Ethno-Medicinal Use of Weed Flora in Dibrugarh, Assam, Ne India. Suman Gogoi Department of Botany, DHSK College, Dibrugarh, Assam

International Journal of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Vol.11, No. 3, (2020), pp. 2702–2706

Ethno-Medicinal Use Of Weed Flora In Dibrugarh, Assam, Ne India. Suman Gogoi Department of botany, DHSK College, Dibrugarh, Assam.

Abstract

The present study was conducted in the city Dibrugarh, Assam in order to document the ethno-medicinal use of weed flora in different regions of the city. Data was collected through observation and interview with the local people during the year 2020. In this investigation 48 species of weed flora belonging to 28 families were found to be utilized in the treatment of certain diseases and health conditions.

Keywords

Ethno-medicinal, Weed, Diseases.

Introduction

Weeds are the plants that grow in an uncontrolled manner and at places where they are unwanted. These plant species have no economic value and are rarely utilized. They cause inconvenience by growing in different surfaces like agricultural land, flower gardens, house hold gardens and road sides etc. These weeds however are seen to find a place in the traditional medicine systems where they are used as cure for different diseases.

Ethno-medicine or the traditional practice of medicine among the different ethnic groups in a region utilizes plant and animal compounds for the treatment of a particular disease. Since time immemorial, mankind has utilized plants for the treatment of various diseases. Today, with the easy availability of modern therapeutic medicine such plant based medicine are rarely used. However in the elderly people in villages and rural areas people are still found to utilize these plant based medicine for treatment of diseases. People collect these plants from the wild and also sometimes grow such medicinal plants in their household.

The primary objective of this study is to document the species of weeds which are used in the ethno- medicinal preparation in the villages of Dibrugarh.

Materials and methods

Study area

Dibrugarh is a city in the Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam in the North-eastern region of India. The city occupies an area of 12.65 square kilometers.

The region is a biological hotspot with many rare and endemic plant and animal species in the fertile river valleys surrounded by mountains and hills. The high humidity, sub-tropical climate and fertile alluvial soil of the region favors the growth of a large variety of weed species, which find their way through any surface like all types of soil, water bodies, grasslands, roadsides, walls, roofs of houses etc.

The present study reports the commonly occurring weed species in different villages of Dibrugarh, Assam.

Results and Discussions

Table 1: Table showing list of different weed flora used as ethno-medicine in Dibrugarh, Assam.

Scientific name Family Local name Part used Use 1. Acmella oleracia Asteraceae Malkathi Inflorescence Toothache, blisters in tongue/mouth 2. Ageratum Asteraceae Gundhua bon Leaf sap Cuts, wounds conizoides 3. Alocasia indica Araceae Man kosu Sap Ulcers, infection 4. Alternanthera Amaranthaceae Matikaduri Leaves Dysentery sessilis 5. Amaranthus Amaranthaceae Hati Khutora Twigs Anaemia spinosus 6. Amaranthus Amaranthaceae Khutora Twigs Anaemia 7. Boerhavia diffusa Nyctaginaceae Punonowa Whole plant Anaemia, Liver disorders 8. Cassia alata Caesalpineaceae Khor gos Leaf sap Fungal infections, ring worm 9. Cassia tora Leguminaceae Horu medelua Roots Liver disorders 10. Centella asiatica Apiaceae Bor manimuni Leaves Blood purifier, Fever, diarrhea 11. Chenopodium Chenopodiaceae Jilmil Leaves Stomach ache album 12. Cissampelos Menispermaceae Tubuki lota Stem sap Swelling, body Pereira ache 13. Clerodendrum Verbenaceae Nefafu Young twigs High blood colebrookianum pressure 14. Colocasia Araceae Kosu Leaves High blood esculanta pressure, tonsillitis 15. Commenlina Commelinaceae Kona himolu Sap Eye soreness, benghalensis stye 16. Curcuma zedoaria Zingiberaceae Ketkuri Rhizome Kidney stone 17. Cynodon dactylon Poaceae Dubori bon Whole plant Reproductive health 18. Datura stramonium Solanaceae Kola datura Seeds Stomach pain, inflammation, fever, skin disorder 19. Diplazium Althyriaceae Dhekia Leaves Urinary trouble esculantum 20. Drymaria cordata Caryophyllaceae Lai jabori Whole plant Fever, Stomach disorder 21. Eichornia crassipes Pontederiaceae Meteka Flowers Stomach ache

