Medicinal plant sources and traditional healthcare practices of forest-dependent communities in and around Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary in southeastern Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh’s forest-dependent people rely on medicinal plants for traditional healthcare practices, as plant-based medicines are easily available and cost-effective. This study evaluated and documented ethnomedicinal practices for, and traditional knowledge of, utilising plants to cure ailments. Ethnobotanical indices quantified the use value (UV), frequency of citation, relative frequency of citation (RFC) and the informant consensus factor. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, the study interviewed 231 respondents from 18 villages in and around Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). The study documented 134 medicinal plant species from 60 families; tree species were dominant (37.31%). Malvaceae (seven species), Rutaceae and Lamiaceae (six species each) families covered more species. Nearly half of the species (46.02%) were collected from CWS. Both above-ground and below-ground plant parts treated 71 types of ailments under 21 categories, with leaves (66 species) being the most widely used plant part. In total 33 species were used to treat dysentery, 25 species each for fever and jaundice, and 24 species for cuts and wounds. The average UV value was 0.24 and RFC value was 0.47%. Communities were found to utilise medicinal plants more at home than to sell at markets, substantially relying on medicinal plants to meet their domestic needs. Plants used for healthcare and cultural and religious beliefs have a strong connection that plays a vital role in plant conservation. This study identified 42 medicinal plant species that could be considered to treat COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh. The findings suggest that community awareness of sustainable harvesting and commercial cultivation could lead to conservation and use of these invaluable plant species for healthcare, new drugs discovery and sustainable forest management. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42398-022-00230-z.

A multivariate and quantitative assessment of medicinal plants used by the indigenous Malayali tribes in the Javadhu hills of Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, India

“…This statement was conflicted with the study undertaken in Punjab, Pakistan [ 42 ], but it was consistent with studies conducted in the Pechiparai Hills [ 43 ]. and the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary [ 44 ].

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Plant Diversity of the Baraiyadhala National Park in Chattagram, Bangladesh

“…[25] reported 54 species (34 families) of medicinal plants from the Sitakunda Botanical Garden and Eco-Park of Chittagong and [26] recorded 55 tree species (26 families) of medicinal plants from the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Chittagong. The demand for plant-based medicines is increasing day by day due to the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs and the reduction of their resistance to disease.…”

Biosynthesis of Phytocannabinoids and Structural Insights: A Review

“…During this research, numerous countries stopped growing plants [ 10 ]. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 80% of people in developed countries rely on herbal medicine to meet their basic health needs and treat various diseases [ 11 ].…”

“…Nonetheless, these plants are perceived as criminal and unacceptable to communities, as most consumers cannot differentiate between psychoactive and non-psychoactive cannabis plants. By contrast, the use of cannabis plants with low levels of THC in medicine and foods is based on various potentially beneficial cannabinoid compounds [ 11 ], including CBD [ 12 ]. This is synthesized by postsynaptic neurons and acts as a retrograde messenger molecule for neurotransmitter release from CB 1 expression, which is found in areas of the human brain with high densities of cannabinoid receptors (CBrs) [ 13 ].…”