Ethnomedicines of Tharu Tribes of Dudhwa National Park, India Rajesh Kumar and Kumar Avinash Bharati

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Abstract Introduction

Ethnomedicines play an important role in the healthcare The Terai region of the southern foothills of the Himalayas practices of the Tharu tribes of Dudhwa National Park. A along the Indo-Nepal border is home to the Tharu tribes. study was conducted to document their ethnomedicine More than 90% of the Tharu population is engaged in ag- and identify potential species for phytochemical and phar- riculture (Singh 1965, Verma 2011). Rice is a staple food, macological studies. Fieldwork was conducted over a pe- and daru (local liquor) is a favorite drink that is prepared riod of two years in Dudhwa National Park, utilizing the using jaggery and the flowers of Madhuca longifolia (J. “transect walk” method of Participatory Rural Appraisal König ex L.) J.F. Macbr. Tharus still prefer to live in for- (PRA). The data was analyzed using frequency of cita- est areas to meet their day to day needs. The Tharu villages are situated inside the border areas or in the buffer tion and informant consensus factor (FIC). This research details 95 species of medicinal plants and 97 ethnomed- zone of the Dudhwa National Park. The park lies within icines used in the treatment of 49 ailments of humans. Lakhimpur Kheri District, Uttar Pradesh, India, between 28°31.8’N–28°42’N latitudes and 80°28’E–80°57’E longi- The ailments are categorized into 14 categories (symp- tudes, with an area of 680 km2 (Figure 1). The climate is toms/similarities, etc). The F values indicate that there IC humid subtropical with dry winter, and the vegetation is was a high degree of consensus among informants on Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forest (Bharucha 1983). how to treat injuries, respiratory ailments, circulatory sys- Summers are hot with temperatures up to 42°C, and win- tem ailments, digestive disorders, colds, and fevers. The ter temperatures average 5°C. most useful medicinal species, ranked according to their perceived F were: Moringa oleifera Lam. (high blood IC The ethnobotany of Tharu tribes of India and Nepal have pressure), Piper longum L. (cough), Nicotiana tabacum been previously studied by Acharya and Acharya (2009), L. (dermatitis/skin itching), Cleome viscosa L. (boil), Ceri- Bhattarai et al. (2009), Dangol and Gurung (1991), Gaur scoides turgida (Roxb.) Tirveng. (stomach ulcer), Lawso- et al. (1980), Joseph et al. (2003), Kumar et al. (2006), nia inermis L. (dysentery), Cissampelos pareira L. (stom- Kumar et al. (2012), Maheshwari et al. (1980, 1981), achache), Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees (fever, Manandhar (1985), Nautiyal (1981), Negi et al. (1985), anorexia), Tamilnadia uliginosa (Retz.) Tirveng. & Sas- tre (dysentery), and Tridax procumbens (L.) L. (nocturnal emission). In remedy preparations, the leaves were the most frequently used plant part (33 instances), and most Correspondence of the preparations were in the form of extraction or juice. Rajesh Kumar, Department of Botany, Bareilly College, Herbs were the most frequently used source of medicine Bareilly 243005, INDIA (48%), followed by trees (23%) and shrubs (17%). A total Kumar Avinash Bharati, Raw Materials Herbarium and Mu- of 34 medicinal claims were new to ethnomedicine of In- seum Delhi (RHMD), CSIR-National Institute of Science dia. Those plants which received high citation frequency Communication and Information Resources, New Delhi may prove useful for pharmacological studies in new drug 110012, INDIA, [email protected] development projects. Ethnobotany Research & Applications 12:001-013 (2014)

