Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge

Vol. 9(1), January 2010, pp. 73-76

Ethnogynecological uses of plants prevalent among the tribes

of Periyar Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats

Jomy Augustine*, Sreejesh KR & Bijeshmon PP

Post Graduate and Research Department of Botany, St Thomas College, Pala, 686 574, Kerala

E-mail: jomyaugustine@rediffmail.com

Received 4 January 2007; revised 17 October 2008

Periyar Tiger Reserve, with an area of 777 sq km is the largest protected area in the high ranges of Kerala state. There are

five tribal groups, namely Mannan, Paliyan, Urali, Malayarayan and Malampandaram with a total population of 2,166. An

ethnobotanical study carried out among the tribal groups of Periyar Tiger Reserve revealed use of 15 plant species for

ethnogynecological purposes.

Keywords: Ethnogynecology, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala, Mannan tribes, Paliyan tribes, Urali tribes, Malayarayan

tribes and Malampandaram tribes

IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K36/00, A61P15/00, A61P15/06, A61P31/00, A61P31/04

About 64% of the total global population remain

dependent on traditional medicines1,2

. Nearly 8,000

plant species were recognized as of ethnobotanical

importance and many of them are promising drugs for

modern medicinal applications3. Periyar Tiger

Reserve with an area of 777 sq km is the largest

protected area in Kerala state and is situated in Idukki

revenue district (Figs. 1 & 4). The area is quite rich in

plant wealth with 1,978 species of flowering plants4.

There are 5 tribes, namely Mannan, Paliyan, Urali,

Malayarayan and Malampandaram with a total

population of 2,166 residing in and around the

protected area5. The first 3 tribal groups are said as

early immigrants from Tamil Nadu plains after the

demolition of great regimes of Chola and Pandya as

indicated by the dialect, which is a mixture of

Malayalam and Tamil but more similarity to Tamil6.

Except Malampandaram tribes, all are now settled in

5 permanent settlements outside the Tiger Reserve.

Malampandaram tribes’ are still residing inside the

forests as cave dwellers.

Methodology An ethnobotanical survey was conducted frequently

among the five tribal groups. Elder people and

medicine men of the tribal communities were

contacted for interview. Sometimes, they were

employed as field guides during the field exploration

for collection of the plants and recorded first hand

ethnobotanical uses. At certain occasions, plants were

brought from interior forests and shown to them for

knowing and recording the local names and medicinal

uses. Tribal physicians and village physicians were

consulted for knowing more about the uses of plants

(Fig. 8). Village old mothers were consulted for the

methods of preparation and administration of the

plants. The information from the tribal people was

compared with literature7-12

. The voucher specimens

were deposited at herbaria of Calicut University

Herbarium (CALI) and Herbarium of Kerala Forest

Research Institute (KFRI).

Results

Fifteen plant species used by the tribes of the Tiger

Reserve for childbirth, mother care and to induce

abortion are by botanical name, family and common

name followed by the uses and method of

administration. [

Anamirta cocculus (L.) Wt. & Arn. (Menisper-

maceae), Pechumarunnu

The fresh bark juice is applied on head for easing

childbirth by Malayarayan. The fruit is reported as

convulsive poison and as insecticide

8,10,11.

Arenga wightii Griff. (Arecaceae), Aazham pana.(Fig. 8)

Toddy from the inflorescence is extracted and

hardened with fresh roots of Thottea siliquosa (Lam.) ——————

*Corresponding author

INDIAN J.TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 9, No. 1, JANUARY 2010

74

Ding Hou and small amount is given every morning

to pregnant ladies to prevent malformed childbirth by

Malampandaram.

Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (Hypoxidaceae),

Nilappana

Fresh tubers are eaten for increasing lactation. Tuber

paste is applied on breasts of the mother immediately

after childbirth to induce lactation by Mannan. Tubers

are reported as abortifacient7.

Gloriosa superba L. (Liliaceae), Menthonni (Fig. 7).

A small amount of tuber paste is applied externally on

head to accelerate childbirth. It is believed that the

tubers that grow to the northern direction with a

horizontal basal portion and downwardly growing

Fig1Map of study area Fig 2 Fig 3

Fig 4 Periyar Tiger Reserve Fig 5 Fig 6

Fig 7 Fig 8 Fig 9 A tribe

Thottea siliquosa Thottea siliquosa

Polypleurum stylosum Mussaenda belilla

Gloriosa superba Arenga wightii Mannan

AUGUSTINE et al.: ETHNOGYNECOLOGICAL USES AMONG TRIBES OF KERALA

75

distal portion are the ones to be used. The basal

portion made into a paste, is applied on head of ladies,

who are suffering from severe delivery pain. Soon

after the delivery, paste made of the distal portion of

the same tuber is applied on the head for vaginal

contraction (Malampandaram). The paste of the

rhizome is applied on the lower part of belly for

easing childbirth7. The rhizome has been reported

as abortifacient in early stage of pregnancy and

its rhizome starch is reported useful in

gonorrhea8,13

.

Lagerstroemia microcarpa Wt. (Lythraceae),

Benthekku (Malayarayan), Thuvara (Mannan).

