Ethnomedicinal plants used by yak herders for management of health disorders

Abstract

Aim:

The aim of the study was to document the indigenous ethno-botanical knowledge of the transhumant nomads of Mustang, Nepal, a representative settlement in the Himalayan highland.

Methodology:

A study was carried out during a direct field visit to collect plants, consisting of a semi-structured questionnaire and personal interviews. Both fresh and dried herbs, plants parts, and fungus were collected as far as possible.

Results:

The present study identified 51 medicinal plants and 2 funguses that were used for 47 different ailments in the medicinal practices of the nomadic tribes of Lower Mustang, Nepal. Most of the medicines were prepared as juice (22.64%) or powder (49.05%) and administered orally. Roots (23%) and leaves (28%) were the most frequently used parts of the plants while prayer-laced ties were commonly applied in sheds and housing areas.

Conclusion:

This study has shown that the transhumant pastoralist nomadic communities have their own traditional ethno-botanical medicines that remain cost effective and the method of choice for management of health disorders and is passed down through oral traditions under the guidance of an herbal practitioner. There is a need for such practices to be scientifically validated, with respect and inclusion into sustainable veterinary medicine to support these remotely located communities.

INTRODUCTION

Nepal is a settlement in the Himalayan lap that has a rich biodiversity. The rough terrains have given rise to some hardy tribes with interesting ways of life. Nature can still exist in a somewhat conserved state, making it a tourist destination for both humans and various species of birds. Nepal is a bio diversity rich country with 1600-1900 plant species commonly used in traditional practices from ancient times [1-3]. High altitude rangelands are highly rich in herbal and aromatic plants, and they are the rich sources of medicines and value products [4]. Cultural healing through traditional knowledge of herbal medicine, including complementary and alternative medicine provides the basis for problem-solving strategies for economically marginalized communities in any nation. Moreover, the remote areas of Nepal are particularly rich in ethno-medical knowledge and practices and are the major collectors and exporters of crude forms. Although many studies have been conducted to document medicinal plants of Nepal [5-13], only three studies have been made to document the medicinal plants in this area [4,8,14], but the ethno-botanical knowledge of yak herders has not been documented until date.

The rugged topography, aridity, and poor soils in the Mustang district make it unfavorable for agriculture; thus, nomadic pastoralism is critically important for the economy of the Mustang District. These nomadic communities are underprivileged communities in the nation and are dependent on ethno-medicine for both humans and animals. Almost every nomad who lives in alpine areas away from villages with yak and chauri rely solely on herbal and traditional practices as medicine. The reason behind this is the lack of reliable and sufficient health facilities in these areas. Over time, generations of these families in Mustang district have generated an immense amount of ethno-botanical knowledge to facilitate in curing diseases. The rich knowledge of herbal medicine in this community is totally oral, and little of it has been documented; however, it has been passed down from generation to generation [15]. Their knowledge regarding the use of plants and plants parts such as leaves, fruits, rhizomes, or bark, and also the method of processing for medicinal purposes needs to be well-documented and preserved, this is not only for the effective and cheap sources of medicine but also for the conservation of indigenous ethno-botanical knowledge and sustainable use of this knowledge. The lack of proper documentation, uncontrolled exploitation, and also the shortage of effective conservation efforts have caused many medicinal plants to become either extinct or replaced by chemotherapeutic agents [16]. Thus, there is an urgent need to document the indigenous ethno-botanical knowledge, especially in times when natural tragedies such as earthquakes, floods, landslides, glacial lake bursts, and droughts threaten survival in the high mountainous terrains. Thus, the documentation, conservation, and sustainable use of these resources based on indigenous technological knowledge is a present need within the country.

METHODOLOGY

Study Area

The Mustang district covers 3,639 km²and is located in the trans-Himalayan Arid Zone [17] in the Midwestern Development region of north-central Nepal, which is bounded by Myagdi to the South, by Dolpa to the West, by Manang to the East, and by the Tibetan Autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China to the North [4].

The study area is comprised of the alpine pastures and temperate forests of Lete, Kowang, Marpha, and the Tukuche VDCs of Lower Mustang, Nepal. All the areas are located above 1500 meter altitude, and extend up to 6800 meter altitude. The major ethnic inhabitants of the area are Thakali, Gurung, Bishwakarma, and Sherpa. They have roots with Tibeto Burmese and Indo-Aryan cultures speaking Thakali, Nepali, and Tibetian Dialects. Their economy relies on livestock farming, agriculture, and tourism. Owing to the low productivity of the soil, they are engaged in the collection and trade of medicinal plants and livestock farming [Figure 1].

Figure 1.

Map of study area (Mustang district) (Source: Adapted from Bhattarai et al. [4])

Ethno-botanical Survey

All the 32 yak herders of lower Mustang, including the Local healers known as Aamchi, were surveyed with a set of pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. The age of informants ranged between 24 and 56 years.

Prior informed consent was obtained verbally before they were interviewed and all agreed to be involved in this survey. Two interview methods were followed, and walks were taken around the grazing land and forest for plant collection and information gathering during February-June 2014. The data were compiled and interpreted in the form of Table 1.

Table 1.

