Bulletin of Pharmaceutical Research 2012;2(2):91-105 An Official Publication of Association of Pharmacy Professionals ISSN: 2249-6041 (Print); ISSN: 2249-9245 (Online) REVIEW ARTICLE ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANTS USED AGAINST JAUNDICE IN BANGLADESH AND ITS ECONOMICAL PROSPECTS Zahed Bin Rahim*, Muhammad Mahabubur Rahman, Dibyajyoti Saha, S.M. Zahid Hosen, Swati Paul and Shafiul Kader Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University, Chittagong, Bangladesh *E-mails: [email protected], [email protected] Tel.: +88-01755588624, +88-01752560434, +88-01715847075. Received: January 06, 2012 / Revised: July 28, 2012 / Accepted: July 29, 2012 In Bangladesh, traditional plant-based medicines have always been used to treat hepatitis and jaundice. In the present work, we focused on medicinal plants used to treat jaundice and hepatitis. About 95 plant species belonging to about 75 family were found to be used against jaundice or hepatitis by the traditional healers. The most important plant species are Alocasia indica, Aloe barbadensis, Asparagus racemosus, Averrhoa carambola, Bixa orellana, Boerhaavia diffusa, Cucumis sativus, Cajanus Cajan, Cassia fistula, Eclipta alba, Hemidesmus indicus, Lagenaria siceraria, Mentha arvensis, Momordica charantea, Oroxylum indicum, Saccharum officinarum, Tamarindus indica etc. The ethnomedicinal inventory is presented by plant name, local name, family, chemical constituents, parts used and distribution in Bangladesh. Key words: Ethnomedicinal plants, Jaundice, Hepatitis, Economical prospects. INTRODUCTION the skin, sclera and mucous membrane, it turns Ethnomedicine is a subfield of ethno botany or yellow. This yellowness is known as jaundice medical anthropology that deals with the study (icterus) and usually detectable when plasma of traditional medicines; not only those that have bilirubin is greater than 2 mg/dl (34 µmol/l). relevant written sources (e.g. Traditional Most of the people take herbal treatment from Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda), but especially kabiraj as primary treatment of jaundice. Since those, whose knowledge and practices have been various plant/plant parts are used, their orally transmitted over the centuries (Idu, 2009; economical aspects are also important to Martin, 1995). consider. In Bangladesh, a long tradition of indigenous herbal medicinal systems, based on the rich local METHOD plant diversity, is considered as very important The present study is an attempt to enlist the component of the primary health care system. medicinal plants growing and available in Though largely neglected over the past half Bangladesh with their chemicals or active century, the majority of the rural poor chemical constituents and other medicinal uses. households still rely on the traditional system In this study we tried to enlist a maximum (known as Kabirajee system) for their primary number of plant species are available in health care needs. Every village has several such Bangladesh used against jaundice or hepatitis. herbal practitioners (Kabiraj), who traditionally Information about the chemical constituents of inherited plant-based knowledge for medicine medicinal plants is very important for their (Islam et al 2011). meaningful exploitation as pharmaceutical and Jaundice is not a disease but rather a sign that medicinal raw materials and as therapeutic can occur in many different diseases. When free agents. This study was carried out by or conjugated bilirubin accumulates in the blood, interviewing respondents in different remote 91 ã Rahim et al Bull. Pharm. Res. 2012;2(2) sites. The respondents were old age women, problems (coughs, bronchitis, colds, flu, men, and healers themselves and had knowledge pneumonia, excessive mucous/ phlegm); for hair on the medicinal use of the plants for the said loss; for gallstones; for menstrual disorders purpose. The targeted studying areas were (interruption or absence of menstrual cycle); as Chittagong, Chittagong Hill tracts, Borendro a blood cleanser and liver detoxifier. forest area and shyllet region. Information was Baliospermum montanum has traditional uses for gathered by taking interviews of the informants constipation, piles, anemia, and conjuctivitis. The and as witnesses of the uses during the period of roots are purgative, anthelmintic, carminative, studies in the field. Some information also rubefacient and anodyne and used in abdominal collected from the book “Medicinal Plants of pain, constipation, general anasarca, piles, Bangladesh with chemical constituents and uses” helminthes infestation, scabies and skin by Abdul Ghani (1st & 2nd edition), which also disorders. Root paste is applied to painful based on extensive field surveys carried out swellings and piles. The leaves relieve asthma among the