Cross-Cultural Ethnobotanical Exploration of Diversity and Utilization of Medicinal Plants in Karbi Anglong District, Assam, Northeast India
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NeBIO I www.nebio.in I March 2019 I 10(1): 35-46 CROSS-CULTURAL ETHNOBOTANICAL EXPLORATION OF DIVERSITY AND UTILIZATION OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN KARBI ANGLONG DISTRICT, ASSAM, NORTHEAST INDIA Robindra Teron Department of Life Science & Bioinformatics, Assam University- Diphu Campus, Diphu, Karbi Anglong, Assam- 782 462, India Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Northeastern region of India, with diverse human races and cultures coupled with enormous biodiversity, presents a fertile ground for ethnobotanical research. In the present communication, a comparative account of medicinal plants used among the Karbi, Tiwa and Pnar ethnic groups of Karbi Anglong, Assam is discussed. Field study was undertaken during May 2016 to December 2017 and data was collected following group discussion, semi-structured interview and participant observation methods. This study documented 201 medicinal plants under 173 genera and belonging to 74 botanical families. Cross-cultural analysis of results revealed the Karbis use 184 (91%) medicinal plants followed by the Pnar and Tiwa with 41 (20.4%) and 34 (16.9%) plants respectively. There is similarity in medicinal plant use- 23 (11.4%) plants between Karbi-Tiwa, 28 (13.9%) plants between Karbi-Pnar and 13 (6.5%) medicinal plants between Tiwa-Pnar. Thirteen medicinal plants are common among the three ethnic groups studied. The medicinal plants are used for treatment of 22 disease conditions/ailments. The result shows 85 (42.3%) medicinal plants are used for dietary purpose. Cross-cultural ethnobotanical study reflects the pattern of plant use in different societies and exchange of local knowledge (dynamism). It has implications for protection of intellectual property of vulnerable indigenous people. KEYWORDS: Cross-cultural ethnobotany, medicinal plants, diversity, utilization. Introduction the chief source of primary healthcare. The diversity of medicinal Northeastern region of Indian, a landlocked region comprising of plants is extraordinary but despite sincere efforts documentation eight states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, of folk medicinal knowledge is far from complete for which the Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, is acclaimed Northeast India still remained ethnic storehouse of unexplored for harbouring human and cultural diversity. About 130 major medicinal plants (Chakraborty et al., 2012). With unique quality of tribal groups are settled in the region (Dutta and Dutta, 2005). diverse human races and cultures coupled with enormous Gifted with diverse topographic and climatic conditions resulting biodiversity, the region is considered as a fertile ground for in a great range of ecological habitats, the region also includes ethnobotanical and anthropological research. Ethnobotany two global biodiversity hotspots, the Eastern Himalaya and Indo- (ethnos: people; botany: plants), deals with the total natural and Burma. Among other heritages, the ethnic communities are rich traditional relationship and the interactions between man and his repository of traditional knowledge and their healing practices are surrounding plant wealth that includes the use of plants by both as diverse as their culture (Ramashanker et al., 2015). People of tribal and non-tribal communities without any implication of the region possess vast knowledge of medicinal plants which is primitive or developed societies (Jain, 1976b; Wickens, 1990). Received 3 June 2018 I Accepted 13 March 2019 I Published online 31 March 2019 Citation: Teron. 2019. Cross-cultural ethnobotanical exploration of diversity and utilization of medicinal plants in Karbi Anglong district, Assam, Northeast India. NeBIO 10(1): 35-46 Acknowledgements This study was undertaken with financial grant provided by University Grants Commission, New Delhi as Research Award (2016-18). Also, the Institutional Biotech Hub (Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India), Department of Life Science & Bioinformatics, Assam University- Diphu Campus, is acknowledged for infrastructural support. Copyright © Teron. 