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Ethnomedicinal use of plant roots: A case study of the Juang tribe of eastern India
Full text linkThe Juang, a tribal community in Odisha indulges in traditional health care on the basis of locally available resources. This age-old practice of using plant extracts such as roots and leaves to treat various ailments and diseases is associated with the community culture and wisdom. The study examines the use of plant extracts, particularly roots by Juangs for treatment of various communicable and non-communicable diseases. The data were collected through questionnaire-based field survey, interviews, focus group discussion (FGD) and observation method. The information on medicinal plants including their local, scientific and family names, method of medicine preparation, life form, dosage, applications and effects was collected. The study includes roots of 16 plant species belonging to 13 families that are used for the medicinal purpose. We observed that roots from various wild plant species are used for treatment of various diseases and disorders such as jaundice, hypertension, rheumatism, asthma, infertility, nocturnal emission, venereal diseases, etc. Indigenous application of roots with specific dosages is based on cultural norms and value of the community. This knowledge is transferred from one generation to the other through oral tradition under prevailing health culture. The continuity of this practice with great acumen is determined by various factors such as socioeconomic status, education, occupation and ecological adaptation. The relevance of inherited indigenous healing culture needs to be investigated in this area for developing an alternative approach to community health services and public health policy
Traditional knowledge of medicinal Orchids at different parts of India
No full textTraditional knowledge of medicines gets transferred from generation to generation among the tribal people verbally. Since recent past some ethnobotanists started scientific documentation of it. Beside other plants, orchids also kept their deep footprint in traditional medicines. India is a country of orchid richness with 1300 orchid species, out of those approximately 250 orchid species are being used in tribal, Ayurvedic and Unani system of medicine. In spite of having high medicinal potential, very often orchids are ignored as medicinal herbs, and emphasized as ornamental plants in India. Use of orchids in the field of medicine can draw a lot of economic benefits to the drug development industries and socioeconomic benefits to the orchid farmers. For that a compiled source of information about tradition knowledges on medicinal potential of orchids can be a good source of reference. The present review can serve the purpose
Maesa bengalensis: Unlocking the hidden nutritional treasures and medicinal potential of an underutilized wild vegetable from Manipur, India
Full text linkThis study assessed the nutritional composition, minerals, amino acids, anti-nutritional qualities, toxicity, and antioxidant activities of Maesa bengalensis, a wild edible plant from Manipur, India. Standard techniques were used for proximate analysis, minerals content, and anti-nutrient composition. HPLC analysis was conducted for vitamins, phenolics, and free amino acids using a Dionex Ultimate 3000 liquid chromatograph. The plant exhibited diverse mineral concentrations and a significant protein level (3.10±0.09%). Eighteen free amino acids were identified, with the highest amount of L-histidine (2.68 μg/mg) in the water extract and the lowest amount of L-methionine in the benzene extract. The aqueous extract showed substantial phenolic (36.08±1.92 mg/100 g) and flavonoid (19.94±2.35 mg/100 g) contents. Water-soluble B vitamins were present in varying amounts (0.24-18.49 mg/100 g), along with a high concentration of vitamin C (93.67±4.12 mg/100 g). The aqueous extract contained abundant phenolic compounds, such as syringic acid (18.01±0.33 µg/mg dry extract) and quercetin (37.56±0.53 µg/mg dry extract). The levels of antinutrients and heavy metals were below harmful thresholds, and the toxicity study confirmed the plant's safety for human consumption. These findings highlight the potential of M. bengalensis as a health food, nutraceutical, and dietary supplement, with prospects for development and commercialization in Manipur and neighbouring regions
Hepatoprotective ethnomedicinal plants of Mavilan and Koraga tribes of the Western Ghats region of Kerala, India
Full text linkLiver diseases have steadily increased to become one of the major causes of death globally for the past few decades, causing roughly two million deaths per year worldwide. Since ancient times, people have used medicinal plants to cure various liver disorders, and there are many plants and herbal preparations available in the market that can act as liver-protecting agents. As part of our ethnomedicinal survey, we have enumerated a variety of plants that the Mavilan and Koraga tribes of the southern Western Ghats region used to cure liver disorders. Face-to-face interviews with the tribal practitioners were conducted using a questionnaire after obtaining prior informed consent from each informant. The survey revealed 27 ethnomedicinal information for the treatment of liver diseases, of which 12 are single drug preparations and 15 are formulations. The survey documented 34 plant species belonging to 32 genera and 23 families for the treatment of liver diseases. This is the first study of its kind conducted in the Mavilan and Koraga tribal hamlets with the aim to document and conserve the ethnomedicinal knowledge of plants used to cure liver diseases. The detailed literature search revealed that the single drug plants Biophytum reinwardtii, Cycas circinalis, Lepidagathis keralensis and Memecylon randerianum are reported first time for their ethnomedicinal use against liver diseases
Controlled germination for cooking quality and nutritional enhancement of underutilised little millets
Full text linkLittle millet (Panicum sumatrense) is one of the underutilised indigenous nutricereals due to coarse nature and drudgery associated with processing. Minimal processing such as germination could convert it into edible form. The present study revealed that 24 h germinated little millets were better source of vitamin C (5.11 mg/100 g) and total soluble solids (2.33%) with substantial α-amylase activity (1.34 μg/100 g), milling yield (71.03%) and overall acceptability (8.73) for cooked grains compared to non-germinated and germinated ones for 12, 18, 36, 42 and 48 h. Germination enhanced hydration, swelling capacities by 25.71, 36.17% respectively and decreased bulk density, tapped density of little millets by 5.06, 5.88% respectively due to breakdown of complex components into simpler ones by hydrolytic enzymes. Consequently, germination enhanced water uptake ratio, elongation ratio, volume expansion ratio of cooked little millets by 19.35, 5.60, 39.51% respectively and decreased cooking time, gelatinisation temperature, solid content by 31.95, 20.26, 20.03% respectively. Further, it improved protein, fiber, total mineral contents by 6.92, 26.90, 130.77%, respectively and reduced moisture, fat, energy, reducing sugar contents by 5.79, 65.80, 5.74, 6.07% respectively due to activation of metabolic machineries which promoted synthesis and release of bound constituents by reducing antinutrients. These germinated little millets with better cooking quality, nutritional and sensory profile can be consumed by obese and diabetic people or utilised as functional ingredients for formulation of low bulk weaning and complementary mixes or nourishing convenience foods
Pharmacognostic evaluation of ayurvedic drug sariva and its commonly known adulterant and substitutes
Full text linkSariva is an important Ayurvedic drug designated to Hemidesmus indicus L. in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Roots of this plant are used either singly or as an ingredient in various Ayurvedic formulations and claimed to be useful in cough, fever, inflammation, gout, menorrhagia, blood purification, kidney and urinary disorders. Due to its high commercial demand, locals in different parts of India use few other species, namely, Ichnocarpus frutescens (L.) W. T. Aiton, Decalepis salicifolia Wight & Arnand Cryptolepis buchanani Roem. & Schult. in name of Sariva. We carried out a comparative pharmacognostic evaluation of all the four species sold in name of Sariva to check the possible adulterants or substitute to the genuine one i.e., Hemidesmus indicus. These developed diagnostic (pharmacognostical) markers based on the physicochemical parameters and vanillin content will be useful in quality check for the bulk procurement by various herbal drug industries