Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources Vol. 2(1), March 2011, pp. 110-115

Indigenous traditional knowledge recorded on some medicinal plants in Narendra Nagar Block (Tehri Garhwal),

L R Dangwal* and Antima Sharma Herbarium and Plant Systematic Laboratory, Department of Botany, H.N.B. Garhwal Central University, S.R.T. Campus Badshahi Thaul, Tehri Garhwal – 249 199, Uttarakhand,

Received 16 February 2010; Accepted 6 October 2010

Garhwal Himalaya has been the reservoir of enormous natural resources including vegetational wealth. Local natives and tribes who live in the vicinity of forest, being close to the nature, possess a deep practical knowledge on indigenous flora, pertaining to curatives, culture, customs, ethos, cults, religion, belief, legends, myths as well as other miscellaneous uses. The people in remote villages and tribal areas depend upon the folk medicines and household remedies to a great extent. The prevalent practice of herbal remedies has descended down from generation to generation and includes the cure from simple ailments to the most complicated one. The present communication pertains to the traditional knowledge on some medicinal plants used for the treatment of various diseases i.e. dysentery, dysmenorrhea, obstetrical problem, piles, leucorrhoea, nasal bleeding, ophthalmic disorder, alopecia, scabies, urinary disorder, bronchitis, lumbago, epilepsy, sleeplessness, splenomegaly, galactagogue, etc.

Keywords: Medicinal plants, Narendra Nagar block, Natural resources, Traditional Health Care System, Traditional knowledge, Vaidyas. IPC code ; Int. cl. (2011.01)  A61K 36/00

Introduction Documenting the indigenous knowledge through Plants have been used in traditional medicine for ethno-botanical studies is important for the thousands of years ago. The knowledge of medicinal conservation and utilization of biological resources. plants has been accumulated in the course of many Ethno-botanical survey has been found to be one of 5 centuries based on different medicinal systems such the reliable approaches to drug discovery . Several as Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. In India, it is active compounds have been discovered from plants reported that traditional healers use 2500 plant species on the basis of ethno-botanical information and used 6 and 100 species of plants serve as regular sources directly as patented drugs . As an indigenous cultures of medicine 1. are closely maintained by the tribal and other forest During last few decades there has been an increasing dwellers throughout the world, the ethno-botanical in the study of medicinal plants and their traditional investigation is a prerequisite for any developmental uses in different parts of the world 2. Herbal remedies planning concerned with the welfare of tribal and are considered the oldest forms of health care known to their environment. It is an urgent necessity to record mankind on this earth. Prior to the development of all the possible information about the plants and the modern medicine, the traditional systems of medicine role of peoples in conserving them. The main focus of that have evolved over the centuries within various the present study is to ascertain the detailed communities, are still maintained as a great traditional information on the use of plants and their therapeutic knowledge base in herbal medicines 3. Traditionally, practices among peoples of study area. this treasure of knowledge has been passed on orally Uttarakhand Himalaya is the most spectacular in its from generation to generation without any written natural assets, landform, water sedges, lush green document 4 and is still retained by various indigenous forest and floristic diversity. Uttarakhand state groups around the world. comprises 13 districts and lies in between 28 ° 43 ′ to 31 ° 8 ′ N latitude and 77 ° 35 ′ to 81 ° 2′ E longitude. It —————— *Correspondent author: is surrounded to the North-west by Himachal Pradesh, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] to the north by Tibet (China), to the east by Nepal and DANGWAL & SHARMA: ETHNO-MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN NARENDRA NAGAR BLOCK, TEHRI GARHWAL 111