22. Enhydra fluctuans Asteraceae Helechi Leaf paste Ringworm 23. Eupatorium Asteraceae Germany bon Leaves Ulcers odoratum 24. Euphorbia hirta Euphorbiaceae Gakhiroti Whole plant Dysentery 25. Floscopa glabrata Commelinaceae Horu konahimalu Sap Eye soreness, stye 26. Fragaria indica Rosaceae Goru ghis Leaves Pneumonia, kidney stone 27. Hydrocotyle Araliaceae Horu manimuni Leaves Blood purifier, rotundifolia Dysentery 28. Impatiens Balsaminaceae Dam deuka Leaves Jaundice balsamina 29. Ipomoea aquatica Convolvulaceae Kolmou Leaves Diabetes, rerproductive health 30. Lantana camara Verbenaceae Gubon Leaves Cuts/wounds 31. Leonurus sibiricus Lamiaceae Ronga drun Leaves Snake bite 32. Leucas aspera Lamiaceae Drun bon Leaf sap Sinusitis 33. Melastoma Melastomataceae Phutkala Leaf paste Blisters or melabatricum ulcers in mouth 34. Micania scandens Asteraceae Prem lota Leaf paste Cuts/ wounds 35. Mimosa pudica Leguminaceae Lajuki bon Leaves, stems Jaundice, piles 36. Oldenlandia Rubiaceae Bon jaluk Whole plant Jaundice, liver corymbosa disorder 37. Oxalis corniculata Oxalidaceae Tengesi leaves Dysentery, diabetes, high blood pressure 38. Paederia foetida Rubiaceae Bhedai lota Leaves Inflammation, dysentery 39. Parthenium Asteraceae Leaf sap Skin disorders hysterophorus 40. Phyllanthus niruri Euphorbiaceae Bon amlokhi Whole plant Fever, dysentery, jaundice 41. Polygonum Polygonaceae Potharua Leaf paste Tooth ache hydropiper bilongoni 42. Portuleca oleracea Portulacaceae Malbhog khutora Seeds, leaves Skin disease, kidney stone 43. Saccharum Poaceae Kahi bon Roots Kidney stone spontaneum 44. Senna tora Caesalpiniaceae Horu medelua Leaves Ringworm 45. Solanum indicum Solanaceae Tita bhekuri Seeds Skin diseases, blood purifier 46. Solanum nigrum Solanaceae Los kochi Roots Kidney disorders 47. Solanum torvum Solanaceae Hati bhekuri Seeds Diabetes 48. Urena lobata Malvaceae Hunborolua Roots Dysentery

7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Araceae

Poaceae

Apiaceae

Rosaceae

Rubiaceae

Araliaceae

Lamiaceae

Malvaceae

Asteraceae

Solanaceae

Oxalidaceae

Althyriaceae

Verbenaceae

Polygonaceae

Zingiberaceae

Portulacaceae

Leguminaceae

Nyctaginaceae

Balsaminaceae

Euphorbiaceae

Convolvulaceae

Pontederiaceae

Amaranthaceae

Commelinaceae

Caryophyllaceae

Caesalpineaceae

Chenopodiaceae Menispermaceae Melastomataceae Figure 1: Graph showing distribution of weed flora according to their families.

The present study reveals the importance of some weed flora in the traditional health care systems of the village population in Dibrugarh city. A total of 48 weed species belonging to 28 different families were found to be utilized in the treatment of various diseases. The highest number of species i.e. 6 species belonged to the family Asteraceae. 4 species of the family Solanaceae, 3 species of the family Amaranthaceae and 2 species each belonged to the families Araceae, Caesalpineaceae, Commelinaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, Leguminaceae, Poaceae, Rubiaceae and Verbenaceae. The rest of the species were distributed 1 each in different families.

Conclusion

The present study reveals the importance of the unwanted weed plants in the healthcare system of the rural population. Proper studies and scientific investigations need to be undertaken in this field to document and validate the use of such medicine. Also steps must be taken for the extraction of beneficial medicinal components from such plants if possible.

References

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