (Lamiaceae)	Bantulsi	Seeds soaked in water are given as soothing agent.
Aloe barbadensis Mill. (Liliaceae)	Ghrit-Kumari	Dried leaf juice is used in treatment of constipation. Hot pulp of aloe is applied in joint pain. Gel used externally in form of ointments, creams to assist healing of wound, burns, eczema, and also in psoriasis.

The southern part of Rajasthan comprising Banswara, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur and Udaipur disricts is the tribal belt in which Bhil, Damor, Garasia, Kalbelia, Kathodia and Meena are the main tribes. The plants growing around them form an integral part of their culture. These people are largely dependent on their traditional healing system for their healthcare and the information is passed on from generation to generation through the word of mouth ^[5-10]. The Sabarkantha district, situated in Northeastern part of Gujarat state is inhabited by number of ethnic groups. The predominant tribes are Bhils, including Bhil Garasia, Dholi Bhil, Dungri Bhil, Dhungri Garasia, Koli and Chokhla Garasia. The tribal people, who live in different remote areas of the region under study, treat their various ailments with plant remedies on the basis of their rich heritage knowledge ^[11-14]. The paper deals about common medicinal plants used by tribal communities. A record on 37 plant species belonging to 22 families, used by tribes for curing various ailments among human beings and animals are given. Uses of plants for other purposes are also mentioned.

METHODOLOGY:

The traditional knowledge of plant based remedies for the treatment of ailments rests with the medicine man, all of which belong to one family of hereditary indigenous practitioners. Skills and experience are passed on from one generation to the next by word of mouth and are guarded like secrets. The medicine man collects the plants and animal products needed for a particular application, either directly from the forest, farm or from the local shops. In view of secretiveness of traditional medicine men and women, it was decided to interview a number of elderly people, who have a great deal of practical knowledge about the plants and animal products used as medicine in the native system. Before taking interview, prior informed consent was taken from all the local practitioners. Livestock owners were interviewed about the traditional animal healthcare practices which they still following. Wherever possible, administration of herbal medicines was observed on diseased animals to find the authenticity of information. A discussion about a particular herb with different informants from different places tends to be more helpful to record various queries about the drug.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

A large number of plant species occur in tribal inhabited localities. Looking to the intellectual property rights of indigenous people, documentation of such knowledge is necessary now a day. The people of tribal community possess a vast knowledge regarding multifarious uses of plants. Besides medicinal uses, the tribes of the district also have a vast knowledge about the other uses of plants. Almost all species are commonly available in the area but many people are not aware about their importance. Some species are facing threats due to various reasons and require immediate attention for their conservation. It is clear from observation that some species are also used for curing the cattle of tribals. Such information should be spread among other societies living in urban areas and villages. The information on herbal medicines to treat various ailments of human (Table-1) as well as animals (Table-2) is enumerated with botanical name of plant species, plant family, local name and plant part(s) used, form, mode of administration and precise dose of drug. Uses of such plants would certainly reduce the pressure on other economically or endangered species of plants.

Table-2: Ethnoveterinary plants used in various ailments of animals

Plant name (family)	Local name	Uses
Acacia nilotica (Linn.) Willd. (Mimosaceae)	Kikar, Babul	Bark of babul, seeds of Trachyspermum ammi and Vernonia cinerea mixed with jaggery is given to the animal twice a day for one month as a tonic to cure overall weakness. Infusion of bark is given to the animal in sun stroke. Bark extract is given to the animals orally twice a day for two days to cure dysentery.
Aegle marmelos Linn. (Rutaceae)	Bel	Spine is pricked in the tail of animal to cure its degeneration. Fruit pulp is applied over the mouth and hooves to cure foot and mouth disease.
Annona squamosa Linn. (Annonaceae)	Sitafal	Leaf powder mixed with mustard oil is given to domestic animals in constipation and dysentery.
Calotropis procera Br.(Asclepiadaceae)	Aakdo	Root paste is applied to remove scorpion sting from skin and external parasite like lice and ticks.
Capsicum annum Linn. (Solanaceae)	Lal-mirch	Paste of dried fruit powder mixed with sugar is applied in the throat of animal to cure tonsillitis.
Cassia angustifolia (Caesalpiniaceae)	Sonamukhi	Leaves are fed to the camel to cure flatulence.
Cyamopsis tatragooloba (Linn.) Taub. (Fabaceae)	Guar	Fruits and seeds are given with fodder to cure diarrhea.
Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae)	sargua	Internal bark decoction is massaged on the affected parts of animal for relief in arthritic pain.
Ficus religiosa Linn. (Moraceae)	Pipal	Leaf extract is given orally to the buffalo (after giving a bath) to cure dysurea and haematuria.
Sesamum indicum Linn. (Pedaliaceae)	Til	Mixture of seed oil and sugar in equal ratio is massaged on affected parts of camels to get relief from arthritis pain.
Sorghum halepense Linn. (Poaceae)	Jowar	Seed flour mixed with water is given to the animal to cure diarrhoea and weakness.
Tribulus terrestris (Zygophyllaceae)	Gokhru	Fruits are given to the animal as fodder to cure diarrhoea.
Trigonella foenum - graceum Linn. (Fabaceae)	Methi	Infusion of seed flour is given to the animal daily to cure haematuria.
Vigna aconitifolia Jacq. (Fabaceae)	Moth	Seed powder mixed with buttermilk is given to the animal to cure diarrhoea.
Leptadenia pyrotechnica Decne. (Asclepiadaceae)	Kheep	Stem infusion is given to camel to cure flatulence. Thin piece of stem is inserted in the nose of animal to remove any obstruction in nose.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

Author is thankful to Prof. Dr. B.P. Nagori, Dr. G.K. Singh and Mr. Prashant Desai, Department of Pharmacognosy for valuable help and guidance. Author is thankful to the tribal people for their valuable help in compilation of information. Author would like to thank Dr. S. K. Choudhuri, Sc. ‘E’, Defense Lab, Jodhpur for his effort in improving the manuscript.

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Received on 11.07.2012

Modified on 06.08.2012

Accepted on 28.08.2012

Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 4(5): September – October 2012, 280-283