to the south by . The large human across various villages in the block. The information populace with diverse life styles, beliefs, traditions and was gathered using semi-structured questionnaires cultural heritage inhabiting in hilly region of about the types of ailments treated by the traditional Himalayas has learnt to utilize natural resources and use of medicinal plants and the preparation of herbal products in various ways. Tehri Garhwal is one of the medical formulations. This information was also hilly district of Uttarakhand state, India. It has nine gathered from 60 traditional Vaidyas living in blocks. Out of these one of the block in the district different villages of Narendra Nagar block, Tehri Tehri Garhwal is Narendra Nagar which sustains Garhwal. For interviews, the Vaidyas were selected randomly from a list of 200 traditional Vaidyas who unique and diverse vegetation in wide range of habitats were identified during community workshops. These from Tarai- Bhabar tracts (275-1900m asl) to the high Vaidyas resided across various villages of Narendra range of lesser Himalaya. It lies in between 30 ° 10 ′-30 ° Nagar block such as Than, Amsera, Khari, Jajal, 17 ′ N latitude and 78 ° 18 ′-78 ° 30 ′E longitude and Jaikot, Ghar-gaon, Kathur (Gaja), Marora, Nigyer, covering in the area of 6, 8123 ha. It stretches from , Shivpuri, Byasi, Bachelikhal, Chaka, Dhalwala to Than, Amsera, Jaikot, Gaja to Marora, Pokhari, etc. Five workshops were organized in Nigyer and Dhalwala to Kauriyala, etc. Nomadic tribes different villages of Narendra Nagar block in various are Gujjars and Bhotiyas , the former dwelling in the groups of indigenous people including Vaidyas were sub-montane zones during winters and moving towards invited to participate through helping document their high altitude during the summer seasons. Bhotiyas less indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants. However, often visit to the block. the information was also gathered in order to Traditional Health Care System (THCS) is the only understand the attitude of the younger generation accessible form for majority of the population, both towards learning Ayurveda and also to identify the logistically and economically. Medicinal herbs are the causes of decline in the tradition. The data were cross main ingredients of local medicine and are thus of checked by interviewing more than three Vaidyas on vital importance in Traditional Health Care System. the uses of specific plant species and preparation of Traditional Health Care System as practiced in the herbal formulations. A participant observation method region consists of two system, viz. Folk stream and was employed to understand the methods and Classical stream. The folk stream system is based on techniques adopted by Vaidyas in preparation of oral tradition, practiced by local villagers and tribal various herbal formulations. In order to verify the communities (Non Codified System-NCS). The identity of local names of medicinal plant species classical stream is based on theoretical knowledge, field visits were undertaken with Vaidyas. experimental and philosophical explanation provided Standard method of collection, preservation and maintenance of specimens in the herbarium by many learned physicians and surgeons of earlier 15,16 time like Charak, Sushruta, Galen and Rhazes, etc. were followed . All the collected plant specimens (Codified System–CS). (Plate 1) were identified with the help of recent and Ethno-medicinal plants have offered immense relevant floras and confirmed from the authentic scope and opportunities for the development of new specimens, housed in the Herbaria of Botanical drugs. Some modern drugs have been deducted from Survey of India, Northern Circle (BSD), Dehra Dun, folklore and traditional medicine 7-8. Several ethno- Forest Research Institute (DD), Dehra Dun and botanist have been work out the traditional uses of Garhwal University Herbarium (GUH), Srinagar plants in the Uttarakhand Himalaya 9-14 . The study on Garhwal. All the collected plant specimens have been ethno-medicinal plants used to cure different diseases deposited in the Herbarium of H.N.B. Garhwal by the peoples has not been adequately worked out by Central University, SRT Campus Botany Department earlier workers in a particular area. Therefore, the Badshahi Thaul, Tehri Garhwal and Botany present communication deals with attempt to gather Department Herbarium (GUH), Srinagar Garhwal. information on some traditional uses of medicinal The plant species were arranged alphabetically with plants from different villages of the Narendra Nagar their botanical names with citations, family in brackets, block to document the medicinal uses of plants to cure local names, voucher specimen no. (SRTH), part used, the common diseases. diseases and mode of applications (Table 1).

Materials and Methods Results and Discussion Field surveys have been made during 2008-2010 to Although our ancient sages through hit and trial gather data on traditional uses of medicinal plants method developed herbal medicines, the reported uses 112 INDIAN J NAT PROD RESOUR, MARCH 2011

