European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

DIVERSITY OF UNDERGROUND PLANT PARTS USED AS ETHNO MEDICINES IN BAHRAICH (U.P.) INDIA

T.P. Mall* and S.C. Tripathi

ABSTRACT

The present study reveals about the vast diversity of the under ground parts of herbal plants used for the treatment of various ailments by the tribes as well as poor villagers of Bahraich district. The potential of ethno botanical research and need for documentation of traditional knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind is carried out because most of the villages of Bahraich district are not having sufficient medical facilities. But all the villages have the traditional medicines and treatments to cure all the ailments. The rural population has to depend on the local ethnic Doctor called as Vaidaya or Hakim. They prepare medicines from the medicinal plants available in their locality. They follow all the traditional and ethnic method of preparing the medicine. Bahraich have well blessed phyto diversity which is a rich source of medicinal plants as well as ethnic communities. The remote locality, poverty, illiteracy and lack of touch with modern civilization make them confined to hold on traditional faith hence they are wholly dependent on indigenous plants for the treatment of various ailments. The investigation was performed by collection of underground parts of local medicinal plants in consultation with the local tribes as well as poor villagers and medicine venders. The common medicinal plants used by rural tribes were studied and seventy three plant species belonging to seventy three genera representing forty three families were found to be utilized in the treatment of about various sixty seven ailments. In fever three plant species are being used, for scorpion sting, in snake bite, cough, jaundice, skin disease, malaria, piles, constipation and as tonic two plant species are being used where as in case of headache, kidney stone, for expelling tapeworm, biliousness, inflammation, corpulence, sexual debility, liver complaints, tuberculosis, paralysis, swelling and intermittent fever, leukemia, breast cancer, as emetic, stomach disorder, internal inflammation, chronic bronchitis, epilepsy, catarrhal cough, urinary trouble, chicken pox, joint pain, backache, swellings, as blood purifier, urinogenital trouble, stomachache, to expel intestinal worms, so as to stop conception, in carbuncle, contusion, wounds, ophthalmic problems, as astringent, in diarrhoea, anthelmentic, as diuretic, purgative, in typhoid, insect bite, for leeches, dysentery, in ear pain, bleeding, itching, leprosy, edema, syphilis, mental depression, in Vomiting, ascites , severe windylic, artherites, cold & influenza and in asthma single plant species is being used. For each plant species, details of scientific name, authors name, vernacular name and family as well as use were provided along with parts harvested for treatment and the mode of administration.

Keywords: Ailments, Ethnobotanical, Ethnomedicine, Medicinal plants, Secondary metabolites, Traditional knowledge, Bahraich.