Natural Product Radiance, Vol. 8(5), 2009, pp.546-548 Explorer:Research Paper

Ethnobotany of pentagyna Roxb. in Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh, P C Dubey1, R L S Sikarwar2*, K K Khanna3 and Arjun P Tiwari1 1Conservator of Forest, Research and Extension Circle, Rewa-486 001, Madhya Pradesh, India 2Arogyadham, Deendayal Research Institute, Chitrakoot, Satna-485 331, Madhya Pradesh 3Botanical Survey of India, Central Circle, Allahabad-211 002, Uttar Pradesh, India * Correspondent author, E-mail: [email protected] Received 6 February 2008; Accepted 16 February 2009 Abstract population of Vindhya region. They reside An ethnobotanical study among the various tribal and folk communities of Vindhya mainly in forest area and utilized forest region of Madhya Pradesh was carried out during the year 2004-2007. Detailed first hand resources for food, fibre, fodder, information on ethnobotanical uses of Dillenia pentagyna Roxb., an endangered tree species, medicine, dye, gum, agriculture, house was collected, which accounts for many ethnical uses in the study area. The tribal and folk hold articles, thatching, etc. communities use the various parts of it for the treatment of their different ailments and diseases, viz. delivery (bark), bone fracture (leaf), body pain (root), piles (leaf), diabetes (bark), diarrhoea and dysentery (bark), etc. Methodology An extensive ethnobotanical Keywords: Dillenia pentagyna, Karkat, Ethnobotany, Medicinal uses, Madhya Pradesh, Vindhya region. survey was carried out among the various tribal and folk communities in Vindhya IPC code; Int. cl.8 — A61K 36/00 region of Madhya Pradesh during the year 2004-2007. The first hand detailed Introduction latitude and 80° 25′ to 83° 25′ East information on D. pentagyna locally Dillenia pentagyna Roxb. longitude, covering an area of 38,370 sq known as Karkat was recorded. Detailed (Family — ) is a medium km. The Vindhya region is consists of 6 information such as parts used, mode of sized, deciduous tree up to 20 m tall with districts, viz. Rewa, Satna, Sidhi, Shahdol, preparation, administration/application, pale smooth bark. Leaves are alternate, Umaria and Anooppur. The rich dose and duration, name of diseases, etc. smooth, ovate-oblong, obtuse, entire or biodiversity marks the Vindhya region. The with other miscellaneous uses was denticulate, densely clothed with white dry mixed deciduous forests cover the area recorded. The recorded information was hairs, petioled, sheathing, petiole of 13,145.51 sq km, which accounts crosschecked and verified. The reported channeled, leaves crowded at the end of 34.4% of the total land area. The uses were compared with well known branches. Flowers are yellow, fragrant, in maximum and minimum temperature Indian literature and found that most of fascicles on the leafless old branches; ranges from 48.5° C to 1° C in the month them were not reported earlier1-10. pedicels terete; sepals thick, ovate, obtuse; of May-June and December-January, petals lanceolate; fruits sub-globose, respectively. Ethnobotanical uses yellow, 1-2 seeded, enclosed by fleshy There are several tribal Fruits are cooked as vegetable sepals. The is found almost communities inhabit in the Vindhya and also used for making chutney. Root throughout India (Plate 1). region. The dominant tribes are Gond, decoction (25-50 ml) is given in case of Kol, Baiga, Panica, Khairwar, Pav, body pain twice daily till cure. In case of Study area Manjhi, Mawasi and Agaria. As per diabetes, one-teaspoon bark powder Vindhya region is situated in the 2001 census, the total population of (5-10 g) with water is given three times a northeastern part of Madhya Pradesh and the tribal communities is about 77, day for three months. Bark powder lies between 23° 45′ to 25° 30′ North 65,828, which accounts 26.4% of the total

546 Natural Product Radiance Explorer:Research Paper

a b c

d e f

Plate 1: Dillenia pentagyna — a. Full tree; b. Close up of leaves; c. Tree in flowering; d. Close up of flowers; e. Flowering branches; f. Medicine man with a twig is also given in the treatment of diarrhoea times a day. In skin diseases and body pain Conclusion and dysentery, three times a day till cure. decoction of leaves is used to bath once a The present paper provides the Bark (10g) is pounded and mixed with day till cure. Leaf powder (5-10 g) is given ethnomedicinal uses of D. pentagyna. water and filtered. The crystal sugar (10g) to woman for the treatment of breast It is used by the various tribal and folk is added to the filtrate and given to woman cancer twice daily till cure. communities of Vindhya region for the for easy delivery. Bark decoction (25-50 A cot or bed is made from the treatment of common ailments and ml) is given to woman after delivery as a wood for sleeping to ward off the evil spirit diseases prevailing in the region. Further tonic and also used for bath to check the and to know the forth-coming events. The phytochemical and pharmacological infection. It is applied on head once a cot is also used to reduce the body pain, studies to find out active chemical week for hair growth and to check the but the cot should be prepared in one day. constituents and validate the baldness. Tribal communities worship the plant on ethnomedicinal uses are warranted. Leaf paste is applied on cuts and the Dipawali festival day thinking it as wounds twice daily it is also applied on Goddess Luxmi. A statue or picture of God Acknowledgements bone fracture once a day till cure. The and Goddess is placed on the stool or stand The authors are thankful to the leaf poultice is used in bleeding piles two prepared from the wood. Deportment of Forests, Government of

Vol 8(5) September-October 2009 547 Explorer:Research Paper

Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal and Dr. Bharat 2. Asolkar LV, Kakkar KK and Chakre OJ, Second 6. Hussain Akhatar, Virmani OP, Popli SP, Mishra Pathak, General Secretary, Deendayal Supplement to Glossary of Medicinal LN, Gupta MM, Shrivastava GN, Abraham Z Research Institute, Chitrakoot for with active principles, Part 1 (A-K) (1965- and Singh AK, Dictionary of Indian Medicinal 81), Publications & Information Directorate, Plants, Central Institute of Medicinal and providing all necessary facilities. The CSIR, New Delhi, 1992, p. 274. Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, 1992. authors are also grateful to the chieftain of tribal and folk communities for 3. Kirtikar KR and Basu BD, Indian Medicinal 7. Parrotta JA, Healing Plants of Peninsular India, providing valuable information. Plants, Bishen Singh Mahendrapal Singh, CABI, Publishing, Wallingford, UK, 2001. Dehra Dun, 1993, Reprint Edn, Vol. I, p. 53. 8. Chopra RN, Nayar SL and Chopra IR, Glossary References 4. Jain SK, Dictionary of Indian Folkmedicine of Indian Medicinal Plants, Publications & 1. The Wealth of India: A Dictionary of Indian and Ethnobotany, Deep Publications, New Information Directorate, CSIR, New Delhi, Raw Materials & Industrial Products — Raw Delhi, 1991, p.75. 1956. Materials Series, Vol. III, Publications & Information Directorate, CSIR, New Delhi, 5. The Useful Plants of India, compiled and 9. Pal DC and Jain SK, Tribal Medicine, Naya 1952, pp. 65-66; Second Suppl Series (Raw edited by K Kashyapa and Ramesh Chand, Prokash, Kolkata, 1998. Materials), Vol. 1 (A-F), National Institute of Publication and Information Directorate, Science Communication and Information Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Resources, CSIR, New Delhi, 2006, p.281. 10. Sikarwar RLS, Ethnobotany of Madhya Pradesh New Delhi, 1986, Reprint, 1992, p.173. (Review Article), Appl Bot Abstr, 2001, 21(2), 133-147.

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