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Purohit and Gaur (1985), Saini (1996), Shah and Joshi opted (Cunningham 2001). This method involves semi- (1971), Singh et al. (2011), Singh et al. (1987), Singh structured interviews and discussion with key-research (1994), Singh and Maeshwari (1992), and Singh and Mae- participants such as community elders, traditional healers, shwari (1994). There has been no ethnobotanical study and farmers. The non-medical ethnobotanical results of this within Dudhwa National Park that uses a quantitative con- study have been published elsewhere (Kumar et al. 2013). sensus analysis. Keeping this in mind, we set out to inves- tigate the ethnomedicines of Tharu tribes using quantitative Common ailments, medicinal plants and other raw ma- statistical techniques. The aim of this study was: (1) to doc- terials, methods of preparation, and dosage of remedies ument the knowledge on ethnomedicines of Tharu tribes of used were recorded. Plant voucher specimens were col- Dudhwa National Park and (2) to identify potential plants for lected with key informants in the areas where they normal- phytochemical and pharmacological studies. ly collect medicinal plants as part of the transect-walk process. Plants were identified using Duthie (1933), Raizada (1976), and Singh (1996). Additional identification was car- Methods ried out by matching voucher specimens with previously identified specimens held in local herbaria (BSA and DD). Field survey and data collection Voucher specimens from this study have been deposited at the Department of Botany, Bareilly College, Bareilly, In- An ethnomedicinal survey was conducted from June 2010 dia. The botanical names of the plant specimens were up- to August 2012 in 9 villages within Dhudhwa National Park dated according to The Plant List (www.theplantlist.org). A inhabited by Tharu tribes (Figure 1). After consultation with comparative assessment in the form of a literature review local people the sample villages were identified (Bajahi, was also conducted to differentiate between new findings Balera, Chandan Chowk, Dhavanpur, Kanjariya, Kiratpur, and similarities with past research. Puraina, Ram Nagar, and Saria Para), and prior informed consent was obtained from the respondents before inter- Analysis of quantitative data viewing them. Sixty-seven people (43 men and 24 women) were interviewed during the field survey. A transect-walk The frequency of citation for each medicine was calculat- method of a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) was ad- ed using the following formula:

•Tharu villages: 1. Kiratpur N 2. Kanjariya 3. Saria Para 4. Bajahi 2 1 5. Dhavanpur 6. Puraina 7. Chandan Chowk 3 8. Ram Nagar 4 9. Balera Dudhwa National 5 Park NEPAL 6 7

INDIA

Suheli 8 9 River

Figure 1. Location of Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh, India, and the Tharu villages where ethnomedicines were documented.

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FIC values range between 0 and 1, with a high FIC value Frequency of citation (%) = (N/T) × 100, indicating greater agreement among informants for uses of species for certain categories of ailments. where N is the number of informants who cited the medicine and T is the total number of informants interviewed. Results and Discussion Logically, the most popular or common medicines among community member will get the highest number for the A total of 95 plant species used by Tharus as ethnomedi- citation frequency. The informant consensus factor (FIC) cine for the treatment of various ailments are documented technique (also known as the informant agreement ratio and enumerated in Table 1. The plants in this study repre- (IAR)) was used to determine the consensus between in- sent 50 families with the most prominent family being As- formants for the treatment of a certain use category. The teraceae (12 species), followed by Fabaceae (8 species) and Lamiaceae (8 species). The 49 different ailments re- F value illustrates the cultural coherence of the selec- IC ported were grouped into 14 broad categories: digestive tion of a set of medicinal plants used in the treatment of a system, dermatological, skeletomuscular, cold & fever, certain illness category. It is calculated as the number of male reproductive issues, eye & ear troubles, maternity- use-reports or mentions in each usage category (nur) mi- related issues, urinary system, parasitic/viral/bacterial in- nus the number of taxa used in each category (nt), divided fections, burns, respiratory troubles, circulatory system, by number of mentions in each usage category minus one teeth & gums, and injury or wound (Table 2). Over half (Andrade-Cetto 2009, Collins et al. 2006, Heinrich et al. of all species reported were used for digestive, derma- 2009, Trotter & Logan 1986). tological, or skeletomuscular ailments. Leaves and roots/ rhizomes were the most commonly used plant parts, with half of all plants reported being used for these parts (Fig- FIC = (nur - nt) / (nur - 1) ure 2). Herbs were the primary source of medicinal plants