local and tribal communities. and seeds are used to cure snakebites. Berberis Information on chemical constituents was lycium; locally, the plant is used for the collected from a lot of sources. treatment of internal injuries. An ointment made from root powder is mixed with oil and applied DISCUSSION on broken bones. It is also used for fencing and Data obtained from present investigation is hedges. Cissus adnata has traditional uses for the compiled in Table 1 and the plants species are treatment of boils, bruise, bubo, epilepsy, fever, arranged in alphabetical order. A total of 97 food poisoning, gastric tumour, gingivitis, gout, plant species belonging to 56 families have been hemi-paralysis, hysteria, jaundice, lipoma, reported for the treatment of jaundice and mental disorder, neck pain, obstructive labour, hepatitis. For each plant species, botanical name, paralysis, paratyphoid, pregnancy complication, family, local name, parts used, chemical rheumatism, snake bite and ureterolithiasis. constituents and distribution are provided. Cucumis sativus also used for dehydration, Different plant parts were used to cure jaundice burning sensation, epistaxis, hemorrhages, and hepatitis. Among these leaves were highly dysurea, body weakness, insomnia etc. utilized (36%) followed by roots (20%), fruit Kalanchoe pinnata also used for coughs, (17%), whole plant (16%), bark (11%), seeds bronchial infections, blood dysentery, jaundice, (7%), stem (6%), rhizomes (4%) and flowers kidney stone and gout. Leaves are eaten to (2%) in decreasing order (Figure 1). control diabetes. Macrosolen cochinchinensis is Table 1 data shows that medications used for used in the treatment of diarrhea (severe), jaundice and hepatitis can be divided into two epilepsy, gout, hysteria, jaundice, lipoma categories: those that prepared from (i) single (tumour), paralysis, tuberculosis. Mussaenda plant and (ii) from more than one plant species. labrets roots, mixed with cow’s urine, is used in The most popularly used species in Bangladesh the treatment of leprosy. White leaves crushed is Saccharum officinarum and Tamarandus with milk are given in jaundice. Paederia foetida indica. Other plants used in single or combined is used in the treatment of anklitis, diarrhoea, form are Aloe barbadensis, Asparagus racemosus, blood dysentery, impotence, gout, piles, Boerhaavia diffusa, Bauhinia acuminata, Cissus weakness, stomach disorder, boils, bone assamica, Eclipta alba, Hemidesmus indicus, fractures, tuberculosis, cancerous tumours, Kalanchoe pinnata, Lagenaria siceraria, carbuncle, cirrhosis etc. Momordica charantea etc. The preparation method of medication sometimes varies from kabiraj to kabiraj. The popular forms are decoction, juice, extract, powder, fresh part and paste. The duration of treatment varies from weeks to months. The payment system for the treatment varies; cash payments are most chosen but sometimes exchange of food materials like- rice, chicken, goats are also seen. Some listed plants are reported to be used against diseases other than jaundice. Adiantum Fig. 1. Plant parts used for the treatment capillus has traditional uses for respiratory of jaundice. 92 Rahim et al Bull. Pharm. Res. 2012;2(2) Table 1. List of plants used against jaundice in Bangladesh Plant name Synonym/local Parts Chemical constituents Distribution name used Family Triterpenes , flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, and carotenoids; Oleanane compounds (Two new migrated hopane triterpenoids viz. 4a- hydroxyfilican-3-one and fern-9(11)-en-12b-ol, and olean-18-en-3-one and olean-12-en-3-one); Adiantum capillus- olean-18-en-3-one, olean-12-en-3-one, ferrn- veneris - L. 9(11)-ene, ferna-7,9(11)-diene ,fern-7-ene, Polypodiaceae hop-22(29)-ene, filic-3-ene, neohop-12-ene, Leaves Chittagong hill tracts, (Nakane et al 2002; adiantoxide, adiantone, fern-9(11)-en-12-one, Sylhet Abbasi et al 2009) 28-hydroxyfern-9(11)-ene , isoadiantone, isoglaucanone ,hydoxyhopane , isoadiantol and hydroxyadiantone; tannins, tarpenoids, mucilage, volatile oil, capillerine, mucin, gallic acid, sugar, kaempferol, quercetol, luteol. Alocasia indica Alocasia Soluble oxalates, cyanogenetic principles, macrorrhiza a mixture of triglochinin, isotriglochinin, Tuber All over Bangladesh Araceae beta-glucosides and hydrolyzing enzymes. (Ghani, 2003) Crystalline glycoside known as Aloin (barbaloin, isobarbaloin, beta-barbaloin, aloe-emodin, resins); phenolic glucosides (isoeleutheraol, Aloe barbadensis β-D-glucopyranoside,aloesaponol ІІІ-8-O-β-D- Aloe vera, glucopyranoside, aloesaponol ІІІ-6-O-D- All over Bangladesh as ghritokumari Whole glucopyranoside, aloenin, aloesin. In addition of ornamental plant (beng.) plant these flavanoids, oxanthraquinones, coumarins, Liliaceae amino acids, mono and poly saccharides,oils, (Ghani, 2003)