Ethnomedicinal Uses of Some Plants Used by Gond Tribe of Bhandara District, Maharashtra
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Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 9 (4), October 2010, pp 713-717 Ethnomedicinal uses of some plants used by Gond tribe of Bhandara district, Maharashtra 1Rakhi Gupta, 2MG Vairale, 1RR Deshmukh, 1PR Chaudhary & 1SR Wate 1National Environmental Enginneering Research Institute, Nagpur, Maharashtra; 2School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh E-mail: [email protected] Received 21.07.2008; revised 03.09.2009 The ethnobotanical study was carried out among the ethnic group ( Gond tribe) in the Bhandara district of Maharashtra. A field survey of the study area was carried out during January 2007– January 2008 to document the medicinal utility of plants occurring in the area by Gond tribe. Traditional uses of 53 plant species belonging to 31 families are described. The documented ethnomedicinal plants are mostly used to cure skin diseases, diarrhoea, jaundice, cough, wounds, piles, urinary troubles, spermatorrhoea and as an eye drop. Keywords: Gond tribe, Ethnomedicine, Traditional medicine, Maharashtra IPC Int. Cl. 8: A61K36/00, A61P1/02, A61P1/08, A61P1/10, A61P1/14, A61P9/14, A61P15/00, A61P19/00, A61P29/00, A61P39/02 Ethnobotanical use of plants has been known since plant species found in Bhandara. The current time immemorial and several plants were used to cure deforestation trends, which threaten the existence of diseases and to maintain good health. Biodiversity is medicinally important plants makes it inevitable that the very basis of human survival and economic well this information be made available and encourage being and constitutes the resources upon which preservation of their culture, traditional knowledge, families, communities, nations and future generations conservation and sustainable utilization of the plant depend 1,2. India is rich in medicinal plant diversity wealth occurring in the study area. Therefore, the distributed in different geographical and study is an attempt to evaluate the unexplored environmental conditions and associated tribal and traditional medicinal practices of Gond tribe of folk knowledge systems 3. The tribal people mostly Bhandara district. In the paper, some new and less depend on forests for their livelihood. Up to 70% of known ethnomedicinal uses of 53 plants in the the rural population still depends on traditional treatment of different ailments by the Gond tribe of medicine as a primary healthcare source 4. Majority of Bhandara district of Maharashtra, have been reported. the traditional medicines are prepared from plants. The plant based traditional knowledge has become a Methodology recognised tool in search for new sources of drugs and Information on the use of medicinal plants was nutraceuticals 5. Some work on medicinal plants in collected during January 2007- January 2008 through relation to their utilization and conservation have been field surveys in different remote villages of the conducted in many parts 6-11 . Bhandara district situated Bhandara district. The questionnaires were devised to in the Nagpur division (21.09 N latitude and 79.42 E identify the indigenous knowledge of plant-based longitude) is surrounded by Balaghat district (Madhya remedies from local people. Information was gathered Pradesh) in the North, Gondia in the East, Chandrapur through semi-structured interviews that were held in the South, and Nagpur in the West. Gond , the with selected knowledgeable elders. At the end of each interview, plant specimens were collected, dried, ethnic people of the district are quite aware of the 12 uses of plant species having ethnobotanical values. identified and preserved . Samples of recorded herbs, shrubs and trees were identified with the help of local No work has been reported on ethnobotanical uses of 13-17 —————— floras and previous literature . Plant based *Corresponding author remedies were presented with botanical name of 714 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 9, No. 4, OCTOBER 2010 species followed by local name, parts used, mode of followed by powder and paste form, from freshly preparation and ethnomedical uses. A total of 15 collected plant parts. For few remedies, medicines are knowledgeable traditional medicine practitioners prepared after drying. It is observed that most of the (between 32-70 yrs) were chosen with the assistance tribals cultivate some of the common medicinal plants of local administrators and community leaders served in their home gardens either for medicinal use or for as key informants. use as vegetables. Using a single plant part or a combination of several plant parts usually makes the Results and discussion preparations. Sometimes combination of two or more The ethnobotanical survey lists medicinal uses of different plant species is also used. In