2019. NECEER, Imphal allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication. NeBIO, An International Journal of Environment and Biodiversity Official publication of North East Centre for Environmental Education (NECEER), Imphal I ISSN 2278-2281 (Online), 0976-3597 (Print) I www.nebio.in Teron » Cross-cultural ethnobotanical exploration of diversity and utilization of medicinal plants in Karbi Anglong district, Assam NeBIO 10(1): 35-46 Probably the oldest science known to mankind, ethnobotany today Nagaland in the east, Meghalaya in the west, Golaghat and is a multidisciplinary science forging strong linkages with many Nagaon districts in the north and Dima Hasao district in the south. disciplines. Ethnobotany is built on strong foundation of people- The district comprises of two detached parts – the Western part plant interactions that centers on the knowledge of utilization and also referred as Hamren subdivision with its Headquarter at management of biodiversity referred as Traditional Knowledge Hamren and the eastern part comprising of Diphu and Bokajan (TK). This knowledge is acquired through long years of subdivisions with their respective Headquaters at Diphu and observations and trial and error and is not substantiated by any Bokajan (Fig. 1). scientific hypothesis and experiments. It is not static but highly dynamic; any change, whether loss in, or addition to TK among any human society is referred as dynamism of TK (Jain, 2005). Ethnomedicines and healthcare practices of the ethnic groups in Karbi Anglong have not been properly investigated. But ethnomedicinal knowledge and traditional healthcare practices among different cultures is gradually declining for various reasons. No comprehensive description of the flora as well as medicinal plants of the district is available except a few mentions in the flora of undivided Assam, Flora of Assam in 5 volumes (Kanjilal et al., 1934-40) and Assam’s Flora (Chowdhory, 2005). Destruction of natural habitats due to jhum (slash and burn) Figure 1. Map of Karbi Anglong district, Assam where the present practice and monoculture has put medicinal plants at risk of study was undertaken. extinction. There is urgent need to study and document valuable traditional knowledge of medicinal plants of different ethnic Karbi Anglong is inhabited by many ethnic groups such as Karbi, groups before it is lost. Scattered information on ethnomedicinal Dimasa, Tiwa, Pnar, Rengma Naga, Kuki, and other plain tribes. plants of Karbi Anglong have been reported from time to time For historical reasons, the Karbi, Tiwa and Pnar ethnic groups (Borthakur, 1976a; Gogoi et al., 2005; Teron and Borthakur, 2013, have been considered for the present study. They are recognized 2016; Terangpi et al., 2014; Teronpi et al., 2015). as Scheduled Tribes (Hills) in Assam state. While the Karbis are distributed all over the district, Tiwa and Pnar are mostly In the present communication, a comparative account of concentrated in Hamren subdivisional area but the three groups medicinal plants used among the Karbi, Tiwa and Pnar ethnic since history have settled in the same geographical area and groups is discussed. Ethnobotany has been increasingly used to maintained cordial relationships. The Karbi follow patriarchal study pattern of plant-use by human societies in different system of family whereas Tiwa and Pnar maintain matrilineal ecological zones of the world. Since antiquity, human have family system. They practice traditional customs and traditions exploited plants as source of primary healthcare practices. Over unique and distinct from each other. But there is striking similarity 80% people of the developing countries are still dependent upon in healthcare and beliefs related to health. One important traditional medicine derived from natural resources (Fansworth et semblance among the people is the belief in of multiplicity of al., 1985), yet less than 10% of the plant species have been gods/deities and considers these deities as the causes of examined for their pharmaceutical properties (Stix, 1993). A diseases and illness. They perform many magico-religious comparative study of ethnobotany of four tribes of the Amazon practices to appease deities in return for recovery of the patient. was reported by Prance (1973). Similar cross-cultural study of In addition, they also use many plants as well as animal products ethnic knowledge on medicinal plants was also undertaken to manage scores of ailments and disease conditions. Common among the tribal groups of the Nilgiris in Western Ghats, India form of healing practices include rituals, topical or local (Navaneethan et al., 2011). A cross-cultural comparison was application, oral therapy, aroma therapy, bathing, charms and made to prepare database of medicinal floras used against other forms of administration. snakebites and to identify candidate families and genera for further studies (Molandera et al., 2012) and for bioprospecting Ethnobotanical field study and data collection strategies (Saslis-Lagoudakis et al., 2011). In a recent study, A cross-cultural ethnobotanical exploration was conducted among cross-cultural study of folk plant uses was conducted among the Karbi, Tiwa and Pnar ethnic tribes and document plant Albanians, Bosnaiks, Gorani and Turks in south Kosovo (Mustafa knowledge with special reference to medicinal plants. During the et al., 2015). period (May 2016