MEDICINAL PLANT LEAVES USED BY LOCAL PRACTITIONERS OF COIMBATORE DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

MEDICINAL PLANT LEAVES USED BY LOCAL PRACTITIONERS OF COIMBATORE DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

R. Karthiyayini

Department of Botany, Avinashilingam Deemed University for Women, Coimbatore -641043, Tamil Nadu, India

ABSTRACT

This present investigation was an attempt to an ethno botanical survey which was carried out by the local practitioners of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu. During the survey 48 medicinal plant leaves are identified which were used as medicine for several diseases either in single or in combination with some other ingredients. In the first phase the Botanical Name, Family, Local Name and uses of leaves have been discussed and noted.

Rheumatism

INTRODUCTION:Plants have been used in traditional medicine for several thousand years ¹. Traditional healers provide considerable information about the use of many plants or plant parts as medicine. According to world health organization, 80% of people in developing countries still depend on local medicinal plants to fulfill their primary health needs ².

In India alone three traditional systems of medicine include Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani are using over 7,500 plant species ³. During the past few decades there has been an increasing interest in the study of medicinal plants and their traditional use in different parts of the world ^4-5. The importance of gathering information on medicinal plants is to initiate their proper scientific management and exploitation for the economic development of the area.

Ethno botany and ethno medical studies are today recognized as the most viable method of identifying new medicinal plants or refocusing on those earlier reported for bio active constituents.  Several studies have revealed that tribal population, not only depend on plant based resources for medicines, food, forage and fuel, but also play a vital role in natural resource management that forms the core aspect of conservation biology ⁶. Today, many indigenous herbal remedies remain largely undocumented or recognized as potential forms of treatment and consequently continue to be used by only small groups of indigenous populations.

The present work was carried out to explore the medical remedies of some medicinal plant leaves used by the local peoples of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu  for the treatment of various human ailments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The field investigations were conducted in villages of the study area. Field trips were carried out in different seasons regularly between June 2008 – December 2010.    The data’s are based on first hand information gathered from native health practitioners and other knowledgeable persons. Semi- structured questionnaire was prepared in local language and interviews were taken from them. The information for particular ailments was cross checked through the repeated queries during the interviews to get accurate and valid information. The information’s were compared with those available in different literature source  ^{7, 8, 9, 10}.

The plant specimens were collected during survey and were identified with help of “Flora of Presidency of Madras ¹¹ and Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic ¹² . They were later verified at botanical survey of India, Southern circle, Coimbatore, India.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION: Ethono botanical uses and the data about treatments of various ailments based on the information gathered from local practitioners by using questionnaires are given in table 1. The present investigation comprises 48 plants species distributed over 25 angiosperm families and their leaves which are commonly used by the local people of Coimbatore in traditional medicine for treatment of various ailments like jaundice, skin diseases, fever, diarrhea, asthma etc. Even though medicines in allopathic systems are available for the above diseases they cause so many side effects. The present study will help us in understanding, how ancient human health of wealth was safeguarded by traditional nutritional and medicinal systems. Further this can open new visions in medico- botanical systems to find a remedy to uproot incurable diseases.

TABLE  1: LIST OF PLANTS AND MEDICINAL USES OF THEIR LEAVES

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