Table 1. Enumeration of plant species used in ethnomedicines by Tharu tribes of Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, India. *New claims. ψAll the quantities are approximate equivalents in gm and ml. Abbreviations: ap (aerial part), bl (bulb), fl (flowers), fr (fruits), lf (leaves), rt (roots), rh (rhizome), rbk (root bark), sd (seeds), sbk (stem bark), st (stem), tu (tuber), wp (whole plant); 1×1 (once a day), 2×1 (twice a day), 3×1 (thrice a day), 4×1 (four times a day). Freq. Species [family] collection Tharu citation Application & number name (%) Parts: Uses Preparation dosageψ Acacia sinuata (Lour.) Merr. Fr: Hair tonic for Aila 41 Infusion External [Fabaceae] RK23 long hairs Achyranthes aspera L. [Ama- Oral (250 ml); Chitchitta 19 Rt: Contraceptive Decoction ranthaceae] KAB40 2×1 Ageratum conyzoides (L.) L. Snuff (mixed with Kukrona 28 Lf: Headache Smell [Asteraceae] KAB37 black pepper) Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R.Br. ex DC. [Amarantha- Gidanisag 25 Rt: Cataract Juice Eye drop ceae] RK62 *Amorphophallus paeoniifolius Corm: Interruption Decoction (with Oral (250 ml); (Dennst.) Nicolson [Arace- Suran 46 in menstrual cycle carrot root) 2×1 for 1 week ae] RK21 Andrographis paniculata Oral (250 ml); 66; Wp: Fever; Wp: Decoction; De- (Burm.f.) Nees [Acanthace- Kalmegh 3×1; Oral (250 58 Anorexia coction ae] RK77 ml); 2×1 Azadirachta indica A.Juss. Oral (1 handful); Neem 55 Lf: Skin itching Raw [Meliaceae] KAB91 2×1 Wp: Wheezing Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst. Oral (250 ml); Palanibia 42 & shortness of Decoction [Plantaginaceae] KAB97 2×1 breath, cough Blumea lacera (Burm.f.) DC. Sabar 61 Lf: Wounds Juice Ointment [Asteraceae] RK103 barand

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Freq. Species [family] collection Tharu citation Application & number name (%) Parts: Uses Preparation dosageψ Buchanania cochinchinensis (Lour.) M.R.Almeida; syn. Kernel: Skin itch- Piyal 31 Crushed Ointment Buchanania lanzan Spreng. ing [Anacardiaceae] RK46 2 handfuls mixed Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. with 1 handful Karang 28 Lf: Fever Oral; 2×1 [Fabaceae] RK109 Azadirachta indica leaves *Caesulia axillaris Roxb. [As- Gar gandh 36 Lf: Boils/blisters Paste Ointment teraceae] RK126 Callicarpa macrophylla Vahl Fr: Boils/blisters Daya 39 Paste Ointment [Lamiaceae] RK75 on tongue Cannabis sativa L. [Cannaba- Bhang 46 Lf: Sore eye Extract Ointment ceae] KAB153 Capparis zeylanica L. [Cappa- Karralura 55 Rbk: Boil Paste Ointment raceae] KAB115 Lf: Inflammation, Cardiospermum halicacabum Kanpool 25 muscle stiffness, Extract Ointment L. [Sapindaceae] MKS61 & pain Fr & sd: Yellow Cassia fistula L. [Fabaceae] About 50 gm Amaltas 31 staining of skin, loss Oral; 1×1 KAB133 crushed of appetite & weight Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. [Api- Lf: Loose motion Oral (250 ml); Brahmi 18 Juice aceae] KAB142 with blood 3×1 *Centipeda minima (L.) A.Br. & Nak- 27 Wp: Toothache Paste Applied on gum Asch. [Asteraceae] RK94 chikani *Ceriscoides turgida (Roxb.) Rt: Vomiting, flatu- Oral (150 ml); Tirveng. [Rubiaceae] Gud gudia 69 lence & stomach- Extract 3×1 RK135 ache *Chlorophytum tuberosum Safed Tu: Loose motion Oral (250 ml); (Roxb.) Baker [Asparaga- 45 Extract musali & muscle cramps 3×1 ceae] KAB140 Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. Oont-ka- Rt: Little &frequent Oral (300 ml); 13 Paste [Asteraceae] tila urine 2×1 About 200 ml decoction mixed Cissampelos pareira L. [Meni- with 10 ml lemon Madrachi 66 Lf: Stomachache Oral; 3×1 spermaceae] KAB85 juice, 10 ml gar- lic extract, and a pinch of salt Cleome viscosa L. [Cleomace- Hurhura 72 Lf: Boil Paste Ointment ae] RK122 Cocculus hirsutus (L.) W.The- ob. [Menispermaceae] Chreta 25 Lf: Skin itching Juice Ointment RK79 Colebrookea oppositifolia Sm. Daya 34 Lf: Cuts, wounds Paste Ointment [Lamiaceae] RK117

