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American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 5(2): 219-225, 2011

ISSN 1995-0748

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

A Survey of Medicinal Plants Used by Folk Medicinal Practitioners in Three Villages

of Jessore District, Bangladesh

Nabila Islam, Rezwana Afroz, A.F.M. Nazmus Sadat, Syeda Seraj, Farhana Israt Jahan,

Farhana Islam, Anita Rani Chowdhury, Md. Shah Aziz, Kakoli Rani Biswas, Rownak Jahan,

Mohammed Rahmatullah

Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh.

Nabila Islam, Rezwana Afroz, A.F.M. Nazmus Sadat, Syeda Seraj, Farhana Israt Jahan, Farhana Islam,

Anita Rani Chowdhury, Md. Shah Aziz, Kakoli Rani Biswas, Rownak Jahan, Mohammed

Rahmatullah: A Survey of Medicinal Plants Used by Folk Medicinal Practitioners in Three Villages

of Jessore District, Bangladesh.

ABSTRACT

Folk medicinal practitioners play a vital role in the health-care system of Bangladesh. They are known

as Kavirajes and their patients include a substantial segment of both rural and urban populations of the country.

They almost exclusively administer simple formulations of medicinal plants, which may be used singly or in

combination, but which formulations are used for treatment of a diverse variety of ailments including a few

that cannot be cured with modern allopathic medicine. Folk medicine is generally a family tradition and the

knowledge is passed on from generation to generation. From centuries old practice, Kavirajes have therefore

obtained a unique knowledge about medicinal plants of the country, which can prove beneficial to science in

its quest for newer and more efficacious drugs. Almost every Kaviraj has his or her own unique repertoire of

medicinal plants. To document this information in a comprehensive manner, it is therefore necessary to conduct

surveys among the thousands of Kavirajes of the country. The objective of this present study was to conduct

an ethnomedicinal survey among the Kavirajes of three villages in Jessore district of Bangladesh. Surveys were

conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire, open interviews and the guided field-walk method.

It was observed that the Kavirajes of the three villages surveyed used 40 different plant species, which were

distributed into 31 families. The Acanthaceae family contributed the maximum number of four plants followed

by the Fabaceae family with three plants. Besides whole plants, various plant parts including leaves, roots,

stems, barks, flowers, fruits, seeds, rhizomes and sap were used in the formulations. The various ailments

treated by the Kavirajes included diabetes, leucorrhea, gastrointestinal disorders, hepatic disorders, snake bites,

pain, menstrual problems, animal bites, eye disorders, cardiovascular disorders, bone fractures, respiratory tract

disorders, poisoning, skin diseases, helminthiasis, and cuts and wounds. A number of modern drugs have been

derived from the plant kingdom. As such, this information obtained from the Kavirajes can pave the way for

further scientific studies and discovery of novel components from these medicinal plants, which in turn can

lead to discovery of newer and better drugs.

Key words: Medicinal plants, folk medicine, Jessore, Bangladesh.

Introduction

Folk medicinal system is one of the traditional systems of medicine practiced in Bangladesh and which

has continued for centuries. The practitioners of folk medicine in Bangladesh are known as Kavirajes.

Bangladesh has over 86,000 villages and practically every village has one or more practicing Kavirajes

depending on the size of the village population. Kavirajes are also present in the towns and cities of the

country. A large segment of the rural and urban population of Bangladesh relies on these Kavirajes to satisfy

Corresponding Author: Mohammed Rahmatullah, Pro-Vice Chancellor University of Development Alternative House

No. 78, Road No. 11A (new) Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka-1205 Bangladesh.

Phone: 88-017********; Fax: 88-02-815****

E-mail: abqasr@r.postjobfree.com

Am.-Eurasian J. Sustain. Agric., 5(2): 219-225, 2011 220

their primary health-care needs. This has been made possible because of the lack of proper medical facilities

in the villages and towns as well as poor communication facilities between the various regions of the country

and the two major cities of Dhaka and Chittagong, where modern medical facilities in the form of efficient

doctors, clinics, and hospitals are primarily located. Since the Kavirajes almost exclusively administer medicinal

plants in their formulations, which plants they gather from surrounding areas, their formulations are in general

cheap and readily available. Combined with the familiarity that the Kavirajes have with the villagers because

of residence in the same village, the population, particularly the rural population frequent the Kavirajes as their

first, and often the last resort for treatment of both common as well as difficult to cure diseases.

The knowledge of medicinal plants gained by a Kaviraj throughout his or her years of practice is kept

within the family and passed on from generation to generation. As a result, over centuries of cumulative and

successive practices, the Kavirajes have gained considerable expertise on medicinal plants of the area. Their

formulations are also simple, being merely decoctions, paste, or often using simply juice from whole plant or

plant parts, which are administered orally or topically, depending on the disease. Over the centuries and with

each passing generation, each Kaviraj has thus accumulated information on medicinal plants, which is unique.