Traditional herbal medicine for treatment of disease and ailments by yak herders of Mustang district in Nepal

Total Key Informants

During the survey, we discussed with 32 yak herders including local healers called “Aamchi.” Among these all of the informants were male (100%), this is because females are confined to the household works and males are only involved in transhuman animal husbandry. The age of informants ranged between 24 and 56 years only two informants were below 30 years of age and rest above 30. The obtained informations were subjected to the other informants to check their precise knowledge of ethno-medicines.

Data Analysis

The obtained informations were put in a Microsoft office excel 2007 and analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Plants Used

The total of 51 plants and 2 fungal species belonging to 32 families and 44 genera were found to be commonly used in treating 47 ailments in the communities studied. The largest number of plant species were recorded from families Compositae (4 species), Gentianaceae (4 species) followed by Asparagaceae (3 species), and Rutaceae (3 species). Three families Pinaceae, Rosaceae, and Ericaceae represent 2 plant species each and rest of the families represented 1 species each.

Although Bhattarai et al. [4] reported 121 species belonging to 49 vascular plant and 2 fungal families and 92 genera, 8 plant species namely Acorus calamus, Prunus armeniaca, Artemisia vulgaris, Chlorophytum nepalense, Swertia multicaulis, Rhodiola rosea, Pedicularis siphonantha, Taraxacum officinale were added by the present research. When compared to ancient Tibetian literature, 1 plant species (R. rosea) was recorded, and medicinal plants such as Rhododendron lepidotum, Rumex nepalensis, P. armeniaca, Dactylorhiza hatagirea were reported with same ethno-medicinal values.

Parts of Plants Used and Modes of Preparation

Various parts of plants were used in the preparation of remedies. The most frequently used were leaves (28%), followed by roots/rhizomes (23%), and fruits/flowers (18%) [Figure 2].

Figure 2.

Different parts of plants used in preparation of medicine

Several types of medicinal plants were used; the most common were climbers and the least common were trees [Figure 3].

Figure 3.

Life form (medicinal plants used by yak herders of Mustang, Nepal)

The largest numbers of medicinal plants (19 species) were used for respiratory tract infections (cold, cough, headache, nasal bleeding, dizziness, altitude sickness, etc.), whereas, gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhea, indigestion, dysentery, gastritis, colic, etc.) treated with 17 species and musculoskeletal disorders (Joint pain, muscular swelling, fracture, etc.) were cured with 8 species. The form of remedies was primarily powder (49.05%), juice (22.64%), or decoction (18.87%), tablets, pills, and infusion were rare [Figure 4].

Figure 4.

Forms used (Medicinal plants used by yak herders of Mustang, Nepal)

Tablets, pills, and infusions were usually made only by traditional healers, “Aamchi,” as cited in previous studies [4,8]. Per oral use predominated topical use. Plants were generally prepared using cold or hot water, but occasionally other methods of preparation, such as alcohol, milk, ghee, or oils, were used [Table 1]. Medicinal preparations were found to be administered through various routes-oral was the most predominant route followed by topical, nasal, and other routes. While in animals intended oral formulations were found to be drenched by means of drenching tube from Bambusa indica (Bans). This was followed in only in young and debilitated animals, and adult animals were given medications either mixed with salt or mixed with oat flour.

DISCUSSION

Notably, a mixture of different plant products rather than a single one was used in the treatment of most diseases. Many nomads believed that combination of plant species increased the potency of medicines owing their synergistic actions unlikely that of Paliyar communities of Tamilnadu, India who selectively used single plant for specific ailments [18]. Similar combined formulations were reported from Kani communities in India [19]. Almost all the plant species were collected directly from their wild state during various seasons and thus were in different stages of growth and development. Without a doubt, the future practice of medicine must take into account traditional healing arts while adopting new scientific discoveries [20], that respects, documents and advocates these traditional healing arts. The yak herders are the major collectors of high altitude medicinal plants from the alpine meadow as mentioned by Oli and Nepal [21]. Though, the herders do not have traditional scientific knowledge which advocates sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants as, they are familiar with the nature of plants and their distribution [22,23]. They collect the medicinal plants in fresh and dried form, especially in spring and autumn when the climate is favorable for collection. Transhumant migrating nomads, they partly collect medicinal plants from grassland and forest and partly purchase from the traditional healers “Aamchi.” They follow the rotational grazing system; seasonal and selective harvesting, which is the only management approach and had some contribution to sustainable management of herbal resources of high mountains. North and South trade to India and the Far East through China (now China is in itself a major market) have created huge demands for priced medicinal herbs of Nepalese highland [24]. However, greed is slowly creeping in as highland medicinal plants and materials find premium price leading to over harvesting and social ills which are having an eroding effect in social and ecological harmony.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that transhumant pastoralist nomadic communities have their own traditional ethno-botanical medicines that remains cost effective. Furthermore, method of choice for management of health disorders is passed down to next generation usually by oral traditions. These communities have detailed and extensive knowledge regarding medicinal plants and their utility. They have their own way of collecting medicinal plants, method of preparation, dose and application. The lack of modern health facilities, coupled with rugged topography, and a strong belief towards herbal medicines, substantiate the preference for herbal medicines for health care. However, the long-term use of herbal medicinal plants, over-harvesting is risking many valuable medicinal plant species to the extent of becoming extinct. Thus, necessary steps towards conservation of these resources are needed. Continuous training of traditional healers and transfer of this knowledge to the younger generation is necessary. Although their traditional medicine is partially effective for management of ailments, they should be further strengthened by the scientific management of health.