Ethnomedicinal Plants Used by Malayali and Narikuravar Communities in Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India

Silambarasan R, Sureshkumar J and Ayyanar M*

Department of Botany and Microbiology, A.V.V.M Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous), India

*Corresponding Author:
Ayyanar M
Department of Botany and Microbiology
A.V.V.M Sri Pushpam College (Autonomous)
Thanjavur, India
Tel: +91 9940376005
E-mail: asmayyanar@yahoo.com

Received Date: August 31, 2017; Accepted Date: October 24, 2017; Published Date: October 31, 2017

Citation: Silambarasan R, Sureshkumar J, Ayyanar M (2017) Ethnomedicinal Plants Used by Malayali and Narikuravar Communities in Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India. Am J Ethnomed Vol.4 No.2:15

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Abstract

Background: Traditional medicine plays an important role in primary healthcare of people reside in forest areas. We have reported the ethnomedicinal plants used by two ethnic communities in Western Ghats region of Erode district, Tamil Nadu, India.
Aim of study: The aim of this study is to gather ethnomedicinal information from local people and herbalists and calculate the documented information with statistical parameters.
Materials and methods: Semi structured questionnaire was used during the interview with Malayali and Narikuravar communities to document traditional knowledge on plants. The knowledge on medicinal plants used by informants to treat different types of ailments was analysed using the use value (UV) and frequency of citation (FC).
Results: A total number of 69 species of medicinal plants belonging to 33 families have been reported to treat various illnesses. Most of the plants reported in this study were used to treat diabetes, joint pain, snake bite, kidney problems, uterine disorders, sexual and fertility problems, cough, indigestion and cancer. Moringa oleifera was reported with highest UV of 5.08.
Conclusion: The present study revealed that, documentation of this knowledge will offer recognition of folk medicinal practices and could offer possible avenues for pharmacological analysis for a range of ailments. Keywords: Malayalis; Narikuravars; Ethnobotany; Tradi

Keywords

Malayalis; Narikuravars; Ethnobotany; Traditional medicine; Western Ghats

Introduction

Nature is a source of biologically active compounds and documentation on traditional medicinal plants is an important facet to reveal the past and present culture, the source of fundamental knowledge for pharmacology, sustainable use and conservation of biological resources [1]. The use of herbal remedies as an alternative to conventional medicine is becoming increasingly popular due to lesser side effects. Traditional knowledge of plants and their properties has always been transmitted from generation to generation [2]. Documentation of indigenous knowledge through field studies among tribal communities is an important factor for conservation and utilization of biological resources [3]. Many ethnic groups rely on plants collected from wild habitats for their food and primary healthcare. The plants are reported to have rich in active biomolecules, thus knowledge on plant diversity of an area and traditional uses of those plants by indigenous communities is of prime importance for development of drugs in treating a variety of ailments [4].

India is one of the twelve mega-biodiversity countries of the world having a tradition of plant-based knowledge distributed amongst a vast number of ethnic groups [5-11]. In Tamil Nadu, 36 types of tribal and local communities are resides in forests and nearby areas. There are a number of ethno botanical researches is underway in Tamil Nadu and few hill areas inhabited by indigenous communities are still not studied in ethno botanical point of view. One such forest area is forests in Erode district of Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, India. Hence, the present study was carried out among the Malayali and Narikuravar communities and local knowledgeable persons in the Erode district to document ethno medicinal knowledge of plants used by them.

Methodology

Malayali and Narikuravar ethnic communities inhabit the surveyed villages. Most of the ethnic communities and local people in these hills are using herbal medicines with a number of plants for their primary healthcare needs. The major livelihood of these people are agriculture, cattle farming, collection of fuel-wood and forest resources viz., herbal medicines, honey, edible fruits and tubers from nearby forests. Traditional healers of these communities acquired plant based knowledge from their ancestors. Some local people are collecting plant parts from forest areas and sell them to traditional healers who are professionally practicing herbal medicine.

The population of Malayali tribals is rich when compared to Narikuravar in Erode district. The detailed facts about the Malayalis were discussed in our previous publications [12,13]. In contrast to other tribal communities, Narikuravars (or Kuruvikarar) doesn’t have particular place for their shelter and permanent hamlets. Narikuravars basically hail from a traditional hunting culture and they hunt fox, tiny wild animals and birds for their survival (www.tribalbharath.org). They live in groups, speak unique language “Vaghridholi” and find their foods from selling beads and leather made craft items. They also speak Tamil. Most of the people believe that buying fox teeth from Narikuravar will bring prosperity. They make camp tents on roadsides and under the flyovers for stay and source of livelihood. Occasionally they made a temporary settlement for staying in particular region during festivel times to sell forest resources. This community has unique customs and practices like dress habits, food habits and way of life of Narikuravar community in Tamil Nadu are different from other communities.

