ISSN 2278- 4136 ZDB-Number: 2668735-5 IC Journal No: 8192 Volume 2 Issue 1 Online Available at www.phytojournal.com Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry Leguminosae (Fabaceae) in Tribal Medicines Meghendra Sharma1 and Ashwani Kumar2* 1. Department of Science and Technology, Govt of Rajasthan, SATcom office, IGPRS Campus, JLN Marg, Jaipur 302004, India [Email: [email protected]] 2. Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302004, India According to Sushruta, no plant in this world is useless. A large number of crude drugs used in Ayurvedic system employ plants of family Fabaceae. The family Fabaceae popularly known as legumes, is the third largest order of seed-plants containing about 600 genera with 12,000 speices. All the three subfamilies of Fabaceae have been given the status of family and hence they will be treated here as distinct families. Details of medicinal plants of these families and their uses are presented here. Keyword: Fabaceae, Acacia, Tribal medicine, Ethnobotany 1. Introduction between and near the tropics and are more Some ethnobotanical work in India was done in abundant in the old than in the New World. The botanical survey of India. The scope, importance family includes the greatest number of Legumes, and methodology of this field have been out lined comparising 400 genera with about 7000 species. by various workers such as Jain (1965), Mitra and It is an extremely important family and its Jain (1991) Kumar (2000) Maheshwari and Singh members yield nutritious food, fiber, shelter, (1984). The ethanobotanical studied were carried valuable medicines and also virulent poisons out in different parts of India by various workers (Datta and Mukherji, 1952). as Shivani and Kumar (2000, 2002), Gupta and Kumar ( 2000, 2002a, b), Mishra and Kumar The members exhibit most varied properties, (2001 a,b), Kotia and Kumar ( 2000, 2001), and some are amylaceous, other oleaginous, many Trivedi (2002). The application of herbal yield resins, balsams and dyes, a few are medicines has been studied by and Seema and astringent, acrid and bitter, narcotic and Kumar (2004 and 2005) Sharma and Kumar poisonous, emetic and purging, tonic and (2006, 2007), Singh et al., (2010) and Sharma and restorative. The seeds are often anti periodic and Kumar (2011) Sharma et al., (2011). the root anthelmentic. 2. Results and Discussion Some of the important genera are Abrus sp., Results are presented in table 3.1 to 3.4. Alhagi sp., Arachis sp., Butea sp., Cajanus sp., I. Family Paplionaceae (Fabaceae): Cicer sp., Derris sp., Glycine sp., Glycyrrhiza sp., The members of family Papilionaceae are herbs, Medicago sp., Pisum sp., Phaselous sp., Psoralea shrubs or trees found in all climates but mostly Vol. 2 No. 1 2013 www.phytojournal.com Page | 276 Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry sp., Sesbania sp., Tephrosia sp., Vicia sp. and whole plant, mixed with curd and give once a Vigna sp.. day (or if needed twice) to cure diarrhea. Rice Medicinal plants of family Papilionaceae are with such curd should be taken as a diet given in table 3.9. during treatment and no sugar or salt should be used in the diet. 1. Butea monosperma O Kuntze.‘Palas’ 6. Alysicarpus vaginalis Linn. DC. ‘Davai’: It The Oraon and Korwa tribes of Madhya is known for cough. Santhals of Santhal Pradesh make the root decoction and Pargana in Bihar use its root as an antifertility used it in urinary troubles. The bark agent. decoction is used in loose motions. Andh, 7. Atylosia scarabaeoides Benth. ‘Banherwa’: Bhil, Gond, Halba, Kokna, Korku and In Raigarh (Aeppu) of Madhya Pradesh the Malhar tribes of Khandala region in tribal people use the plant decoction (100 ml.) Maharashtra use its flowers for urinary as a tonic after delivery. The fresh leaf paste complaints. Fresh or dried flowers are is applied on swellings of leg. The pod are crushed and mixed with water. One cup of also eaten for this purpose. In Bihar tribal extract is given for proper urination. people make plant or root into a paste and Santals of Santal pargana in Bihar use its mix with coconut oil to apply on head for roots for tuberculosis. It is also known as fifteen days to check falling hairs to cure depurative, aphrodisiac, astringent, baldness (Tarafdar and Chaudhari, 1997 ). anthelmintic, rubifacient, antidote to 8. Atylosia volubilis Blanco. ‘Gamble’: snake bite and it is also used for Inhabitants of Orissa use its root for mumps. diarrhoea, piles, tumours, dysentery and The root is made into a paste and applied herpes. locally. 