������� Ethnobotanical Leaflets
12: 36-43, 2008. Exploration of Tribal Knowledge of Entada pursaetha DC: An Endangered Gigantic
Medicinal Legume in Eastern Ghats Sai Vishnu Priya
K1 and Srinivasa Rao JV2 Department of Botany, 1Genetic Transformation Lab, ICRISAT, Patancheru,
Hyderabad-502 324, 2 PNCKR College of PG studies, 1Author for correspondence: Issued Abstract �������������� The third largest family of flowering plants is the
legume family, with more than 18, 000 species. Legumes play an important role
in daily human diet, and an array of compounds which can be useful in curing
diseases. Tribals utilize many species in their
daily lives; most of the uses are still unknown to researchers. Entada pursaetha
is a gigantic creeper with giant pods among legumes, and is an endangered
species. Many uses for this legume were discovered as a result of the surveys
conducted by the authors at five localities in Key words: Soap
plant, tribal pulse, giant pods, gigantic liana. INTRODUCTION �������������� Legumes
include a wide range of species from road-side weeds and valuable crop plants
to ornamental shrubs, vines and giant canopy trees of the tropical rain
forest. Legumes act as a mini fertilizer
factory and contribute substantially to the fertility of the soil and they
are also important sources of food, feed, forage, manure, timber, gum, etc. Pradhan (1995) emphasizes the key role the legumes play
in daily human diet, owing to their immense nutritional value with high
protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, essential for tissue
formation. In the developing countries where protein malnutrition is
widespread, legume seeds play a vital role in bridging the protein gap and
meeting the demand for proteins. Less known tribal pulses could make a useful
contribution to world food production due to their adaptation to adverse
environmental conditions and, in some instances, high disease and pest
resistance, and possessing good nutritional qualities (Vijayakumari
et al. 1993). Entada pursaetha is a gigantic woody liana among legumes, which
produces 90-150 cm long woody giant pods (Fig. 1) with 5-30 seeds (Fig. 2).
All parts of this species contain saponins and are
thus used in the soap industry. This species is reported as tribal pulse (Siddhuraju et al. 1993). Its semi ripe seeds are also
used as a substitute for coffee. The plant material is used by the tribals as a broad spectrum compound. This species can be
used as a narcotic or as a tonic, etc, or used in curing liver troubles,
allaying body pains, in warding off cold, curing eye diseases, arthritis, and
paralysis (Johnson 1999). This species is reported as endangered (Janardhanan et al. 2001, Varak
and Suryanarayana 1995, Jadhav
et al. 2001). In recent times, there has been a deeply felt concern for the
conservation and preservation of E. pursaetha
germplasm (Das 1994)
owing to an increasing realization of its importance and usefulness. The
present study was carried out to explore the tribal�s
knowledge and traditional uses of this species. MATERIALS
�������������� The Eastern Ghats
of India are located between 11�30� and 22�N latitude and 76�50� and 86�30� E longitude, spread over three continuous
states of India, namely Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu, which are highly significant in terms
of biodiversity. Five locations such as Araku
valley (82� 52�0E, 18� 19� 60N) of the North-Eastern Ghats, Rollapenta (78� 49�0E, 15� 52� 60N) of the
central region, Talakona (78� 8E, 13� 43�N)and Tirumala (79�
20�60E, 13� 14� 60N )in the southern part of Andhra Pradesh, and
the Kolli hills (78� 30�E, 11� 30� 60N) of the South-Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu were selected for the present study, where tribals inhabit and use this species,. Continuous field
trips were undertaken to the study area, and the names of the various tribal
communities, their professions and how they use this species for different
medicinal and domestic purposes were elicited from them and recorded. �RESULTS �������������� In
the field studies, it was found that the plant population was comparatively
large at Talakona (fifteen individuals), while at
the �������������� In
Araku Valley, there are nine tribal communities, in
which two communities (Valmiki, Bakatha)
represent 90% of the population; one community each was found in Rollapenta (Chenchus) and Kolli hills (Malai grounder); Yanadi community represented approximately 80%
communities compare to Girijan and Lambadi; Simultaneously, 75% tribals
at Tirumals belong to Nakkalolu
and the rest 25% with Guvvalolu group. Surveys
brought to light the multi uses of the species. Interaction with the tribal
families brought out several interesting facts that almost all of them, men,
women and children, were aware of the presence of this plant because of its
giant pods and twisted tendrils (Fig. 3), but they did not know that it was
endangered. Tribals of all five localities utilize
the species for multi purposes in their lives, those uses were recorded
(Figs. 4, 5, 6) and similar uses were listed (see below). Seeds
Medicinal uses
�
Seeds