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Freq. Species [family] collection Tharu citation Application & number name (%) Parts: Uses Preparation dosageψ Cordia dichotoma G.Forst. Oral (8–10 Lasoora 61 Fr: Cough, cold Decoction [Boraginaceae] KAB3 fruits); 2×1 Cryptolepis dubia (Burm.f.) M.R.Almeida; syn. Cryp- Wp: Abnormal Oral (250 tolepis buchananii Roem. Dudhi 39 bone shape bone Juice ml); 2×1 for 6 & Schult. [Apocynaceae] in children months RK60 1 medium rhi- *Curcuma amada Roxb. Rh: Abdominal Amahaldi 55 zome crushed & Oral; 3×1 [Zingiberaceae] KAB155 pain given with jaggery Datura innoxia Mill. [Solanace- Dhatura 21 Lf: Boils/blisters Paste Ointment ae] KAB158 Dicliptera paniculata (Forssk.) Choti External and I.Darbysh. [Acanthaceae] 31 Ap: Bone fracture Paste hadjor bandage RK83 Diospyros exsculpta Buch.- Sbk: Loose motion Oral (100 gm); Tendu 61 Paste/powder Ham. [Ebenaceae] RK86 with blood 3×1 *Drimia indica (Roxb.) Jessop Bl: Swelling and Ban piaj 34 Extract External [Asparagaceae] RK95 chest pain *Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants; syn. Kirmani 42 Wp: Piles Paste Ointment Chenopodium ambrosioides L. [Amaranthaceae] RK137 *Echinops echinatus Roxb. Oral (50 gm); Yokhru 22 Rt: Abdominal pain Root powder [Asteraceae] RK139 3×1 About 100 ml Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. [As- extract mixed Oral; 3×1 for 2 Bhangra 58 Lf: Body-swelling teraceae] KAB80 with 4–5 black weeks peppers Oral (100 *Elephantopus mollis Kunth Jangali 13 Rt: Filariasis Powder gm); 2×1 for 2 [Asteraceae] KAB96 gobi months *Enicostema axillare (Poir. ex Wp: Headache, fa- Chota About 250 ml Lam.) A.Raynal [Gentiana- 10 tigue, frequent uri- Oral; 2×1 chirayata extract ceae] RK139 nation, & thirst *Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. Tara-mira 27 Sd: Burn injury Oil Ointment [Brassicaceae] RK96 Erythrina stricta Roxb. [Faba- Bk: Interruption in Oral (250 ml); Nasui 33 Decoction ceae] KAB9 menstrual cycle 2×1 for 1 week Euphorbia fusiformis Buch.- Rt: Inflammation, Ham. ex D.Don; syn. Eu- 13; Boiled in mus- Ointment; Oint- Banmuli muscle stiffness, & phorbia acaulis Roxb. [Eu- 25 tered oil; Juice ment pain; Lf: Burn phorbiaceae] RK141 *Euphorbia hirta L. [Euphorbia- Wp: Stomach Oral (250 gm); Laldudhi 21 Powder ceae] KAB134 worm in children 1×1 for 3 days *Evolvulus nummularius (L.) L. Oral (100 ml); Musakan 48 Wp: Cough & cold Extract [Convolvulaceae] KAB88 3×1

