Herbs of Sillewani Ghats, Chhindwara District- Madhya Pradesh, India

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By Dr Deepak Acharya

Introduction

Chhindwara District is situated on Satpura plateau at 1550-3820 feet above the sea level. The District lies between 18 8'- 20 9' E. The arrangements of the plateau varies in altitude from 760-1030 mts. Sillewani-Ghat is situated at Chhindwara- Nagpur road about 32 km away from Chhindwara. Villagers still practice herbal medicines in this area. The knowledge of these medicines is age old. For them, use of herbs is the cheapest way for cure of various health disorders.

A review of literature reveals that much work has been done on ethnomedicinal plants in India (Jain and Tarafdar, 1970; Sahu, 1982; Maheshwari et al., 1986; Rai 1987, 89; Jain, 1991; Negi et al., 1993; Singh et al., 1997). But still there are some tribal pockets which could be surveyed for the search of new traditional medicines. We report the ethnomedicinal plants of village Kukrakhapa and area of Sillewani ghat for the first time.

Methodology

Periodical surveys were made for search of new traditional herbal medicines in Sillewani-ghats with special reference to village Kukrakhapa. The help of volunteers of Friends Nature club and ECO- CAMPUS was also taken for conduction of interview and collection of medicinal plants used in different diseases. The village chief was interviewed and the local uses of enigmatic specimens were confirmed by more than two senior people having knowledge of local herbs. The plants were identified and the voucher specimens were deposited in Botany Department Danielson College, Chhindwara.

Herbal Medicines

1. Acorus calamus Linn. Local name: Bach Family: Araceae Use: The rhizome is used to cure stammering of children.

2. Argemone mexicana Linn. Local name: Pili Kateri Family: Papaveraceae Use: The root-powder is mixed with sugar and taken orally with water when affected with skin diseases.

3. Asparagus racemosus Willd. Local name: Naarbod Family: Liliaceae Use: root-powder is used to increase vigour and strength.

4. Azadirachta indica Juss. syn. Melia azadirachta L. Local name: Neem Family: Meliaceae Use: Seeds are used in skin diseases, and in rheumatism. Bark is useful in malarial fever. Dry fruits are used as tonic and stomachic. Tender twigs are used as tooth-brush.

5. Berberis aristata Linn. DC. Local name: Daru Haridra Family: Berberidaceae Use: used in inflammation. Root-bark extract is used to heal the ulcer.

6. Butea frondosa Roxb. Local name: Palaas Family: Papilionaceae Use: Seeds are used to cure ringworm. Petioles are chewed during heat in urination.

7. Caesalpinia bonducella (L.) Roxb. Local name: Gatran Family: Caesalpiniaceae Use: For the preparation of the powder for digestion.

8. Calotropis procera R. Br. Local name: Madaar Family: Asclepiadaceae Use: Used in boils, and also to remove the thorn from the body.

9. Cassia tora Linn. Local name: Titi Family: Fabaceae Use: Powder of the the dry seeds is used in Asthma. The powder is mixed with Gud (2-3-year old) and about 7 small balls are prepared. One ball is taken every day with water upto 7 days.

10. Cissampelos pariera L. Local name: Karu Pahad Family: Menispermaceae Use: The root of the plant is used in snake bite.

11. Citrullus aromatica Salisb. Local name: Kachariya Family: Cucurbitaceae Use: The fruits are used in stomach troubles.

12. Costus speciosus (Koenig) Smith Local name: Keokanda Family: Zingiberaceae Use: Used in skin and respiratory diseases

13. Cocculus hirsutus Diels. Syn. C. Villosus. DC. Local name: Jal Jamani Family: Menispermaceae Use: The leaves are useful to cure leucorrhea.

14. Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. Local name: Amarbel Family: Convolvulaceae Use: The extract of the plant is applied to get rid of dandruff.

15. Emblica officinalis Gaertn. syn. Phyllanthus emblica L. Local name: Aonla Family: Euphorbiaceae Use: To cure dandruff.

16. Mangifera indica Linn. Local name: Aam Family: Anacardiaceae Use: The leaves are used in erruptions of the tongue.

17. Moringa oleifera Lam. Local name: Sahjan Family: Moringaceae Use: The juice of the leaves is used in the eye diseases.

18. Mucuna prurita Hook. Syn. M. pruriens (L.) DC. Local name: Kimaach Family: Papilionaceae Use: Seeds are used as aphrodisiac.

19. Ocimum sanctum Linn. Local name: Tulsi Family: Labiateae Use: The leaves are used against skin diseases.

20. Plumbago zeylanica Linn. Local name: Chitawar Family: Plumbaginaceae Use: The seeds are powdered and applied on boils and carbuncles.

21. Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. Local name: Beeja Family: Fabaceae Use: The wood of the plant is used in diabetes.

