Traditional Medicine Used By Tribal Communities Of India

Indra Rautela, Dept. of Biotechnology, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun

2018-04-30 08:58:08

Credit: pexels.com

Credit: pexels.com

According to WHO analysis out of the total world’s population, 80% are still relies on traditional medicine. In developing countries like India, 65% rural communities are still uses traditional form of medicine to full fill their primary health care need. Traditionally this treasure of knowledge has been passed on orally from one generation to other without any written document and is still retained by various indigenous tribe groups around the world.

Each tribe has its own culture specific developed mechanism with which the practitioners conserve the knowledge and performance strategic method to get free from most of the languishing disease of the present society. It can also provide as an effective foundation for the innovation and growth of modern therapeutic drugs. Approach towards documenting the indigenous knowledge through ethno botanical studies is important for the preservation and utilization of biological heritage. Additionally due to the side effects of modern allopathic drugs in the present days, people are paying attention towards herbal medicines and their consumption. The global market for traditional therapies estimated to be at $60 billion a year and is steadily growing however the knowledge of medicinal plant is rapidly dwindling due to the influence of western life styles, reduction in number of traditional healers and the lack of interest of younger generations to carry on the tradition. These medicinal products are complex mixtures, which derive from natural sources, immense efforts are required to assurance an even and sufficient quality of plant extract. By carefully selecting the plant substance and a standardized manufacturing method, the pattern and concentration of constituents should be kept as constant as possible, as this is a prerequisite for reproducible therapeutic results. The cultivation practices offer Standard Operating Procedures for use of fertilizers, irrigation systems and disease management allied with insects and pest prevention and cure. Some medicinal plants and their mode of administration in varies tribal community of India is tabulated in following Table.

                                                     Table: Medicinal plants used by Indian tribes.

 

State Name/ Tribal communities

Botanical Name/Local trial name

Disease

Part Used

Mode of administration

Chhatisgarh/ Gond, Bhunjia, Baiga, Bisonhom, Maria Parghi

Aloe barbadensis Linn.(Gaur patha)

Annonaceae

Leaves

One teaspoonful of leaf juice with sugar

 

Vitex negundo Linn.(Sambhalu)

Abortion

Leaves

Leaves powder with cow milk

 

Haldinia cordifolia

(Haldu)

Body pain

Stem bark

Paste is applied on body for 3 days.

 

Moringa pterygosperma

Gaern
(Munga)

Cold and cough

Leaves

Leaf powder with mustard oil is given orally for 3 days.

Meghalaya/Balamagre,

Modupara and Dumnigaon

 Aegle marmelos Correa. (Selpri)

Burning sensation

Pulp of  fruit

The pulp of unripe fruit is dipped in ginger oil for a week, and this mixture is applied over body.

 

Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb (Arimu)

Anaemia

Fruit

Fresh fruit are use.

 

Averrhoa carambola L. (Amillenga)

Jaundice

Fruit and Leaves

Juice of fruit and leaf are use for treatment.

 

Dillenia pentagyna Roxb (Agatchi)

Diabetics and stomachache

bark

Powder of Bark is used.

Uttarakhand/Tharu, Bhotia, Jaunsari, Raji

Allium sativum L.

(Lehsun)

Diarrhoea, earache

Plant part

Bulbs of garlic are boiled in Till oil; after cooling it is pour into ear.

 

Aconitum heterophyllum Wall.(Atees)

Abdominal pain and vomiting

Dry Root

½ tablespoon dry root powder is boiling in water during fever. Root is also chewed twice a day.

 

Bergenia ligulata (Wall) Engl.

(Pashanbhed)

Kidney stone

Root

Dry form of rhizome is chewed

Kerala/ Paniya, Kurich, Adiyan, Kattunaika

Acorus calamus L.

(Vayambus)

Abdominal pain and diarrohea

Whole Plant

Juice of plant and tuber paste is taken orally to control abdominal pain blood circulation respectively.

 

Baliosperm montanum

(Nagadenth)

Piles

Root

Root paste is applied over piles.

 

Chonemorpha  fragrans

(Perumkurumba)

Skin diseases, blood purification

Root

Paste is applied over skin.

Rajasthan/ Bhils, Lohars, Sanshi, Meena, Raibari,Gadarias.

Capparis sepiaria

(Kather)

Itching

Leaves

Bath with leaf decoction.

 

Cucumis colossus Rotl. (Cogn)

Finger infection

Fruit

An infected finger is placed into the hole made in fruit, into some time intervals.

 

Solanum nigrum Linn

kama

Leaves

Crushed leaves and fruits are used to treat infection.

W.Bengal/ Santhali and Pahari

Dendropthae falcate Linn

(Shibphul)

Antibacterial

leaves

Decoction of the plant use

 

Tectona grandis

(Sagoan)

Skin infection

Wood

Wood oil used for treatment.

 

Cassia sophera

(kalkasunda)

Skin disease

leaves

Leaf juice is applied inn ringworm

Tripura/Auchai, Kabiraj, Ozai

Crotalaria albida Heyne ex Roth

(Banatasi)

Body swelling

Root

One cup root decoction mixed with 2-3 spoon ginger extract is taken regularly in empty stomach

 

Cuscuta reflexa

Roxb.

(Bannalata)

Jaundice, cough and diabetes

Whole plant

Plant juice mixed with coconut water is taken early morning for 2 week.

 

Euphorbia hirta L.

(Shyamkhai)

Skin disease

Leaves

Leaf paste of plant and Achyranthus  aspera (Apang) along with  sulfur (gandhi), copper sulphate and mustard oil in 6:2:1:1:2 is applied on the skin for one hour before bath.