Ethnobotanical Leaflets 13: 189-94. 2009.
Ethnomedicinal Survey of Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment
of Diabetes and Jaundice Among the Villagers of Sivagangai
District, Tamilnadu
S. Shanmugam, K. Manikandan and K.
Rajendran*
Post Graduate and Research
Department of Botany, Thiagarajar College (Autonomous), Madurai. Pin - 625 009. Tamilnadu, India
*Corresponding
author. E-mail: kuppurajendran@rediffmail.com
Issued 30 January 2009
Abstract: The present
study revealed that totally 12 and 10 modes of treatment were followed by the
rural people of Sivagangai district to cure
diabetes and jaundice respectively. The rural people of the study area were used
17 plants for diabetes and 12 for jaundice. Among them, 6 plants viz., Azadirachta indica,
Carum nothum, Cynodon dactylon, Lablab purpureus, Momordica charantia and Phyllanthus
amarus were used to cure both diabetes and
jaundice. The plants were used either separately or in combination with other
plants. These ethnomedicinal data may
provide a base to start the search the new compounds related to phytochemistry, pharmacology and pharmacognosy.
Attention should
also be made on proper exploitation and utilization of these medicinal
plants.
INTRODUCTION
The
value of medicinal plants to the mankind is very well proven. It is estimated
that 70 to 80% of the people worldwide rely chiefly on traditional health
care system and largely on herbal medicines (Farnsworth et al., 1985;
Farnsworth and Soejarto, 1991; Pei
Shengji, 2002; Shanley
and Luz, 2003). Nature has
been a source of medicinal plants for thousands of year and an impressive
number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources. Various
medicinal plants have been used for years in daily life to treat disease all
over the world. They have been used as remedies and for health care
preparation. In fact plants produce a diverse range of bioactive molecules
making them a rich source of different types of medicines. Higher plants as source of medicinal
compounds have continued to play a dominant role in the maintenance of human
health since ancient times (Farombi, 2003). Man has acquired methods of treating
sickness using his local bio cultural environment. Ayurveda and other Indian literature mention such uses of
plants in treatment of various human ailments.
India harbours about
15 percent (3000 3500) medicinal plants, out of 20,000 medicinal plants of
the world. About 90 percent of these are found growing wild in different
climatic regions of the country (Singh, 1997). Scientific
investigations of medicinal plants have been initiated in many parts of our
country because of their contributions to health care. Ethnobotany and ethnomedical studies are today recognized as the most
viable method of identifying new medicinal plants or refocusing on those
earlier reported for bioactive constituents. It is interesting to note
that most of the drugs derived or originally isolated from higher plants were
discovered in an ethnobotanical or ethnomedicinal context. The tribal and rural people of
various parts of India are highly depending on medicinal plant therapy for meeting their
health care needs. This is attracting the attention of several botanists and
plant scientists who directing vigorous researches towards the discovery or
rediscovery of several medicinal plants along with their medicinal remedies
for various diseases. Several workers were reported the utility of plants for
the treatment of diabetes and jaundice (Goel and Bhattacharaya, 1981; Yaniv
et al., 1987; Eddouks et al., 2002; Katz et
al., 2007; Leach, 2007).
In such a way, the present work was carried out to explore the medical
remedies of some medicinal plants used by the rural people of Sivagangai district in Tamilnadu
for the treatment of diabetes and jaundice.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The entire area of Sivagangai District lies
between 9Ί 30' N and 10Ί 30' N latitude and 77Ί 00' E and 78Ί 30'
E longitude. The altitude of the study area is about 102 m (334 feet) above
mean sea level. The district is spread over an area of about 4189 sq. km and
is bounded on the North and Northeast by Pudukkottai
District, on the Southeast and South by Ramanathapuram
District, on the Southwest by Virudhunagar District
and on the West by Madurai District. The district
receives an annual rainfall is about 635 1019 mm. The maximum and minimum
temperature varies between 26Ί and 38Ί.
Interviews and
detailed personal discussions were conducted with the local people who have
unique knowledge about the treatment for diabetes and jaundice. A total of
more than 100 respondents were interviewed, these included males and females
that depended on plant as sources of medicines either for self medication
or for treating others. Flora
of Tamilnadu Carnatic
(Matthew, 1983 1986) and An Excursion flora of central Tamilnadu
(Matthew, 1991) were used to ascertain the nomenclature of the plant
species.
ENUMERATION OF ETHNOMEDICINAL DATA
A) For diabetes:
1. Leaf of Gymnema
sylvestre (Retz.) R. Br. ex Roemer & Schultes (Asclepiadaceae Sarkkaraikolli) is dried and powdered. The powder soaked
in water for few hours and then filtered. The filtrate is given to drink with
water.
2. Rhizome of Curcuma longa auct. non L. (Zingiberaceae Manjal) is dried and powdered. The powder soaked in
water for few hours and then filtered. The filtrate is given to drink with
milk.
3. Fruits of Momordica
charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae
Paagarkkaai) and Lablab purpureus
L. (Fabaceae Avarai)
are cooked in the fruit extract of Syzygium
cumini (L.) Skeels (Myrtaceae Naaval) with
little amount of water and eaten.
4. Flowers of Cassia auriculata L. (Caesalpiniaceae
Aavaaramboo) are eaten raw.