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Freq. Species [family] collection Tharu citation Application & number name (%) Parts: Uses Preparation dosageψ *Ficus hispida L.f. [Moraceae] Sbk: White patch- Oral (250 ml); Kalhgular 31 Decoction RK99 es on skin 2×1 for 2 weeks Glycosmis mauritiana (Lam.) Ban Oral (100 gm); 25 Rt: Fever Crushed Tanaka [Rutaceae] KAB11 nimbu 3×1 *Gmelina arborea Roxb. [La- Oral (250 ml); Gamhar 43 Lf: Fever Decoction miaceae] RK127 3×1 *Haldina cordifolia (Roxb.) Rbk: Yellow stain- Oral (250 ml); Ridsdale [Rubiaceae] Hardu 36 ing of skin, loss of Decoction 2×1 for 1 month RK58 appetite & weight Helicteres isora L. [Malvaceae] Oral (100 ml); Murra 55 Sd: Dysentery Extract RK101 3×1 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. [Mal- Gurhal, Stamens: Little and Oral (1 handful); 58 Raw vaceae] RK22 sadaphool frequent urination 2×1 for 2 weeks *Hygrophila auriculata (Schu- Talmak- mach.) Heine [Acanthace- 16 Sd: Skin itching Extract Ointment hana ae] RK78 Latex applied and *Ipomoea carnea Jacq. [Con- Latex: Joint pain & Behaya 40 heated leaves External volvulaceae] KAB39 inflammation are wrapped *Launaea acaulis (Roxb.) Kerr Latex: Redness in Dudhia 12 Eye drop External [Asteraceae] RK44 eye, tears, & pain About 150 ml extract mixed *Lawsonia inermis L. [Lythra- Lf: Frequent mo- Mehndi 69 with yogurt and Oral; 3×1 ceae] KAB158 tion with blood a pinch of black pepper powder Hathi kan, Leea macrophylla Roxb. ex Paste mixed External and badi 19 Rt: Bone fracture Hornem. [Vitaceae] KAB144 with goat milk bandage assidh Gumma, *Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link chota 27 Lf: Boils/blisters Paste Ointment [Lamiaceae] KAB59 halkus Leucas cephalotes (Roth) Lf: Impotency Oral (250 Goma, Spreng. [Lamiaceae] 54 (erectile dysfunc- Extract ml); 1×1 for 3 gum KAB130 tion) months Paste mixed Litsea glutinosa (Lour.) C.B.Rob. Maida 22 Sbk: Sprain with common External [Lauraceae] RK100 salt *Luffa cylindrica (L.) M.Roem. Decoction with Oral (250 ml); Ghia taroi 33 Fr: Piles [Cucurbitaceae] RK34 radish 2×1 for 1 month *Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. Rt: Premature Oral (100ml); Bisma 58 Extract [Lygodiaceae] RK12 ejaculation 2×1 for 2 weeks Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Mixed with co- Müll.Arg. [Euphorbiaceae] Rohini 27 Fr: Skin itching Ointment conut oil KAB66 *Melia azedarach L. [Meliace- Bakaun 36 Lf: Boils/blisters Paste Ointment ae] KAB90

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Freq. Species [family] collection Tharu citation Application & number name (%) Parts: Uses Preparation dosageψ Lf: Heaviness of head, uneasy feel- *Moringa oleifera Lam. [Morin- Sanjna, Decoction/ex- Oral (250ml); 88 ing, wrist measure- gaceae] KAB14 sahajan tract 2×1 for 2 days ment shows high blood pressure *Musa acuminata × balbisiana Oral (100gm); Kera 15 Rt: Stomach pain Crushed Colla [Musaceae] KAB102 3×1 Nicotiana tabacum L. [Solana- Ash mixed with Thambaku 72 Lf: Skin itching Ointment ceae] KAB47 mustard oil About 100 gm stem bark Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz Sona 40 Sbk: Diarrhea crushed with 1 Oral; 3×1 [Bignoniaceae] KAB93 handful Hordeum vulgare L. seeds Persicaria barbata (L.) H.Hara; syn. Polygonum barbatum Oral (100 ml); Miriya 22 Lf: Contraceptive Extract L. [Polygonaceae] KAB68 1×1 KAB146 Lf: Loss of sensa- *Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin. Narkul 19 tion & movement Paste External ex Steud. [Poaceae] RK74 of legs/hands *Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene External on Bhuiokra 52 Lf: Headache Extract [Verbenaceae] RK17 forehead Oral (250 ml); Piper longum L. [Piperaceae] Peepramul 84 Fr: Cough Decoction 2×1 *Platycladus orientalis (L.) Fran- Lf: Pain in urina- Oral (100 ml); co; syn. Thuja orientalis L. Morpankhi 9 tion & yellowish Extract 3×1 [Cupressaceae] RK149 discharge Plumbago zeylanica L. [Plum- Chita 42 Rt: Fever Paste Oral baginaceae] RK24 Pogostemon benghalensis Ash is mixed (Burm.f.) Kuntze [Lamiac- Kali bhant 34 Wp: Maggots External with mustard oil eae] RK43 Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. Oral (250 ml); Bijasal 46 Wood: Chest pain Decoction [Fabaceae] KAB69 2×1 for 2 weeks Rotheca serrata (L.) Steane & Mabb.; syn. Clerodendrum Lf: Inflammation of Boil in mustard Bhant 55 Ointment serratum (L.) Moon [Lamia- eye-lids oil ceae] RK63 *Saccharum bengalense Retz. Rt: Nocturnal Oral (100ml); Munj 55 Extract [Poaceae] RK148 emission 1×1 for 2 days Semecarpus anacardium L.f. Oral (1 handful); Bhilawa 21 Kernel: Vermifuge Raw [Anacardiaceae] RK147 2×1 for 3 days Senna tora (L.) Roxb.; syn. Cassia tora L. [Fabaceae] Chakwad 48 Lf: Ring worm Juice Ointment KAB84 Shorea robusta Gaertn. [Dip- About 50 gm Oral; 3×1 for 2 Shaku 42 Gum: Dysentery terocarpaceae] KAB73 mixed with yogurt days

