Review Article International Ayurvedic Medical Journal ISSN:2320 5091

PLANTS USED BY THE RURAL COMMUNITIES OF VILLAGE EKA, DIS- TRICT , Rajesh Kumari1, ApurvaPriyadarshi2, MitaKotecha3 1B.A.M.S, M.D, Research Officer, Department of Botany, S.R.K.K. Degree College, Morcha, Firozabad, . 2B.A.M.S, M.D, Lecturer, Deptt. Of Dravya GunaVigyan, ShammeGausia Minority Ayurvedic &UnaniMedical College, Saheri, , Uttar Pradesh, India 3B.A.M.S, M.D, Ph.D, H.O.D, Deptt. Of Dravya GunaVigyan, National Institute of Ayurve- da, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

ABSTRACT The traditional knowledge system has gained prime importance in context with con- servation, sustainable development and new utilization patterns of plant resources. In this context, ethno medicinal studies contributed a heap of knowledge on various indigenous tra- ditional medicine systems, which are still prevailing in various societies. Considering the im- portance of herbal medicines, the paper pertains to the study conducted in the Village Eka, District Firozabad. The study is based on extensive surveys, plant collection and interviews with the local folks particularly the vaidyas, women folks and the local banjaras. About 52 plant species belonging to 34 families have been reported in this manuscript which is used for various diseases used by locales and vaidhyas. Key words: ethanomedicine, medicinal plants, firozabad

INTRODUCTION Plants have been used as source of the plant materials used for traditional medicine throughout the world for more medicine, it is estimated that local com- than five thousand years ago and still con- munities have used over 7,500 plant spe- tinue to occupy an important place in tradi- cies. Indian flora have innumerable medi- tional as well as modern systems of medi- cinal plants, which are collected from the cine. India is a rich source of medicinal and forest by the tribal villagers. Th is practice aromatic plants. It has been estimated that of using plants in medicine is still prevail- out of 15,000 higher plants occurring is ing among not only the tribal but also oth- India. 9,000 are commonly useful, of ers living in the rural areas3.The present which 7,500 are medicinal, 3,900 are cultu- survey was conducted in village Eka, area rally important, 525 are used for fiber, 400 of district Firozabad which occupies be- are for fodder, 300 for pesticide and insec- tween 27°00’ and 27°24’ north latitude and ticide, 300 for gum and resin, and 100 for 77°66’ and 70°04’ east longitude. It is incense and perfumes1. The traditional sys- bounded in north by district, in east tem of medicine dealing plants as a source by and , in the south by have acquired greater impetus in the last Yamuna River and in the west by dis- three decades as excessive use of synthetic trict. The climate of Eka is characterized by drugs and antibiotics have been found to hot summer, pleasant winter and general cause number of side effects2.In terms of dryness except during rainy season. Rajesh Kumari et& all :Plants Used By The Rural Communities Of Village Eka, District Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh METHODOLOGY fied and deposited in the Department of Extensive field surveys and plant collection Botany, S.R.K.K. Degree College, Morcha, were made from various localities of the Firozabad. Botanical names are arranged area and the information was recorded on alphabetically followed by local names, various aspects of medicinal plants through family, plant part used and medicinal uses questionnaire with the people residing in are listed in that area. The plant specimens were identi- Table 1. S. Botanical Name Local Family Part used Medicinal uses No. Name 1. Abutilon indicum Linn. Kanghi Malvaceae Leaf, Root Diuretic, leucorrhoea 2. Acacia arabicaWilld. Babul Mimosaceae All five parts Weakness, toothbrush 3. Acacia catechu Willd. Kattha Mimosaceae Leaves Wounds, bleeding, Piles 4. AchyranthesasperaLinn. Latzeera AmaranthaceaeLeaves Dysentery, fever 5. AeglemarmelosLinn. Bel Rutaceae Stem, fruit Dysentry 6. AlliumcepaLinn. Pyaj Liliaceae Fruit Sunstroke, blood Purifier, Fever 7. Allium sativum Lam. Lahsun Liliaceae Leaves, buds Acidity, Joint Pain

