Folklore medicinal plants of North Andaman Islands, India

The rural folk of North Andaman, India use the traditional medicine for their primary health care. Folklore medicinal uses of 72 interesting medicinal plant species along with botanical name, local name, family, habit, part used, disease for which the drug is administrated, mode of administration are presented. These 72 plant species which provide the crude drugs pertain to 67 genera and 43 families of Magnoliophyta from tropical rainforests. These plants used to cure 40 ailments. Most remedies were taken orally, accounting for 76% of medicinal use. Most of the remedies were reported to have been from trees (55.6%) and herb (22.2%) species. The most widely sought after plant parts in the preparation of remedies in the areas are the stem bark (33.8%) and root (23.9%).     

孟加拉国曼尼普尔部落对部族药用植物的利用

通过问卷调查的方式,调查了孟加拉国曼尼普尔部落对民族药用植物的利用。发现有26个科29个属32种药用植物用于治疗37种疾病。结果表明：所调查的32种植物中,多利用其地上部分（86％）,而地下部分的利用相对较少（14％）。在植物药用制备中,叶片的使用最高（17个种）,接下来依次是树皮、果实、根／地下茎、整个植株、种子和花。在32个植物种中,用于治疗痢疾的物种有10个,治疗发烧和风湿病的物种各5个,治疗哮喘、便秘、创伤和皮肤病的各4个物种,低烧病、咳嗽、腹泻各3种。32个物种中,72％的药用植物都能治疗至少一种疾病：75％口服使用,9％外服用,16％口服和外服结合使用。本研究突出了民族植物研究的潜力和迫切需求获取药用植物在人类健康利用的健康医疗实践知识。     

Ethno-medicinal plants used by Bengali communities in Tripura,northeast India

Northeastern India has high medicinal plant diversity due to variance in topography and physiognomy. We documented the uses of various medicinal plants by the Bengali people of West district and South district of Tripura state for their own health care as well as for domesti-cated animals. Based on semi structured interviews, group discussions and information from local informants, a total of 93 species of medicinal plants of 52 families and 83 genera were documented. These plants were used to treat more than 55 different human diseases and 6 diseases of livestock. Sixty-eight plant species were used singly and the rest were used in combination with other species for therapeutic formulations of various diseases. Leaves of plants were most often used for most of the ethnobotanical preparations. Maximum consensus value of 96% was recorded for Chromolaena odorata （L.） King ＆amp;H. Rob., and the mini-mum was 15%for Bambusa balcooa Robx. Of the 93 plant species, 75 species showed pharmacological properties. Prospects for augmenting existing knowledge and enhancing the use of traditional medicinal plants are discussed.     

Ethno-medico-biology of Bhadrak district, Odisha, India

We carried out an ethno-medico-biological investigation in the interior of Bhadrak district, Odisha, India to explore the therapeutic use of traditional plants/animals by local inhabitants. The villagers and rural people used plant and animal species as medicine. We recorded therapeutic use of 18 plant species of 13 families and 12 animal species of seven taxonomic categories. Different plant/animal parts like bark, leaf, flower, seed, stem, root, whole plant, oil, blood, milk, urine and flesh were reported as used in raw or cooked form against 17 specific diseases. Prominent diseases treated by plant/animal remedies were asthma, cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, epilepsy, jaundice, malaria, skin disorder and rheumatism. This study provides a better database for future studies.     

Towards exploration of plant-based ethno-medicinal knowledge of rural community: basis for biodiversity conservation in Bangladesh

Because lack of data impedes the assessment of the conservation of medicinal plants, ethno-medicinal studies are important to fill this gap. This study considered the traditional use of plants for health care by the rural communities in two forested and non-forested regions of Bangladesh. A total of 230 respondents were interviewed accompanied by field observation and voucher specimen collection. Altogether, 68 species of medicinal plants belonging to 38 families distributing over 58 genera were recorded, of which 22 species were common in both regions. Trees were the most commonly utilized growth form and leaves were the most commonly used plant part. Forests and homesteads were the major sources of medicinal plants in forested and non-forested regions, respectively. High use versatility (Relative Importance >1) was represented by 14 species; Emblica officinale L. and Allium sativum L. were the most versatile species. Forty-one individual ailments were treated with the medicinal plants recorded. The ailment categories ‘respiratory problems’ and ‘sexual problems’ received the highest score from the calculation of informants’ consensus factor (F _ic) in forested and non-forested regions, respectively. The findings could contribute in the pharmaceutical sector by directing further investigation of bio-active compounds in medicinal plants. Secondly, results could inform the clues for conservation strategies of forest resources in that region.     

