Ethnomedicinal use of some of the plants of ...

Indian J. Applied & Pure Bio. Vol. 32(2), 293-300 (2017).

Ethnomedicinal use of some of the plants of Udhampur District of Jammu and Kashmir, India Tarun Thakur1, Touseef Hussain Trak2 and Jagriti Tripathi3 1

Department of Botany, Unique College, P.G. College Bhopal-462003 (India) 2 Department of Botany, Government Degree College Kishtwar Jammu and Kashmir-182204 (India) 3 Department of Botany, Unique College, P.G. College, Bhopal-462003 (India) Abstract Ethnomedicinal researches have been geared up in past few decades. But much of the valuable information still lies undocumented and endemic. This research paper focuses on the extensively used medicinal plants by the local people, villagers, tribal and traditional practitioners of Udhampur district. The documented information has been extracted by framing a semi-structured questionnaire and an anthropological approach. The paper, enclose in itself, 21 plant species of different families. The plant parts used for ethnomedicinal purposes include in majority the leaves and roots. But nevertheless, the documentation of fruits, seeds, barks, flower buds, gum and latex have also been reported and were found in use in different medicinal formulations. The present work is a documentation of the ethnic, endemic and inadequately explored ethno medicinal plants and their medicinal values. It will provide an insight to the vast natural resources of India. Such documented information would be useful for the Nation and Worldwide entrepreneurs and the corporate, for commercial production of drugs. It also emphasizes on the usage of the bio-physiological values of these medicinal plants for economic and sustainable development of our nation (India).

In India, medicinal plants have made a good contribution in the development of ancient Indian material medica. During the past one century there has been a rapid extension of the allopathic system of medical treatment in India. It generates commercial demands for pharmacopoeia drugs and their products. An Herbal system of medicines has been practiced since historic times and traces as roots to

ancient civilization6. Several research institutes have undertaken studies on the cultivation practices of medicinal plants. Although, we define an alternate system of healing as subjects, that are not tough in medical schools, it is worthwhile to mention that before the availability of synthetic drugs, plant based remedies formed the primary healthcare system. Herbal infusion, decoction and tinctures

(294) were household-remedies for common ailments. Traditional medicines include certain health approaches and practices incorporating the use of herbs, metals or diet restrictions or lifestyle changes, with a view to diagnose, prevents or treat diseases5. Traditional medicines in other words, complementary and an alternative medicine include replacement of one system, with another. A complementary health practice includes adding one system of medicines as adjunct to another. Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Alexander ’s technique, Western Medicinal Herbs and Traditional Chinese medicines (T.C.M) represents some popular traditional systems of medicines. The western Himalayas are one of the well defined and better known Phytogeographical regions of the Indian subcontinent. It is extremely rich in plant life and abounds in diversity of medicinal and aromatic plants. Udhampur is a district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir2. Major attractions in this district include Gole market, Devika ghats, Jakhani Park, Ram Nager chowk (Pandav Mandir and Kachalu), Salain talab and the main bazaar and beside this it is very rich in medicinal flora. The major languages spoken in the district are Dogri, Hindi, Urdu and Gojri. The district comprises seven tehsils and seven blocks, each block consists of number of panchayats. District Udhampur of Jammu and Kashmir state (India), is located in the Shiwalik range of Himalayas and terrain in mostly mountainous, at 32.930N 75.130E in relatively flatter part of the district at an elevation of 756 meters (2480 feet). The Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir is also well known for the use of

medicinal plants by the tribal peoples in the treatment of various ailments. These peoples are very far from the city and reside in the valley or hilly forest in of this district4. The present study was documented from the knowledge used by the locals of in the Udhampur region of Jammu and Kashmir to cure different diseases. The study represents systematic approaches to explore the traditions, ethnic knowledge of the native peoples about plants of a particular area, which they use to cure diseases. The main objective of this work is;  Ethno botanical survey of medicinal plants in Udhampur district,  Traditional healthcare knowledge of local people in Udhampur district,  To document the traditional knowledge regarding medicinal plants of Udhampur district. There is although some ethnomedicinal study that has been accomplished in and around Udhampur district by some researchers. However no systematic ethnomedicinal study has been undertaken to access the traditional knowledge of the district Udhampur regards different aspects. The main aim of this paper was to examine and explore some ethnomedicinal plants which are being used by the local people of Udhampur district. Although extensive work has been done on the flora of Jammu and Kashmir, but as per Udhampur district is concerned, it is totally unexplored except for some stray references. The work is based on total number of 21 medicinal plants along with their families, local name and ethnobotanical uses were listed from the study site. Most of the plants, herbarium specimen was critically examined and

(295) identified with the help of the relevant literature like Flora of British India, Flora of India, Flora of Jammu, Flora of Udhampur, Flora of Pir Panjal and from the publications. The ethnobotanical information was collected from the experts and well experienced people, local faith healers and the traditional medicine men5. The traditional knowledge was gathered

through questionnaire approach. For each plant, the local people were interviewed in order to know the medicinal importance of the plant, their usage and preparation beside this live specimen and available photographs are shown to them for local identification. The local people of Udhampur district use the natural alternative methods.

