Some Ethnomedicines Used by the Tai Ahom of Dibrugarh District, Assam, India

Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources Vol. 1 (4), December 2010, pp. 507-511

Some ethnomedicines used by the Tai Ahom of Dibrugarh district, Assam, India

Dilip Kalita 1* and Bonoranjan Phukan 2 1Department of Botany, Dibru College, Dibrugarh-786 003, Assam, India 2Institute of Pharmacy, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh-786 002

Received 8 January 2010; Accepted 16 August 2010

It is well known fact that from the time immemorial, large number of plant species were used by the mankind for the treatment of different kind of diseases. The ethno-medico-botanical folklore of Tai Ahom of Dibrugarh district of Assam is very rich. An attempt has been made to study ethnomedicines used by the Tai Ahom people of the study areas for the treatment of 17 commonly occurring diseases like abdominal pain, abscess, cough, cut-injury, diarrhoea, dysentery, epilepsy, epitaxis, fracture, gastric, inflammation, loosening of teeth, loss of appetite, migraine, sleeplessness, sour in mouth, whooping cough and worms. A total number of 24 medicinally important plant species are reported in this paper.

Keywords : Assam, Dibrugarh, Ethnomedicine, Medicinal plants, Tai Ahom . IPC code; Int. cl. 8  A61K 36/00

Introduction to other backward class under Indian Constitution. Assam is situated in the north east corner of The total Tai Ahom population of Assam India. The state is located between 90º-96 ° East are approximately 40,00,000 which are mainly longitude and 22º-28º North latitude. Dibrugarh concentrated in upper Assam districts like Dibrugarh, district is located in the eastern part of Assam and Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sivsagar, Jorhat North latitude and Golaghat 2. This cultivators ethnic tribe has a ′ 30׳ ′-27º42 28׳is situated between 27 °5 East longitude, covering an vast knowledge about plants as they entirely depend 8′׳ ′-95º29 46׳ and 94º30 area of 3301 sq. km. The district is surrounded by on the plants to meet their day-to-day needs like Dhemaji district of Assam in the North, Tinsukia food, fodder, medicine, cloth, shelter and haj (country district in the East, Sivsagar district and Arunachal liquor). The medicine men and women of this Pradesh in the South and Sivsagar district in the community gathered knowledge about plants usages West (Fig. 1). The soil of Dibrugarh district is from their ancestors, who learned this by observing mainly alluvial, deposited by the river Brahmaputra nature and by a long term trial and error experiments. and its tributaries. Relatively long rainy season, Recently some ethnobotanical works have been high humidity and moderate to high temperature are carried out by different workers in Dibrugarh 3-7 suitable factors for luxuriant growth of the vegetation district , but unfortunately Tai Ahom group remained in this district. The natural vegetation of the district can be divided into the monsoon forest, with an admixture of evergreen and deciduous forests, the grasslands and swamp growth. The total population of Assam are 2,66,55,528 out of which 33,08,570 are tribal population. In Dibrugarh district there are total 11,85,072 population of which only 88,337 are tribal 1. The main tribal ethnic groups of Dibrugarh district are Sonowal kachari , Mishing and Deuris . The Tai Ahom is one of the major ethnic group of Assam and are of Mongoloid in origin, which belong

—————— *Correspondent author. E-mail:[email protected] Fig. 1  Map of Assam, showing study area 508 INDIAN J NAT PROD RESOUR, DECEMBER 2010

untouched in their study, therefore, to document their deposited to the herbarium of Botany department, knowledge on plants present study was carried out. Dibru College, Dibrugarh, Assam.