Fresh bark of tender stem is eaten by ladies before

start eating fish or flesh after delivery. Ladies after

delivery do not eat meat or fish for several weeks and

when they wish to start eating fish, this treatment is

given (Mannan).

Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr.

(Anacardiaceae), Uthi

Bark decoction of Terminalia catappa and Vitex

altissima is used for bathing ladies after delivery for

few weeks (Mannan).

Lycoperisicon esculentum P. Miller (Solanaceae)

Kattuthakkali.

Juice of fresh leaves folded and placed over flame for

some time is orally given to ladies to stop

menstruation temporarily (Mannan).

Meliosma simplicifolia (Roxb.) Walp. (Sabiaceae),

Chenthanamaram.

Mothers eat fresh tender bark after delivery for

contraction of uterus (Mannan).

Mussaenda belilla Buch.-Ham. (Rubiaceae), Vellila

thali. (Fig. 6)

Fresh bark and young parts are given orally to ladies

after delivery. This treatment is given before they start

eating meat after delivery (Mannan). Leaves are

reported to be used in lactation problems in young

mothers7..

Polygonum chinense L. (Polygonaceae), Mudanthi.

Stem is acidic and given orally to ladies after

delivery. It is believed that this treatment is good for

contraction of the uterus and to reduce dilation of

vagina. It is also used as a vegetable (Mannan).

Polypleurum stylosum (Wt.) Hall. (Podostemaceae),

Karimpayal. (Fig. 5)

Fresh plant paste is applied externally around the

vagina and belly to ease childbirth. This gives

relief from severe pain during delivery

(Malayarayan).

Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken (Sapindaceae),

Mulla maram, Poovam

Pregnant women bathe in water boiled with the bark

of the stem. This gives relief from acute back pain

(Mannan).

Solanum torvum Sw. (Solanaceae), Ana chunda

Leaf is made into a roll and one roll is placed on

another leaf and rolled, and this is held over fire for a

while and the juice extracted from the inner leaf is

given orally to induce abortion (Mannan).

Thottea siliquosa (Lam.) Ding Hou. (Aristo-

lochiaceae), Alpam (Figs 2 & 3)

The fresh roots are added to fresh toddy obtained

from the inflorescence of Arenga wightii Griff. and

kept for over night. Small amount of the toddy is

given to pregnant ladies every morning to prevent

malformation of the foetus (Malampandaram).

Vitex altissima L.f. (Verbenaceae), Mayilellu

The bark and wood is boiled in water and the water is

used for bathing women after childbirth for few

weeks (Mannan).

Discussion

The information was gathered directly from the tribal

people of the study area. Since several plants

especially Polypleurum stylosum (Wt.) Hall., Arenga

wightii Griff., etc. are potential for modern drug

development and further studies on the biomedical

experimentation of these plants are suggested.

Acknowledgement

Author is grateful to Kerala State Council for

Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) for

the financial support; Kerala Forest Department,

Thekkady for giving permission to do the study and to

extend all possible facilities for conducting of the

fieldwork. The principal of St Thomas College, Pala

is also acknowledged for providing the facilities for

the study.

INDIAN J.TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 9, No. 1, JANUARY 2010

76

References 1 Farnsworth N, Ethnopharmacology and drug development,

In: Bioactive Compounds from Plants, edited by DJ

Chadwick & J Marsh, (Cifa Foundation Symposium, Wiley,

Chichectar), 1994, 42-51.

2 Sindiga I, Indigenous (medical) knowledge of Maasai,

Indigenous Knowledge Dev Monitor, 2 (1994) 16-18.

3 Anonymous, Ethnobiology in India: A Status Report of All

India Coordinated Research Project on Ethnobiology,

(Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India,

New Delhi), 1994.

4 Augustine Jomy, Floristic and Ethnobotanical studies of

Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala, (PhD Thesis, University of

Calicut, Kerala), 2000.

5 Anonymous, Eco-developement Micro plans, Periyar Tiger

Reserve, Thekkady, (Kerala Forest Department, Thekkady),

1999.

6 Thurston Edgar, Castes and Tribes of South India – V,

(Madras Government Press), Reprint in 1975, (Cosmo

Publications, New Delhi), 1909.

7 Jain SK, Dictionary of Indian Folk Medicine and

Ethnobotany (A reference Manual of man – Plant

Relationship, Ethnic Groups and Ethnobotany in India),

(Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi), 1991.

8 Anonymous, The useful Plants of India, (Publications and

Information Directorate, New Delhi), 1986.

9 Kirtikar KR & BD Basu, Indian Medicinal Plants, 2nd edn,

(Lalit Mohan Basu, Allahabad), 1935.

10 Khord Rustonjee Naserwanjee & Katrak Nanabhai

Navarosji, Materia Medica of India and their Therapeutics,

(Neeraj Printing House, New Delhi), 1981.

11 Chopra RN, Nayar SL & Chopra IC, Glossary of Indian

Medicinal Plants, (Publications and Information Directorate,

New Delhi), 1956.

12 Pushpangadan P, Package of Practices for organic

cultivation and utilization of important medicinal plants, Part

I, (Economic Botany Information Service, National Botanical

Research Institute, Lucknow), 2001.

13 Agarwal VS & Barin Ghosh, Drug Plants of India (Root

drugs), (Botanical Survey of India, Howrah), 1985