Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 5(4), October 2006, pp. 551-553

Some ethnomedicinal of family- of Chhattisgarh state

Amia Tirkey School of Life Sciences, Pt Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur 492 010, Chhattisgarh Received 10 November 2004; revised 31 May 2006

During ethnobotanical exploration of Chhattisgarh, a number of plants have been collected which are used by the local tribals for the treatment of various ailments. The paper deals with certain plants of the family Fabaceae, which are ethnomedicinally exploited by local tribals of Chhattisgarh, viz., Abrus precatorius for skin disease and poor eye-sight, Clitoria ternatea as diuretic Crotalaria medicaginea in case of white discharge, Desmodium gangeticum for goitre, macrophylla for arthritis and fever, Ougeinia dalbergioides for dysentery, Pueraria tuberosa for chest pain and weakness, Sesbania sesban for abortion and as antifertility agent. A number of ethnomedicinally important plants with their vernacular names and mode of administration are presented. Keywords: Antifertility, Arthritis, Chhattisgarh, Dysentery, Ethnomedicine, Medicinal plants, Skin disease, Tribes IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K36/00, A61P1/00, A61P1/02, A61P1/10, A61P1/16, A61P15/00, A61P15/02, A61P15/06, A61P17/00, A61P17/02, A61P19/00, A61P19/02, A61P21/00, A61P27/00, A61P27/02, A61P27/04, A61P29/00, A61P31/00, A61P31/02

Even in these days of chemo and radiotherapies, were carefully recorded. The specimens were tribals still practice their own system of medicine, deposited in the herbarium. Many workers have which has descended from their forefathers. worked in different regions and reported Chhattisgarh is situated between 17°-23.7° N latitudes ethnomedicinal uses of plants of from central , and 8.40°-83.38° E longitude. Chhattisgarh abounds Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh1-11. with hilly region and plains. It receives an annual average rainfall of 150 cm. The population density Enumeration is130 persons/sq km, of which, 32.5 % are scheduled Abrus precatorius L. (Goonj) tribes and 12.2 % are scheduled castes. is Leaf paste is applied on affected parts twice a day the main occupation of tribal people, but forest and for one week to cure any type of skin disease. their products play an important role in their daily Decoction of leaves is used to wash the eyes early life. For medicine, tribals depend on their local morning for one month to cure poor eyesight. vaidyas. The people of modern generation are picking up the traditional knowledge from their ancestors on Alysicarpus hamosus Edge. (Latanga) the basis of observation only. Many of these For weak eyesight, squashed leaf juice (2-3 drops) prescriptions are very effective because they are based is dropped in the eyes before bedtime once a day on years of experience. for one month. For earache, leaf juice (2-3 drops) is dropped in the ear before bedtime for 3 days. Methodology Alysicarpus vaginalis DC. (Ladang latti II) Periodic visits were undertaken to Chhattisgarh for For weak eyesight, squashed leaf juice (2-3 drops) the study of angiospermic and cryptogamic flora. For is dropped in the eyes before bedtime once a day this purpose, plants were collected and kept in for one month. For earache, leaf juice (2-3 drops) is vasculum. On the spot study of the plants was also dropped in the ear before bedtime for 3 days. carried out. The plants were brought to the laboratory for botanical identification. While collecting the Butea monosperma (Lam.) Kuntze (Palash) plants from the forest, tribals were interviewed for In case of weakness, one seed, half spoon sugar various therapeutic uses of plants. The detailed and half spoon til (Sesamum indicum Linn.) seed is information pertaining to their local names, medicinal crushed and taken with a glass of milk once a day uses as well as dosage, and mode of administration in empty stomach for one month. 552 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 5, No. 4, OCTOBER 2006

Butea superba Roxb. (Galula) During chest pain, warm oil is massaged on the One spoonful roots paste is taken with a cup of chest twice a day for 2 weeks. water for easy delivery. Desmodium gangeticum DC. (Galfula II) Clitoria ternatea L. (Aparjita) Paste of the stem bark is applied on the affected As diuretic, crushed fresh roots bark is taken with a part for goiter remedy, once a day for 3-4 days. cup of warm milk twice a day for two weeks. As purgative, 50 gm crushed seed is taken with a cup Desmodium heterocarpon (Linn.) DC. (Bararupi) of water once a day for three days. For backache, crushed root boiled with Derris

Crotalaria incana Linn. (Jangli sun) indica oil is massaged on affected part twice a day For goiter, root paste is applied on affected part for 2 week. twice a day for 4 days. For burns, young leaf paste of is applied on the affected part once a day for 3-4 Desmodium latifolium DC. (Galfula III) days. Decoction of stem bark is taken twice a day and stem bark paste is applied on affected part before Crotalaria juncea L. (Sun) bedtime for two weeks to cure painful testicles. To cure jaundice, 200 gm leaf paste is taken with a cup of water twice a day for one week. In case of Desmodium triflorum DC. (Tonka sunsunia) paralysis, root paste is mixed with Derris indica oil Two or three plants are tied around the infants to and massaged on affected parts, twice a day for one protect them from evils and faster relief from fever. month. One teaspoonful flowers paste is taken with Crushed whole (100 gm) is taken with water a cup of warm water once a day for 2 week to expel once a day, in empty stomach during stomachache. intestinal worms. Fresh leaf paste is applied on wounds once a day for 5 days. Crotalaria medicaginea Lam. (Futka) For curing white discharge, one spoonful leaf paste Flemingia congesta Roxb. (Aeri I) is taken with a cup of milk once a day early In case of epilepsy, one teaspoonful root paste is morning for one month. taken with a cup of cold water twice a day for one