Ethnomedical knowledge of plants used by Kunabi Tribe of Karnataka in India

Therapeutic effects and medicinal efficacy of the wild herbs were identified and administered by the tribal people to cure various ailments. Recently, the practice of herbal medicine has been diminishing, which may lead to the loss of valuable information about healing herbs. The Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka in India is one of the rich biodiversity centers of Western Ghats. Many tribes like Gowlis, Siddis, Halakki Okkaligas and Kunabis inhabit the semi-evergreen forests of the District. The mixed marathi speaking Kunabis have migrated from Goa and settled here a long time back and are even today without modern facilities. Thus, in the way of revitalization of traditional herbal medicines, it is an effort to record the valuable ethnomedical knowledge of the tribe Kunabis of Uttara Kannada District in Karnataka. A total of 45 species of plants used by Kunabi community people are described here based on an ethnomedical field survey. These plants belong to 26 families and are used to treat a wide range of discomforts like fever, cough, skin diseases, rheumatism, snakebite, jaundice, dysentery, etc.     

Paederia foetida — a promising ethno-medicinal tribal plant of northeastern India

The northeastern region of India constitutes one of the biodi-versity hotspots of the world. The ethnic groups inhabiting this region practice their distinctive traditional knowledge systems using biod...     

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by ethnic people in West and South district of Tripura,India

An ethno-medicinal investigation was conducted to highlights the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants being used by the tribe in West and South district of Tripura. This paper provides information about the different uses of plants used in their primary health care system. Tripura is a small north-eastern state of India and also a part of both Himalayan and Indo-Burma biodiversity region. It is a goldmine of medicinal plants and use of different plants in tribal traditional heath care systems has long history. Nineteen different tribes in Tripura, depend on natural resources at a great extent. This paper documented 113 medicinal plant species from 56 families along with their botanical name, local name, family name, habit, medicinal parts used, and traditional usage of application. The dominant families are Euphorbiaceae (7 species), Apocynaceae (6 species), Fabaceae and Rubiaceae (5 species each), Caesalpiniaceae, Asteraceae, Liliaceae and Verbenaceae (4 species each), Combretaceae, Labiatae, Malvaceae, Rutaceae and Zingiberaceae (3 species each). Tribes of Tripura have rich traditional knowledge on plant based medicine. Different parts of the plants in crude form/plant extracts/decoctions/infusion or pastes are employed in diverse veterinary and human diseases by the tribe’s of Tripura in daily life.     

Ethnobotany of plants used by the Thari people of Nara Desert, Pakistan

This paper reports the results of an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the Thari people of the Nara Desert, Sindh, Pakistan. Fifty-one plant species distributed across 28 families and 43 genera were discovered to have medicinal uses by local inhabitants of the Nara Desert. Twenty-one of those species are proposed to have new uses not recorded in the Indo-Pak folk herbal medicinal literature. Boraginaceae and Amaranthaceae were the most dominant families (5 species; 2 and 4 genera, respectively) of medicinal plants, followed by Asteraceae, Capparidaceae, Convolvulaceae, Poaceae, Scrophulariacea and Zygophyllaceae. About 44 types of ailments were treated with various parts of the 51 medicinal plant species. For treating ailments, the use of the whole plant was higher (53%) than leaves (18%), roots (14%) and fruits (10%) alone.     

A review on the use of non-timber forest products in beauty-care in Bangladesh

This review describes the non-timber forest products （NTFPs） used for different aspects of beauty-care in Bangladesh on the basis of extensive literature survey. The diverse plant species, including used parts and using patterns for hair care, facial treatments and body care, were summarized in 13 tables. This paper accumulate the scattered knowledge regarding the use of plants in beauty-care in Bangladesh, to draw the extent of use of NTFPs in health care and to record the knowledge for assessing the possibilities of further implementation in herbal cosmetics industries. The structured knowledge can be used in policy making process for sustainable management of these valuable NTFPs leading to the conservation of the country＇s biological diversity. It is suggested that intensive field level research is necessary for securing sustainability of NTFPs.     

