First Report on the Ethnopharmacological Uses of Medicinal Plants by Monpa Tribe from the Zemithang Region of Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas, India

Abstract

The Himalayas are well known for high diversity and ethnobotanical uses of the region’s medicinal plants. However, not all areas of the Himalayan regions are well studied. Studies on ethnobotanical uses of plants from the Eastern Himalayas are still lacking for many tribes. Past studies have primarily focused on listing plants’ vernacular names and their traditional medicinal uses. However, studies on traditional ethnopharmacological practices on medicine preparation by mixing multiple plant products of different species has not yet been reported in published literature from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India, Eastern Himalayas. In this study, we are reporting for the first time the ethnopharmacological uses of 24 medicines and their procedures of preparation, as well as listing 53 plant species used for these medicines by the Monpa tribe. Such documentations are done first time in Arunachal Pradesh region of India as per our knowledge. Our research emphasizes the urgent need to document traditional medicine preparation procedures from local healers before traditional knowledge of tribal people living in remote locations are forgotten in a rapidly transforming country like India.

Identification of phytocompounds from Houttuynia cordata Thunb. as potential inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 replication proteins through GC–MS/LC–MS characterization, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation

“…The whole plant is used in folk medicine for the treatment of cough, pneumonia, bronchitis, dysentery, dropsy, leukorrhea, uteritis, eczema, herpes simplex, acne, chronic sinusitis, stomach ulcer, infection, control wrinkle, chapped skin, septic, febrifuge, heatstroke, malaria, lung disorder, tonsillitis, skin ulcer, diarrhea, dysentery arthritis, appendicitis, and snake bite in Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Myanmar [17][18][19]. In Indian sub-continent, H. cordata is mainly used for the treatment and prevention of pneumonia, stomach disorder, sinusitis and heart disorders by the indigenous tribes of North East India [20][21][22]. The major bioactive phytocompounds including flavonoid, alkaloid, as well as essential oil, have been reported from various parts of H. cordata which possesses antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anticancer, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and antiviral properties [17].…”

Little-known medicinal plants with a widespectrum of pharmacological action under the conditions of introduction in the Middle Urals

“…In Turkey, flowering aerial shoots of C. rapunculoides are used for colic, flatulence, and abdominal pain [9]. A mixture of fresh leaves and flowers of C. latifolia, as well as Codonopsis clematidea used to treat herpes [10]. Codonopsis clematidea is also used in Chinese traditional medicine.…”

Ethnobotany of the Himalayas: Safeguarding Medical Practices and Traditional Uses of Kashmir Regions

“…These muscular and joint diseases might be due to stress and common injuries [ 114 , 160 , 245 ]. The roots of D. costus are ground to powder and mixed with mustard oil to make a paste, which is then used for the treatment of arthritis [ 169 ]. In the traditional system of medicine, B. aristata is employed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis [ 246 , 247 ].…”