Table-1. List of some medicinally important plants used by locals of Udhampur district for ailment of various diseases 1.

Botanical Name:- Vitex negundo L. Family:- Verbenaceae Local Name:- Bana. Plant Part Used:- Leaves, Roots, leaves, Oil, Seeds.

Ethnomedicinal value: The whole plant effective in growth of hairs, asthma, cough, bronchitis, inflammation, eye diseases, leucoderma, spleen enlargement and painful teething. Dried fruits are vermifuse. Seeds are used in cutaneous diseases and leprosy. Flowers are prescribed in cholera, diarrhea, fever and liver complaints. Leaves are used in malarial fever. Smoke from the dried leaves is used to relieve headache. Extract of leaves is used for tetanus treatment.

2.

Botanical Name:- Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. Family:- Poaceae. Local Name:- Khabbal. Plant Part Used:- Leaves, Roots.

Ethnomedicinal value:- Dried roots and leaves powder is used as aphrodisiac, diuretic, laxative and in indigestion. A decoction of inflorescence used in blood purifying and against dysentery.

3.

Botanical Name: Zanthoxylum armatum D.C. Family:- Rutaceae. Local Name:- Timbru. Plant Part Used:- Fruits and seeds, Bark, Leave.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Fruits and seeds after crushing are used for teeth and mouth infections. Bark of tree is boiled in water and is used to sure arthritis, leave paste used to treat in many tooth problems and Skin infections.

4.

Botanical Name:- Azadirachta indica Ethnomedicinal value:-Leaves and fruits A. Juss. used in curing diabetes, purifying blood and as Family:- Meliaceae. contraceptive. Whole plant has also been used Local Name:- Neem. as vermifuse and antiseptic. Plant burned to Plant Part Used:- Seed oil, Leaves. smoke which fend off mosquitoes, hence safe

(296) to cause malaria. Young leaves paste with honey helps in urinary and stomach infections. Seed oil treatment in vagina before sexual act can help in avoiding pregnancy and act as birth control measure. 5.

Botanical Name:- Adhatoda zeylanica medic. Family:- Acanthaceae. Local Name:- Brainker. Plant Part Used:- Flower, Leaves, Roots.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Flowers are dried in dark, crushed to powder can be consumed with Jaggery (Gurh) for headache treatment. Leaves extract is used for the treatment of cough and also used as remedy for stomach infections in cattle. Dried leaves smoking is used for asthma patients. Roots paste is applied on abdomen during labor pain for relaxing and easy delivery.

6.

Botanical Name:- Melia azedarach Linn. Family:- Meliaceae. Local Name:- Draink. Plant Part Used:- Fruit, Leaves, Roots, Flower.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Ripened seed powder, if taken regularly for a month can cure leucoderma. Raw fruit extract acts as blood purifier and has strong antipyretic properties. Dried seed powder is used as medicine for piles. Few drops of flower extract if poured on head will remove all skin infections including lice’s. Fresh leaves extract after drying is used for eye infections and cataract.

7.

Botanical Name: Plumbago zeylanica Linn. Family:- Plumbaginaceae. Local Name:- Chetra. Plant Part Used:- Root, Bark.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Root powder is used in equal proportion with Bacopa leaves for emotional uneven stress without reason. (Hysteria). Powdered bark boiled in mustard oil can cure mouse bite infections if massaged. Bark crushed with milk and the paste is applied on skin infections.

8.

Botanical Name: Grewia optiva J. R.Drumm. ex Burret. Family:- Tiliaceae. Local Name:- Dhaman. Plant Part Used:- Leaves, Roots, Bark.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Leaves cure throat infections and tumors. Powdered plant leaves are taken with honey can stop nose bleeding. Leaves paste is used for skin allergies, Itching etc. Roots extract if taken orally cures rheumatism, and urinary infections. Decoction of bark relieves body pain and fever. Bark

(297) powder if taken with milk strengthens immunity and rejuvenates body. 9.

