Indigenous Knowledge of Medicinal Plants Used by Ethnic Communities of South India
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Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used by ethnic communities of South India Santhosh Kumar JU, Krishna Chaitanya MJ, Andrew J Semotiuk and Krishna V Databases and Inventories Background An ethnic/indigenous community or ethnicity is a Abstract category of people who identify with each other Background: The information of therapeutic based on similarities, such as common ancestry, medicinal plants used by ethnic/indigenous language, social, religion, traditions, and cultural or communities in the south of India is constrained at national experiences (Oxford Dictionaries 2013). best. These ethnomedicinal treatments constitute a There are about 370 million indigenous people critical local healthcare resource and potential for spread across the globe (UNHR & APF 2013, United expanding research on phytomedicines of India. The present study aims to document and evaluate the Nations Report 2009) The Anthropological Survey of traditional Knowledge of medicinal plants as well as India under the 'People of India Project' reported 461 compare the distribution of knowledge and examine ethnic/indigenous communities (tribal communities) where research efforts are concentrated in order to in India (Xaxa 1999). These communities, hereafter gain a glimpse of current needs and future referred to as indigenous communities, encompass possibilities for research in the region. many varied lifestyles and traditions. They are unique because they use plants for medicinal Methods: This study conducted a literature review of multitude of ethnic/indigenous communities in regard purposes, based on ancestral traditions Knowledge to ethnobotany, medicinal plants, ethnic studies, and of medicinal treatments and therapies springs from a studies on traditional knowledge and included peer- tradition that includes the use of herbs, shrubs, trees, reviewed journal articles, and scientific reports or palms. published between 1980 and 2016. However, indigenous people with low socioeconomic status are believed to rely more on traditional Results: Our study found a total of 2000 plant medicine because of unaffordability and species belonging to 1033 genera and 215 families used in herbal preparations. Interestingly, only seven unavailability of healthcare services (Gaitonde et al. families contributed to the highest number of 2005). Erosion and deterioration of traditional medicinal species and herbs used extensively for medical Knowledge can be observed in many herbal preparations which include decoctions, cultures. infusions, tonics, and juice. Conclusions: This multi-disciplinary, wide-scale Correspondence study brought in data from a wide diversity of both plant species and ethnic communities. The study Santhosh Kumar JU* documents the rich wealth of indigenous Knowledge Krishna Chaitanya MJ and usage of medicinal plants for the treatment of Andrew J Semotiuk various diseases and also these research highpoints Krishna V the potential of continued research with these communities and highlights some areas where more Department of Post Graduate Studies and Research research efforts could be directed. This also in biotechnology, Jnanasahyadri, Kuvempu underlines the potential for future studies on drug University, ShanKaraghatta, Shimoga 577451, India screening and the need for conservation of biodiversity and traditional ecological Knowledge *Corresponding author: [email protected] practices. Ethnobotany Research & Applications Keywords: Ethnic group, indigenous communities, 18:4 (2019) medicinal plants, traditional Knowledge. Published: 11 February 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.4.1-112 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 2 This leads to a loss in biocultural diversity as well as Literature search on medicinal plants used in alternative primary healthcare options and leads for South Indian ethnic communities drug discovery (Farnsworth et al. 1985). Several Medicinal plants have been used from ancient times by various ethnic groups within their traditional publications have focused on the life of indigenous knowledge systems. From the period of 1980 to communities in India (Xaxa 1999). Recently, due to 2016, peer-reviewed scientific studies used to loss of biological resources, an increasingly document traditional medicinal plants used in south globalized society, cultural homogenization, and the Indian ethnic groups. A literature search covered desire for modernization have resulted in a general various electronic databases (ISI Web of Science, decline of the cultural and hence medicinal Science Direct (Scopus), and Google Scholar) using properties of plants as well as the disappearance of specific search terms such as “medicinal plants”, “traditional”, “ethnomedicine”, “herbal medicine”, and