some 53 plant species representing 31 families and 46 treatments, animal part/waste is used along with the genus (Table 1). The representing plants are mostly plant material. Medical administration includes used to cure skin disorders, diarrhoea, jaundice, inhalation, oral administration, paste/applying and cough, wounds, piles, urinary troubles, rubbing/massage. Most of the ailments such as spermatorrhoea, as an eye drop and antidote to stomachache, menstrual problems, fertility problems, snakebite & scorpion sting. Leaves are the most urinary problems, piles, jaundice and diarrhoea can be widely (35%) used plant part of the reported cured by oral absorption while most of the skin medicinal plant uses, followed by roots (28%), seed diseases, wounds and body swelling can be cured by (19%), fruit (15%) and bark (13%). Resin, oil, gum external application. Some of the ailments may be and inflorescence are also used occasionally which cured by both the external as well as internal account for 11% of the total uses of the plant parts. A application such as animal bites and muscular majority of remedies are prepared in the form of juice problems. Table 1—Ethnomedicinal uses of plants by Gond tribe Plant name/ family/ local name Uses Acacia leucophloea (Roxb.) Willd. Roots are tide on waist and legs to cure diarrhoea in children. Mimosaceae Hiwar Achyranthes aspera L. Roots are used as a toothbrush. Leaf juice as lithotriptic & relieving burning Amaranthaceae Kutra micturition. Root/leaf powder are given to cure dog bite. Adhatoda zeylanica Medik. Leaf juice with honey is given to cure cough. Acanthaceae Adulasa Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. Fruit pulp is used to cure diarrhoea. Rutaceae Bel Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. Bark powder is given to cure jaundice. Simaroubiaceae Maharukh Alangium salvifolium (L.f.)Wang. Leaves are edible; stem is used as a toothbrush. Alangiaceae Ankol Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. Leaf pulp mixed with water is given in case of spermatorrhoea. Liliaceae Karankuwari Allium sativum L. Fruit is soaked in water overnight; oil is extracted which is used as massage oil for Alliaceae Lasun headache. The raw material after extraction of oil is dried in sunlight and taken orally. Oil is applied on scorpion sting. Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall ex Nees Decoction of dried plant is given to cure diarrhoea, cough & fever. Leaf juice is used Acanthaceae Bhuineem to cure malaria & fever. Annona squamosa L. Powder of Annona squamosa roots and Tamarindus indica leaves is given for Annonaceae Sitaphal reducing weight. Seed powder of Annona squamosa, Mucuna pruriens and Abrus precatorius (white) is given to men for strength. Asparagus racemosus Willd. Tuberous root powder is given to pregnant lady to control the body heat. Liliaceae Shatawari Calotropis gigantea (L.) R.Br. Leaves are used as a poultice for joints pain. Asclepiadaceae Rui Contd .— GUPTA et al .: ETHNOMEDICINAL USES OF PLANTS BY GOND TRIBES OF MAHARASHTRA 715 Table 1—Ethnomedicinal uses of plants by Gond tribe — Contd. Plant name/ family/ local name Uses Cardiospermum helicacabum L. Seeds of Cardiospermum & white material present at the node of bamboo are used Sapindaceae Ghanphol for relieving burning urination. Cassia fistula L. Paste of pods grind with tamarind is given to cattle to get relief from enlarge ment of Caesalpiniaceae Bahawa/Amaltash stomach. Cassia tora L. Tea prepared from the seed powder is used as antidiabetic. Powder of Cassia tora Caesalpiniaceae seeds with inflorescence & leaves of Sphaeranthus indicus , seeds & roots of Tarota Abelmoschus ficulneous mixed with water and jaggery is given to cure indigestion. Cassia occidentalis L. Leaves are chewed to cure dog and fox bite. Leaf juice is given for regular Caesalpiniaceae menstruation. Dewangini tarota Celastrus paniculata Willd. Dried bark grind with sheep waste is vulnerary. Celastraceae Malkamini Cleistanthus collinus (Roxb.) Benth. Leaves are used as an insecticide in rice field. Euphorbiaceae Garadi Colocasia esculenta (L.)Schott Pakodi of the Colocasia leaves prepared in castor oil is usef ul in relieving joints Araceae Bramh rakshus pain. Datura metel Sims. Fruit & leaf ash with coconut oil is applied over acne and wounds. Solanaceae Kala dhotara Diplocyclos palmatus (L.) C. Jeffry Powder of seeds and roots is given twice a day in empty stomach to induce fertility. Cucurbitaceae Shivlingi Echinops echinatus Roxb. Filtered juice of roots and seeds are used to cure piles and jaundice. Asteraceae Katazendu Ficus benghalensis L. Powder of aerial roots is used to cure jaundice. Moraceae Wad Ficus hispida L.f. Roots are used in case of itching, black spots and ringworm. Moraceae Khartembhur Ficus religiosa L. Bark decoction of Achyranthus aspera, Acacia nilotica Solanum verginianum, Moraceae Pipal Ocimum