Ethnomedicinal plants used by local inhabitants of Jakholi block, Rudraprayag district, western Himalaya, India

Abstract

BackgroundEthnomedicinal knowledge of the Indian Himalayas is very interesting because of the wide range of medicinal plants used in traditional medical practice. However, there is a danger of knowledge being lost because the knowledge sharing is very limited and passed on orally. The present study is the first ethnomedicinal study in Jakholi area of Rudraprayag district of Northwestern India. The aim of present study was to identify traditional medicinal plants used by the inhabitants to treat different ailments and document the associated knowledge of these medicinal plants.MethodsAn ethnomedicinal survey was carried out in 72 of 133 villages and alpine pastures of Jakholi block (800–4000 m asl). Door to door surveys and group discussions, applying semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with traditional healers and villagers in local language (Garhwali). Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) was computed to analyse collected ethnomedicinal data.ResultsA total of 78 species (Gymnosperms 3 species, Monocotyledons 12 and 63 Dicotyledons) belonging to 73 genera in 46 families were identified to treat 14 different ailments categories. Most dominant family is Asteraceae (5 species). In disease treated categories, Diseases of the skin (DE) have the highest proportion (29.55%) followed by Gastro- intestinal disorder (GA) (25.89%). The most life form of plants used was herb (56%) followed by tree (23%) while root was the most frequently used part of the plants and the traditional preparation was mainly applied in the form of paste (37%). The highest ICF value (0.99) was found for hair ailments (HA) followed ophthalmologic complaints (OP) and mental afflictions (MA) (0.98).ConclusionsThe present study provides valuable information about traditional knowledge of medicinal plants of Jakholi Block in the Northwestern Himalaya, India. Local communities still possess large traditional knowledge of plants and their therapeutic uses and that the link of that traditional knowledge to modern research could be of importance for the isolation of new phytotherapeutic compounds leading to the development of novel therapeutic active agents. Some of the ethnomedicinal plants are facing high threats and are becoming rare, and conservation initiatives are needed to conserve them for sustainable management in the region.

The diversity and ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in the southern slope of Mount Merapi, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

“…The most dominant habitus used of medicinal plants in Wonokerto was herbaceous plant (38%), followed by tree (29%), shrub (24%), liana (7%) and grass (2%) ( Figure 3B). This is similar to the results on the medicinal plants found in the Jakholi block, Himalayan India that comprised of 56% of herbaceous plant, 23% of tree and 37% roots (Sing 2017). On the other hand, the most widely used part of the plant was leaf (55%), followed by fruit (19%), tuber (14%), stem (5%), and roots, water, seeds and flowers (each accounted for 1-2%) (Figure 3.A).…”

“…This is because they believe that the leaves have the highest efficacy, easy to obtain, do not damage the trees and easily sprout again, as well as having soft fibers. In addition, the leaves are one of the organs that contain high carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins, and also easily found (Abbas 2017;Setyowati and Wardah 2007;Sing 2017). However, it is different from the results obtained in Jeju Island, which reporting the roots as the most widely used part for medicinal purposes, followed by fruit, leaves, and seeds (Song et al 2013).…”

“…However, different result is found by Algethami (2017) in Mecca which shows that the most family used is Apiaceae, followed by Fabaceae and Lamiaceae. Also in the Eastern Himalayas, Asteraceae is the most used family, followed by Polygonaceae, Rosaceae, and Zingiberaceae (Sing 2017).…”

Ethnomedicinal knowledge of a marginal hill community of Central Himalaya: Diversity, usage pattern and conservation concerns

“…Community knowledge on the use and management of wild plant resources has always been integral to the survival, sustenance, and adaptation of human cultures [46,50,56]. This study revealed 70 medicinal plant species being used by the local marginal community of which 21 are the most extensively used species to treat various ailments.…”

Indigenous Knowledge and Application of Ethnomedicinal Plants in Western Himalayas

“…This can be achieved by capacity building of herbal practitioners and education of new generations which will have substantial impact on the long-standing sustainability of herbal knowledge [45]. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to document this information, as it is rapidly declining due to in uence of pharmaceutical medicines [46]. Thus, it is important to collect this information and develop a data base of medicinal plants for future research and potential development of new herbal medicines.…”