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Through this column we intend to record the work of innovators in our society who are making and using their own products and technology at home or in small-scale industries. Also we would include some information from ethnobotanical reports. It is hoped that this would lead to further research and acknowledge innovators’ innovations. We also invite our readers to contribute details of their innovations and share their knowledge for common good. Some medicinal plant leaves used by Boro (tribal) people of district, 1 1 2 S K Basumatary *, M Ahmed and S P Deka 1 Department of Botany, Goalpara College, Goalpara, Assam 2 Department of , Goalpara College, Goalpara-783101, Assam *Correspondent author Abstract North Eastern region of has abounds in floristic wealth which will depend on proper utilization of plant reserve. The present study is concerned with 30 numbers of plant species leaves, which have been used as medicine for several common diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, boils, pain, etc. Among the Boro (tribal) people of of Assam. Keywords: Ethnobotany, medicinal plants, leaves, , Assam. 7 IPC code; Int.cl. ⎯ A61 K35/78 Ficus hispida different season there is variation of are contributing a lot in the field of Introduction annual rainfall and also in number of rainy ethnobotanical research. The present days in a year. The tribal people of the Ethnobotanical study is an study area is the district of Goalpara, important part of modern day plant Assam that is situated in the western part , which is getting a unique of Assam. It lies between 90° – 91° 7′ E dimension in India, in the exploration longitude and 25°55′ - 26°15′ N latitude process of the ethnobotanical wealth of covering 1824 sq km of geographical area. different regions among various ethnic In this area, the temperature ranges from groups. North East which is considered to minimum about be one of the rich floristic region for 10°C in winter medicinal plants, where workers like and maximum Borthakur 1976,1981; Baishya and 35°C in summer Majumder 1980; Jain and Borthakur with humidity 1980; Hajra and Baishya 1981; Gogoi and (RH%) ranging Borthakur 1991; Jamir 1997 and others from 56 to 90 in Atropa belladonna Calamus rotang

88 Natural Product Radiance Vol 3(2) March-April 2004 Explorer district practice a varied range of resources, growing in their surrounding 1989), Schultes (1962) for occupation such as plough agriculture and to meet various medicinal requirement for ethnobotanical research was followed shifting cultivation is the main livelihood several diseases. The work was during the survey. Plants were identified of the tribes. undertaken through field study carried out at the herbarium of Botanical Survey Of Although Boro people uses during the period of January 2001 to May India (B.S.I.), Shillong. Medicinal uses of doctors’ prescribed allopathic medicines, 2003 in Boro dominated areas of Goalpara leaves are enumerated in Table 1. but most of them largely depend on plant district. Technique adopted by Jain (1964, Table 1 : List of plants and uses of thier leaves

Sl. No. Name of Species Family Local Name Uses 1. Abroma augusta Linn. Sterculiaceae Dadhubedang Juice applied on ringworm. 2. Acalypha indica Linn. Euphorbiaceae Muktaborcha Juice given in asthma, pneumonia and bronchitis. 3. Adhatoda vasica Nees Acanthaceae Bahekagakha Fresh juice given in diarrhoea and dysentery. 4. Aloe barbadensis Mill. Liliaceae Salkuwari The juice of roasted leaves given with honey for cough and cold. 5. Ananas comosus (Linn.) Merrill Bromeliaceae Ananas Juice as vermifuge. 6. Atropa belladonna Linn. Solanaceae Belladona Leaf tip are used as curry for worms especially for child. 7. Azadirachta indica A. Juss Meliaceae Neem gakha Juice as vermifuge. 8. Bryophyllum pinnatum Crassulaceae Pategaja Juice given in diarrhoea, dysentery, boils and wounds. (Lam.) Kurz. 9. Calamus rotang Linn. Arecaceae Batbelai Juice for eye problems. 10. Cassia sophera Linn. Caesalpiniaceae Dhandeleka Pulp or paste applied on ringworm. 11. Catharanthus roseus Apocynaceae Pangkha Juice in headache and wounds. (Linn.) G. Don 12. Chrysanthemum Asteraceae Chandra mallika Pastes applied on wounds, injuries and pains. morifolium Ramat. 13. Clerodendrum bracteatum Wall. Verbenaceae Vate gakha Juice used in fever and as brain tonic. 14 Colocasia esculenta (Linn.) Schott. Araceae Thasoo Juice used for pains and boil. 15. Datura metel Linn. Solanaceae Datura Paste applied locally in pains. 16. Eclipta prostrata Linn. Asteraceae Kehraj Juice given in jaundice and urinary problems. 17. Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham. Euphorbiaceae Siju Juice given in pains and boils. 18. Ficus hispida Linn.f. Moraceae Domuru Curry for jaundice. 19. Hyoscyamus niger Linn. Solanaceae Bajrabhang Fresh juice given orally to control asthma and whooping cough. 20. Leucas plukenetii (Roth) Spreng. Lamiaceae Dhumkhu Juice droped to stop nasal haemorrhage. 21. Mikania micrantha Kunth Asteraceae Manbun Paste used in wounds and injuries. 22. Murraya koenigii (Linn.) Spreng. Rutaceae Narasinghabelai Whole leaves used in indigestion. 23. Ocimum sanctum Linn. Lamiaceae Dhulungshi Fresh juice used for eye diseases, cough and fever. 24. Oxalis corniculata Linn. Oxalidaceae Sengri mekhi Juice used as eye drop in conjunctivitis. 25. Piper betle Linn. Piperaceae Fathi Juice used as eye drop in painful eyes. Oil coated leaves used for dressing blistered surface and ulcers. 26. Paederia foetida Linn. Rubiaceae Bhadalilewa Juice in diarrhoea and dysentery. 27. Rhynchostylis retusa Blume Orchidaceae Kapubiber Juice used in ear pain and cleaning. 28. Ricinus communis Linn. Euphorbiaceae Endibelai Oil coated leaves used for dressing blistered surface and ulcers. 29. Scoparia dulcis Linn. Scrophulariaceae Ruper phuli Paste used externally to get relief of body pain and wounds. 30. Vitex negundo Linn. Verbenaceae Pasatia Pulp/paste applied externally to remove body pain, wounds and ringworm.

