Abstract

AN INVESTIGATION ON PHARMACEUTICAL ETHNO BOTANICALS USED BY THE PRIMITIVE TRIBES OF FIVE AREAS IN THE EASTERN GHATS OF INDIA

R. Latha and Agastian. P *

Abstract

This paper provides significant ethno botanical reports on medicinal plants usages by the primitive tribes in five areas of Western Ghats, Southern India. The survey conducted between January 2011 to August 2013, with the help of a guided field-walk method where the medicinal plant practitioners pointed out various medicinal plants. The plants collected from fields, home gardens were identified, evaluated and documented along with their therapeutic uses. The research resulted in the identification of 355 plants species belonging to 87 families distributed in 323 genera is used to treat 587 types of ailments. The various diseases treated with different plants are listed in tables. Our study provides massive evidence and support the persistence of medicinal plant‘s role in the health care system of many tribal and local dwellers in different areas of Eastern Ghats. The survey indicated the significance and need for conservation of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants. The study reveals that some of the medicinal plants have never reported and about twenty percent of cited uses, are new and are included in the critically endangered, endangered and rare list. Most of the plants recorded in this ethno botanical investigation suggest the identification of potentially effective plants for future pharmacological activities.

Keywords: Ethno Medicine, Eastern Ghats, Conservation, Endangered, Ailments, Ethnic groups.