In order to document the utilization of medicinal plants, a methodical survey was carried out during July 2015 to August 2016 in the study area (Figure 1). During the course of time, 24 informants were identified, of which two were professional traditional healers (herbalists). Twenty two informants were local persons who had much knowledge on medicinal plants and practicing herbal medicines for their neighbourhoods. Age of the interviewed people is ranging from 31 to 72. The documented medicinal plants were collected for identification and preparation of herbarium specimens. The plant materials were preserved using standard methodologies and identified using ‘The Flora of Tamilnadu Carnatic’ [14]. APG III [15] was followed for nomenclature of plants and families. The scientific names of plant species were confirmed with the standard taxonomy database ‘Plant List’ (https://www.theplantlist.org). The voucher specimens were deposited in herbarium of A.V.V.M. Sri Pushpam College, Poondi (SPCH), Thanjavur, India for future reference.

ethnomedicine-study-area

Figure 1: Location map of study area in Tamil Nadu, India.

Data associated with collected ethnomedicinal plants were sorted in MS Excel 2010 and analysed for descriptive statistical patterns viz., use value (UV) and frequency of citation. The knowledge on medicinal plants used by informants of study area to treat different types of ailments were analysed using above statistical formulae.

Use value (UV) was calculated to evaluate the comparative significance of traditional use of specific plant species by local communities [16].

UV=ΣU/n

Where, U is number of use reports cited by each informant for a given plant species and n is the total number of informants interviewed for a given plant. The UV is helpful in determining the plants with highest use in the treatment of an ailment. UVs are high when there are many use reports for a plant and low when there are few reports related to its use.

Frequency of Citation of a plant species used was done using following formula,

FC=Ni /ΣNi

Where, Ni is the number of times particular plant species was mentioned and ΣNi is the total number of times that all species were mentioned.

Results and Discussion

Medicinal plant diversity and their uses

In the present study, 69 species of medicinal plants belonging to 33 families were reported with the help of informants (Table 1). Of the reported ethnomedicinal plants, 29 species were herbs (42%) followed by trees (27%), climbers (22%) and shrubs (9%) (Figure 2). Fabaceae (8 sps.) was recorded as most dominant family (Figure 3) followed by Amaranthaceae (5 sps.), Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Menispermaceae (4 sps. each), Cucurbitaceae (3 sps.), Acanthaceae, Convolvulaceae, Malvaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Combretaceae and Poaceae (2 sps. each).

Table 1: List of plants used in traditional medicine by Malayali and Narikuravar communities.

