Commonly Used Medicinal Plants in N. Mualcheng, Mizoram, India
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Volume 20, issue 4, pages 156–161 31 December 2020 https://doi.org/10.33493/scivis.20.04.03 RESEARCH REPORT Commonly used medicinal plants in N. Mualcheng, Mizoram, India Lalbiakngheti Tlau*, Lucy Lalawmpuii Department of Life Sciences, Pachhunga University College, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796001 Medicinal plants are the source of therapeutic agents in traditional medicines. The Received 1 December 2020 Accepted 16 December 2020 present study investigated Mizo traditional medicinal plants commonly used and available at N. Mualcheng, a village in Mizoram, India. The most important plants *For correspondence: [email protected] in terms of usage and availability as 10 species belonging to 9 families, of which Asteraceae contributes two species (such as Blumea lanceolaria, Acmella sp.), while Contact us: [email protected] Fabaceae, Acanthaceae, Costaceae, Orobanchaceae, Proteaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Smilacaceae and Plantaginaceae contribute one species each such as Mimosa pudica, Thunbergia grandiflora, Chamaecostus cuspidatus, Aeginetia indica, Helicia robusta, Elaeagnus caudata, Smilax perfoliata and Plantago asiatica respectively. An important feature of these medicinal plants is that some of them are used for complex diseases including kidney problem, gastric ulcer and diabetes mellitus. Keywords: N. Mualcheng, medicinal plants, traditional knowledge, disease, kidney problem. Introduction Mizoram is known to have one of the highest available to them and relatively less expensive while species richness in medicinal plants and the uses and some with the think of zero money spending on applications are varied from one place to another.1 medicines since they do not afford them. Before the times when modern pharmaceuticals and Undoubtedly, the true potential of these plants and synthetic drugs were even introduced in Mizoram, compounds of their medicinal properties has not yet plants had been used as medicinal remedies in discovered and identified in many plants, but still search of a cure for diseases from the far past by our many users choose to continue using them as they ancestors. From the times when each village had a have less side effects on the human body.2 chief, one of the most important tasks given to the Rai and Lalramnghinglova reported from local physicians, appointed by chief, was discovering Mizoram in 2010 that there were 159 ethno- new medicines suitable for the disease as having a medicinal plants belonging to 134 genera and 56 good physician was the pride of the village. families from different sites such as tropical forest, Furthermore, those discoveries have been still home gardens, roadsides and Mizoram University validated and extended till today. Even though the campus which significantly shows the importance modern world and technology kicked in the state and popularity of folk medicine in Mizo society.3 over a century, some hearts, exclusively the villagers’, However, site-specific covering individual village or has been won by herbal medicines over synthetic district has not been documented. This is important ones since the plants used as medicines are easily as geographical variants and differences in ISSN 0975-6175 (print) /2229-6026 (online) | CODEN SVCIC9 © The Author(s) 2020 | Published by Mizo Academy of Sciences | CC BY-SA 4.0 Volume 20 | Issue 4 | October-December 2020 application of some plants are evident across the odoratum, etc., which were not included in this study. state. N. Mualcheng, East Lungdar Block of Serchhip Methodology district, is located in the northeastern part of Mizoram with a distance of about 160 km away from The ethno botanical survey was conducted in Aizawl, the capital city of the state. As per Census November 2020. The folklore information was 2011, it has a population of 1423 with about 264 4 collected from one informant, the village elder, who households. Most of the villagers are dependent on is known as the longest user of traditional medicine slash-and-burn cultivation while the only in the village through interview and discussion. Out government job there is teaching at schools. This of 38 medicinal plants surveyed, only 10 plants, village also has some specific plants which have which are easily available, were selected for the been practiced and mode of uses that has been present study. inherited from their former inhabitants of the village. In addition to that, when people get injured, the most effective first aid is derived from plants, which Results and Discussion are just near at hand such as Thunbergia grandiflora and other plants like Mikania micrantha, Eupatorium The present study showed that people in N. Figure 1 | Hlonuar Figure 2 | Buarze Figure 3 | Vako Figure 4 | Sumbul