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Freq. Species [family] collection Tharu citation Application & number name (%) Parts: Uses Preparation dosageψ Sida rhombifolia L. [Malvace- Lf: Nocturnal emis- Oral (100 ml); Bariari 54 Juice ae] KAB156 sion 2×1 for 3 days Solanum virginianum L.; syn. Bhatkatai- Mixed with to- Solanum surattense Burm.f. 25 Fr: Toothache Smoke yya bacco (2:1 ratio) [Solanaceae] KAB25 Sphaeranthus indicus L. [As- Lf: Inflammation Oral (1 handful); Lal mundi 13 Raw teraceae] RK132 of eye 2×1 Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels Jamun 39 Ripe fr: Diarrhea Raw Oral; 2×1 [Myrtaceae] RK19 Tamilnadia uliginosa (Retz.) Tirveng. & Sastre; syn. Ca- Ripe fr: Loose mo- Oral (4–5 fruits); Pindar 64 Raw tunaregam uliginosa (Retz.) tion with blood 2×1 Sivar. [Rubiaceae] RK7 Tectaria zeylanica (Houtt.) Rh: Impotency Oral (100 Sledge; syn. Helminthos- Kamraj 51 (erectile dysfunc- Decoction ml); 1×1 for 2 tachys zeylanica (L.) Hook. tion) months [Tectariaceae] RK65 *Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Paste mixed Sarpoka 51 Lf: Skin itching Ointment [Fabaceae] KAB92 with honey Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. [Combretaceae] Bahera 21 Fr: Constipation Fruit Oral; 1×1 KAB104 Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Fr: Loose motion Oral (50 gm); Miers [Menispermaceae] Giloh 27 Paste with blood 4×1 KAB72 About 100 gm mixed with *Trachyspermum ammi (L.) paste of Curcu- Oral; 2×1 for 5 Sprague [Apiaceae] Ajwan 37 Sd: Cough & cold ma longa L. (50 days KAB152 gm) and warm milk (250 ml) Tribulus terrestris L. [Zygophyl- Fr: Little and fre- Orally (100 gm); Gokhura 54 Crushed laceae] KAB82 quent urine 2×1 *Tridax procumbens (L.) L. Wp: Nocturnal Oral (250 ml); Phoolni 63 Extract [Asteraceae] KAB26 emission 1×1 for 1 week Uraria lagopodoides (L.) DC. Rt: Boils and blis- Crushed with Eksoria 16 Ointment [Fabaceae] RK70 ters mustard oil Ventilago denticulata Willd. Hariabori 28 Sd: Skin burn Oil Ointment [Rhamnaceae] RK42 Vernonia anthelmintica (L.) Oral (250 ml); Kalajiri 12 Lf: Fever Juice Willd. [Asteraceae] RK35 2×1 Vitex negundo L. [Lamiaceae] Oral (100 ml); Sambhalu 34 Lf: Fever Extract KAB105 3×1 Bk: Vomiting, di- Wrightia tinctoria R. Br. Oral (100 ml); Dudhi 22 arrhea, or both & Extract [Apocynaceae] RK45 2×1 for 2 weeks stomach pain

