Keywords

Tribes, Upper Subansiri district, Ethno-medicines, Arunachal Pradesh.

Introduction

Arunachal Pradesh is the largest state, covering an area of 83743 sq km, among all North Eastern states of India bordering Tibet, Bhutan, China and Myanmar. Situated in the lap of Eastern Himalayan mountain range, it is recognized as one of the Mega Biodiversity hotspots of the world [1]. More than 25 different tribes and 110 sub tribes are living in 18 districts of the state from the time immemorial. Each of these tribes has a unique tradition, culture and lifestyle dependent mostly on biodiversity, mainly forest and wildlife, of the state [2].

The Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh lies in the central part of the state in between 28.5 degree and 28.25 degree latitudes and 93.15 degree and 94.20 degree longitudes covering a geographical area on 7032 sq km (Figure 1). The high mountain region near northern boundary of the district is generally cold as remain covered with snow almost throughout the year. The plain areas in foothills are intersected by number of water bodies mainly streams and rivers in the lap of forests [3]. The district is inhabited by three major tribes namely Tagin, Hill Miri (now Nyshi) and Galo. Tagin have the largest population followed by Nyshi and Galo. Culturally and linguistically the tribes more or less are akin to one another. These aboriginal tribes have learnt to co-exist with the nature over the years. The long associations with nature have made them dependent on it for all their day to day requirements. At one point of time the out put from their traditional agricultural practices were not adequate to feed them for the whole year. Then there are crop failures. For all these natural calamities they had to depend on wild edibles for the lien period. They had also expertise on the treatment of diseases of man and woman including their domestic animals. The spread of education and exposure of the people to the alien culture through mass media and contact have greatly influenced their age old traditional life style.

Figure 1: Locational map of Upper Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh, India

An ethnobotanical study takes into account knowledge of the tribes and the people inhabiting the area, with particular reference to their distribution, language/dialect spoken, food habit, rituals and practices, traditional practices followed in agriculture, house building, art and craft objects made out of plant products, etc. An ethnobotanical study of the area, therefore, aims at to cover under its purview the whole gamut of information about plants namely plants used as medicine, food, building materials, rituals, festivals, etc. The documentation of above information can provide brief taxonomic ideas of utmost economic value as medicine, or food, which could add to our limited knowledge of germplasm. Some significant studies on ethnobiology from different states of India include from Meghalaya [4], Arunachal Pradesh [5], Aravalli hills (Rajasthan) [6], Mt. Abu (Rajasthan) [7], Udaipur district (Rajasthan) [8], Banswara district (Rajasthan) [9], Alwar district (Rajasthan) [10], and Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh [11]. Considering the richness of ethnobotanical information of the Upper Subansiri district, a study was undertaken by State Forest Research Institute, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh during 2010-12. Main aim of the study was to identify and document the ethno botanically important and economic plants of the district. However, the present paper deals with the plants of medicinal importance used by the three tribes of the district. The primary information was gathered through field visit and observation, informal discussion and open ended interview with the informants and knowledgeable persons.

METHODOLOGY

The ethnobotanical information was collected by field questionnaire survey among aboriginal community, by study with herbaria and museum, by study of rituals, myths and folkfores and through folk market survey. Maps prepared by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Government of Arunachal Pradesh were also consulted for identification of approaching routes and location of the select villages. The villages inhabited by the tribesmen were selected randomly for each tribe for the purpose of survey (Table 1).

Table 1: Villages covered during study among three tribes of Upper Subansiri district

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In the North Eastern states on India, Asteraceae is the most dominant family of medicinal plants [12]. Some of the medicinal plants used by the tribes of Upper Subansiri district are also used by tribal population of other districts of Arunachal Pradesh and other states of India. For example, leaves of Ageratum conyzoides L for blood clotting is used by Mishing, Jaintia tribes of Assam [13,14] and by Tangsas and Singphos tribes of southern Arunachal Pradesh [15]. Clerodendron colebrookianum Walp leaves are reported to be used by Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh [15] and by tribes of Assam [16]. Leaves and root decoction of this plant is also used by Adi and Apatani tribes of Arunachal Pradesh in malarial and bronchitis treatment [17,15]. Powdered bark of Oroxylum indicum is used by Mongpa tribe of Arunachal Pradesh [15] and Mishing community of Assam [13] in Malarial treatment and liver disorder. Crushed root and bark of Gmelina arborea Roxb are used by Padam (Adis) tribe of Arunachal Pradesh to purify blood and in stomach trouble [15]. Powdered tubers of Stephania japonica Miers is used in malarial treatment by Khamti tribe of Arunachal Pradesh [18]. The medicinal properties of Piper nigrum has been reported from southern state of Tamil Nadu also. [19]

The Tagin, Hill Miri (now Nyshi) and Galo tribes of Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh state of India commonly use 140 plant species for treating human diseases (Table 2), out of which 55 species are herbs, 31 species are shrubs and 54 species are either trees or climbers. Most dominant families of Asteraceae and Scrophulariaceae are used by the tribal population of the district for above purpose, whereas Araceae and Moraceae families are in use for animal feeding and in the treatment of their diseases. About 18 species of medicinal plants are used either for livestock disease treatment or as their feed. Out of these 18 species 8 species are herbs, 6 species are trees and rests 4 are shrubs (Table 3).

Table 2: Medicinal plants used in treatment of human diseases

Table 3: Medicinal plants used in treatment of livestock diseases or feeding

Our above findings are in conformity with that of Saklani and Jain (1994) who mentioned that Asteraceae was the most dominant family of medicinal plants for the purpose of human ailments treatment in the North eastern states of India [12]. But our findings are slightly different from the plant species of Solanaceae and Lamiaceae which are reported to be used by the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh as top families [12, 15]. These families have been in use in our study’s findings but not as top two families as far as medicinal plants in Upper Subansiri district are concerned (Table 2).

CONCLUSION

The present documentation on the traditional medicine of the three tribes of Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh emphasizes that many people of the region still depend upon herbal medicine for treatment of human as well as livestock diseases. Thorough biochemical investigation and clinical trials of local traditional medicines may provide new direction for human health care system [3]. These medicines have been reported to have lesser or negligible side health effects on humans in comparison to other medical treatments. State Government has to conduct vigorous conservation and sustainable management programme among local people for the development of this sector. Arunachal Pradesh Biodiversity Board and Arunachal Pradesh State Medicinal Plants Board are doing some work in this direction but at the slow pace. This trend needs to be addressed soon.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors are thankful to the Director, State Forest Research Institute, Itanagar and officers of various departments especially revenue department of Upper Subansiri district of the state for their encouragement and help in providing relevant data/information for completion of the study.

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