Compatibility and complementarity of indigenous and scientific knowledge of wild plants in the highlands of southwest Saudi Arabia

This study presents a survey of wild plants commonly used by local inhabitants in the highlands of southwest Saudi Arabia. Based upon literature review, direct observation of local inhabitants, and questionnaire interviews, 36 plant species were assessed and given scores according to their use. The gaps between scientific and indigenous knowl- edge on the use of plants were estimated using a ＂compatibility ratio＂. The score values were estimated based on seven different use categories of ecosystem services, including food, forage, medicine, wood, beekeeping, research, and education. Additional structural categories include source of materials, shade, hedges, ornamental plantings, and soil stabilization. There are discrepancies between indigenous knowledge （IK） and scien- tific knowledge （SK） but in most cases, SK of the species supports the IK and plant users preference. The results also provide information that challenges assumptions about the consistency of IK with SK. Our study highlights the importance of understanding the cultural context and uses of wild plants. Biodiversity-based knowledge holds promise for contributing to sustainable use of wild plant resources and related traditions. The success of such endeavours depends on the compatibility and complementarity of indigenous and scientific knowledge.     

Therapeutic use of plants by local communities in and around Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary: implications for protected area management in Bangladesh

Traditional systems of medicine have become a topic of global importance recently. Increased commercialization of economically important medicinal plants has resulted in overharvesting, threatening their survival. The present study was carried out to document the indigenous uses of medicinal plants by the local communities in and around Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh. Data collection was predominantly qualitative recording the species use, identifying their relative importance (RI) and assessing the informants’ consensus factor (F_ic) on associated knowledge. We interviewed 140 households of the local community and 5 local herbal practitioners. A total of 44 plant species were in use to treat 33 ailments under 10 broad disease categories. Five species were found to have high use versatility (RI > 1), Emblica officinale L. being the most versatile. Respiratory problems scored the highest F_ic value (0.56) involving the use of 30% of the species recorded. Terminalia bellerica Roxb., Sterculia villosa Roxb., Dillenia pentagyna Roxb. and Terminalia arjuna Bedd. were being harvested commercially. Use by the community, particularly for subsistence consumption, seemed to be sustainable, but commercial extraction of some species appeared unsustainable. Buffer zone-based commercial farming of medicinal plants with a commercial value could serve a dual purpose of assuring sustainable alternative income generation for local communities as well as conserving the natural resources in protected areas.     

Status and ethno-medicinal usage of invasive plants in traditional health care practices: a case study from northeastern Bangladesh

Species diversity and ethno-medicinal usage of 39 species of invasive plants were explored in and around two protected areas, Khadimnagar National Park (KNP) and Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctu- ary (RKWS), of northeastern Bangladesh,. Status of invasive plants were investigated in 60 sample plots with 5 different habitat types, including forest, roadside, homestead, fallow land and others (ponds, canals, water logged areas, agricultural land, etc.). Data about the usage of invasive plants in traditional health care were collected through interviewing 110 households. Among the five habitat types, fallow land (28 species) pos- sessed the highest number of species, followed by roadside (25 species), forest (23 species), homestead (22 species) and others (13 species). Based on the survey, invasive plants of study areas were also categorized into five degrees of invasiveness e.g., naturalized, introduced, possibly invasive, moderately invasive and highly invasive. Additionally, there is the linear trend between degrees of invasiveness and use percentage of invasive plants. Total 39 species of invasive plants belonging to 29 fami- lies were recorded, which are generally used to treat 37 diseases, ranging from simple headache to highly complicated eye and heart diseases. The majority of the species used by the local inhabitants were herbs (16 spe- cies), followed by some shrubs (11 species), climbers (5 species), trees (5 species) and grasses (2 species). The use percentage of aboveground plant parts were higher (70.58%) than that of underground plant parts (16.18%).     