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as catgorized by plant life form (48%), followed by trees nal plants among Tharu tribes. The frequency of citation (Figure 3). The most common method of remedy prepa- was highest for the following ten plants: Moringa oleifera ration was extraction or juice (31%), followed by paste Lam., Piper longum L., Nicotiana tabacum L., Cleome vis- (20%) and decoction (15%) (Figure 4). cosa L., Ceriscoides turgida (Roxb.) Tirveng., Lawsonia inermis L., Cissampelos pareira L., Andrographis panicu- Ailments treated lata (Burm. f.) Nees, Tamilnadia uliginosa (Retz.) Tirveng. & Sastre, Tridax procumbens (L.) L., and Hibiscus rosa- The common ailments in the area are diarrhea, injuries, sinensis L. (Table 3). The greatest number of taxa (24) cold & fever, jaundice, anorexia (loss of hunger), der- were used to treat digestive ailments. This is similar to ob- matitis (skin itching), and sprains. The role of allopathic servations reported by Dey and De (2012), and Sen et al. treatments has increased among Tharu tribes because (2011). The conservation-related aspects are not included it provides quick relief, but traditional therapies are still in the present study because the species recorded during used in primary health care due to the lack of hospitals the investigation are not mentioned in red-data book of and wide-spread poverty in the study area. Some of the plants (Nayar & Sastry 1987–90, Schippmann et al. 2002). ailments like minor injuries, dermatitis, bone dislocation, toothache, male reproductive ailments, and maternity- The FIC technique was applied to calculate the consen- related issues are still preferably treated by ethnomedi- sus of informants for the treatment of a certain use category (Heinrich et al. 2009). In our study, the F value cines. Similar observations have been reported from dif- IC ranged from 0.94 to 0.98, with a high value for F indi- ferent parts of India by Bharati and Sharma (2012), Dey IC and De (2012), Kumar and Bharati (2012), and Kumar et cating greater agreement among informants for medicinal al. (2012). uses of species for certain categories of ailments (Table

Informant consensus factor (FIC) and frequency of citation Gum/latex Other Stem/bark 3% 3% The data were evaluated by two quantitative statistical 7%

tools of ethnobotany: informant consensus factor (FIC) and frequency of citation. The major aim of the statistical analysis was to identify the frequently used medici- Seed 8% Leaf 34% Whole plant Table 2. Number of plant taxa (n ), number of use-reports t 10% of those taxa by all informants (n ; N = 67), and the ur Fruit informant consensus factor (F ) for ailment categories Rhizome/ IC 14% relative to ethnomedicinal practices of the Tharu tribes of root 21% Dudhwa National Park, India. FIC = (nur - nt) / (nur -1).

Ailment category nt nur FIC Figure 2. Percentage of plant parts used in the Digestive system 24 656 0.96 preparation of remedies as reported by Tharu tribes of Dermatological 17 444 0.96 Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh, India. Skeletomuscular 13 287 0.95 Cold & fever 10 266 0.96 Male reproduction-related 6 224 0.97 Climber 12% Eye & ear 5 102 0.96 Maternity-related 4 81 0.96 Shrub 17% Herb Urinary system 3 84 0.97 48% Parasitic, viral, & bacterial 3 38 0.94 Burns 3 54 0.96 Tree 23% Respiratory system 3 107 0.98 Circulatory system 2 66 0.98 Tooth & gums 2 49 0.97 Figure 3. Percentage of life forms of ethnomedicinal plants used by Tharu tribes of Dudhwa National Park in Wound/injury 2 64 0.98 Uttar Pradesh, India.

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35 31 30 the new medicinal uses are highlighted separately in Ta- ble 4. 25 20 20 Conclusions 15 15 In this study, 95 medicinal plants were identified and doc- 10 umented. Informants preferred to treat some ailments 10 9 7 like minor injuries, dermatitis, bone dislocation, tooth- 5 ache, male reproductive ailments and maternity-related 5 2 issues with traditional medicines. Quantitative data anal- 0 ysis revealed agreement among informants for the use of M. oleifera (high blood pressure), P. longum (cough), N. tabacum (dermatitis), C. viscosa (boil), C. turgida (stomach ulcer), L. inermis (dysentery), C. pareira (stomachache), A. paniculata (fever, anorexia), T. uliginosa (dys- Figure 4. Reported methods of ethnobotanical remedy entery), and T. procumbens (nocturnal emission). Prepa- preparation among Tharu tribes within Dudhwa National rations identified in this research as having higher infor- Park, India. mant consensus factors may have potential for wider use elsewhere. 2). The frequency of citation technique was used to determine the level of consensus among informants for a Acknowledgments particular medicine for an ailment (Table 3). The species We would like to thank all informants for support and for having both high frequency of citation and high F value IC sharing their valuable knowledge. The authors are high- are promising plants for phytochemical and pharmaco- ly grateful to the Botanical Survey of India, Allahabad, logical studies (Cragg et al. 1997, Heinrich 2000, Miller and Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, for their valu- 2010, Newman & Cragg 2007). able help in the plant identification process. We also ex- press our gratitude to Dr. H.B. Singh, Chief Scientist, New findings CSIR-NISCAIR, New Delhi, for his valuable suggestions and help rendered during the writing of this paper. We Information on 95 species of plants and 97 ethnomed- are thankful to Dr. Gurnam Saini, who provided scientific icines were recorded. The review of literature revealed terminology for various ailments. Our special thanks to that 34 species are reported here for new ethnomedicinal Cheryl Lans of Vancouver, Canada, for her valuable help uses for this region of India. These species have been with the language editing of this paper. The last author previously reported here and elsewhere for different me- is grateful to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Re- dicinal properties (see taxa marked with * in Table 1), but search (CSIR), India, for providing financial assistance.

