Ethnomedicinal and ecological status of plants in Garhwal Himalaya, India

Abstract

BackgroundThe northern part of India harbours a great diversity of medicinal plants due to its distinct geography and ecological marginal conditions. The traditional medical systems of northern India are part of a time tested culture and honored still by people today. These traditional systems have been curing complex disease for more than 3,000 years. With rapidly growing demand for these medicinal plants, most of the plant populations have been depleted, indicating a lack of ecological knowledge among communities using the plants. Thus, an attempt was made in this study to focus on the ecological status of ethnomedicinal plants, to determine their availability in the growing sites, and to inform the communities about the sustainable exploitation of medicinal plants in the wild.MethodsThe ecological information regarding ethnomedicinal plants was collected in three different climatic regions (tropical, sub-tropical and temperate) for species composition in different forest layers. The ecological information was assessed using the quadrate sampling method. A total of 25 quadrats, 10 × 10 m were laid out at random in order to sample trees and shrubs, and 40 quadrats of 1 × 1 m for herbaceous plants. In each climatic region, three vegetation sites were selected for ecological information; the mean values of density, basal cover, and the importance value index from all sites of each region were used to interpret the final data. Ethnomedicinal uses were collected from informants of adjacent villages. About 10% of inhabitants (older, experienced men and women) were interviewed about their use of medicinal plants. A consensus analysis of medicinal plant use between the different populations was conducted.ResultsAcross the different climatic regions a total of 57 species of plants were reported: 14 tree species, 10 shrub species, and 33 herb species. In the tropical and sub-tropical regions, Acacia catechu was the dominant tree while Ougeinia oojeinensis in the tropical region and Terminalia belerica in the sub-tropical region were least dominant reported. In the temperate region, Quercus leucotrichophora was the dominant tree and Pyrus pashia the least dominant tree. A total of 10 shrubs were recorded in all three regions: Adhatoda vasica was common species in the tropical and sub-tropical regions however, Rhus parviflora was common species in the sub-tropical and temperate regions. Among the 33 herbs, Sida cordifolia was dominant in the tropical and sub-tropical regions, while Barleria prionitis the least dominant in tropical and Phyllanthus amarus in the sub-tropical region. In temperate region, Vernonia anthelmintica was dominant and Imperata cylindrica least dominant. The consensus survey indicated that the inhabitants have a high level of agreement regarding the usages of single plant. The index value was high (1.0) for warts, vomiting, carminative, pain, boils and antiseptic uses, and lowest index value (0.33) was found for bronchitis.ConclusionThe medicinal plants treated various ailments. These included diarrhe...

Quality Control standardization of Wild Himalayan Pear: Pyrus pashia

“…9,10 In folk medicine of Gharwal region, fruits of this plant are traditionally being used in treatment of digestive disorders. 11 It is well documented that ripen fruits are considered as edible by many tribes while tender leaves and twigs are used as fodder, leaf extract is used as a tonic for hair loss and woods are used as a major fuel source in the central Himalayan region. [12][13][14] The leaves are consumed as tea beverages by the Monpa Community of Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh (India).…”

Rural Communities on Ethno Medicinal Plants, Uses and their Conservation

“…Although many studies have been carried out on the ethnomedicinal uses of the plants described from the different parts of India [5,11,12]. However, the ecological studies of medicinal plants in the Himalayan region are lacking.In the recent survey, the informants suggested that medicinal plants are an important source for daily healthcare and the associated knowledge is traditionally transmitted, which is also reported in earlier studies and suggested that these species help maintain the ecological balance of the area by decreasing soil erosion and increasing moisture in the soil, thus improving conditions for human and livestock needs [5].Informants are well aware about the knowledge of plants that how they are disappearing due to overexploitation. But not aware of ecological information of the plants which indicate the future performance of the species survival.…”

“…The people of the Himalayan region are well aware of the traditional use of medicinal plants, but the ecological distribution of the species are unknown, which tell us the presence of species in the nature and further its utilization for sustainable long-term use. Although many studies have been carried out on the ethnomedicinal uses of the plants described from the different parts of India [5,11,12]. However, the ecological studies of medicinal plants in the Himalayan region are lacking.…”

“…So far, about 8000 species of angiosperms, 44 gymnosperms, and 600 pteridophytes have been reported in the Indian Himalaya [2]. Of these, 1748 species are used as medicinal plants [3], and maximum used as medicines reported from Uttarakhand [4], of these, sixty two species are endemic to the Himalaya [5].…”

“…So far, about 8000 species of angiosperms, 44 gymnosperms, and 600 pteridophytes have been reported in the Indian Himalaya [2]. Of these, 1748 species are used as medicinal plants [3], and maximum used as medicines reported from Uttarakhand [4], of these, sixty two species are endemic to the Himalaya [5].Medicinal plants are essential natural resource which constitutes one of the potential sources of new products and bioactive compounds for drug development [6]. Traditional medicinal uses contribute significantly to such drug development.…”