Botanical name, family, habit, availability and Voucher specimen number Local name FC UV Parts used and diseases treated Preparation Application
Abrus precatorius L., Fabaceae, Climber, SPCH-23 Kundumni 18 0.51 Leaf - Teeth disorder Raw Chewing
Acacia nilotica(L.) Delile, Fabaceae, Tree, SPCH-29 Karuvlam 16 0.63 Leaf - Cough; Stem - Toothache Raw Tooth brush
AcalyphaindicaL., Euphorbiaceae, Herb, SPCH-45 Kuppaimeni 27 1.31 Leaf - Psoriasis problem Paste Topical
Acalypha alnifolia Poir., Euphorbiaceae, Herb, SPCH-14 Kanni 18 0.51 Leaf - Poison bites Crushing Topical
AchyranthesasperaL., Amaranthaceae, Herb, SPCH-67 Naayuruvi 25 0.71 Root - Toothache Raw Chewing
Achyranthes bidentata Blum., Amaranthaceae, Herb, SPCH-109 Sen-naayuruvi 24 1.20 Whole plant - Kidney disease Powder Oral
Aerva lanata (L.) Juss., Amaranthaceae, Herb, SPCH-18 Sirupoolai 22 0.62 Whole plant - Kidney problem Powder Oral
Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R. Br. ex DC., Amaranthaceae, Herb, SPCH-105 Ponnan ganni 22 0.62 Leaf - Eye problem Soup Oral
Amaranthus viridis L., Amaranthaceae, Herb, SPCH-123 Kuppai keerai 21 0.60 Aerial parts - Anemia Soup Oral
Andrographis echioides (L.f.) Nees., Acanthaceae, Herb, SPCH-12 Kopuran thangi 20 0.86 Aerial parts - Snake bite Paste Oral
Andrographis serpyllifolia (Vahl.) Wight., Acanthaceae, Herb, SPCH-148 Kattu poorankodi 18 0.51 Aerial parts - Rheumatic fever Decoction Oral
Anisomelesmalabarica(L.) R.Br. ex Sims., Lamiaceae, Herb, SPCH-58 Peimiratti 27 1.31 Leaf - Joint pain Paste Topical
Asclepias curassavica L., Apocynaceae, Herb, SPCH-97 Karunthuvarai 16 0.46 Whole plant - Cancer Paste Oral
ArtocarpusheterophyllusLam., Moraceae, Tree, SPCH-74 Pala 25 1.26 Fruit - Male erectile disorder Raw Oral
Asparagus racemosusWilld., Asparagaceae, Climber, SPCH-79 Thanner vittan kizhangu 35 1.66 Tuber - Uterine disorder Powder Oral
Azadirachtaindica A. Juss., Meliaceae, Tree, SPCH-149 Veppilai 35 2.77 Leaf - Diabetes and chickepox Paste Oral
Azima tetracantha Lam., Salvadoraceae, Shrub, SPCH-136 Sankilai 24 0.69 Aerial parts - Uterine disorder Juice Oral
Bacopamonnieri(L.) Wettst., Plantaginaceae, Herb, SPCH-42 Nirbrahmi 29 0.83 Whole plant - Amnesia Powder Oral
Bambusabambos(L.) Voss, Poaceae, Shrub, SPCH-32 Moongil 28 0.80 Seed - Joint pain Paste Topical
Bombox ceiba L., Malvaceae, Tree, SPCH-184 Ilavam 26 0.74 Leaf - Uterine disorder Juice Oral
Boerhaviadiffusa L., Nyctanginaceae, Herb, SPCH-37 Mukkirattai 23 1.06 Root - Psoriasis proplem Paste Topical
Borassusflabellifer L., Arecaceae, Tree, SPCH-22 Panai 35 1.66 Fruit pulp - Sunburn Raw Oral
Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub., Fabaceae, Tree, SPCH-192 Karumpurasu 27 1.54 Leaf - Diabetes Decoction Oral
Calotropisgigantea (L.) Dryand., Apocynaceae, Shrub, SPCH-21 Erukkanchedi 32 1.37 Flower - Cold Raw Oral
Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze., Theaceae, Tree, SPCH-197 Theyilai 24 0.69 Leaf - Head ache Decoction Oral
Carthamus tinctorius L., Asteraceae, Herb(Purchased), SPCH-154 Suriyagandhi 18 0.51 Seed - Heard disease Oil Oral
Cassia fistulaL., Fabaceae, Tree, SPCH-17 Kondrai 27 1.29 Root - Snake bite Paste Topical
Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb., Fabaceae, Shrub, SPCH-212 Kazhatchikai 32 2.2 Seed - Uterine disorder Powder Oral
CelastruspaniculatusWilld., Celastraceae, Climber, SPCH-81 Kuvarikundal 25 0.71 Seed - Joint pain oil Topical
CinnamomumverumJ. Presl., Lauraceae, Tree, SPCH-09 Ilavangam 27 0.77 Stem bark - Joint pain Decoction Oral
Cissampelospareira L., Menispermaceae, Climber, SPCH-36 Vattathiruppi 21 0.60 Leaf - Leg fracture Paste Topical
Cissusquadrangularis L., Vitaceae, Climber, SPCH-32 Pirandai 30 1.49 Stem - Stomachache and joint pain Juice Oral
Cocculushirsutus(L.) W.Theob. Menispermaceae, Climber, SPCH-39 Kattukkodi 17 0.49 Leaf - Psoriasis proplem Paste Topical
Coix lacryma-jobi L., Poaceae, Shrub, SPCH-203

