Indigenous knowledge of plants in local healthcare management practices by tribal people of Malda district, India

Abstract

Aim:

The present study was aimed at exploring the indigenous knowledge of native tribes on the utilization of wild plant species for local healthcare management in Malda district of West Bengal.

Materials and Methods:

Successive field surveys were carried out from July 2012 to August 2013 in search of traditional healers or practitioners who ceaselessly use their worthy knowledge to treat several ailments for human purposes. The information was collected by means of open-ended conversations, semi-structured questionnaire, group discussion, etc. Information obtained from the informants was also cross verified to check the authenticity.

Results:

The present study revealed that a total of 53 medicinal plants belonging to the 37 families are frequently used to treat 44 types of ailments with 88 herbal preparations. Of 53 plants, herbs possess the highest growth forms (32%) that were used in making traditional preparation, followed by shrubs (24%), trees (23%), climbers (17%), and parasites (4%). Roots comprised the major plant parts used (25%), followed by leaves (21%), seeds (17%), bark (13%), whole plant (8%) and fruits (6%) to prepare the medicinal formulations. The chief ailments treated in this province were azoospermia, diabetes, menstrual disorder, dysentery, rheumatism, etc.

Conclusion:

It can be concluded that the documentation of the ethnobotanical knowledge in management of local healthcare is the first step, which will open new door for the researchers in the field of modern drug development.

INTRODUCTION

The knowledge of medicinal plants in India has been accumulated in course of many centuries based on several ancient medicinal systems, including ayurveda, unani and siddha [1]. According to the survey report of World Health Organization [2], 80% people of the developing world use plant remedies for several therapeutic purposes. India, one of the richest floristic regions of the world has diverse socio-economic, ethnic, linguistic and cultural areas. Therefore, the indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants and their use in treating several ailments might reasonably be expected in this country. Chandel et al. [3] have reported that nearly about 70% of tribal and rural inhabitants of India are to a large extent depended on medicinal plants for their primary healthcare management due to either insufficient or inaccessible or less availability of modern healthcare system. The information regarding the medicinal properties of plants came down traditionally generation after generation through traditional healers. Apart from the tribal groups, many other forest dwellers and rural people also possess unique knowledge regarding plant utilization.

Malda district of West Bengal, India [Figure 1] is situated between the latitude and longitude of 24°40′20″N to 25°32′08″N and 88°28′10″E to 87°45′50″E respectively with a total geographical area of 3455.66 sq km [4]. The district is characterised by its great archaeological relics such as Mourya Empire, Gupta Dynasty and Pala Dynasty. The region is covered with plentiful natural vegetation, which makes it verdant. River beds, ponds, marshy land etc. are good habitats for the wetland undergrowth. Most of the remote villages are covered by jungles, which consist chiefly of thorny scrub bush and large trees showing wide distribution of flora. The soil of the western region of the district is particularly suited to the growth of mulberry and mango, for which Malda has become famous. Various ethnic communities, including Santala, Rajbanshi, Namasudre, Polia, Oraon, Mundas, Malpaharias etc. are the inhabitants of this region. Of these Santala, Oraon is different from others due to their unique culture and tradition. They are quite popular to treat several types of local ailments of human and veterinary purposes [4]. Agriculture is the main source of income in the territory. Besides rearing of cattle, sheep, goats, fowls, etc. are the common practices among the tribal communities in this district. They also earn their livelihoods by selling milk, egg, flesh, etc., which plays a significant role in the rural economy of this district.

Figure 1.

Map of study area (Malda district)

Preliminary floristic survey and a few numbers of folk usages of local plants had been studied for Malda district by Sur et al. [5,6], Pal and Das [7] and Chowdhury and Das [8], whereas Saha et al. [4] demonstrated a detailed picture regarding the ethnoveterinarian uses of plants. However, no detailed ethnomedicinal practices by local tribal communities had been done so far for this province. Hence, this is the first hand information on the ethnomedicinal usage by the ethnic people of Malda district as per author’s best knowledge.