5. Ripened fruit of Coccinia grandis
(L.) J.Voigt. (Cucurbitaceae Kovai) is eaten daily.
6. Fruits of Caesalpinia
pulcherrima (L.) Sw.
(Caesalpiniaceae Mayilkondrai)
are dried and powdered. The powder is given with
milk or honey.
7. Leaf paste of Crateva religiosa
auct. non Forster f. (Capparidaceae Maavalingam)
is applied on legs and hands for about 1 3 weeks.
8. Leaf of Andrographis
paniculata (Burm. f.)
Wallich ex Nees (Acanthaceae Siriyaanangai)
is eaten raw.
9. Stem barks of Ficus benghalensis
L. (Moraceae Aal) and
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
(L.) Sw. (Caesalpiniaceae
Mayilkondrai) are
powdered. The powder is given to drink with milk.
10. Leaf of Azadirachta indica
Andr. Juss. (Meliaceae Vembu) and Fruits
of Carum nothum
Cl. (Apiaceae Omam) are dried and powdered. The powder is given
in milk.
11. Leaves of Piper betle L. (Piperaceae Vettrilai), Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. (Poaceae Arugambull), Azadirachta indica
Andr. Juss. (Meliaceae Vembu) and Phyllanthus amarus
Schum. & Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae Keelaanelli)
are dried and powdered with the stem park of Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels (Myrtaceae
Naaval). The powder is boiled in water and the
extract is given.
12. Leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica
Andr. Juss. (Meliaceae Vembu), and Phyllanthus amarus
Schum. & Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae Keelaanelli)
are mixed and given.
B) For jaundice:
1. Leaves of Cynodon
dactylon (L.) Pers. (Poaceae Arugambull) and Phyllanthus amarus
Schum. & Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae Keelaanelli)
are grounded with the fruits of Piper nigrum
L. (Piperaceae Milagu) and
extracted. The extract is given.
2. Root of Hemidesmus
indicus (L.) R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae
Nannaari) is powdered and given with honey.
3. Leaf of Leucas
aspera (Willd.) Link
(Lamiaceae Thumbai)
is pasted and applied on head.
4. Very young leaves of Azadirachta indica
Andr. Juss. (Meliaceae Vembu) are fried
with Carum nothum
Cl. (Apiaceae Omam) and salt and powdered. The powder is given
in milk.
5. Leaves of Eclipta
alba L. (Asteraceae Karappaan),
Phyllanthus amarus
Schum. & Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae Keelaanelli)
and Leucas aspera
(Willd.) Link (Lamiaceae
Thumbai) are grounded and extracted. The
extract is given.
6. Interior stem portion of Musa paradisiaca
L. (Musaceae Vaazhai)
and fruits of Lablab purpureus L. (Fabaceae Avarai) are
prepared as a vegetable curry and given with diet.
7. Leaf powder of Aegle marmelos
(L.) Corr. Serr. (Rutaceae Villvam) is given
in milk of Goat.
8. Leaf extracts of Cynodon dactylon
(L.) Pers. (Poaceae Arugambull) and Phyllanthus
amarus Schum. & Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae Keelaanelli) are mixed and given.
9. Interior portion of Musa paradisiaca
L. (Musaceae Vaazhai)
is dried and powdered. The powder is given with honey.
10. Fruits of Momordica
charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae
Paagarkkaai) are dried. The dried fruit pieces
are fried and given with normal diet.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The
present study revealed that totally 12 and 10 modes of treatment were
followed to cure diabetes and jaundice respectively, by the rural people
inhabiting in Sivagangai district. Various people
inhabiting in different localities of Sivagangai
district followed different mode of treatment as their own wishes. They were
used 17 plants for diabetes and 12 for jaundice. Among them, 6 plants viz., Azadirachta indica,
Carum nothum, Cynodon dactylon, Lablab purpureus, Momordica charantia and Phyllanthus
amarus were used to cure both diabetes and
jaundice. The plants were used either separately or in combination with some
of other plants. Most of these plants are
commonly available in natural sources in the district and a few are obtained
from local dealers. Taking the medicine as infusion either with water, milk
or honey is the major mode of treatment for both the diseases.
CONCLUSION
Due to the growing importance
of ethnobotanical studies, it is necessary to
collect the informations about the knowledge of
traditional medicines, preserved in tribal and rural communities of various
parts of India before it is permanently lost. Diabetes
and Jaundice are one of the common diseases in rural areas of Sivagangai District. Having the above facts in mind, an attempt was made to explore the
medical remedies of some medicinal plants used by the rural people of Sivagangai district in Tamilnadu
for the treatment of diabetes and jaundice. These ethnomedicinal
data may provide a base to start the search the new compounds related to phytochemistry, pharmacology and pharmacognosy.
Therefore, Isolation of active principles, pharmacological investigations,
and the potent antimicrobial activity should be studied. This may provide
new sources of herbal drugs and help to understand the molecular basis of
their activities. Moreover,
it may further be mentioned that over exploitation of these species in the
name of medicine may lead some species ultimately to the disappearance in
future. Therefore, attention should
also be made on proper exploitation and utilization of these medicinal
plants.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The
authors are cordially grateful to the people inhabiting in different
localities of Sivagangai District because of their
kind support and co-operation during the field surveys.
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