Kuraththipasi

25 0.71 Seed - Cancer Paste Oral
Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott., Arecaceae, Herb, SPCH-243 Sembu 19 0.54 Leaf - Indigestion Juice Oral
Corallocarpus epigaeus (Rottler) C.B.Clarke, Cucurbitaceae, Climbe, SPCH-169 Agasa karudan kizhangu 34 0.97 Corm - Snake bite Paste Oral
Cullen corylifolium (L.) Medik., Fabaceae, Herb, SPCH-43 Karpoga arisi 26 0.74 Seed - Leprosy Paste Topical
Cycleapeltata(Lam.) Hook.f. and Thomson, Menispermaceae, Climber, SPCH-83 Appatta 21 0.80 Root - Malaria and jaundice Decoction Oral
DecalepishamiltoniiWight and Arn., Apocynaceae, Climber, SPCH-86 Maakali kizhangu 15 0.71 Root - Psoriasis and diabetes Paste Oral
Delonixelata(L.) Gamble, Fabaceae, Tree, SPCH-30 Vadha narayanan 22 0.63 Lf; DCS: 22 (Piles- I84) Decoction Oral
DioscoreaoppositifoliaL., Dioscoriaceae, Climber, SPCH-62 Vaerolai valli 21 0.60 Tb; DGS: 21 (Hydrocele - N43.3) Paste Topical
Ecliptaprostrata(L.) L., Asteraceae, Herb, SPCH-64 Karisalan kanni 35 2.46 Root – Mental disorder and eye peoblem Juice Oral
FicusreliogiosaL., Moraceae, Tree, SPCH-60 Arasamaram 32 2.17 Fruit – Infertility Raw Oral
Heliotropiumindicum L., Boraginaceae, Herb, SPCH-28 Theal kodukki 35 1.57 Aerial parts – Poison bites Raw Oral
Helicteres isora L., Malvaceae, Shrub, SPCH-269 Idanjuli 24 0.69 Fruit - Earache Emulsion Topical
Indigoferatinctoria L., Fabaceae, Herb, SPCH-42 Neeli 15 0.57 Leaf - Snake bite and leprosy Powder Oral
Ipomoea aquaticaForssk., Convolvulaceae, Climber, SPCH-53 Thanneer keerai 13 0.37 Leaf - Sunburn Paste Topical
Ipomoea batatas(L.) Poir., Convolvulaceae, Climber, SPCH-189 Sakkaraivalli kizhangu 17 0.49 Tuber - Ulcer problem Raw Oral
Kedrostisfoetidissima(Jacq.) Cogn., Cucurbitaceae, Climber, SPCH-51 Appakkovai kizhangu 26 1.09 Root - Asthma and piles Paste Oral
Leucasaspera(Willd.) Link., Lamiaceae, Herb, SPCH-65 Thumbai 24 0.69 Leaf - Cold Juice Oral
Melia dubia Cav., Meliaceae, Tree, SPCH-114 Malaivembu 24 0.68 Leaf - Malaria Juice Oral
MomordicacharantiaL., Cucurbitaceae, Climber, SPCH-76 Pagal 29 0.83 Fruit - Diabetes Raw Oral
MorindacitrifoliaL., Rubiaceae, Tree, SPCH-78 Manjanaari 23 0.66 Fruit - Joint pain Paste Topical
MoringaoleiferaLam., Moringaceae, Tree,SPCH-92 Murungai 35 5.08 Leaf and fruit - Male erectile disorder Decoction Oral
Nerium oleander L., Apocynaceae, Herb, SPCH-84 Arali 27 0.77 Stem bark - Earache Decoction Topical
OcimumbasilicumL., Lamiaceae, Herb, SPCH-87 Thiru neetru pachchilai 35 2.54 Leaf - Cold and cough Juice Oral
Pedalium murex L., Pedaliaceae, Herb, SPCH-57 Yanainerunjill 26 0.74 Fruit - Kidney problem Powder Oral
Phyllanthus amarusSch. and Th., Euphorbiaceae, Herb, SPCH-02 Keezhanelli 32 0.91 Aearil parts - Jaundice Powder Oral
Phyllanthus emblicaL., Euphorbiaceae, Tree, SPCH-146 Nellikkani 34 1.69 Fruit rind - Diabetes Juice Oral
Piper longum L., Piperaceae, Herb (Purchased) – 113 Vaalmilagu 29 1.40 Fruit – Nervous problems Powder Oral
Spilanthesacmella(L.) L., Asteraceae, Herb, SPCH-124 Aangaravalli 32 0.91 Inflorescence - Toothache Raw Oral
Syzygiumcumini(L.) Skeels, Myrtaceae, Tree, SPCH-90 Naaval maram 33 0.94 Fruit - Diabetes Decoction Oral
Terminaliaarjuna (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight and Arn., Combretaceae, Tree, SPCH-99 Marutha maram 25 0.71 Stem bark - Heart disease Decoction Oral
Terminaliabellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb., Combretaceae, Tree, SPCH-100 Thandrikkai 21 0.60 Fruit rind - Kidney problems Powder Oral
Tinosporacordifolia (Willd.) Miers, Menispermaceae, Climber, SPCH-10 Seendhil kodi 25 0.71 Stem - Fever Decoction Oral
TribulusterrestrisL., Zygophyllaceae, Herb, SPCH-100 Nerunjill 32 0.91 Fruit - Kidney problems Powder Oral
Tridaxprocumbens(L.) L., Asteraceae, Herb, SPCH-101 Vettukkaya poondu 25 0.71 Whole plant - Injuries Paste Topical
VitexnegundoL., Lamiaceae, Tree, SPCH-132 Nochchi 35 2.14 Leaf – Cold, cough and joint pain Juice Oral
ZingiberofficinaleRoscoe, Zingiberaceae, Herb, SPCH-108 Inji 26 1.11 Rhizome - Indigestion Juice Oral
ethnomedicine-medicinal-plants