Methodology Observations The study was conducted between 2008 and 2009. Information on 24 different plant species used A number of bejes (local medicine men) and bejinis traditionally by the Tai Ahom people of Dibrugarh (local medicine women) were contacted and information district, Assam is enumerated in the Table 1. Out of on medicinal plants was collected. Efforts were made these 17 are wild and 7 are cultivated. to see the plants in wild and collect plant specimens Traditional and indigenous systems of medicine with their reproductive parts (Plate 1). Herbarium persist all over the world. Ethnobotanical knowledge sheets were prepared according to conventional of primitive tribes has gained popularity in developed herbarium technique as suggested by Mitra 8. as well as developing countries. Some of the plant Collected plants were identified with the help species mentioned in this paper are also reported of Flora of Assam 9 and Flora of British India 10 and in some earlier works by various authors such as,

Plate 1 — Medicine man and some of the medicinal plants used by Tai Ahom of Dibrugarh district KALITA & PHUKAN: ETHNOMEDICINES USED BY TAI AHOM OF DIBRUGARH 509

Table 1  Ethnomedicines used for the treatment of various diseases by the Tai Ahom of Dibrugarh district Name of the Name of the English name/ Parts used Mode of preparation and dosage disease plant/Family Vernacular name Abdominal Oxalis corniculata Linn. Indian sorrel/ Aerial vegetative About 25ml of extract of aerial pain Oxalidaceae Bortengeshi portion vegetative portion is mixed with a glass of water and a tea spoonful sugar. The mixture is given to take 5 times in a day until cure. Clerodendrum colebrookianum Wall. Clerodendron/ Nephafu Leaf Three tea spoonful leaf extract is Verbenaceae mixed with small amount of common salt and given to take thrice daily for 4 days. Paederia foetida Linn ./Rubiaceae Bhedailata Leaf As above Abscess Tabernaemontana coronaria R. Br. Wax flower/ Kathana Stem bark Sufficient amount of ash obtained Apocynaceae from the dried stem bark is mixed with suitable amount of coconut oil and applied over the infected portion thrice daily until cure. Cough Piper betle Linn./Piperaceae Betel/ Pan Leaf Three teaspoonful leaf extract is mixed with equal amount of honey and given to take five times in a day until cure. Cut injury Sida rhombifolia Linn./ Malvaceae Country Leaf Finely crushed lea f is applied over mallow/ Chakamora the injured area. Diarrhoea 1 Alternanthera sessilis DC. Alligator weed/ Matikaduri Young aerial Equal amount of each plant species Amaranthaceae parts (aerial parts) are boiled in water 2 Oxalis corniculata Linn. Indian sorrel/ Bortengeshi ″ with suitable amount of common Oxalidaceae salt and given to take thrice daily. 3 Oldenlandia corymbosa -/Banjaluk ″ Linn./ Rubiaceae Dysentery Spondias pinnata Kurz/Anacardiaceae Wild mango/ Amora Fruit A mature fruit is boiled and giv en to take twice daily for three days. Psidium guajava Linn./Myrtaceae Common guava/ Madhuri Leaf About 100g of young leaf of both Spondias pinnata Kurz/ Wild mango/ Amora plant species are crushed and boiled Anacardiaceae in water. The filtrate obtained from the above preparation is mixed with a teaspoonful honey and given to take four times in a day for five days. Vitex negundo Linn./Verbenaceae Chaste tree/ Pachatia Leaf Sufficient amount of fried young leaves are given to take twice daily for three days. Epilepsy Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Sprout leaf plant/ Dupar Leaf Crushed leaves (2-3) are inserted Kurz/ Crassulaceae tanga into the mouth at the time of senselessness. Epitaxis Bambusa balcooa Roxb./Poaceae Bamboo/ Bhaluka banh Leaf For a dose, 21 young leaves of B. Cucumis sativus Linn./Cucurbitaceae Cucumber/ Tiyanh balcooa and 5 matured leaves of C. sativus are crushed finely and given to take orally. It is continued for a week. Fracture Bombax ceiba Linn./ Silk cotton tree/ Shimalu Stem bark Sufficient amount of bark of 3-5 Bombacaceae years old plant are crushed finely and tied over the fractured area with the help of banana leaf and kept as such for 15 days. Gastric Psidium guajava Linn./ Common guava/ Leaf Young leaves ( 3) are given to take Myrtaceae Madhuri after food for a week. Inflammation Bryophyllum pinnatum Sprout leaf plant/ Leaf Leaves (3) are crushed finely and (Lam.)Kurz/Crassulaceae Dupar tanga tied over the affected area for 6 h and is repeated for 3 days. (Contd. ) 510 INDIAN J NAT PROD RESOUR, DECEMBER 2010