8. AzadirachtaindicaA.Juss. Neem Meliaceae Leaves, stem Skin diseases, tooth problem,Dandraff 9. Bauhinia purpurea Linn. Kachnar CaesalpiniaceaeFruit Nodular glands 10. BoerhaviadiffusaLinn. Ssandha NyctaginaceaeRoot Short-sight ness 11. Brassica compestrisLinn. Sarson Brasicaceae Seed Suffering froevil eyes ,body massage 12. Carica papaya Linn. Papita Caricaceae Unripen fruit Termination of pregnancy 13. CalotropisgiganteaLinn. Madar Asclepidaceae Leaves Easy Delivery 14. Calotropisprocera(ait) Aak Asclepidaceae Latex Insect bite, jaundice, r. br tootache 15. Cannabis sativa Linn. Bhang Cannabinaceae Seeds Cough, insomnia 16. Cassia fistula Linn Amaltas Caesalpiniaceaefruit Skin diseases ,fever 17. Cassia occidentalis Linn Karonda CaesalpiniaceaeLeaves Tonsils 18. Cassia tora Linn. Pawar CaesalpiniaceaeSeeds Cold, Cough 19. Citrus limon (christm) Nimboo Rutaceae Fruit Acidity, Sunstroke 20. Cocculushirsutus Linn. Vasan MenispermaceaeLeaves Jaundice 21. Coriandrumsativum Linn. Dhania Apiaceae Fruit, Leaves Diarrhoea 22. Cuscutareflexa Lam Amerbel Cuscutaceae Stem Joint pain, dandruff 23. Cynodandactylon Linn.) Doob Poaceae Leaves Blood clotting 24. Emblicaofficinalis. Gaertn Ambla EuphorbiaceaeFruit Hair problems 25. ErythrinavariegataLinn. Pangara Papillionaceae Stem, Fever, To relieve Leaf-bark pain of joints 26. FicusbenghalensisLinn. Barged Moraceae Leaf, Latex Rheumatism 503 www.iamj.in IAMJ: Volume 3; Issue 2; February- 2015 Rajesh Kumari et& all :Plants Used By The Rural Communities Of Village Eka, District Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh 27. FicusglomertaRoxb. Bark Gular Moraceae Fruit, Bark Diabetes, Dyspepsia 28. FicusreligiosaLinn. Pipal Moraceae Fruit, Leaves fertility, wounds 29. HoloptelaintegrifoliaRoxb. Chilbil Ulmaceae Bark Hydroceal 30. Jatrophagossyfolia Linn. ChandryjyotEuphorbiaceaeWhole plant Piles, Burn 31. JatrophacurcusLinn. Ratanjyot EuphorbiaceaeSeed, Fruit Dysentry 32. LawsoniainermisLinn. Mehandi Lythraceae Leaf Boils and Burns, Scabies 33. LaunaeaprocumbensRoxb. Bangobhi Asteraceae Leaf Fever 34. LinumusitatissimumLinn. Alsi Linaceae Flower, Oil Heart diseases, Skin diseases 35. LuffacylindrieaLinn. Ghiatorai Cucurbitaceae Leaf Body swelling 36. Mangiferaindica Linn. Aam Anacardiaceae Bark, Seed Diarrhea Cough Bark 37. MeliaazedarachLinn. Bakin Meliaceae Leaf Anthelmintic, Piles 38. Morus alba Linn. shahtoot Moraceae Leaf Dysentry 39. Musa paradisicaLinn. Kela Musaceae Fruit Dysentry 40. Nyctanthesarbortistis Linn. Harsinghar Oleaceae Leaf Fever 41. Ocimum sanctum Linn. Tulsi Labiatae Leave Cough 42. Phyllanthusamarus Bhui Amla Euphorbiaceae Fruit Jaundice Schumach. &Thonn. 43. PsidiumguajavaLinn. Amrood Myrtaceae Fruit Jaundice, Acidity, Diabetes 44. RicinuscommunisLinn. Arandi Euphoraceae Oil Pneumonia, Body pain 45. Rosa centifolicaLinn. Gulab Rosaceae Flower Eye infection, Syphiles 46. SidacordifoliaLinn. Khaente Malvaceae Root, Leaf Dysentry 47. SolanumindicumLinn. BadiKateri Solanaceae Fruit, Root Bronchitis, skin disease 48. Syzigiumcuminiskeel Jamun Myrataceae Fruit Diabetes 49. Tephrosiapurpurea Linn Sharfunkha Fabaceae Leaves, Juice Diarrhoea 50. Tinosporacordifolia Gurch MenispernaceaeRoot Jaundice, Snake bite (Willd) 51. TribulusterrestisisLinn. Gokhuru ZygophylaceaeRoot, Fruit Diuretic 52. Withaniasomnifera Aswagandha Solanaceae Root Weakness Dunakl

