ABSTRACT: The ethnobotanical study was carried out among the ethnic group and other practitioner in Amravati district of Maharashtra. Traditional uses of 29 plant species belonging to 25 families are given with their botanical names, local name and family. The documented plants are mostly used to cure urinary troubles, cough, wounds, piles and skin diseases. Keywords : Ethnomedicine, tribes, Amravati, Maharashtra

ETHNOMEDICINAL USES OF SOME PLANTS UTILIZED BY TRIBES OF AMRAVATI DISTRICT, MAHARASHTRA

1* 1 1VARSHA D. HUTKE , N. N. TIWAR AND R. N. KHUSHLANIDepartment of Botany, Govt. Vidarbha Institute of Science and Humanities, Amravati, Maharashtra.

E mail : vdhutke@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION:

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS :

Today, ehnobotany has become a crucial area of research and development in resource management and conservation of biodiversity. As each tribal community has their own health care system, their ancient knowledge, sometimes referred to as ethno-therapeutics, has therefore provided a more useful and effective strategy for the discovery

1of clinically active drugs . Earlier, data on the medicinal uses of plants have been systematically gathered and compiled by

2-8many workers . Ethnopharmacognostic study and use of some plants for antisterility and urinogenital disorders are

9-10reported . Amravati district situated towards the North-0 0eastern side in Maharashtra lies between latitudes 21 15'-21

0 045' N, and longitudes 76 -57- 77 33' E in the eastern Satpuda ranges. This part is also known as Melghat and consists of hills and valleys showing much variation in the gradient and altitude. The area also harbors the Melghat Tiger Reserve

2 (MTR) with 2027.41 Km of the total area of the Gavilgarh 11hills of Satpuda . The floristic study of this area has been

12-14worked; the forest in this region is of dry deciduous type . In this region tribal like Korku, Gonds Nihal, Gawali and Gavlan are dispersed in small areas where adequate formal medicinal facilities are not available. Tribes of this area are still dependent on the ethnomedicines for their primary healthcare treatment of various diseases.

With an ideal combination of good forest cover and rich medicinal flora and large tribal population in Melghat forest, is interesting for a study of ethnobotany. Field trips were conducted from 2010 to 2011. Information on the use of medicinal plants was collected from rural and tribal areas of Melghat and Partwada which include places like Mariumpur, Semadoh, Makhala, Harisal, Dhamni, Manbhang, Aadnadi. The local tribal people were requested to accompany during field trips to help in the identification of plant species of ethnobotanical importance. The plant specimens were not collected from the areas; only photographs were taken and

15-18identified with the help of standard floras . The data presented are based on first hand information gathered through interviews with tribal people and local inhabitants. The plants have been enlisted with vernacular name, botanical name and family to which it belonging.

From the study it is observe that the tribal of the Melghat forest have good knowledge of medicinal uses of plant growing in their area. Preparations are taken internally in the form of infusion and decoction or applied externally as paste or powder. In villages, people irrespective of different occupation for example farmer, forest man, have good knowledge of medicinal plant surrounding them, it is just because of their own interest in this field. The ethnomedicinal uses of the 29 plants species representing 25 families are enumerated. The representing plants are mostly used to cure cough, wounds, urinary diseases, piles, abortificient, tooth decay. Some medicines are in the form of paste, powder, decoction and juice. EnumerationAnanas comsus Merr. (Family: Bromeliaceae)Local Name Safari Uses: A ripened fruit mixed with salt is given to cure indigestion. Juice is digestive and used, feeling uneasy after having heavy meal. 20 gm of juice mixed with honey used for relieving burning urination. Adhatoda vasica L. (Family: Acanthaceae)Local Name AdulsaUses: Leaves are used to cure cough. Flowers used in vomiting. Leaf juice mixed with honey is given in acidity. Flowers are used for preparing gulgand. Dried powder of leaves and roots used to cure fever. Fresh leaf juice is used to treat skin diseases. Fresh leaves are kept in water to avoid the bacterial contamination. Bauhinia varigata Linn. (Family: Caesalpiniaceae)Local Name KachnarUses: Paste of roots with rice is applied over wound. Decoction of buds is given twice a day in having blood in cough. It is used to stop the excess bleeding during menses. Dried flower powder with honey given in acidity.Bryophyllum pinnatum (Lam.) Oken (Family : Crassulaceae)Local Name PanputiUses: Leaves warmed, make into paste and is applied to enhance the healing of wounds and to remove the scars of wound. 5 to 10 drops extract of aerial plant body is used in blood cancer.Butea monosperma (Lam) (Family: Fabaceae)Local Name Palash, TesuUses: The root paste is applied on neck, below the ear in thyroid problem. Flower soaked in cold water for night, mixed with little quantity of sugar and is given in kidney stone and bleeding during urination. Flowers used in almost all diseases of women also make the uterus strong.Cinamomum camphora (L.) Sieb. (Family: Lauraceae)