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Conclusion facilities while writing this paper. We thank 6. Hajra PK and Baishya AK, Mr R Rabha and Mr S Swargiary of Ethnobotanical notes on the Miris Total 30 numbers of species of Dudhnoi College for encouragement and (Mishings) of Assam plains, in SK Jain plants from 22 families were recorded help provided during the study period. (ed), Glimpses of Indian which are used medically by the Boro Ethnobotany,1981, pp.161-169. References people of Goalpara district. The name of 7. Jain SK, Wild plant foods of the tribals the plants with family, local name and of Bastar (M.P.), Proc Nat Inst Sci medicinal uses of leaves with mode of 1. Anonymous, A handbook of folklore India, 1964, 30B, 56-80. administration are enumerated (Table 1). material of North East India, ABILAC, Judicial revolution in the field of , 1994. 8. Jain SK, Ethnobotany: An environmental litigation look away in its Interdisciplinary Science for Holistic 2. Baishya CL and Majumdar R, Folklore sweep out model doctrines and fashioned Approach to Man-Plant Relationships, claims from the , new remedies and strategies to fight the in SK Jain (ed), Methods and Assam, Ethnomedicine, 1980, 6 environmental onslaughts. In North East Approaches in Ethnobotany, 1989, 139-145. India there are many virgin forests still pp. 9-12. intact, which can be preserved at low cost, 3. Borthakur SK, Certain plants in 9. Jain SK and Borthakur SK, with least resistance and with minimum folklore and folklife of Karbis (Mikir) Ethnobotany of the Mikirs of India, compensation. Regeneration of strains can of Assam, in S.K. Jain(ed) Econ Bot, 1980, 34, 264-272. easily be resuscitated with least effect on Contribution to Indian Ethnobotany, the soil degradation. 1981, 3rd ed, 1997, pp. 169-178. 10. Jamir NS, Ethnobiology of Naga Tribes in Nagaland: 1 – Medicinal Acknowledgement 4. Borthakur SK, Less known medicinal Herbs, Ethnobotany, 1997, 9, 101- uses of plants among the tribals of 104. Mikir hills, Bull Bot Surv India, The authors are thankful to Dr. S. 1976, 18, 166-171. 11. Schultes RE, The role of the Choudhury, Professor of Botany, Gauhati ethnobotanist in search of medicinal University, Guwahati, Assam, for rendering 5. Gogoi P and Borthakur SK, Plants plants, Lloydia, 1962, 25(4), us necessary help and guidance. We are religio-cultural belief of the Tai- 257-266. also thankful to Dr. S. Phukan, the Deputy khumtis of Assam (India), Director, Botanical Survey of India, Ethnobotany, 1991, 3(1 & 2), Shillong for Herbarium and library 89-95. Traditional tooth powders used in Assam In Assam various types of tooth shell mixed with Neem and black pepper medicines of Assam in Ethnomedicine of powders were prepared earlier by utilizing powder; dry pieces of betel nut fried North-East India, Proceedings of herbs, salt and oil for clean and disease sufficiently, powdered finely, mixed with National Seminar on Traditional free teeth. Powdered root of Ban ber or fine camphor powder and also by mixing Knowledge base on Herbal Unab (Zizyphus jujuba Mill.) and long pepper, black pepper, harra Medicines and Plant Resources of powder of used and dried tea leaves are (Terminalia chebula Retz.) powder North-East India, held on 13-15, mixed together and used as medicated with rock salt and mustard oil. A special March, 2001, NISCAIR, 2003, pp tooth powder specially for pyorrhea. Tooth type of tooth paste is prepared with 274-285). powders are also prepared from charcoal tobacco, chalk and camphor Citronella plant ash; ash of groundnut (Baishya, Traditional cosmetics and sex

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