22. Ruta graveolens L. Local name: Shitab Family: Rutaceae Use: The juice of leaves is used as carminative.

23. Semecarpus anacardium Linn. Local name: Bhilwa Family: Anacardiaceae Use: The oil of seeds is applied on the painful spot.

24. Solanum anguivi Lam. Local name: Family: Solanaceae Use: Used in skin diseases.

25. Solanum melongena Linn. var. incanum Local name: Jungli Baigan Family: Solanaceae Use: The root-powder is used in stomach pain.

26. Syzygium cumini L. (Skeils.) syn. Eugenia jambolana Lamk. Local name: Jamun Family: Myrtaceae Use: Seed-powder is useful in diarrhoea, dysentry and diabetes. Bark is used for mouth washes.

27. Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) W. & A. Syn. Terminalia glabra W. & A. Local name: Arjun, Kahuaa Family: Combretaceae Use: The decoction of the bark is used as tea in heart troubles. The bark gives strength to the heart. Good stomachic.

28. Terminalia bellerica Roxb. Local name: Beheda Family: Combritaceae Use: Epicarp of fruit mixed with Harra is useful in digestion. Seeds mixed with Buchammia seeds are taken in eruption of mouth.

29. Terminalia chebula Retz. Local name: Harra Family: Combritaceae Use: Used for the preparation of digestive powder.

30. Thymus serphyllum Linn. Local name: Jungli ajwayan Family: Labiateae Use: In skin diseases

31. Tinospora cordifolia (Lour.) Miers. Local name: Gurvail Family: Menispermaceae Use: Juice with sugar is good after malarial and typhoid fever.

32. Verbascum thapsus Linn. Local name: Gidad Tambakhu Family: Scropularaceae Use: Skin diseases.

Results and discussion

The survey provides an evidence that the villagers of the area uses about 32 plants in various ailments. The tribal people depend totally on herbally medicines of the suburbs as there is no clinic in the village. The plants are generally used as stomach disorders, skin diseases, aphrodisiacs, fever, tonic, ulcer, asthma, snake-bite, respiratory diseases, leucorrhoea, dandruff, eye-diseases and diabetes. There is need of training on cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants. Only plants growing in sandy soils and require less water can be selected for cultivation since the local soil is sandy and there is scarcity of water in the village. There is a greater need to develop a garden of medicinal plants of the area. The tribal people can also be encouraged to take up this job as an income generation activity.

Acknowledgement

I am thankful to Dr S A Brown, Principal, Danielson College, Chhindwara, M.P., India and Dr M K Rai, Head, Department of Biotechnology, Amarawati University for their support and encouragement. Thanks are due to all the members of ECO- CAMPUS and Friends Nature Club, Danielson College, Chhindwara M.P. India.

references

Jain, S.K. (1991). Dictionary of Indian Folkmedicine and Ethnobotany, 1-311.

Jain, S.K. and Tarafdar, C.R. (1970). Medicinal plant lore of Santals. A revival of P.O. Buddings' work. Econ. Bot. 19:236-250.

Maheshwari, J.K., Singh, K.K. and Saha, S. (1986). Ethnobotany of tribals of Mirzapur District, Uttar pradesh, Economic Botany Information Service, NBRI, Lucknow.

Negi, K.S., Tiwari, J.K., Gaur, R.D. and Pant, K.C. (1993). Notes on Ethnobotany of five Districts of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttar Pradesh, India. Ethnobotany, 5: 73-81.

Rai, M.K. (1987). Ethnomedicinal Studies of Patalkot and Tamiya (Chhindwara)- Plants used as tonic. Ancient science of Life, 3 (2):119-121.

Rai, M.K. (1989). Ethnomedicinal Studies of Chhindwara Distric (M.P.). I. Plants used in stomach disorders. Indian Medicine 1 (2): 1-5.

Rai, M.K. and Pandey, A.K. (1997). Folk medicines of Gond tribe of Seoni District, M.P., India. J. of Non-Timber Forest Products, 4 (1/2): 61-69.

Sahu, T.R. (1982). An ethnomedicinal study of M.P. I. Plants used against various disorders among tribal women. Ancient Sci of Life 1 (3):178-181.

Singh, K.K., Palvi, S.K., and Aswal, B.S. (1997). Survey and Biological activity of some ethnomedicinal plants. J. of Non-, 4(1/2):26-31.

Dr DEEPAK ACHARYA Department of Botany, Danielson College, Chhindwara, MP - 480 001, India. Phone: + 91-7162-246159, Mobile: +91 9826171340; Fax: +91-7162-248454 email: deepak@patalkot.zzn.com RESEARCH INTERESTS: Microbiology, Microbial activity, Ethnobotany and Environmental Education EDUCATION & RESEARCH: MSc PhD, Publication: Published nearly 20 research papers in various Journals of repute. URL: http://dracharya.tripod.com

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