Table 3. Ten plants with highest frequency of citation (%) for a particular ailment as reported by Tharu tribes of Dudhwa National Park, India. Frequency of citation = (No. of informants citing a plant’s use / Total no. of informants) × 100. Scientific name Freq. citation Ailment Moringa oleifera Lam. 88 High blood pressure Piper longum L. 84 Cough Nicotiana tabacum L. 72 Dermatitis (skin itching) Cleome viscosa L. 72 Boil Ceriscoides turgida (Roxb.) Tirveng. 69 Vomiting, flatulence, & stomachache Lawsonia inermis L. 69 Loose motion with blood Cissampelos pareira L. 66 Stomachache Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees 66 Fever Tamilnadia uliginosa (Retz.) Tirveng. & Sastre 64 Loose motion with blood Tridax procumbens (L.) L. 63 Nocturnal emission

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Table 4. Newly documented ethnomedicinal uses for 34 plant species within Dudhwa National Park, India. Ailment Ethnomedicinal species Abdominal pain Curcuma amada Roxb.; Echinops echinatus Roxb.; Musa acuminata × balbisiana Colla Boil Caesulia axillaris Roxb.; Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link; Melia azedarach L. Burn injuries Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. Cholera Chlorophytum tuberosum (Roxb.) Baker Cold & cough Evolvulus nummularius (L.) L.; Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague Conjunctivitis Launaea acaulis (Roxb.) Kerr Dermatitis Hygrophila auriculata (Schumach.) Heine; Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Diabetes Enicostema axillare (Poir. ex Lam.) A.Raynal Dysentery Lawsonia inermis L. Estrus regulation Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson Fever Gmelina arborea Roxb. Filaria Elephantopus mollis Kunth Gonorrhoea Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco Headache Phyla nodiflora (L.) Greene High blood pressure Moringa oleifera Lam. Jaundice Haldina cordifolia (Roxb.) Ridsdale Joint pain Ipomoea carnea Jacq. Leucoderma Ficus hispida L.f. Nocturnal emission Saccharum bengalense Retz.; Tridax procumbens (L.) L. Paralysis Phragmites karka (Retz.) Trin. ex Steud. Piles Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants; Luffa cylindrica (L.) M.Roem. Premature ejaculation Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. Stomach worm Euphorbia hirta L. Stomach ulcer Ceriscoides turgida (Roxb.) Tirveng. Swelling & chest pain Drimia indica (Roxb.) Jessop Toothache Centipeda minima (L.) A.Br. & Asch.

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Appendix 1. Plants with high frequency of citation (%) within 8 of the 14 major ailment categories with high informant consensus (FIC) as reported by Tharu tribes of Dudhwa National Park, India.

Ailment category & Scientific name Specific ailment FIC % Digestive system 0.96 Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees Anorexia 58 Ceriscoides turgida (Roxb.) Tirveng. Stomach ulcer 69 Cissampelos pareira L. Skin itching 66 Lawsonia inermis L. Loose motion with blood 69 Dermatological 0.96 Cleome viscosa L. Boil 72 Nicotiana tabacum L. Skin itching 72 Skeletomuscular 0.95 Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. Anasarca 58 Cold & fever 0.96 A. paniculata Fever 66 Cordia dichotoma G.Forst. Cough & fever 61 Male reproduction-related 0.97 Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. Premature ejaculation 58 Tridax procumbens (L.) L. Nocturnal emission 63 Eye & ear 0.96 Cannabis sativa L. Sore eye 46 Rotheca serrata (L.) Steane & Mabb. Inflammation of eye-lids 55 Maternity-related 0.96 Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson Interruption in estrus cycle 46 Erythrina stricta Roxb. Interruption in estrus cycle 33 Urinary system 0.97 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. Little & frequent urine 58 Tribulus terrestris L. Little & frequent urine 54

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