Botanical Name: Ricinus communis Linn. Family:- Euphorbiaceae. Local Name:- Arandi. Plant Part Used:- Roots, Leaves, Seeds.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Seed oil and sesame oil mixture is used for male sex organ massage for the treatment of its erection. Seed oil helps in bed sore, uneven menstrual cycle and pain. Roots decoction reduces obesity.Hot water with leaves treatment to breast can enhance milk production.

10. Botanical Name: Emblica officinalis Ethnomedicinal value:-Tree cultivated for its Gaertn. fruits which is rich in tannin and vitamins C. Family:- Euphorbiaceae. Mostly used in constipation, diabetes, cold, Local Name :- Amla. cough, hyperacidity and colic. Fruit taken with Plant Part Used:- Fruit. sugar can reduce stomach problem. Dried fruit powder is taken for diabetes, constipation. 11. Botanical Name :- Tinospora cordifolia (Willd) Miers. Family:- Menispermaceae. Local Name: - Gloe. Plant Part Used:- Leaves.

Ethnomedicinal value:-The plant is effective for the treatment of tuberculosis. Leaves and stem extract is applied to cure fever. The plant is believed as blood purifier,

12. Botanical Name :- Bauhinia variegata Linn. Family:- Caesalpinaceae. Local Name :- Karar. Plant Part Used:- Roots, Leaves, Bark, Flowers.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Roots paste can be applied in wounds and swelling. Leaves extract is taken in fever. Gargles with bark boiled water helps in throat infections, toothache and strengthens gum. Flowers decoction helps in cough, piles.

13. Botanical Name:- Nerium indicum Mill. Family :- Apocynaceae. Local Name:- Lal Gandila. Plant Part Used:- Roots, Leaves.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Leave paste can cure white patches i.e, leucoderma. Leaves and flowers are used to treat malaria. The roots powder is an external remedy for hemorrhoids and ulcers around genitals. Skin infections can be cured by applying leaves paste.

14. Botanical Name :- Carissa opaca Stapfex Haines.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Root powder with horse urine, lemon juice can help in itching.

(298) Family:- Apocynaceae. Local Name :- Garda. Plant Part Used :- Root, Seed, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits.

Seed powder with oil massage helps in ankle cracks Leaves with curd helps in elipesy. Flowers powder helps in stomach pain and infection.Fruits crushed with salt (chutney) helps in gum infections and disorders.

15. Botanical Name :- Calotropis procera (Ait) R.Br. Family:- Asclepiadaceae Local Name:- Aak Plant Part Used:- Roots, Leaves, Flowers, Latex

Ethnomedicinal value:-Latex with ghee can cure tooth infections and pain. Leaves with mustard oil can help in ear infections, swelling and pain. Root powder with milk and honey can help in cough and asthma. Flower powder and warm water can help in stomach infections. Phoinex part (shohara) filled with latex after heating, can be turned into paste then paste with milk can enhance the semen and reproductive capability.

16. Botanical Name:- Datura stramonium Linn. Family:- Solanaceae Local Name:- Datura. Plant Part Used:- Flower, Leaves.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Seed consumption helps in relaxing severe headache and migraine. Leaves extract with mustard oil can treat lice, ticks and mites. Fruit, branch and leaves crushed and dried, if smoked helps in bronchitis and lungs disorder. Leaves extract and sesame oil massage can help in bone pain, rib pain and arthritis.

17. Botanical Name:- Verbascum thapsus L. Family:- Scrophulariaceae. Local Name:- Sottamakoo. Plant Part Used:- Flower.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Leaves and flowers paste is used for cough, expelling out phlegm. Leaves are used as wound healers. Flowers paste with olive oil is used for skin infections, ear infections.

18. Botanical Name:- Colebrookea oppositifolia Smith. Family:- Lamiaceae. Local Name:- Chitti suhali. Plant part used:- Roots, Leaves.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Leaves are tied over swelling and pain regions for relief Leaves paste is applied for wounds repairing. Skin eruptions and blisters are also treated with its leaves.Root powder is used for nervous disorders like epilepsy.

19. Botanical name:- Achrynathes aspera Linn.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Seeds are cooked with milk for increases immunity and uneven menstrual

(299) Family:- Amaranthaceae Local Name:- Parkhanda Plant Part Used:- Seeds, Leaves.

cycle. Seed paste is applied on wound and tumors. Leaves paste helps in inflammatory response of body.

20. Botanical Name:- Ficus bengalensis Linn. Family:- Moraceae. Local Name:- Borh. Plant part used:- Buds, Latex, Aerial Roots

Ethnomedicinal value:-Bark is useful in burning sensation, dysentery and diabetes. Skin disease is also treated by the bark powder and paste. Buds are used in diarrhea and dysentery. Latex is useful in rheumatism, inflammation, creaks in soles and dermatitis. Aerial roots are used in osteomalacia of the limbs.