traditions allowing the creation of medicines from each indigenous group’s name such as “Adiyan”, plants (BalicK 2007, Zent & Zent 2007). “Barda”, “Sholiga” etc. Plants have been used since ancient times to cure Types of knowledge documented and heal throughout human history and now. In The data collected included usage and Knowledge of many parts of the world, people use plant plants used including their family, species name, substances to cure diseases. However, medicinal plant type (trees, herbs, shrubs, climbers and ferns). plant Knowledge has been identified as particularly It also included methods of application, parts of the vulnerable to loss and degradation worldwide (Case plant material (whole plants, leaves, barK, stem, et al. 2005, Phillips & Gentry 1993). This stems from roots) used in creating a medicinal product, and the various possible causes such as increased reliance use of the herbal medicines in men, women on biomedical healthcare, devaluation of the (including pregnant women), children, and infants occupation of traditional herbal practitioner by (Table 1). The study also documented the disease or younger generations, lack of cultural support and a condition treated, such as malarial fevers, cough, push by some governmental programs to cold, chest pain, intestinal parasitic infections, skin- ‘‘modernize’’ medical practice. Community-based related diseases, respiratory diseases, typhoid fever, research in public health focuses on social, dyspepsia, dysentery, diabetes, itches, piles and structural, and physical environmental inequities jaundice, bites (insect, snake and scorpion), liver through active involvement of community members, disease, asthma, cancer, cholera, other venereal organizational representatives, and researchers in diseases (Table 1). all aspects of the research process (Israel et al. 1998). Funding agency supported research In order to gain a glimpse at the trajectory of research This publication reports and analyzes results of an and funding across India pertaining to indigenous extensive survey with the goal of documenting communities and knowledge, gathered publication information on medicinal plants used by South Indian and funding information from articles of our literature indigenous communities. The data collected include search. For each publication, collected the year of the scientific names of plants used for medicinal publication, and funding agencies’ support. These therapies and their therapeutic applications. This data provide the information of funding agency examination is intended to fill a fast disappearing support related to ethnobotany. based on this wellspring of data to disseminate and reinvigorate research, one could explore the remaining or under- the tradition of ethnobotanical medicine, and to studied ethnic groups. preserve and awareness of the rich biodiversity associated with ethnobotanical customs. Informant consensus factor (FIC) Informant consensus factor was calculated to find Materials and methods out the homogeneity in the information given in the reports. The FIC is calculated by the following formula (Bhat et al. 2013, Heinrich et al. 1998, Malla et al. Ethnic communities present in India 2015, Singh et al. 2012, Totter et al. 1986). Using the Ministry of tribal affairs database (http://tribal.nic.in/) developed a list of indigenous Nur − Nt communities and from this, generated the FIC = distribution map of all states (Figure 1). In this study, Nur – 1 mainly focused on four south Indian states: Andhra Pradesh, KarnataKa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Where Nur is the number of use report in a particular category of health by informants and Nt is the number of taxa or species used to treat that category. Published 11 February 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.4.1-112 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 3 Figure 1. Distribution map of Ethnic communities in India. Published 11 February 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.4.1-112 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 4 Table 1: Knowledge doCumented per speCies as revealed in the literature Scientific name Habit Parts used Application Treatment References Acanthaceae Leaves, Malarial treatment; snake bite; rheumatism; anti Acanthus ilicifolius L. Shrub General Dey and De 2012 root, fruit inflammatory Adhatoda beddomei C.B. Clarke Herb Leaves Rheumatism; Cough General Sudhadevi 1999 Andrographis affinis Nees Herb Leaves Snake bite; sCorpion bite and fever; skin problems General Alagesaboopathi 2012 Andrographis alata (Vahl) Nees Herb Whole plant Snake bite; antipyretiC and anti-inflammatory; wound; fever General Kshirsagar and Singh 2001 Jayanthi et al. 2012, Kumar et Whole plant, Fevers; Cuts and wounds; liver disease; snake bite; Andrographis echioides (L.) Nees Herb General al. 2007, Shanmugam et al. Leaves anthelmintiC;