Figure 2: Habitwise classification of medicinal plants used in the study area.

ethnomedicine-preparation

Figure 3: Dominant families utilized in preparation of herbal medicines in the study area.

The informants in the study area were practicing 9 types of preparation to treat different ailments. Of which mostly used herbal preparation was paste (28%) followed by plant derived raw material, powder, decoction and juice (16% eah) and remaining methods like soup, crushing, oil and emulsion (with 8%) with a very few preparations (Figure 4). For some herbal medicines with bitter taste, sweet ingredients like sugar, honey, jaggery (palm sugar) or milk were added during the preparation of medicines to reduce bitterness. Various application methods were exercised by studied informants, in which oral application (73%) was most commonly used than other modes like topical (23%), chewing (3%) and used as tooth brush (1%) (Figure 5). Similarly Nadembega et al. [17], Kadir et al. [18], Mahmood et al. [19,20] and Sadeghi et al. [21] also revealed that, oral application was most frequently used administration to treat several illnesses.

ethnomedicine-herbal

Figure 4: Plant parts used for preparation of herbal medicines in the study area.

ethnomedicine-administration

Figure 5: Percentage of administration and application methods.

Quantitative analysis of data

Moringa oleifera was reported by most of interviewed informants and gives highest UV of 5.08 due to its diverse utilization among the interviewees. Majority of local people were using this plant to treat a variety of diseases mainly male erectile disorder, female infertility problems and cancer. Our previous report from Malayali tribals in Palamalai region of Tamil Nadu [13] and few more studies conferred the more or less same results [22,23].

Use value of a plant was considered based on the plant availability and accessibility and informant’s knowledge. While plants with high UV were most preferred species in study sites and plants with low UV should not be neglected as failing to mention them to future generations could increase the risk of gradual disappearance of the knowledge from a particular community [24]. The plants with low UV for the reported plants may be due to its scarce availability in studied sites [25]. The frequency of citation was used to determine local importance of each species of a study area. In the present study Moringa oleifera was recorded with highest FC which tends to show that it was locally important among all interviewed informants to treat variety of diseases like male erectile disorder, premature ejaculation, infertility problems and cancer.

Special medicines to treat specific diseases

Most of the plants reported in this study were used to treat diabetes, joint pain, snake bite, kidney problems, uterine disorders, premature ejaculation, other sexual problems, cough, indigestion and cancer. When herbalists prepare herbal preparations to treat various ailments, they frequently add some other plant parts, several ingredients and additives. Several previous studies by Ayyanar and Ignacimuthu [9], Keter and Mutiso [26], Kumar and Bharati [10] and Shah et al. [11] also supported this view.

Mixtures of several plant parts used in traditional healthcare practices were believed to exhibit synergistic interaction [27]. Apart from reported ethnomedicinal plants, informants of present study prepared fifteen types of medicines with mixture of several plant parts by means of particular names to treat specific illnesses (Table 2). Of which Aalippodi used frequently to treat various illnesses like behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors, diseases of musculo-skeletal system and connective tissues, disorder of eye and adnexa and diseases of male genital organs.

