Abstract

THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF LEUCAS CEPHALOTES (ROTH) SPRENG: AN ETHNOMEDICINAL REVIEW

Singh Sanjeev Kumar, Mishra Hari Shanker*, Agarwal Ajay, Bedar S. S. and Yadav Amalesh

Abstract

Various tribal communities are reported to reside in Terai region of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Tharu tribal community is one of the oldest ethnic community residing in the area. They are equipped with the knowledge of medicinal use of a large number of plant drugs growing in their vicinity in Local Health Traditions and make use of such plants for the conservation and restoration of health of the community. This tribal community is also residing in the Khatima Sub-division of district Udham Singh Nagar of Uttarakhand. An Ethno-medicinal Study was planned and executed to document utilization pattern of medicinal plants and comparative analysis of information with known therapeutic uses described in classical texts of Ayurveda and modern pharmacological potential of the plants published in various studies in scientific Journals. Leucas cephalotes is one such plant reported to be utilized in local health traditions by tharu tribe in the study area. Present paper is an effort to bring forward the ethno- medicinal wisdom of tribal community in the perspectives of Ayurveda and modern scientific studies.

Keywords: Ayurveda, Ethno-medicine, Tharu Tribe, Leucas cephalotes.