Since a number of modern medicines (e.g. quinine) owe their existence to being first isolated from medicinal

plants, it is therefore important to gather information from practitioners, who have first-hand knowledge about

these plants. Furthermore, to get comprehensive information on the medicinal plants of Bangladesh and their

potential uses, it is important to gather data from as many Kavirajes as possible.

We have been conducting interviews and surveys of the Kavirajes of various regions of the country over

the last few years. Our surveys have also included the medicinal practitioners of various tribes of the country.

Notably, the tribal medicinal practitioners also depend primarily on medicinal plants for treatment. These

surveys have resulted in documentation of a large number of plants used by the Kavirajes of the mainstream

population as well as the tribal medicinal practitioners of the country (Nawaz et al., 2009; Rahmatullah et al.,

2009a-c; Hossan et al., 2010; Mollik et al., 2010; Rahmatullah et al., 2010a-d; Jahan et al., 2011). However,

large regions of the country along with their Kavirajes remain to be properly interviewed and their knowledge

and use of medicinal plants remain to be documented. It was, therefore, the objective of the present study to

conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among the Kavirajes of three villages of Jessore district, Bangladesh an

area where previously we have not conducted any surveys.

Materials and Methods

The survey area comprised of the villages of Fulbaria, Baguri, and Bagh-achra in Jessore district of

Bangladesh. Each village had one practicing Kaviraj and all three Kavirajes, namely Md. Abdul Jabbar, Md.

Icharuddin Mollah, and Mst. Rasheda Begum were interviewed during the present survey. While the first two

Kavirajes were male, the last mentioned Kaviraj was female. In between themselves, the three Kavirajes had

more than sixty five years of collective practicing experiences.

Informed consent was initially obtained from all the three Kavirajes. Consent was particularly obtained for

dissemination of the obtained information in national or international scientific journals. Information was

obtained through open interviews with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire, and the guided field-walk

method of Martin (1995) and Maundu (1995). In this method, the Kavirajes took the interviewers on guided

field-walks through areas from where they collected their medicinal plants, pointed out the plants, and

described their uses. All plant specimens were photographed, collected and dried on the spot. Dried specimens

were brought back to Dhaka for identification. Plant identification was done by Mr. Manjur-Ul-Kadir Mia, ex-

Curator and Principal Scientific Officer of Bangladesh National Herbarium.

Interviews were conducted in Bengali, the language being spoken by both Kavirajes and the interviewers.

Information was double-checked with the Kavirajes in later evening sessions. Interviews were also conducted

of village residents randomly selected as to whether they visit the Kavirajes interviewed. The patients not only

affirmed that they visit the Kavirajes whenever the need arose, but also expressed considerable satisfaction with

the Kavirajes treatment. They also mentioned that because of the efficacy of the Kavirajes treatment, they

visit the Kavirajes on a regular basis. No allopathic doctors were observed in the three villages surveyed.

Results and Discussion

Our survey indicated that the Kavirajes of the three villages surveyed used 40 plants distributed into 31

families for treatment of various ailments. The results are shown in Table 1. It was also observed that besides

whole plants, virtually every plant part was used, albeit for different plants and for treatment of different

ailments. The various plant parts used in the formulations included leaves, stems, roots, barks, flowers, fruits,

seeds, rhizomes, and plant sap. The Acanthaceae family contributed the maximum number of four plants among

the different families. This family was followed by the Fabaceae family with three plants.

Am.-Eurasian J. Sustain. Agric., 5(2): 219-225, 2011 221

Diabetes was one of the major diseases treated by the Kavirajes. This disease has no complete cure in

allopathic medicine; the drugs used for treatment of diabetes merely alleviates the symptoms, particularly that

of increased blood sugar. One of the treatments used by the Kavirajes was fairly complex in the sense that

the formulation used plant parts from five plants, namely Andrographis paniculata, Curculigo orchioides,

Asteracantha longifolia, Ipomoea mauritiana, and Ficus hispida. The Kavirajes of these three villages did not

rely on clinical diagnostic procedures for diagnosis of diabetes, like measurement of random or fasting blood

sugar or glucose clearance tests. Instead, they relied on the taste of a patient s urine, general signs of debility,

and the frequency of urination for determining whether a patient was diabetic or not. Their treatment, although

consisting of a formulation derived from five different plants, was fairly simple. Plant parts from the five plants

were merely dried, powdered and advised to be taken daily in the morning with sugar or honey. There were

two notable features in this treatment. The first was the use of sugar or honey along with plant parts. The use

of sugar or honey by a diabetic patient would not be in accordance with modern medical practices for either

substance would increase the blood sugar levels more and make diabetes treatment more complicated. Yet this

is a practice that we have seen used by other Kavirajes in other areas for treatment of diabetes. While to some