2. Flemingia chappar Ham. ‘Salpan’: 9. Clitoria ternatea Linn. ‘Aparajit’: In Bihar the people of santhal tribes use 1 Inhabitants of Dhasan valley in Bundelkhand to 2 drops of juice extracted from pressed region of Utter Pradesh apply the powdered seeds put in the eyes as a remedy in eye root externally for the treatment of gotire. In troubles and to remove cataract. In India it is also used as cathartic, diuretic and Madhya Pradesh this plant is also known antidote against snake bite. It is also useful as ‘Galphule’, in Gamharia (Raigarh) of against leprosy. Madhya Pradesh, the leaf juice mixed 10. Crotolaria alata Ham. ‘Gunghra’: In with seven drops of mustard oil and a Gamharia (Raigarh) of Madhya Pradesh the little amount of jaggery is used in eye pain Oraon tribal people use to rub the paste of by the tribal people. the whole plant on the body for curing joints 3. Flemingia congesta Roxb. ‘Mahadeokama’: and muscular pains. The root decoction 50 In Gamharia (Raigarh) of Madhya ml. is used 5 times daily in scorpion stings Pradesh, the root decoction 50 ml. is and in snake bite. administered orally three times daily in 11. Crotolaria albida Heyne. ‘Banmethi’: The spermatorrhoea by the tribal people. tribes of Ambikapur in Madhya Pradesh use 4. Indigofera cassiodies Rotle ex DC ‘Jhilla’: give about 2 gm.powdered root twice a day to The Kusmi tribal people of Madhya Pradesh a victim of snake bite. use the root of the plant powdered with bark 12. Crotolaria bialata Heyne.‘ Murgijori’: The of Tendu (Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb.) and Kurmi Mahato tribes of Bihar use root paste half teaspoonful powder prescribed to women three times for nine days in discharge of for preventing conception. blood with urine. 5. Indigofera linnaei Ali. ‘Runkhadi’: 13. Crotolaria pallida Dry. Syn. C.Striata DC. Inhabitants of Gujrat and South East ‘Thankur’: Mikirs of Assam take about 20 Rajasthan take about 10 gm. fresh juice of Vol. 2 No. 1 2013 www.phytojournal.com Page | 277 Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry ml. extract of leaves in early morning to kill The members of family Caesalpiniaceae are trees, intestinal worms. shrubs or rarely herbs numerous in the Tropics. 14. Crotolaria semialata Linn. ‘Gulabi’: The They scarcely extend beyond the tropical belt in Kurmi tribes of Madhya Pradesh use about the old world and they are rather few in North half tea spoon powdered root for malarial America. The sub family includes 56 genera with fever . about 650 species. The members exhibit mostly 15. Crotolaria sericea Retz ‘Ghurhiti’: The tonic, astringent and mucilaginous properties, tribes of Ambikapur, use the roots of this some have a pectoral and laxative or cathartic plant and Byttneria herbaceae Roxb.They are action; others are anthelmintic antiseptic, powdered and 2 gm. of this powder is used antipyretic, styptic. Some of the important genera for curing gonorrhoea . are Bauhinia sp., Cassia sp., Cynometra sp. 16. Crotolaria spectabilis Retz ‘Sonokai’: In 1. Bauhinia purpurea Linn. ‘Khairwal’: In Bihar Oraon and Khond tribes used plant Raigarh (Sisrangha) the tribal people used paste in rheumatism twice daily for fifteen the stem bark decoction (50 ml.) three days. The patient should take it with an empty times daily in body pain and fever. The stomach one hour before his meal. Another young leaves and buds are cooked as method of tribal use is the fresh plant swept food. Santhals, Bhumij, Birhors and over the body of a patient three times daily Kherias of West Bengal apply paste of its for fifteen days . bark on sores of small-pox ( Jain and De, 17. Crotolaria prostrata Rottl. ‘Bilaiban’: Oraon 1966 ). Nagas of Nagaland use its bark for and Korwa tribes of Madhya Pradesh made curring cancerous growth in stomach ( the twigs into pieces and used in nabhi locally known as ‘Chapo’). Paste of bark treatment. is given in internally. Among the 18. Desmodium gyroides (Lamk.) DC.: inhabitants of Dharmpuri Forest Division Inhabitants of Hazaribagh district of Bihar use in Tamil Nadu, the leaf – paste of this its whole plant to promote conceptions. The plant mixed with milk (latex) of Jatropha plant is made into paste with 4 leaves of curcas is administered to cure jaundice. It Ocimum sanctum (scared Tulsi ), put in a is also known as anthelmintic, diuretic, banana and given to a lady for conception. astringent, carminative and for diarrhoea. 19. Desmodium motorium DC. ‘Jugni’: In 2. Bauhinia purpurea: In Sisrangha Gamharia (Raigarh) of Madhya Pradesh the (Raigarh) of Madhya Pradesh the Korwa leaves are used for hypnotizing tribal women tribal people make the root paste and in the treatment of diseases by the tribal mixed with jaggery and ghee and used it people. in bone fracture. Seeds are roasted and 20. Desmodium pulchellum Benth. ‘Jat salpar’: eaten. Leaves are used for making plates In Bihar, Bihar tribal people made root into a by korwa tribe. paste and mixed with sugar candy. This is 3. Bauhinia variegata Linn. ‘Guiral’: It is prescribed to a patient suffering from burning known as astringent, carminative, sensation in the abdomen or chest once in the alterative, anthelmintic antidote to snake morning on an empty stomach and another poison and laxative and used for dose in the evening.