Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 5(2), April 2006, pp. 268-270

Dicentra scandens (D.Don) Walp.⎯A highly potent ethnomedicinal plant against malaria, high blood pressure and diabetes

Neli Lokho Pfoze* & D Ngolo Chiezou *SEDCORM/FAD, Hill Bird Building, Senapati, ; North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCRMP), Shillong1, Meghalaya; Khezhakeno, District Phek, E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

Received 24 January 2005; revised 30 May 2005

Dicentra scandens (D.Don) Walp. syn Dicentra thalictrifolia (Wall.) Hook. f. & Thoms. is a climbing perennial herb, belonging to the family Fumariaceae. The plant thrives well in moist sandy loam or loamy or forest soils very rich in organic matter. The plant has been used for years by Naga ethnic tribal communities living in eastern Nagaland state for treating various diseases including a number of fatal diseases like malaria, high blood pressure and diabetes. Therefore, it is warranted that step needs to be taken up for laboratory research to probe for validity test as claimed by herbalists and ultimately evolve a system for bio-prospecting and bio-partnership in bringing about cultivation.

Key words: Malaria, High blood pressure, Diabetes, Ethnomedicine, Nagaland

IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K36/00, A61P3/10, A61P7/12, A61P9/02

The local traditional herbal healers of the Naga Dicentra scandens (D.Don) Walp. or the Yellow possess incredible knowledge of medicinal plant Yew is locally known as Rhoodo among Chakhesang resources and ethnomedicine folklore, which serves as Naga tribe. The plant grow well under temperate and lifeline in their primary healthcare system. The wealth sub-tropical conditions having rainfall ranges from of this medicinal information is preserved as an 1300-2000 mm with an annual average temperature of unwritten Materia Medica of this tribal folk. 20°C and altitudinal range up to 1525 m above mean However, the advent of allopathic medicines coupled sea level. The plant exhibits a dual habit, climber or with rapidly acquiring modern culture and custom by creeper (Fig. 1) and thrives well in moist sandy loam this tribal community, has resulted in eroding this rich or loamy or forest soils very rich in organic matter traditional knowledge. In view of this the present study under partial shade conditions. An attempt was made was aimed to: to study the general morphological characters and

1 identify the potential of ethnomedicinal showed that the roots are tuberous in nature (Fig. 2) properties of Dicentra scandens used by with filiform, and twisted stem. The decompound different Naga ethnic tribal communities, leaves are stalked, glaucous, soft, reticulate multi- 2 sensitize and create awareness among the local costate convergent venation, acute-oblique base and people about the importance of medicinal plant oblong-oval lamina with intrapetiolar tendrils. The resources in today’s patent regime, and fruits are more or less flattish pods with small- application of local indigenous traditional elongated apex. knowledge (if any), useful for bioprospecting of new sources of herbal drugs, and Methodology

3 document the untapped Traditional Knowledge A number of ethnomedicinal field surveys were System vulnerable to increasing threat from conducted across Senapati district in Manipur and biopiracy for commercial interest. adjoining of Nagaland state inhabited by ______different Naga tribal communities. During the survey, *Corresponding author a number of queries and discussions were conducted PFOZE & CHIEZOU: ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANT AGAINST MALARIA, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND DIABETES 269

with local herbalists. Pre-designated format and of the plant material collected a standard herbarium standard questions were prepared and the information was made, and got it identified from Botanical Survey extracted from the discussion were collected and of (BSI), Shillong, Meghalaya. Further, a good recorded. From the discussion, the herbal practitioners number of planting materials were collected and disclosed the curative properties of this plant in the successfully planted in the field to study the treatment against different diseases including a cultivation methods, and practices and explore the number of fatal or dreaded diseases. From the sample possibility for bringing into cultivation. 270 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 5, No. 2, APRIL 2006

Results secrecy on the other hand. This traditional knowledge The ethnomedicinal therapy plays a vital role in the system of the tribal communities needs to be studied, primary healthcare of tribal and rural population, and documented, preserved and used for the benefit of has a potential for the discovery of new drugs of mankind2. Moreover, the tribal people are rapidly herbal origin, which are metabolized in the human acquiring the modern culture and custom. Thus, there body having no side effect1. The local people is an urgent need to record their empiric and endemic particularly the herbalists use this medicinal plant in knowledge before it all vanishes3. the treatment against different types of diseases like It has been reported that Dicentra scandens from malaria, typhoid and other common viral fevers, Khasia hill is deposited in the herbarium specimen in diabetes, pneumonia, high blood pressure, diarrhoea, the New York Botanical Garden4. The finding of this dysentery, flatulence, gastritis, cut or injury, and medicinal plant that has been used for treating various shows very effective and successful results. The human ailments or diseases by the Naga tribal method of application is very simple that involves: communities opens scope to validate claims made by

1 Juice from fresh tuberous roots or tubers local herbalists and identification of bioactive (Fig. 3) is taken orally, 2 spoonfuls each twice compounds responsible for curative effect, leading to a day. cultivation for commercialization. 2 Fresh tuberous roots or tubers cut into small pieces (about 5 gm each) is taken. Acknowledgement 3 Whole root tubers are dried under partial shade Authors are grateful to NERCRMP, Shillong, for and crushed into fine powder. 1gm of this dried providing scholarship as Project Fellow (Field Based) powder is taken orally twice a day. under the Senapati District Community Resource 4 About 3 spoonfuls decoction of fresh leaves or Management Society (SEDCORMS), Senapati tender stem or branches is taken thrice a day. District, Manipur. Our sincere thanks are due to local

In addition, the juice extracted from fresh leaves, herbal practitioners for providing information and and leaf paste is applied to cut or injury to control planting material for identification and plantation in bleeding. In short, the whole plant is used locally in the field. Our thanks are also extended to BSI, the treatment against 11 different diseases or ailments. Shillong for identification of the plant.

Discussion References Dicentra scandens exhibits highly potent medicinal 1 Singh SP, Tripathi S & Shukla RS, Ethnomedicinal heritage properties. The plant has been in use for years by for bioprospecting and drug development in Northeastern states of India, J Econ Taxon Bot, 27 (2) (2003) 384. section of Naga ethnic tribal communities living in 2 Dhar Uppeandra, Manjkhola Sumit, Joshi Mital, Bhatt Arvind, eastern Nagaland state. However, until recently the Bisht A. K & Joshi Meena, Current Status and Future Strategy for use of this plant as medicine has not been known to Development of Medicinal Plant Sector in Uttaranchal, India, Curr other parts of the region mainly because of the Sci, 83(8) (2002) 956. endemic nature of the plant coupled with 3 Srivastava SC, Mitra S & Bandyopadhyay S, Some plants of ethnomedicinal importance from Darjeeling district, West inaccessibility of the region on the one hand and Bengal, J Econ Taxon Bot, 27 (4) (2003) 972. transmission of information particularly use of 4 Hooker JD &Thomson T, Flora of British India, 1 (1855) medicinal herbs through oral tradition with utmost 273.