Plate 1 Some of the medicinal plants used in Narendra Nagar Block (Tehri Garhwal) of plant species do not certify efficacy 17 . The present plant parts used for medical preparation were bark, preliminary report on ethno-medicinal uses of some flowers, rhizomes, root, leaves, seeds, gum and whole plant species need to pharmacologically screened, plant. In some cases the whole plant including roots chemically analyzed and tested for bioactive were utilized. The most frequently utilized plant parts activities 18 . Pharmacological screening of plant were leaves, followed by root, flower, bark, seeds and extracts provides insight to both their therapeutic and whole plant. toxic properties and helps in eliminating the medicinal Some information recorded in the study plants or practices that may be harmful. The study particularly for Swertia chirayita , Calotropis procera provides information on 25 plants species belonging and Solanum nigrum were found to be either not to 24 genera and 21 families (Table 1). Out of these known or little known. The study area is rich in plant species, 7 species are herbs, 7 are trees, 5 are medicinal plant resources. An attempt was made under shrubs, 4 are shrubs and 2 are climbers. The to collect information on the traditional medicinal DANGWAL & SHARMA: ETHNO-MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN NARENDRA NAGAR BLOCK, TEHRI GARHWAL 113

Table 1 Important ethno-medicinal plants of Narendra Nagar block Botanical Name/Family Local name Voucher specimen no. Part used Disease/Mode of administration Acacia catechu (Linn.f.) Khair AS-SRTH -03 Bark, pod Equal quantities of bark, pod and gum are Willd. (Mimosaceae) and gum grinded and one teaspoo nful of this powder is given thrice a day with water in lumbago. It gives relief from pain in the waist. Achyranthes aspera Linn. Lichkuri AS-SRTH -01 Leaves a) In dysmenorrhoea 3 ml of fresh leaves (Amaranthaceae) extract is given orally twice a day for 7 days. This therapy is started on first day of beginning of menstrual cycle and repeated for 5-7 consecutive cycle. b) In leucorrhoea 3 ml of fresh leaves extract mixed with curd is given orally before sunrise for 21 days. Adhatoda vasica Nees Baisingu AS-SRTH -02 Leaves Decoction of leaves (20-30 g) mixed with 1g (Acanthaceae) powder of Piper nigrum Linn. is given to cure severe bronchitis, bronchial asthma and tuberculosis. Argemone mexicana Linn. Pili kateli AS-SRTH -12 Seed and Pounded seeds (2 g) of A. mexicana along with (Papaveraceae) rhizome rhizome of Curcuma aromatica Salisb. (1g) and Acorus calamus Linn. (2g) made into paste are applied on all kinds of skin diseases twice a day till recovery. Artemisia nilagirica Kunja AS-SRTH -13 Leaves The leaves are crushed and 2-3 drops of the (C.B Clarke) Pamp. extract are dropped in the nostrils to stop nasal (Asteraceae) bleeding and it also cures the sinus problem. Boerhaavia diffusa Linn. Punarva AS-SRTH -14 Root a) Decoction of 50-100ml plant root is given to (Nyctaginaceae) the patient of sleeplessness. b) Root paste mixed with ghee is applied as eyeliner. It cures redness of eyes. Calotropis procera Aak AS-SRTH -75 Flower 300g of fresh flower extract mixed with 300 g (Ait.) W. T. Aiton of Piper nigrum powde r and make its tablets. In (Asclepiadaceae) epilepsy these tablets are given 3-4 times a day till recovery. Cassia fistula Linn. Simaru AS-SRTH -46 Leaves One teaspoonful of leaves extract is (Caesalpinaceae) administrated orally against ja undice thrice a day after meals. Cedrus deodara Devdar AS-SRTH -49 Wood Small pieces of heart wood (100-200 g) of (Roxb.ex D. Don) mature tree is dipped over night in 100-200 ml (Pinaceae) of hot water, the resulting extract is given orally for about 30 days to the patient suffering from piles. Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. Amerbel AS-SRTH -60 Whole plant 40-60g of plant decoction is given to the (Cuscutaceae) pregnant women. It helps in easily eliminating the placenta. Datura Stramonium Linn. Datura AS-SRTH -61 Fruit, The powder of dry fruits, branches and leaves (Solanaceae) branches cures bronchial asthma. and leaves Euphorbia hirta Linn. Duthi AS-SRTH -62 Leaves and 15 g of leaves extract mixed with 5-7 pieces of (Euphorbiaceae) flower Piper nigrum is given to the patient as an antidote of snake bite. It nullifies the venom immediately. Gnaphalium affine D. Don Bugla AS-SRTH -15 Whole plant Whole plant is crushed and given orally to (Asteraceae) infants suffering from diarrhoea. Grewia optiva J.R. Drumm. Bhimal AS-SRTH -10 Leaves Fresh leaves are boiled in water to prepare ex Burret (Tiliaceae) decoction which is further concentrated at low temperatures. The concentrated paste is applied to cure joint pains. (Contd.) 114 INDIAN J NAT PROD RESOUR, MARCH 2011