are considered alexiteric, narcotic, tonic, emetic,
anthelmintic, antipyretic, febrifuge, and hemorrhoidal. �
The
powdered kernel of the seeds is given to women for some days immediately
after delivery for allaying body pains and warding off cold. �
Used
as stomachache, carminative and anodyne. �
Excites
appetite, control fever and relieves pain. �
Used
in pains of the loins, in debility and in inflammatory glandular swellings
and for scabies. �
Roast
and cook the seeds to detoxify and use as tribal pulse. �
Half-ripe
seeds are used as a substitute for coffee. �
Paste
of the seed kernel, green algae (i.e Anabena) and Solanum myriacanthm in 2:1:2 proportions is
used to women for 7 days after �����
menstruation as contraceptive. �
Seed
powder and paste of long pepper in a 2:1 ratio is used for intestinal worms. �
Seed
powder with ghee in a 2:1 ratio is used as an anodyne and given to women as
oral contraceptive. �
To
cure liver troubles, and to cure mumps. Miscellaneous uses
�
�Income is derived by selling the seeds to
the soap industry. Bark Medicinal uses
�
Skin
diseases. �
Stem
as an emetic. �
Bark
juice to cure ulcers and internally as a vulnerary. Miscellaneous use� �
Soapy
solutions of leaves to wash their bodies and fabrics. Leaves �
The
leaves are smeared with warm coconut oil and placed on the head of a child
for infantile cold. �
The
leaf juice is given orally to children every morning for three days for
infantile cold. Miscellaneous uses
�
Soap industry. Root
�
The
root paste along with the powder of black peppers in a ratio of 3:1 is given
to women in the treatment of epilepsy. �� �������������� The various
tribal communities of the above mentioned locations revealed specific uses
for this legume. The specific uses, tribal community names, their languages,
vernacular names of the species are given in Table 1. When we focused our eyes on Tirumala, Kolli hills, we learned that the tribals
were increasing their income by selling their seeds as fertility stimulating
agent, and to the soap industry (Figs. 7, 8). �������������� Overall,
our major findings coincide with such previous researchers as Ravishankar et al. (1994), who mentions a medicine for
inflammatory swellings and for the making of shampoos, and Siddhuraju et al. (1993) who describes a tribal pulse.
The other uses collected by us, including medicinal uses, require laboratory
analysis. If the species could be protected and propagated it could serve as
good herbal shampoo material besides improving the economic conditions of the
tribal inhabitants of forest areas. Understanding of the ethnic perceptions
of any species is necessary for in situ and ex situ
conservation projects, which help to enhance the effectiveness of educational
efforts (Burgess 1994). The local people's involvement and intervention in
any conservation of species is very important, and without their active
co-operation, the conservation of existing population will not happen, so
while collecting the tribal information, we created awareness in them about
their role in conservation of this species from further extinction. CONCLUSION �������������� This
type of survey has been helpful in bringing to light the uses of plant
species whose utility had not been previously known. It has also been helpful
not only in exploring tribal uses, but in creating awareness about the role
of tribals in the conservation and protection of
this species from further extinction. REFERENCES Burgess, M. A., 1994.
Cultural responsibility in the preservation of local economic plant
resources. Biodiversity and conservation., 3: 126-136. Das, C. R., 1994. Rare & beautiful
crawling climbers of special interest in Jadhav, S. N., Ved,
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P. K. and Singh, R. P (ed). Biotechnology
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landscapes. Nature
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L., Nambi, A. A. and Selvam,
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K. and Janardhanan, K., 1993. Genetic resources in
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47-49. Tiwari, D. N., 1999. Medicinal
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Information and Broadcasting., 44: 8-17. Varak, V. D. and Suryanarayana,
M. C., 1995. Enumeration of wild edible plants from Vijayakumari, K., Siddhuraju,
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181-189. Table 1. Tribal uses
of E. pursaetha.
Fig. 1. Pod (1cm Bar=1.2 mm)������������������� Fig. 2. Seeds (1 cm=5.6
mm).
Fig. 3. Interaction with tribals at���������������
Fig. 4. Collection of tribal uses at Talakona.������������������������������������������������������
Talakona.
Fig. 5. Recording the tribal uses
at������������ Fig. 6. Collection of
tribal uses at Tirumala hills.�������������������������������������������� ��Kolli hills.
Fig. 7. Nakkalola
tribal woman selling������ Fig. 8. Nakkalola tribal man selling seeds. the seeds of E. pursaetha along with���������������������������������������������������������������������
. Pinus cones.������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������.
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