Studies on Ethno-Veterinary Usages of Medicinal Plants by People in Garhwal Himalayan Region-A Boon to Animal Husbandry
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Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2018; SP5: 149-153 E-ISSN: 2278-4136 P-ISSN: 2349-8234 (Special Issue- 5) JPP 2018; SP5: 149-153 Advances in Agriculture and Natural Sciences for Sustainable Arun Bhatt Agriculture Department of Biotechnology, (October 12 &13, 2018) G.B. Pant Institute of Engineering and Technology, Ghurdauri, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India Studies on ethno-veterinary usages of medicinal plants Kumar Pavan Agarwal by people in Garhwal Himalayan region-A boon to Department of Biotechnology, G.B. Pant Institute of animal husbandry Engineering and Technology, Ghurdauri, Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India Arun Bhatt and Kumar Pavan Agarwal Abstract The Uttarakhand Himalyan region has a great wealth of medicinal plants and traditional medicinal 0 ’ 0 ’ 0 ’ 0 ’ knowledge. Garhwal Himalaya (29 45 N-31 27 N latitude and 77 45 E-80 7 E longitudes) has been known as source of variety of shrubs, healing herbs, and other medicinal plants. Geographically, Garhwal region of Uttarakhand represent enormous diversity of flora and fauna due to variations in topography, altitude and climate. It includes seven districts-Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Chamoli, Tehri, Uttarakashi and Rudraprayag representing mountains, lower hills, Tarai-Bhabar belt and plain area. There have been only few studies on the ethano-botanical usages of the plants for the treatment of livestock which may boost the new drug research by employing modern biotechnological tools and techniques.. Current study was conducted with the sole purpose of eliciting the precious wealth of information on the ethno-veterinary uses of medicinal plants practices by the local people of Garhwal region. Field surveys were conducted in the various thickly populated live-stock rich places of Garhwal region during 2012-18. Information on ethanobotanical uses of the medicinal plants was gathered by interviewing key informants of the community using a semi structured open ended questionnaire. Usually, the elderly and experienced members of the society, locally known as ‘Vaidya”’, were interviewed on uses of various parts of plants. Often, they were accompanied to the field for the identification of plant species used and their preferred habitats. All the relevant information, in particular the mode of preparation, method of use and dosage of each medicinal plant species were recorded. In nutshell present study deals with the traditional uses of 46 plant species which are being often used in ethno-veterinary practices by people of Garhwal Himalyan region. The primary and outmost objective of current study is to document all collected information in tabulated form, by the local people for the treatment of various livestock including poultry in different parts of Garhwal, Himalayan region of Uttarakhand state. Further research in this area is need of hour as these documented findings may help to counter the needs of inhabitants during emergent situations. Keywords: Ethano-botanical, Livestock, Traditional knowledge, Ethno-veterinary Introduction Plants are the backbone of life on this earth and are central to livelihood of human being. People in different parts of the world depend on plants and its parts to fulfill their daily needs and developed unique knowledge and practice of their utilization (Kala et al., 2006) [5]. The recent return to natural drugs throughout the planet has emphasized the importance of gathering information about various medicinal plant traditionally used by indigenous people of remote areas like Garhwal Himalyan region. There are only few studies on the ethano medicinal properties of the plants that are used for the treatment of livestock. The documentation of biodiversity and its medicinal use by the ethanic community of this region have assumed priority because of the rampant loss of biodiversity and increasing patent [1] Correspondence wars on bio-resources (Baba et al., 2012) . Traditional use of medicinal plants and its Arun Bhatt resources is rapidly increasing due to having no side effects, easily available at affordable Department of Biotechnology, prices and sometime only available to the poor people particularly in remote areas of Garhwal G.B. Pant Institute of region. Mc Corkle et al. (1989) [8] define Ethno-veterinary Medicine (EVM) as dealing with Engineering and Technology, Ghurdauri, Pauri Garhwal, the folk belief, skills, knowledge, practices and methods pertaining to the health care of Uttarakhand, India animals. Proposal of United Nations University defines Traditional Knowledge System (TKS) ~ 149 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry as “Traditional Knowledge or, “Local Knowledge” is