21. Botanical Name:- Bombax ceiba Linn. Family:- Bombacaceae Local Name:- Simbal. Plant Part Used:- Leaves, Gum, Roots, Fruits.

Ethnomedicinal value:-Roots and gum are used in dysenteric problems and is also useful in pulmonary tuberculosis and infections. Leaves and flowers are used for skin infections, Young fruits are used in chronic inflammation and urinary bladder and kidney infections.

The present work aimed 21 medicinal plants documented and in order sections their local name, along with their medicinal uses is described in the Table-1. These plants have enormous ethnobotanical uses. Many such plants are on the verge of extinction due to evolutionary trends or manmade threats, of which latter is the predominant factor during the past few decades. Ethnobotany proves to be of great use. To keep the benefits of these plants alive for future generation there is a urged need of conservation of these medicinal plants that are over-harvested. Among ancient civilizations, India has been known to be rich repository of medicinal plants. The forest in India is the principal repository of large number of medicinal and aromatic plants, which are largely collected as raw materials for manufacture of drugs and perfumery products. About 8,000 herbal remedies have been

codified in Ayurveda. The Rigveda (5000 BC) has recorded 67 medicinal plants, Yajurveda 81 species, Atharvaveda (4500-2500 BC) 290 species, Charak Samhita (700 BC) and Sushrut Samhita (200 BC) had described properties and uses of 1100 and 1270 species respectively, in compounding of drugs and these are still used in the classical formulations, in the Ayur vedic system of medicine 3 . Unfortunately, much of the ancient knowledge and many valuable plants are being lost at an alarming rate. With the rapid depletion of forests, impairing the availability of raw drugs, Ayurveda, like other systems of herbal medicines has reached a very critical phase. About 50% of the tropical forests, the treasure house of plant and animal diversity have already been destroyed. In India, forest cover is disappearing at an annual rate 1.5mha/yr. What is left at present is only 8% as against a mandatory 33%

(300) of the geographical area. Many valuable medicinal plants are under the verge of extinction8. In the pharmaceutical industry, where the active medicinal principle cannot be synthesized economically, the product must be obtained from the cultivation of plants. Systematic conservation and large scale cultivation of the concerned medicinal plants are thus of great importance1. Efforts are also required to suggest appropriate cropping patterns for the incorporation of medicinal plants into the conventional agricultural and forestry cropping systems. Cultivation of these ethnobotanically important plants should be raised in India. Thus, cultivation and processing should go hand in hand in rural areas. Cautionary Note Warnings: The present research is carried purely for scientific aims. Some plants are toxic, in the aforementioned ones, thus the author does not recommend ingesting or otherwise using any plant, plant extract, or plant product and cannot be responsible for the effects on anyone. In some plants, the part used was first given specific treatment and then used. The traditional information of different plants were collected and identified by the local peoples of Udhampur district. These selected plants were used by tribal communities and local people for curing their diseases in absence of adequate modern healthcare facilities. Consequently, the existence of these species

are threatened day by day and their alarming trend need to initiate conservation practices, cultivation programme, scientific harvest and research institutes which leads from folk lore and develop medicines on scientific lines. I am grateful to the people of Udhampur of Jammu and Kashmir, whom I consulted during the course of field observations of Udhampur district for providing necessary support and the valuable information about the local plants. References : 1. Ajaib, M., Z. Khan, N. Khan and M. Wahab (2010). Pak. J. Bot., 42(3): 1407-1415. 6. Anwer, S., K. Abdul, J. Ahmad and M.S. Sharma (2015). India. Ind. J. of Trad. Knowl. 14(3): 466-473. 2. Gupta O. P., T. N. Srivastava, S. C. Gupta, and D. P. Badola (1981). Ethnobotanical Research, 2: 67–88.   3. Gupta S.K., O.P. Sharma, N.S. Raina and S. Sehgal (2013). Afr. J. Tradit. Compl. Altern Med. 10(4): 59–65. 4. Kumar, S. and I.A. Hamal (2009). Ethnobotanical Leaflets, 13: 195-202. 5. Saghir I.A., A.A. Awan, S. Majid, M.A. Khan and S.J. Qureshi (2001). J. Biol. Sci. 1(12): 1165-1170. 7. Shaheen H., Z.K. Shinwari, R.A. Qureshi, and Z. Ullah (2012). Pak. J. Bot. 44(2): 739-745. 8. Yousuf, M., M.A. Wahab and J.U. Chowdhury (2006). Bangla. J. Plant Taxon. 13(1): 55-61.