Now-a-days the traditional knowledge is in the way of erosion due to environmental degradation, deforestation, agricultural expansion and population pressure. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and their use by indigenous cultures are not only useful for conservation of cultural traditions and biodiversity but also for community healthcare and drug development at present and in the future. Therefore, recording of indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants is an urgent task. The objective of this study was to interact with local traditional healers and to document their knowledge on utilization of medicinal plants, their usage and the types of diseases treated, etc.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ethno Botanical Survey

The practice of medicinal plants is widespread among the tribal people of Malda district, and it is deeply rooted in their socioeconomic culture. However, the documentation of local medicinal practices is distinctly absent for the region. Considering the great cultural and ethnolinguistic diversity of the tribal people of the province, several field interviews were designed to cover as broad an area of the region as possible, in order to maximize the diversity of knowledge and the plant species employed in traditional remedy. The present survey was conducted during July 2012 to August 2013 in the district. Different interviewing procedures, including direct interview, group discussion, open-ended conversations, semi-structured questionnaire etc. were followed to get the information from the local traditional healers, known as Kavirajs, Baidyas or Ojhas and aged knowledgeable persons regarding the use of different medicinal plants curing several ailments. The purpose of this survey was explained to them in details, and prior informed consent was taken as per ethical guidelines of the International Society of Ethnobiology [9]. The villages were visited in different seasons to get the plant in its flowering condition. Plants were pointed out by the informants and their local names, used plant parts, formulation and dosages were also recorded.

Plant Collection and Identification

The plants were properly photographed, and herbarium was prepared for each specimen and deposited at Raiganj University College, Raiganj, India. The collected specimens were identified with the help of Central National Herbarium, Kolkata, India. The survey method followed in this study was that of the guided field-walk method as described by Jain [10] and the collection of voucher specimen, preservation, herbaria technique was followed as per Jain and Rao [11].

Total Key Informants

During the survey, we interacted with more than 100 informants and retained the information only from 74 informants. Among these, 55 were male (74.33%), and 19 were female (25.66%). More emphasis was given to the aged knowledgeable healers due to their vast experience in treating the local diseases and disorders. Kishori Barman (71 years), Uttam Kr. Mandal (53 years), Nargis Bibi (48 years), Farshed Ali (58 years), Fatema Begum (68 years), Basudeb Rajbanshi (55 years) Md. Subed Ali (44 years) etc. were the healers in the study area that we found.

Data Analysis

To analysis the data more clearly, obtaining from the informants, we set up our own database using Microsoft Access version 2007 and the parameters were name of the taxon, family name, voucher number, vernacular names, parts used, diseases treated, mode of administration or medicinal uses. We also analyzed the percentage between the used parts of plant species, growth forms of the species by putting them in the graph.

RESULTS

Plants Used

The present study revealed that a total of 53 medicinal plants belonging to 37 families were frequently used in the treatment of 44 types of local ailments with 88 phytotherapeutic uses in the territory. The number of species most frequently used in the treatment of several disorders by each family was mentioned as Euphorbiaceae-6 species, Fabaceae-5 species, whereas Acanthaceae, Amaranthaceae, Vitaceae, Malvaceae, Solanaceae, Mimosaceae, and Zingiberaceae contributed 2 species to each family. The rest of 28 families were represented by 1 species in each. The scientific names of recorded species, their families, vernacular names, voucher number, used parts, mode of administration and local ethnic uses were illustrated in Table 1. Our study also exhibited that herbs were the most dominant growth forms with 17 species (32%), followed by 13 shrubs (24%), 12 trees (23%), 9 climbers (17%) and only 2 parasitic species (4%) treating different ailments as shown in Figure 2. Andrographis paniculata, Amaranthus spinosus, Alstonia scholaris, Cuscuta reflexa, Jatropha gossypiifolia, Caesalpinia crista, Tamarindus indica, Sida rhombifolia etc. were the most important plant used in the treatment of several diseases.

Table 1.

List of medicinal plants investigated for local healthcare management with their ethnic use

Figure 2.