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Paliyar tribals in Theni district of Tamil Nadu, India

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among the Paliyar tribals in various tribal villages of Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India during December 2004 to January 2006. A total of 101 species of ethnomedicinal plants belonging to 90 genera and 48 families were reported with the help of standardized questionnaires among 15 tribal informants between the ages of 26 to 82. The study shows a high degree of ethnobotanical novelty and the use of plants among the Paliyars reflects the revival of interest in traditional folk medicine.     

河北省龙胆科野生植物种质资源研究

通过野外调查研究获取信息,并对信息进一步整理,发现河北省龙胆科野生植物共有10属23种3变种,多为药用、观赏、食用、农药、化学药品及抗菌植物。据统计,药用植物15种,根或者全草可入药,多具有清热解毒的药用价值;6种植物花色鲜艳,具有较高观赏价值;此外,还有农药植物3种,食用植物1种。另外,有些龙胆科植物的花中可提取出一种染色剂应用于实验中。为使河北省龙胆科植物得到可持续利用,应制定合理的资源利用计划及保护措施,开展繁殖和栽培技术研究,并建立种质资源库和中药材生产基地等,以促进保护和利用的平衡发展。     

Investigation of Alternanthera repens and Bidens odorata on gastrointestinal disease

Alternanthera repens and Bidens odorata are used as medication for gastrointestinal diseases today, mainly in relation to diarrhea; therefore, pharmacological tests with aqueous and ethanol extracts of both species were carried out in mice. Using charcoal meal, the activity of the four extracts on intestinal motility was determined, finding that they inhibit the advance of the gastrointestinal content. Also, the lethal media doses were estimated in order to examine the plants' safety. The data confirmed the validity of the medicinal use for both plant species, contributing to explain the use of these plants as antidiarrheal agents in Mexican traditional medicine.     

自然疗法用于植物景观配置的研究进展

文章介绍了自然疗法的定义、植物的保健功效及其在景观设计中的三种应用方式。并从视觉、听觉、嗅觉、触觉四方面功效选择保健型植物来构建康复疗养型景观的问题进行了研究和论述。     

中国药用竹类多样性及其价值

竹子的药用功能是指竹类植物可以作为中药药材加以利用的属性,是中国竹类功能多样性的重要组成部分。在中国药用竹类中,有的本身就是传统中药,历史上早有应用并沿用至今;有的具有保健作用,被竹子分布区及周边群众长期利用,用以养生保健。文章收集整理了中国具有药用功能的竹类植物种类,分析了其药用功能。结果表明,中国传统药用竹类有11属30种1变种4栽培品种,保健竹类有7属8种,共计涉及竹类15属43种及种下分类群。     

Use and knowledge of forest plants among the Ribeirinhos, a traditional Amazonian population

This study assessed the ethnobotanical use and knowledge of forest plant diversity among the Ribeirinhos, a traditional population of the Brazilian Amazon living in a protected area (Tapajós National Forest, West of Pará), and compared the importance of forest plants used in their daily activities with the use of cultivated plants (agrobiodiversity) from their home gardens and swidden-fallows. We used two complementary quantitative ethnobotanical methods, based on (i) daily scan observations in 14 families’ homes, and (ii) ethnobotanical inventories of trees, palms and lianas of DBH ≥ 5 cm in 23 plots each of 0.1-ha, set up in three types of forests. Analyses of the ethnobotanical surveys in the plots showed that most forest species (120 out of the 140 inventoried, i.e. 86 %) were acknowledged to be useful by the informants (use value >0) and accounted for 91.2 % of the inventoried individuals measuring DBH ≥ 5 cm. However, daily observations of plant gathering in homes showed that only a few forest species considered ‘useful’ were used daily, whilst species cultivated in gardens and swidden-fallows represented the majority of species used. The Ribeirinhos were also found to know as much about using forest plant diversity, if not more, than other traditional groups from Amazonia or from other tropical regions of South America, including the Amerindians. The article concludes with some recommendations for adapting development practices to local uses of plant diversity in this protected area.     

Turkish folk medicinal plants, Part IV: Gönen (Balikesir)

Eighty-four folk medicinal plants from G?nen (Turkey) are reported. Among them 73 species are wild and 11 species are cultivated plants. The folk medicinal plants are mostly used for the treatment of hemorrhoids, rheumatism, stomach and kidney ailments.