Table 1  Ethnomedicines used for the treatment of various diseases by the Tai Ahom of Dibrugarh district—Contd. Name of the Name of the English name/ Parts used Mode of preparation and dosage disease plant/Family Vernacular name Loosening of Brassica alba Hook./ White mustard/ Baga Seed Finely crushed seeds are applied over teeth Brassicaceae hariyah the affected gum for half an hour. It is continued thrice daily for a week. Loss of appetite Musa balbisiana Colla./ Banana/ Bhim kal Inflorescence Curry is prepared by boiling using Musaceae portion with suitable amount of common salt, and given to take thrice daily for a week. Amaranthus spinosus Prickly Young vegetative As above Linn./Amaranthaceae amaranthus/ Khutora portion Migraine Vitex negundo Linn./Verbenaceae Chaste tree/ Pachatiya Root About 12cm root of V. negundo and Piper nigrum Linn./Piperaceae Long pepper/ Jaluk Fruit two fruits of P. nigrum are crushed finely and mixed with a cup of goat milk. The mixture is drawn through nostrils early in the morn ing for a week. Sour in mouth Leucas aspera Spreng./Lamiaceae Duran Leaf Sufficient amount of fried young leaves are given to eat twice daily for a week. Centella asiatica (Linn.) Indian Pennywort/ Bor Vegetative part Half cup of extract of using portion Urban/ Apiaceae manimuni is given to drink twice daily for a week. Paralysis Leucas aspera Spreng./Lamiaceae Duran Aerial vegetative Extract of using portion is given to shoot message 5 times in a day until cure. Sleeplessness Cinnamomum tamala Bay leaf/ Tejpat Stem bark About 150g of stem bark is crushed Nees & Eberm./Lauraceae and boiled in one litre of water for few minutes. The filtrate is kept in bottle and two spoonfuls filtrate is given to take 3 times a day for a week. Whooping Clitoria ternatea Linn./Fabaceae Butterfly pea/ Aparjita Root About 20g of root is crushed and cough boiled in one litre of water for few minutes. Two teaspoonful extracts are given to take twice daily for a week just before going to bed at night. Worm Punica granatum Linn./Punicaceae Pomegranate/ Dalim Stem bark About 100g of stem bark is crushed and boiled in one litre of water for few minutes. Three teaspoonful filtrate is given to take thrice daily for a fortnight.

Leucas aspera in gastric ulcer 11 , Spondias pinnata the cultivation of ethnomedicinal plants at large in urinary problem 12 , Centella asiatica in cough 13 , scale and development of ethnomedicinal garden. Oxalis corniculata in piles 14 . The biochemical Such a step will be helpful in conserving the vast analysis and pharmacological investigations of plant natural resources. Along with this conservation and species used by this tribe will bring some new documentation of ethnomedicinal information is also information of immense scientific values. required for the development of the society.

Conclusion References The conservation of ethnomedicinal plants wealth 1 Statistical Hand book of Assam, Directorate of Economics requires serious consideration. Lack of awareness and Statistics, Government of Assam, Guwahati, 2004. 2 Gogoi KK, Self Government and Scheduling move of Tai- among the common people, establishment of small Ahom under Indian Constitution, In: Moung- Dun-Sun- tea garden by cleaning the jungle, change of life Kham, by BK Konwar (Ed), General secretary, All Assam style, increase of population, flood, soil erosion, Ahom Sabha Conference, 2000, pp. 61-68. frequent change of course of rivers are the 3 Goswami LC, Studies on the usage of natural resources of Dibrugarh district (undivided) with special reference to the main factors which cause extinction of many economic plants, Ph. D. Thesis, Dibrugarh University, ethnomedicinal plants. There is a need to encourage Assam, India, 2000. KALITA & PHUKAN: ETHNOMEDICINES USED BY TAI AHOM OF DIBRUGARH 511

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