Growth forms of utilized species

Parts of the Plant Used and Mode of Preparation

Various preparations of roots were used most number of occasions with 18 times (25%), followed by leaves with 15 times (21%), seeds with 12 times (17%), barks with 8 times (13%), whole plants with 6 times (8%), fruits with 4 times (6%), latex and gum with 3 times (4%) etc. as shown in Figure 3 in the treatment of several human disorders. A total of 88 types of formulations was being administrated to heal 44 types of ailments including azoospermia, diabetes, bone crack or ankle sprain, several types of pain, menstrual disorders, rheumatism, dysentery, etc. It had been observed that 20 types of diseases were healed by leaves, whereas 26 types of ailments cured by roots [Table 1]. A single plant part of same plant species was involved in treating different ailments and vice-versa.

Figure 3.

Pie chart of used plant parts

The majority of remedies were prepared from fresh plant material in the form of a decoction, infusion or a paste. The most frequently used mode of remedy administration is oral ingestion, followed by external use. Most of the diseases and pains were usually treated either with a single plant or a mixture of plant parts. In some cases, ointments like mustered oil, ghee (a remedy from milk) etc. and other ingredients such as black peeper, ginger, curcuma, milk etc. were also used to make ethnic formulations along with the parts of plant species.

Diseases Treated and Medical Applications

A total of 44 types of diseases were reported to be cured in the present study. Azoospermia with 8 times was mostly healed disease in the study area, followed by different types of pains with 6 times, ankle sprain and diabetes with five occasions each whereas dysentery, inflammation, menstrual disorder, rheumatism, skin disorders, leucorrhea with 4 times each. Further, it can be concluded from Table 1 that the most of the preparations were oral except a few of external use. Various methods of preparation like crushing, grinding, direct use and homogenizing in water or with other plant extracts were used to prepare the traditional remedy. Mustered oil or ghee (a remedy from milk) was being utilized as an ointment at the time of external use such as itching, eczema, inflammation, pus, etc.

DISCUSSION

The prevalent diseases identified in the study area were azoospermia, ankle sprain, pain, diabetes, menstrual disorders, rheumatism, dysentery, skin disorders, etc. To expel ankle sprain or bone crack of local people, different plant parts like whole plant of Cissus quadrangularis, roots of Tragia involucrata, bark of Litsea glutinosa, bark of Acacia catechu, rhizome of Alocasia macrorrhiza, fruits of Terminalia chebula were administrated whereas eight plant species namely roots of Bombax ceiba, seeds of C. reflexa, Ocimum kilimandscharicum and Abrus precatorius, roots of Curculigo orchioides etc. were administrated to treat azoospermia [Table 1]. Diabetes was cured by means of leaf of A. paniculata, seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum, seeds of Syzygium cumini, fruit of Alpinia zerumbet and whole parts of Oxalis corniculata. To treat menstrual disorders several plants had been utilized by the local traditional healers as explained in Table 1. There were few species used more than one occasion to prepare medicinal preparations curing different ailments, viz. C. quadrangularis known as harjora was used in bone crack and ankle sprain; A. spinosus was used to treat menstrual disorders, rheumatism, cuts and wounds; T. foenum-graecum was used against kidney stone, diabetes and dandruff problems.

As the tribal people remain busy throughout the year with their practice of livelihood from the agricultural sector, they rarely visit the hospitals in towns. Simultaneously, they cannot afford the cost of modern medicines. It has also been observed that some of the villages are in such remote areas where transportation facilities are inaccessible or sometimes become detached due to some natural calamities. Hence, the villagers cannot reach the nearby hospital. As a result, the ethnomedicinal practices are popular in the study area as it is more accessible, easy to prepare, low costs, and eco-friendly. Besides, the practice of medicinal plants treating the patients is an alternative source of income for the healers.

CONCLUSION

The present study exhibited that how different interviewing procedures helped to gather the information regarding the name of the diseases treated, plant resources and their usage, including their mode of administration. A total of 44 types of local ailments was treated with 88 phytotherapeutic uses in this district. The making procedure of herbal preparation is yet a secret and passed on generation after generation verbally. Proper analysis of herbal formulations and phytoconstituents of used plants can open new door for the researchers. However, ethnobotanical data is the basis of further validation of practices and plant uses in the context of a professional approach to develop new herbal drug [12].