Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 4(3), July 2005, pp. 314-316

Traditional uses of plants in curing jaundice in the Pin Valley National Park,

K Chandra Sekar and S K Srivastava* Botanical Survey of (NC), 192 Kaulagarh Road, Dehradun 248 195, Uttaranchal. Received 25 May 2004; revised 15 December 2004

The paper provides traditional uses of few plant species in curing jaundice by the local community residing in and around Pin Valley National Park, Lahaul & Spiti in Himachal Pradesh. Their uses along with the dosages and combination with other plants are provided.

Key words: Traditional uses, Jaundice, Pin Valley National Park, Himachal Pradesh IPC Int. Cl.7: A61K35/78, A61P1/16

Pin Valley National Park lies in 31° 6' 40'' to 32° 2' All the species have been identified and their uses 20'' N latitude and 77° 4' 21'' to 78° 6' 19'' E longitude with appropriate dosages and combination with other and is located in the cold desert of North-West plants have been provided. in Spiti sub-division of Lahaul & Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh (Fig 1). The flora of the Enumeration Pin Valley National Park is rich and represents a The binomials of correct names are arranged number of plant species used in Indian Traditional alphabetically followed by family name in Medicine and Tibetan System of Medicine also called parentheses and local name; locality in Pin Valley Amchis System of Medicine. Still lots of efforts are National Park has been given. All the specimens are needed to explore the possibility of their uses in this housed in the herbarium of Botanical Survey of India, system of medicine. Twenty plants traditionally used Dehradun. in Tibetan System of Medicine have been reported 1 earlier. Recently twenty-eight ethnomedicinal plants 1 Gentiana tubiflora (G. Don) Griseb. have been reported for the first time from the Park 2 (Gentianaceae) area. Local name: Tikta Aunpo Mensa The present study was aimed to document some Locality: Near Tariya traditional medicinal plants used by the local residents Uses: Whole plant is ground with little amount of belonging to Buddist community in and around the lazi (salted curd) and made into a paste. This Park area for curing the jaundice. Perusal of the paste is given at night (before going to bed) for literature reveals that the knowledge of these plants in 3-8 40-45 days. curing jaundice is hitherto unknown . 2 Gentianopsis detonsa (Rottb.) Ma (Gentianaceae) Local name: Chateek Methodology Locality: Thango-Kilung Intensive and extensive field surveys were and conducted in different localities of Pin Valley 3 Gentiana leucomelaena Maxim. ex Kusn. National Park during 2002-2003. During the field (Gentianaceae) trips, information on traditional medicinal plants used Local name: Buksuk Shipo for jaundice were obtained from experienced local Locality: Chhohem residents and elderly medicinal pharmacists (Amchis). Uses: Plants are ground along with boiled water ______and small portion of petals of Polemonium *Corresponding author caeruleum L. (Aun Ser Mendok), and SEKAR & SRIVASTAVA: TRADITIONAL USES OF PLANTS IN CURING JAUNDICE IN HIMACHAL PRADESH 315

Gentianopsis paludosa (Hook.) Ma (Gyatheek) Locality: Chhohem are added to the above combination. This mixture Uses: Whole plant paste mixed with curd mixed with boiled cow milk or curd (prepared (prepared from Goat’s milk) is given empty from Goat’s milk) is given empty stomach in the stomach for 15-22 days. early morning for 15-22 days. 4 Geum elatum Wallich ex G. Don (Rosaceae) Precaution: Salt, oil, Ghee and butter are avoided Local name: Gyampar Mendok, Turu Silva Mensa during the treatment period.

Locality: Mud-Tharbik Acknowledgement Uses: Leaf extract (2-3 spoonful) mixed with The authors are thankful to Dr S Kumar, Joint boiled cow milk or curd is given empty stomach Director, BSI, Dehra Dun for providing facilities and for 15-22 days. encouragement; to Director, BSI, Kolkata for 5 Picris hieracioides L. subsp. kaimaensis Kitam. facilities. One of them (KC) is grateful to the Ministry (Asteraceae) of Environment and Forests, New Delhi for financial Local name: Cherakpa assistance. Locality: Gechang-Thango Uses: Plant extract mixed with lazi (salted curd) is References given in the early morning and late night for 20- 1 Jain S K, Indian Plants in Tibetan medicine, Ethnobotany, 15 30 days. (2003) 136. 2 Chandrasekar K & Srivastava S K, Ethnomedicinal studies in 6 Polygonum tortuosum D. Don (Polygonaceae) Pin Valley National Park, Lahul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Local name: Agel Davaj Ethnobotany, 15 (2003) 44. 316 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 4, NO 3, JULY 2005

3 Goel A K & Bhattacharya U C, A note on some plants found 6 Shanthamma C, Sundarshan M S & Rachaiah, Flaveria effective in treatment of Jaundice (Hepatitis), J Econ Taxon trinervia (Sprengel) C Mohr (Compositae) – A new herb to Bot, 2 (1981) 157. cure Jaundice, Ancient Sci Life, 6 (1986) 109. 4 Gopal G V & Shah G L, Some folk medicinal plants used for 7 Sood S K, Ram Nath & Kalia D C, Ethnobotony of Cold Jaundice in , India, J Res Edu Indian Med, 4 (1985) desert Tribes of Lahaul-Spiti, N.W. Himalaya, (Deep 45. Publications, New Delhi), 2001. 5 Jain S K, Dictionary of Indian Folk Medicine and 8 Kala C P, Medicinal Plants of Indian Trans-Himalaya, Ethnobotany, (Deep Publications, New Delhi), 1991. (Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehra Dun), 2002.