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ABSTRACT:
The present study was aimed at documenting the wild medicinal plants used by the sholaga tribes of Kathri hills in their traditional healthcare system. The study resulted in the enumeration of 31 plant species belonging to 20 families and 29 genera treating 14 different types of ailments. More number of plants were enumerated for treating poisonous bites followed by skin diseases and wound healing. Most of the plants used were herbs and the herbal remedies were usually prepared from leaves. The study revealed that the sholagas possess rich wealth of medicinal knowledge and would provide ideas for further phytochemical research.
KEYWORDS: Sholagas, Kathri hills, Ethnobotany, Western ghats, Karayan.
INTRODUCTION:
India is rich in ethnic diversity where there are about 67.37 million tribal people belonging to 537 tribal groups living in different geographical locations with various subsistence patterns. These tribal groups living in diversity rich areas possess a wealth of knowledge and skills on the utilization and conservation of food and medicinal plants1,2. Information based on long-term use of plants by humans (ethnomedicine) likely helps to isolate safer active compounds from plants than from plants with no history of human use. Thus instead of relying on trial and error, as in random screening procedures, traditional knowledge helps scientists to target plants that are medicinally useful3.
The knowledge on the use of medicinal plants was transmitted from generation to generation but younger generations are not interested to follow these traditional medicinal practices from their ancestors and are migrating to lucrative jobs in more developed nearby urban areas4. Hence, the present study was aimed at documenting the wild medicinal plants used by sholaga tribes who inhabit this area.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Study area:
The study area, Kathri hills is located in the North Bargur Reserve Forest, Chennampatti range, Erode district. It is located in the Western...