Alstonia scholaris in the ethnomedicinal and religious tradition of Coastal Karnataka, India

Abstract

Abstract. MJ Bhandary. 2020. Alstonia scholaris in the ethnomedicinal and religious tradition of Coastal Karnataka, India. Biodiversitas 21: 1569-1577. The tribal and non-tribal indigenous communities of coastal districts of Karnataka use Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br. for the treatment of various ailments such as fever, asthma, leucorrhea, eczema, indigestion and also to heal spider bites. An annual health-related ritual of mass drinking of a bitter juice or decoction of the stem bark of this tree on the new moon (amavasya) day of ‘aati’ month of the traditional ‘tulu’ calendar coinciding with the rainy monsoon season is popularly followed in the study area, especially by the rural families. The underlying belief is that this drink keeps away all ailments and ensures wellbeing. The recorded ethnomedicinal uses and the traditional practice of mass drinking of the bitter juice appear to be scientifically meaningful when interpreted on the background of the ayurvedic uses and the wide range of curative properties ascribed to this plant, many of which have been confirmed by reported pharmaco-chemical studies. Studies have also indicated that the toxicity of the bark extract was minimum during monsoon season and the concentration of active principle was maximum in the bark juice collected on the particular new moon day. This further justifies the timing of the described annual medicine drinking event. In addition, some Tulu language-speaking indigenous communities consider this tree as the reincarnation of a mythological demon called Bali and worship its branch during the festival days of Deepavali, in honor of him. Thus, A. scholaris emerges as a plant of great ethnobotanical significance in the study area.

Development of a Popular Scientific Book about Sungkai Population Structure (Peronema canescens Jack.)

“…The images used in the development of this Popular Science Book are original results from the field which can increase students' understanding of the content of the material and increase students' curiosity in learning (Bhandary, 2020;Fajrin et al, 2021;Nurhana & Ita, 2023). Another advantage of the Popular Scientific Books developed which makes this teaching material practical is the presentation of Popular Scientific Books which are written simply and use a popular, simple and concise language style, so they are easy to understand not only for students but also lay people.…”

Diversity of plants used for non-medicinal purposes by the traditional communities of Coastal Karnataka, India

“…Information regarding the plants used for edible, piscicidal, fodder, and making household artifacts was gathered from the knowledgeable elders belonging to the different indigenous communities, including two tribes, namely the Koraga and the Malekudiya, residing in the study area. This study was an extended part of an ongoing comprehensive ethnobotanical documentation project started in the study area in 1995, resulting in many publications (Bhandary et al 1995(Bhandary et al , 1996Bhandary and Chandrashekar 2001, 2003, 2011, 2014Bhandary 2020). Data collection was made through prior-informed interviews and discussions with informants in the field during different seasons of the study period.…”

“…It is also associated with other local traditional practices like mass drinking of a decoction prepared from the stem bark of Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br. (Apocynaceae) are believed to be improving immunity (Bhandary 2020).…”

“…This is true also for the Coastal regions of Karnataka, a southern state of India. Several ethnic-medico-botanical reports are available from this area (Bhandary 2020;Bhandary and Chandrashekar 2001, 2003, 2011Bhandary et al 1995Bhandary et al , 1996Harsha et al 2003Harsha et al , 2006. As many as 342 species of plants have been reported to be used for various ethnomedicinal purposes by the different indigenous communities of this region (Bhandary and Chandrashekar 2014).…”

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“…Such standard quantitative techniques are essential to compare the uses and cultural importance of different plant taxa 79, 84 . Siddis, Gowlis, Kunabi, Naika, Malekudiya, Koraga, Kuruba, Soligas, Yeravas, Hakki-pikkies, Lambani, Halakki, Valmiki, Brahmin, Saraswath, Vokkaliga, Besta, Idiga are the notable tribes and ethnic communities of Karnataka who have contributed to the available knowledge 80,81,82 . It is very unfortunate that a very large number of plant species lost every year due to forest fire.…”