Table 1 Important ethno-medicinal plants of Narendra Nagar block—Contd. Botanical Name/Family Local name Voucher specimen no. Part used Disease/Mode of administration Lantana camara Linn. Kuri AS-SRTH -17 Leaves and Decoction of leaves and flowers given for 21 (Verbenaceae) flowers days to cure rheumatism Pinus roxburghii Sargent Chir AS-SRTH -20 Needles The green needles are grinded and sap is (Pinaceae) extracted. It is taken to increase urine flow. Plumbago zeylanica Linn. Chitrak AS-SRTH -22 Whole plant 2 g powder of plant mixed with honey is given (Plumbaginaceae) to stop nasal bleeding. Rhododendron arboreum Burans AS-SRTH -31 Leaves 50-60 ml decoction of its leaves mixed with Smith (Ericaceae) blacksalt and cumin se eds is given to the patient of splenomegaly. Rubia manjith Manjeet AS-SRTH -24 a) Root a) A decoction of roots (10-20 g) as one dose is Roxb.ex Flem. b)Whole plant used 2 -3 times daily in case of jaundice. ( Rubiaceae) b) Sufficient amount of whole p lant is mixed with jaggery and given to the cattle for increasing lactation. Rubus ellipticus Smith Hinsaar AS-SRTH -26 Root Root is administrated orally for abortion. (Rosaceae) Shorea robusta Roxb. ex Sal AS-SRTH -27 Gum The gum mixed with curd is used in dysentery. Gaertn. (Dipterocarpaceae) Solanum nigrum Linn. Makoi AS-SRTH -28 Leaves 50-60 ml of leaves decoction, rock salt and (Solanaceae) cumin seeds are added and given to the patient of splenomegaly. Or juice of ripe mango with honey mixed in it is given for the same purpose. Solanum surattense Bhutakhanderi AS-SRTH -29 Leaves 20-50 ml juice of its leaves is mixed with honey Burm. f. (Solanaceae) to use for massage in alopecia. Within few days it kills the microorganism and skin becomes soft. Swertia chirayita Chirayita AS-SRTH -30 Twigs Twigs of the plant are soaked in the water (Roxb. ex Flem.) overnight and the same water is applied on Karst. (Gentianaceae) infected part of the skin. It cures severe itching due to scabies. Woodfordia fructicosa Dhaula AS-SRTH -32 Flower In leucorrhoea, 2 teaspoonful powder of its (Linn.) Kurz flower mixed with honey is given on empty (Lythraceae) stomach in the morning and 1 hour before dinner in the evening.

knowledge present with the local peoples. However, able to treat some of the chronic ailments and still more in depth information may be explored from the depend on traditional medicinal therapy as an peoples residing in the remote villages of the block. alternative therapy. The present investigation reveals This type of study will give new impetus to the that most of the Vaidyas who retained this traditional traditional system of healthcare. In view of the knowledge have crossed more than 70-75 years of importance of traditional medicine which provides age, therefore, if documentation of their knowledge health services to 75-80% of the world population, will not be done urgently a day will come when this demand of herbal drugs by the pharmaceutical and science will be lost irretrievably with the passing depleting natural plant resources is increasing. It is away of such people. Thus, it is expected that this high time to document the medicinal utility of less investigation will be helpful to conserve the heritable known plants available in remote areas of the country. knowledge in the field of herbal treatment and general uses of plants in village ecosystem.

Conclusion Acknowledgements Today, though the modern civilization is at high The authors are thankful to the people of Narendra pedestals in the field of medicine and treatment of Nagar block for sharing their ethno-botanical various ailments, these facilities have not reached to knowledge and also thankful to the Botanical Survey aborigines or the people who live far away from the of India, Northern Circle (BSD), Dehra Dun, Forest towns, thus these societies still completely depends on Research Institute (DD), Dehra Dun and the the traditional methods of treatment. It has been Department of Botany, S.R.T Campus Herbarium observed that in some cases modern sciences is not (GUH) for providing us herbarium facilities. DANGWAL & SHARMA: ETHNO-MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN NARENDRA NAGAR BLOCK, TEHRI GARHWAL 115

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