Ethnobotanical importance and herbal medicine in Vindhya region of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about 80% of the population of most developing countries relies on herbal medicine for their primary health care (Azaizeh et al., 2003). In India, it is reported that traditional healers use 2500 plant species while 100species of plants serve as regular source of medicine (Pei, 2001). Documenting the indigenous knowledge through ethno botanical studies is important for the conserving and utilization of biological recourses. The ethnobotany of Vindhya region is a very important and acknowledgeable all over the world. This science showed healthy relationship between human and nature and provides possibilities of finding new user for medicinal plants and can be used to discover new medicines derived from plant origin (Henrich, 2000).In India there are 550 tribal's communities covered under 227 ethnic groups residing in about 5000 villages in different forest and vegetation type (Sikarwar, 2002). India with its glorious past to the traditional medical system and use pattern of different plants is one of eight major centers of the origin and diversification of domesticated taxa having rich biodiversity.Sonebhadra district of Vindhya region is one of the less studied regions of India for its ethnobotanical values and therapeutic importance. Local herbs and other plants resources found in that area are the principal sources of medicine for the treatment of various diseases. Local tribal peoples and vaidyas have great knowledge of plants and plant parts for the treatment of diseases. But due to increasing population, over grazing, industrialization many plant become rare in this area. Present study report shows that the area needs conservation and regeneration strategies of the rare medicinal plants and their pharmacological importance in modern medicine system. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study areaThe area under investigation for ethnomedicinal studies falls under district Sonebhadra, U.P. India and came into existence in 1989 after division of district Mirzapur (Figure 1). It is the largest district of Uttar Pradesh in area. It is situated on Vindhyan plateau and Kaimur range lying between 24°42' N to 25°3'55' N and 83°3' 24" E to 83°22'55" E, covering an area of 6788 km. It is present in the extreme south east of the state and is bound by Mirzapur district to the northwest, Chandauli district to north, Bihar state to the northeast, Jharkhand State to the east, Chhattisgarh State to the south and Madhya Pradesh State to the west.Climatically, the area is dry tropical type. The summer temperature ranges between 22.8 to 42°C and winter between 8 to 17.5°C. The temperature in summer may reach up to 45°C and in winter below 5°C (up to 2°C).The average annual rainfall is 1065 mm. The forest is of tropical dry deciduous type covering an area of 2447 km 2 (Dense Forest -1078 km 2 open Forest -1369 km 2 ). Population of the area was 5.46 km 2 and population density was 4,094.9 inh/km 2 . The tribal inhabitants of this area are Agaria, Baiga, Dhangar, Chero, Painika, Gond, Kharwar,...

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Effects of ethanolic extract of Waltheria indica aerial parts on some liver and kidney function indices in albino rats

“…The use of medicinal plants has received great attention in the world as an alternative to conventional drugs partly due to perceived therapeutic efficacy and low side effect profile of natural products from plants (Aluko, 2016) and the demand for these remedies has recently increased (Mhuji et al, 2016). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that about 80% of the population of most developing countries relies on herbal medicines for their primary health care (Dharm and Pramod, 2017). Some of these traditional medicines involve the use of crude plant extracts in the form of infusion, decoction or tincture which may contain an extensive diversity of molecules often with indefinite biological effects (Olowa and Nuneza, 2013;Brenda et al, 2016).…”