chi khat 157 www.sciencevision.org Volume 20 | Issue 4 | October-December 2020 Figure 5 | Sangharvaibel Figure 6 | Ankasate Figure 7 | Pasaltakaza Figure 8 | Sârzûk Figure 9 | Kaiha Figure 10 | Kelbaan www.sciencevision.org 158 Volume 20 | Issue 4 | October-December 2020 Table 1 | List of medicinal plants used in N. Mualcheng. Local name English Family Scientific Parts Mode of Medicinal uses name name used uses Hlonuar Touch- me- Fabaceae Mimosa pudica Whole Decoction Kidney problems, not L. plant jaundice Buarze Lanceleaf Asteraceae Blumea Whole Decoction Stomach ulcers, Blumea lanceolaria plant wounds and cut (Roxb.) Druce Vako Blue trumpet Acanthaceae Thunbergia Whole Direct Cut and wounds, vine grandiflora plant application, gastric ulcer Roxb. decoction Sumbul chi Insulin plant Costaceae Chamaecostus Leaves Decoction Blood sugar khat cuspidatus and reducer (Nees & Mart.) roots C.Specht & D.W.Stev. Sangharvaibel Forest ghost Orobanchaceae Aeginetia indica Whole Decoction Mumps flower L. plant Ankasate Toothache Asteraceae Acmella sp. Leaves Eaten raw toothache, plant and or cooked enterobiasis flowers Pasaltakaza Proteaceae Helicia robusta Bark Decoction Stomachache, (Roxb.) R. Br. Ex Kidney problems Wall. Sârzûk Silverberry Elaeagnaceae Elaeagnus Leaves Decoction Stomachache, caudata Schltdl gynecologic problem, expelling placenta Kaiha Greenbriar Smilacaceae Smilax Tender Direct Scar remover, perfoliata Lour. stem application Sciatica gel on skin, (sap), decoction root Kelbaan Asian Plantaginaceae Plantago Whole Decoction, Gastric ulcer, plantain asiatica L. plant Direct diabetes, cuts application and wounds, on skin kidney problems Mualcheng commonly use 10 medicinal plants Blumea lanceolaria (Roxb.) (Figure 2) seems to belonging to 9 families. Two species belong to have high anti-inflammatory and wound healing Asteraceae while there was one species each in properties. Druce Blumea of different species like B. Fabaceae, Acanthaceae, Costaceae, Orobanchaceae, balsamifera is effectively used as traditional medicine Proteaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Smilacaceae and in Indonesia, Myanmar and in other parts of South- Plantaginaceae. east Asia to treat peptic ulcers as this plant consists Mimosa pudica L. (Figure 1) is one of the widely of flavonoids which help to increase the amount of used medicinal plants and claimed to have high gastric mucus glycoprotein and inhibition of ayurvedic properties to treat different types of prostaglandin production.9 diseases.5 The same ethno-botanical used of M. Rai and Lalramnghinglova (2010) reported the pudica in jaundice is also reported from central same practice of using vako (Thunbergia grandiflora, India.6 Some research also proved that this plant has Figure 3) in cuts and wounds in other parts of high antimicrobial properties.7 It is also found that Mizoram as it has an antiseptic property. This report M. pudica is effectively used for nephrolithiasis also mentioned that decoction of the leaves is taken treatment.8 159 www.sciencevision.org Volume 20 | Issue 4 | October-December 2020 as diabetes medicine.3 Medicinal uses of this plant in performed on the utilization of this plant and its stomach problems is reported from South west other species for its antipeptic activity.27 Bengal and Sonaghati district, Uttar Pradesh, 10,11 India. Conclusion It is interesting to note that the insulin plant, Chamaecostus cuspidatus (Figure 4) is already known This review clearly shows that the types and uses for its antidiabetic activity. The experiments and of medicinal plants has been surveyed, documented investigations performed in experimental diabetic and recorded in every corner of Mizoram and the rats by the leaves extract of C. cuspidatus, also need of more and deeper studies on this field is known as Costus igneus, C. cuspidatus, C. pictus, required to exactly know the truth behind these Globba cuspidatus, revealed the presence of steroids plants. Moreover, this survey importantly shows that and alkaloids which then showed significant 12,13 medicinal uses of some plants have not been made antidiabetic activity. known to other places rather than this village which The application of decoction of Aeginetia indica makes it obvious that many more discoveries can be (Figure 5) rhizome is reported from western and 3,14 done on scientific basis. other part of Mizoram. The experiment claimed that among six commonly used herbal decoctions thought to benefit the liver, Aeginetia Conflict of interest indica decoction has the highest inhibitory effect on hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by reducing NS5A The authors declared no conflict of interest. phosphorylation at serine 235.15 There are several reports on Acmella sp. (Figure 6) as References a commonly used medicinal plant for many dental problems such as periodontitis and toothache 1. Rai PK,