Crotalaria orixensis Willd. (Mahadevkorra) month. Roots paste is applied on the boils once a In case of tuberculosis, crushed root (10 gm) mixed day for 5 days.

with equal quantity of Bambusa arundinacea Flemingia macrophylla (Willd.) Kuntze ex Prain Willd. root is taken with a glass of milk once a day (Jangli koinar) for one month. During swelling of body parts, root During arthritis, root paste mixed with Madhuca paste is applied on the swollen part, twice a day for indica J.F. Gmel. oil is applied on affected parts one week. twice a day for 15 days. In case of fever, one Crotalaria prostrata Rott. (Latangi) cupful stem bark decoction is taken thrice a day for For eye ailments, decoction of leaf is used as 2 days. eyewash twice for 3 days. Flemingia strobilifera R.Br. (Bada ghodakorra) Dalbergia sissoo Raxb. (Shisham) To cure facial paralysis, root paste is applied on the During white discharge, one glassful leaf decoction affected parts, twice a day for one month. is taken once a day in empty stomach for one week. For wounds and ringworms, leaf paste is applied on Flemingia wightiana Graham (Ghodakorra) the affected parts thrice a day for 3-4 days. In case of weakness, one teaspoonful root paste is taken with a glass of milk early morning for one Derris indica L. (Karanj) month. For haematuria, root decoction mixed with Warm oil is applied on affected parts, thrice a day black pepper is taken twice a day for two weeks. In for 2 weeks, for curing skin diseases. In case of case of toothache, twig is used as toothbrush twice toothache, plant twig is used as toothbrush, twice a a day for one week. Tender leaf paste is applied on day for one month. Oil is applied before hair wash eyelids before bedtime for 7-8 days to cure once a week for two months for long or black hair. jaundice. TIRKEY: ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANTS OF CHHATTISGARH STATE 553

Indigofera hirsuta L. (Ghughru) for two weeks for imparting strength and vigour to During body pain, plant paste (20 gm) mixed with women after childbirth. Derris indica oil is massaged twice a day for one week. Conclusion There is need to record such ethnomedicinal uses of Mucuna imbricata DC. (Kachmi) plants before they are lost. However, the information In case of convulsions and hysteria, root decoction available with the tribes about medicinal uses of is given 2-3 times a day for 15 days. During body plants, need to be scientifically validated. Such pain, roots paste is applied on the affected parts. information is likely to help in the conservation of biodiversity and providing important lead for drug Mucuna prurita Hook. (Kaonch) development. To cure leprosy, roots paste mixed with Celastrus paniculata Willd. oil is applied on affected parts as References bandage for 3-4 hours once a day for 2 weeks. Root 1 Jain S K, Observations on ethnobotany of the tribals of paste is also applied on swollen legs twice a day for central India, Glimpses of Indian Ethnobotany, by Jain S K (Oxford and IBH, New Delhi), 1991, 192-198. one week. 2 Kumar V, Some indigenous tools of Surguja district, Madhya Pradesh, India, Ethnobotany, 11 (1&2) (1999) 135-137. Ougeinia dalbergioides Benth. (Bandan) 3 Kumar V & Jain S K, A Contribution to Ethnobotany of Decoction of stem bark is taken on cupful twice a Surguja district in Madhya Pradesh, India, Ethnobotany, 10(1&2) (1998) 89-96. day for 3 days to cure dysentery. 4 Kumar V & Jain S K, Some less known ethnomedicine among the tribals of Surguja district in Madhya Pradesh, J Pueraria tuberosa DC. (Patal Kohda) Non-Timber For Prod, 6 (3&4) (1998) 110-113. During chest pain, two pills made from powdered 5 Kumar V & Rao R R, Some plant beverages used in tuber mixed with sugar are taken twice a day for 4- traditional medicine, Ethnobotany, 13 (1&2) (2001) 36-39. 6 Kumar V & Rao R R, Elepantopus scaber L., An important 5 days. To cure weakness, boiled roots are eaten medicinal plant used by tribals of Surguja, Trop Med Plant, twice a day for three weeks. , 3(2) (2002) 219-221. 7 Kumar V & Sikarwar R L S, Observations on some rare and Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr. (Sivri) endangered plants of Chhattisgarh State, India, Phytotaxon, 2 Seed paste (15 gm) placed in cotton swab inserted (2002) 135-142. 8 Ranjan Vinay, Some Ethnomedicinal plants of Lalitpur into vagina causes abortion. Fresh root decoction is District, Uttar Pradesh, India, in Ethnobiology in Human given twice a day for 3-4 days after menstrual Welfare, by Jain S K, (Deep Publications, New Delhi), 1996, phase is over as an antifertility agent. 149-150. 9 Saini V K, Plants in the welfare of tribal women and children Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. (Adasgi) in certain areas of central India, in Ethnobiology in Human In case of diabetes, decoction of whole plant is Welfare, by Jain S K, (Deep Publications, New Delhi), 1996, 140-144. taken early morning for one month. During 10 Shrivastava R K, Herbal remedies used by the Bhils of dysentery, 50 gm of fresh crushed roots are taken Madhya Pradesh, Oriental Med, Kyota, Japan, (1985) 389- with a cup of water twice a day for two days. 395. During fever, root decoction is taken thrice a day 11 Singh R K, (1996) Ethnobotanical observations on Sonbhadra district of southern Uttar Pradesh, India: for two days. Two pills, made from leaf powder, Utilization and conservation, in Ethnobiology in Human rhizomes of Adrak (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and Welfare, by Jain S K, (Deep Publications, New Delhi), 1996, Haldi (Curcuma longa Linn.) are taken twice a day 145-148