a record be a permanent loss of our culture, heritage and biodiversity. of human achievement in comprehending the complexities of New modern approaches of biotechnology, conservation life and survival in often unfriendly environments (Kumari et strategy and protection of traditional rights of these people on al., 2009) [7]. The Traditional Himalyan Medicine System community basis can help to preserve and utilize this (THMS) is a living example of TKS where small invaluable indigenous traditional knowledge of medicinal communities fight even incurable disease in their animals plant for mankind. For underdeveloped regions especially through the traditional methods by using herbal products like hilly area of Uttarakhand, there is an urgent need to identify at resins, bark, root, leaves and fruits etc. In certain regions these least the existing biodiversity and traditional wisdom to folk medical prescriptions are endemic and have survived prevent bio-piracy and building up capabilities to harness the through ages from one generation to the next through the potential of ITK through Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) word of mouth. They do not exist as written knowledge. in the form of royalties to whole society like Farmers’ Rights Generally these systems of medicine depend on old people's for developing plant varieties. experiences. Indigenous systems of medicine are specially A total of 280 people were interviewed in various villages of conditioned by the cultural heritage and myths. different seven districts on the basis of their indigenous So the priority should be given to the documentation of knowledge of the surrounding medicinal plants. Out of these traditional knowledge and conservation of existing plant plants some are herbs, some are shrubs, climbers, and some species and their habitats. Therefore there is an urgent need of are tress. Herbs are the most common medicinal plants. It was systematic documentation of biota related medicinal observed that people of Garhwal region use single plant or knowledge of the Garhwal Himalyan region of Uttarakhand mix different plants as a medicine in a single disease. It is also state. Keeping this in mind, an attempt has been made to found that a single plant is used in different diseases. Among explore and compile the exhaustive knowledge of plants and the respondents mostly are educated while few were illiterate plant parts used in veterinary practices by people living in but majority of them were keen interest to provide the Garhwal Himalaya region. information and transferring the indigenous traditional knowledge of using these plants from one generation to other. Materials and Methods The study was conducted in seven districts (Dehradun, Medicinal plant species used against various livestock Haridwar, Pauri, Chamoli, Tehri, Uttarakashi and ailments and diseases: Rudraprayag) covering different agro-climatic zones between It was also revealed that people of Garhwal region of 2012-2018. The over all present study has been conducted in Uttarakhand have very rich traditional herbal medicinal three steps: system providing primary healthcare and treatment to their Step1: The data was collected from at least 280 people livestock for a long period. The people of this region have full (40 from each district) from different villages faith upon their old treatise and traditions. The first hand representing different geographical locations through information on the medicinal plants used by the traditional participatory rural appraisal (PRA) technique that livestock keepers of Garhwal region is tabulated. Some included conversations, key informant interviews, group important plants used in ethano-veterinary practices are given discussions, and observations. The methods of preparing in Table1. the medicine and mode of application were also noted. Old people, both men and women, are custodians of ethno- Step 2: Plants pointed out by local inhabitants were veterinary practices and pass it by oral suggestions to the collected and botanically identified with the help of flora- younger generation (Singh et al., 2008) [11]. The use of the forest flora of the Chakrata and Dehradun (Kanjilal, traditional medicine is widespread in this region with higher 1928) [6], Herbaceous flora of Dehradun (Babu, 1977) [2], percentage of population relying on it. This is due to non- Flora of District Garhwal: North West Himalaya (Gaur, availability of modern medical facilities available particularly 1999) [4], Flora of Chamoli (Naithani, 1984 & 1985) [9]. in hilly terrain of Garhwal region and the expensive modern Step 3: The identified practices were then documented medicine system cannot be afforded by people of this region. after being scientifically validated with the help of books on medicinal plants (Warrier et al, 1993; Bhattacharjee, Medicinal plant species used for chick productivity 1998) [12, 3] drug index,