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Local Name KapurUses:Leaves mixed with coconut oil and used for body massage of kids in cough and pneumonia. Leaves are used for relieving toothache. Powder of leaves is used in body itching.Cissus quadrangularis L. (Family: Vitaceae)Local name Haddijod, HadjodUses: Paste of plant is applied externally to heal and recover bone fracture.Cassia fistula L. (Family: Fabaceae)Local Name Amaltas [Banakaghungaru]Uses: Paste of leaves and bark is applied in nose infection. Roots boiled with milk are used in acidity. Paste of leaves is used to treat skin diseases. Roots are used to cure fever. Cinnamomum tamola Nees & Ebem.(Family: Lauraceae)Local Name TejpanUses: Powder of leaves mixed with honey is used to cure the cough. Leaves are used in speaking problem.Citrullus colocynthis L. (Family: Cucurbitaceae)Local Name IndrayanUses: Pulp of fruit warmed, applied on stomach to get relief from ringworms. Cotton ball wet with juice of fruit, kept in vagina to minimize the labor pain and for enhancing easy delivery. Seed oil is applied on scalp to blacken the hairs. Murabba of fruit used in stomach problem.Elaeocarpus ganitrus Roxb. (Family: Elaeocarpaceae)Local Name RudrakshUses: A string of fruits used in high blood pressure. It also decreases body temperature and control the body heat. Ficus glomerata Roxb. (Family: Moraceae)Local Name Gular, UmberUses: Paste of fruit is applied on tumor for reducing the growth and also given powder along with milk .Glycedia glabra L. (Family: Papillionaceae)Local Name Jeshtumadh, MulethiUses: The piece of stem chewed to get relief from cough and increase the digestive power.Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (Family: Malvaceae)Local Name JaswandUses: Flowers crushed with water, mixed with 50 gm gul (sugar candy) given for 3 days from first day of menstruation as contraceptive. Paste of leaves is applied for relieving swelling.Hemidesmus indicus L. (Family: Asclepiadaceae)Local Name AnantmulUses: The paste of leaves kept in tooth to remove the germs in teeth. Used for urinary diseases. Used in lactation problem.Jasminum grandiflorum L. (Family: Oleaceae)Local Name ChameliUses: Oil of Jasminum used in itching, burning, wound. Excess eating of it creates the headache.Moringa oleifera Lam. (Family: Moringaceae)Local Name Munaga, ShevagaUses: Gum used to prevent tooth decay. Warm paste of leaves is useful in relieving joints pain. Bark used in swelling and pain. Paste of stem used in piles.Mimosa pudica L. (Family : Mimosoideae)Local Name LajaluUses: Paste of roots is applied on swelling. Roots are tide in neck to get relief from cough. Paste of Mimosa and Adhatoda roots applied on breast for tightening the muscles of breast. Powder of roots and leaves is given twice a day along with milk to cure piles and fistula.Ocimum basilicum L. (Family: Lamiaceae)

Local Name SabjaUses: Inflorescence is used in gases problem.Piper betel L. (Family: Piperaceae)Local Name PanUses: Some drops of castor oil put on warm leaf, applied on chest to get relief from cough in children.Plumbago zeylanica L. (Family: Plumbaginaceae)Local Name Chitarak (Chita) Uses: Paste of root bark is applied for healing of wound. Powder of root is used in digestion. Roots are abortificient. Root is used to cure malaria.Rauwolfia serpentina L. (Family: Apocyanaceae)Local Name SarpagandhaUses: Leaf juice used in snake bite.Ruta graveolens (Family: Rutaceae)Local Name SitabUses: Leaf juice used in ringworms, cough and sinus. Spilanthus paniculuta Wall.ex.DC (Family: Asteraceae)Local name AkkalkaraUses: Dried stem of Spilanthus mixed with fish liver oil is used for massage in paralysis. Leaf juice is applied in leucoderma. It is kept in the teeth to get relief from headache during cough and cold. Roots used in toothache. Tephrosia purpurea L. (Family: Fabaceae)Local Name Sharpunkha, Tarota.Uses: Decoction of leaves mixed with 1-2 cloves is used against dysentery.Terminalia arjuna (Gaerth) Roxb. (Family: Combretaceae)Local name BahedaUses: Fruit powder with sugar is given to increase eye sight. Fruits cover is chewed to get relief from cough. Powder of fruit equally mixed with Ashwagandha churn given with warm water in heart trouble. Leaf powder along with powder of Datura leaf used in smoking to get relief from Asthma. Fruit is useful in urinary diseases and keeping mind cool. Excess consumption of seeds is sedative. Tinospora cordifolia Hook.f. & Thoms. (Family: Menispermaceae)Local name GulvelUses:Leaves crushed with warm water, two drops poured in ear to cure the infection. 10 gm green leaves of wheat and leaves of Tinospora crushed with water; a cup of filtrate is used daily to cure cancer.Trachyspermum ammi L. (Family: Apiaceae)Local Name AjvayanUses:Crushed seeds put within teeth to get relief from toothache. Paste of seeds crushed with honey is applied on breast to get relief from the pain. Powder of seeds soaked in wine for seven days; filtrate used as “Tincture”. Decoction of seed is used to leave the habit of drinking.Tribulus terrestris L. (Family : Zygophyllaceae)Local Name GokharuUses: It is used to remove the kidney stone and urine problem.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT :-

Authors are thankful to the informants for providing the ethnobotanical information. They are also thankful to staff of the Melghat tiger reserve forest. Authors are also grateful to Dr. G.O. Muratkar, Associate Professor, Dept. of Botany, Sipna Arts, Commerce and Science College, Chikhaldara for valuable help during field visit and plants identification.

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