Table 2: List of plants used in mixtures to treat specific ailments in the study area.

Major plants used for herbal preparation Plants used in least quantity Name of the medicine and treatment Other ingredients used Dosage
Withaniasomnifera, Asparagus racemosus, Curculigo orchioides Piperlongum, Mucuna pruriens, Ipomoea obscura, Zingiber officinale Veeri - Chooranam (Sexual disorders for men - paste) Honey, milk, sugar 5 g in early morning
Moringaoleifera, Ipomoea obscura Solanum trilobatum, Amaranthus viridis, Basella alba, Cuminumcyminum Aalippodi (Sexual disorders for men - powder) Ghee or honey 3-5 g in the morning for three months
Terminaliachebula, Ficus benghalensis Mentha piperita Pal - Sotthaippodi (Dental care - powder) Salt Brushing with the powder twice a day
Cocciniagrandis, Andrographispaniculata Zingiberofficinale, Piper nigrum, Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Murraya koenigii Vallanga rasam (Fever, cold, cough, headache - decoction) Water 50-100 ml taken twice a day till cure
Cardiospermumhalicacabum Dodonaea viscosa, Senna occidentalis Moottu vali thailam (Joint pain - ointment) Gingelly oil, egg (white yolk) 10-20 ml applied topically until cure
Helicteres isora Chrysopogon zizanioides Kaathu vali thailam (Ear pain - ointment) Gingelly oil 2-5 ml applied in ear before go to bed
Sennaauriculata, Marsdenia sylvestris, Phyllanthusemblica Asparagus racemosus, Moringaoleifera Sarkkarai podi (Diabetes - powder) Milk 2-5 g taken twice a day until cure
Ocimumtenuiflorum Caesalpinia bonduc Virai veekka thailam (Hydrocele - ointment) Gingelly oil, egg (white yolk) 2-5 ml applied topically during night until cure
Terminaliachebula, Terminaliabellirica, Phyllanthus emblica, Piper longum, Zingiberofficinale Solanum americanum, Piper nigrum, Terminalia arjuna Paali - Chooranam (Fertility problems in men and women, general health tonic - paste) Milk and Honey 2-5 g taken twice a day morning and evening (before food)
Andrographispaniculata Aristolochiaindica Vishamuri kashayam (Poison bites - decoction) Water 20-50 ml taken twice a day for a week
Allium sativum, Mimusops elengi, Caesalpinia bonduc, Citrus limon, Mentha piperita, Moringaoleifera Vaaivu marunthu (Gastric problems - powder) Water, milk 5-10 g taken twice a day for 3 days
Phyllanthus amarus Ecliptaprostrata Kaamalai podi (Jaundice - powder) Curd 5-10 g taken early in morning for a month
Acalyphaindica, Aloe vera Pistia stratiotes Moola thailam
(Piles - ointment)
Gingelly oil 2-5 ml applied before go to bed
Azadirachta indica, Carica papaya Cissus quadrangularis, Allium sativum Vayitru poochi podi (Intestinal worms - powder) Gingelly oil 2-5 g taken before go to bed for 3 days
Punicagranatum, Ficus benghalensis, Moringaoleifera, Caesalpinia bonduc Asparagus racemosus, Cuminumcyminum, Cinnamomum tamala Karppakkuli suththi podi (Diseases of uterine and related disorders - powder) Milk, honey 2-10 g taken early in the morning for two months

Conclusion

The present investigation is first report from the Western Ghats region in Erode district to quantify the medicinal plants used by tribal and local people. The results of our exploration showed that, traditional use of plants to treat various diseases in an area is based on the knowledge of people reside in those regions and diversity of medicinal plants. Majority of people in the area use wild plants for preparation of herbal medicines although some plants were purchased from nearby markets and hills. However there is a gradual loss of traditional knowledge among younger age group since lack of interest. The present study demonstrated that, traditional herbal remedies which are in current use by informants of study area need further attention on dissemination of this knowledge to next generation. Several species of documented plants were reported to have much biological actions through pharmacological studies and it revealed the importance of folk medicine in search of new biologically active compounds.

Acknowledgements

Authors are wholeheartedly acknowledges all informants in the study area who shared their knowledge on medicinal plants and their co-operation during field study. The first author (RS) is grateful to Department of Science and Technology (DST) for the award of Inspire fellowship (DST/INSPIRE/03/2014/003665) for continuation of this study.

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