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Brassicaceae, Apocynaceae, Poaceae, Astera- The survey indicated that the folk medicines ceae, Euphorbiaceae, Papilionaceae and Myr- are quite prevalent in the rural communities of taceae. The dose is prepared by using juice, this area. These 52 species of 34 families are leaf, bark extracts and other parts of the plant being used by most of the local people and 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. vaidyas for the treatment of common diseases. From earlier times people made use of plants The majority of plant species belong to fami- for their basic needs Medicare and livelihood. lies Mimosaceae, Liliaceae, Papaveraceae, Some plants used by people are cultivated 504 www.iamj.in IAMJ: Volume 3; Issue 2; February- 2015 Rajesh Kumari et& all :Plants Used By The Rural Communities Of Village Eka, District Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh while others grow in wild conditions. The tri- New Delhi), Reprinted bal depends predominantly on plants for food, 9. Maheshwari, J. (1995). Current Trends and clothing, medicine, oil, agricultural imple- Future perspectives in Ethnobotanical re- ments, art, crafts, huts and for other require- search, J. Liv. World, 2(2): 1. ments. Plant species were also used to prevent 10. Singh, N.K. and Singh, D.P. (2001). Ethno- abortion, achieve easy delivery, eye, gastric, botanical survey of , Flora Fau- respiratory problems, fever, antidote for snake na, 7(2): 59-66. and scorpion bites, sunstroke, arthritis, hydro- 11. Singh, K.K. and Maheswari, J.K. (1989). cele, toothache, cough, dysentery, jaundice Traditional herbal remedies among the tha- and sexual power. 11 12 13 14 15 rus of District, U.P. India, Ethno- botany, 51-56. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 12. Pandey, H.P., Verma, B.K. and Narains The authors are grateful to the Dr. MitaKote- (1999). Ethnoveterinary plants of Gonda cha, H.O.D, department of Dravya GunaVi- region, U.P. India, J. Econ. Tax. Bot., gyan, National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, 23(1): 199-203. Rajasthan for facilities provided and valuable 13. Singh, S.V. (1991). Flora of , suggestions given for this work. Ph. D thesis, Dr. R.M.LINN.Avadh Univer- REFERENCES sity, , U.P. 1. Duthie, J.F. (1960). Flora of Upper Ganget- 14. Pandey, Y.N., Patel, K.K. and Shivani ic plain and of the adjacent shivalic and (1998). Studies on weeds used as medicinal sub-Himalayan Tret, (Botanical Survey of plants by Tharu tribe of Nepal tarai belt of India, Calcutta), Reprinte Eastern Uttar Pradesh, J. Liv. World, 5(2): 2. Jain, S.K. and Rao, R.R. (1967). A hand 1-4 book of field and Herbarium Methods, To- 15. Shukla, S.C. (1991). A detailed study on day & Tomorrow, Printers and Publishers, some new aspects of flora of Faizabad, Ph. New Delhi, pp.33-58. D thesis, Dr. R.M.LINN.AvadhFaizabad, 3. (Kumar S. and R. Mathur 1992.Perspective U.P in tribal medicines with references to some CORRESPONDING AUTHOR asteraceous plants in India. J.Econ. tax. Bot. Dr. Rajesh Kumari AddLinn. Ser.10) B.A.M.S, M.D,Research Officer, 4. Kumar, A., Tewari, D.D., Sharma, R. and Department of Botany, Pandey, V.C. (2005). Practices of folk phy- S.R.K.K.Degree College, to veterinary in , Uttar Morcha, Firozabad, India. Pradesh, India J. Nacton, 17(1): 153-161. Email: [email protected] 5. Singh, B. (1987). Gazeteer of district Ali- garh, Uttar Pradesh India. Department of District gazetteer, (U.P.). 6. Katewa, S.S. and Sharma, R. (2001). Eth- nomedicinal observations from certain wa- tershed area of Rajasthan.Ethnobotany, 10: 46-49. 7. Lal, K. (1933). Forest flora of , Oudha, and BundelKhand, Source of support: Nil (Government Printing Press, ). Conflict of interest: None Declared 8. Jain, S.K. (2003). Medicinal plants (NET, 505 www.iamj.in IAMJ: Volume 3; Issue 2; February- 2015