Traditional use of medicinal plants in the Chyangthapu-Phalaicha biological sub-corridor, Panchthar District, Kangchenjunga Landscape, Nepal

Abstract

Background: Chyangthapu-Phalaicha located in the northeastern Panchthar District, is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalaya. The area is dominated by the Kirat indigenous community. The present study was conducted to document the knowledge of the ethnomedicinal uses and practices that exist in the area before the associated socio-cultural knowledge on biological diversity is lost. Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires. Stakeholders meetings were organized for assessing the conservation issues in the sub-corridor. The importance of medicinal plant species was assessed using quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, relative importance, fidelity level and Rahman’s similarity index. Results: Altogether, 140 medicinal plant species from 68 families and 127 genera were reported, which were used to treat 12 health disorders categories. The dominant families were Asteraceae and Fabaceae which contributed eight species each. Fifty-five percent of the total medicinal plant species comprised of herbs. The most frequently used plant parts were underground parts (33%) and leaf (15%). The most common remedies preparation method was extract. Oral administration was the most common therapeutic mode (60%). Maximum informant consensus factor (0.96) was calculated for gastrointestinal disorders. The highest relative frequency of citation and fidelity level was observed for Swertia chirayita (0.83 and 100% respectively). Artemisia dubia depicted the highest relative importance (91.67). A thorough review of previous literature and analysis of field data revealed new therapeutic use reports for 41 ailments associated with 52 plant species. The Rahman similarity index was high with the studies in neighbouring areas, while it was low with the geographically distant studies. Conclusions: The ethnomedicinal study of the Chyangthapu-Phalaicha biological sub-corridor in the Kangchenjunga Landscape indicates that the area supports significant medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. The varied use of reported medicinal plants in the area indicates the need for their domestication, processing and phytochemical investigation, especially for those with high ethnobotanical indices.

Medicinal plants and their use by an ethnic minority Jirel in Dolakha district, Central Nepal

“…This study revealed the rich traditional knowledge of Jirel people to treat different health disorders. In terms of plant families, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Rosaceae stood dominant showing concordance with other studies conducted in Nepal and elsewhere (Bhandari et al 2021;Bhatt et al 2021;Bhattarai 2020;Bussmann and Glenn 2010;Debbarma et al 2017;Khan et al 2018;Ojha et al 2020;Šavikin et al 2013). However, some ethnobotanical studies had shown Fabaceae as dominant plant families (Bastakoti 2019;Dhami 2008;Kunwar et al 2019;Uprety et al 2011).…”

“…There are fairly a good number of ethnobotanical studies in Nepal (Uprety et al 2022). Those studies have elucidated the significance of ethnobotanical knowledge in biodiversity conservation, and sustainable utilization of highly valued plant species (Atreya et al 2018;Bhandari et al 2021;Kunwar and Bussmann 2008;Pradhan et al 2020;Uprety et al 2010). Among those ethnobotanical studies, some of them are focused on major ethnic groups such as Tamang (Luitel et al 2014;Manandhar 1991;Uprety et al 2010;Yadav and Rajbhandary 2016), Tharu (Bhattarai and Acharya 2015;Manandhar 1985), Magar (Acharya 2012;Budha-Magar et al 2020;Pangeni et al 2020;Thapa 2012), Gurung (Gurung and Subedi 2021;Khakurel et al 2021;Shah et al 2019) and Newar (Balami 2004), and majority are conducted with mixed communities (Ambu et al 2020;Bhattarai 2020;Manandhar 1993;Oli et al 2005;Pradhan et al 2020).…”

Documentation of ethnoveterinary knowledge: Harnessing potential phytotherapy in high mountainous areas of Paddar, District Kishtwar (India)

“…The widespread usage of plants belonging to Asteraceae and Fabaceae families in the study area suggests that the families have a vast distribution in the region or that the plant species are widely recognized for their therapeutic benefits. Previous studies in the Indian Himalayan region (Bhat et al 2021;Khajuria et al 2021) and other parts of the world (Pieroni et al 2006;Tufail et al 2020;Bhandari et al 2021) have also reported the dominant use of these families in ethnomedicine. Barboza et al (2007) termed use of folk medicines to cure animals disorders by treating similar or identical human conditions as "human models for animal diseases''.…”

Ethnoveterinary use of plants and its implication for sustainable livestock management in Nepal

“…The knowledge regarding the traditional use of plants in veterinary medicine has been preserved by practice and oral transmission as that of plant-based traditional medicines used for humans [e.g., (18,19)]. Though these uses are relatively well-explored for humans, the ethnoveterinary uses of plantbased remedies in the healthcare choices of livestock in Nepal and associated knowledge are largely ignored.…”