Abstract

EFFICIENT DOCUMENTATION OF PLANT BASED REMEDIES OF FOLK HERBALIST OF DHARMAPURI DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Dr. Mariappan Senthilkumar* and Vedi Vadivel

Abstract

Documentation of traditional therapeutic uses of medicinal plants can open upon new avenues for research leading to discovery of novel compounds and new drugs. Medicinal herbs have been traditionally used by tribal people since ancient times for the treatment of various ailments. They still depend on medicinal plants for their primary health care needs and most commonly used to cure skin diseases, poison bites, stomachache and nervous disorders. The objective of this study was to document their indigenous knowledge on the utilization of medicinal plants used by a traditional practitioner (TP) of in Dharmapuri district Tamilnadu, India. The data was collected with the help of questionnaire and the guided field study method. The TP used a total of 42 plants distributed into 29 families in his formulations. Maximum plants were Asclepiadaceae, Rutaceae followed by Solanaceae, Apiaceae, Acanthaceae and Loganiaceae. As a result, the present study clearly revealed that the TP possessed a good knowledge of the medicinal properties of plants. The information documented regarding the therapeutic uses will provide basic data for further studies.

Keywords: Traditional Practitioner, Herbal medicine, Medicinal plants.