extent, the use of a sweetener like sugar or honey is to negate the taste of a highly bitter substance like leaves

of Andrographis paniculata, sugar or honey seemed to be used by the Kavirajes to increase the blood sugar

so that the plant parts can exert their effects. Although not tested scientifically, it is possible that increased

sugar in the bloodstream may cause a positive inducement for the responsible anti-diabetic phytochemical(s)

present in the plant parts to act possibly synergistically to lower blood sugar or to induce increased insulin

secretion from the pancreas. It also remains to be tested scientifically, whether phytochemical(s) present in the

five plant parts used can cause any regeneration of pancreatic beta cells, which are responsible for the secretion

of insulin. The second interesting observation was that the same formulation was used for treatment of

leucorrhea. Leucorrhea is a urinary disease, a major symptom of which is cloudiness of urine or whitish

discharge in urine. From that view point, the Kavirajes appeared to treat diabetes more as a urinary disease

than a metabolic disorder.

The same plant was seen to be used by the Kavirajes for treatment of diverse ailments; however, in these

cases, the plant was used in a different set of combination with other plants for treatment. For instance, as

mentioned earlier, the plant Asteracantha longifolia was used in combination with Andrographis paniculata,

Curculigo orchioides, Ipomoea mauritiana, and Ficus hispida for treatment of diabetes and leucorrhea.

However, for treatment of acidity or hepatic disorders, Asteracantha longifolia was used in combination

with plant parts from Aloe vera, Plantago ovata, and Sterculia urens.

A similar multiple plant combination(s) was observed to be used by the Kavirajes for treatment of snake

bites. For instance, for treatment of snake bites, in one formulation, the Kavirajes orally administered a mixture

of macerated leaves of Ecbolioum viride, Aristolochia indica, and Barringtonia racemosa. In another

formulation, the Kavirajes orally administered the juice of a Euphorbia species with the boiled fruits of another

plant (local name johor, remains to be identified).

Common ailments like coughs or whooping coughs were usually treated with only one plant. Juice from

macerated leaves of Justicia adhatoda was used for treatment of whooping coughs. The fruits of Solanum

torvum were advised by the Kavirajes to be fried in oil and taken for whooping coughs. Even for severe

coughs, the fruits of a single plant, namely Acacia nilotica was used. Occasionally, different parts from the

same plant were used for treatment of different ailments. The fruits of Acacia nilotica were used for treatment

of severe coughs, while the leaves were used for treatment of presence of mucus with watery stool, and

flowers used for treatment of chicken pox. Notably, flowers were also advised by the Kavirajes to be taken

during the particular time of year when chicken pox mostly occurs as a preventive measure against contracting

the disease. Fruits were also advised to be taken for the same purpose. The leaves, also of a single plant,

Cassia sophera was used for treatment of long-term coughs.

Table 1: Medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes of the three villages surveyed in Jessore district.

Serial Scientific Family Local Utilize Part Ailment

Number Name Name Name

1 Andrographis paniculata Acanthaceae Kalomegh Leaf Diabetes, leucorrhea. Leaves of Curculigo orchioides are mixed with leaves

(Burm. F.) Wall. ex Nees of Ipomoea mauritiana, leaves of Andrographis paniculata, and fruits of Ficus

hispida and seeds of Asteracantha longifolia. The whole mixture is dried,

powdered and taken daily in the morning with sugar or honey in the form of

sherbet.

2 Asteracantha Acanthaceae Taal-makhna Seed Diabetes, leucorrhea. Leaves of Curculigo orchioides are mixed with leaves

longifolia (L.) Nees of Ipomoea mauritiana, leaves of Andrographis paniculata, and fruits of Ficus

hispida and seeds of Asteracantha longifolia. The whole mixture is dried,

powdered and taken daily in the morning with sugar or honey in the form of

sherbet. Acidity, hepatic disorders. For acidity or hepatic disorders, pulp of

Aloe vera is taken with isab-gul powder (powdered husks of seeds of Plantago

ovata, also known as white or blonde psyllium), katila gum (gum from Sterculia

urens) and seeds of Asteracantha longifolia in the form of a sherbet.

3 Ecbolium viride Acanthaceae Shib-jota Leaf Snake bite. Leaves of Aristolochia indica are combined with leaves of Ecbolium

(Forsk.) Alston viride and Barringtonia racemosa, macerated and orally administered to snake

-bitten person. Snake bite. Juice from macerated leaves is orally administered.

Am.-Eurasian J. Sustain. Agric., 5(2): 219-225, 2011 222

Table 1: Continue

4 Justicia adhatoda L. Acanthaceae Baksha Leaf Whooping cough persisting for a long time. Juice obtained from macerated

leaves is orally administered for 2-3 days.

5 Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. Aloaceae Ghritokumari Soft pulp Hair loss, calcium deficiency, reduced eyesight, acidity, hepatic disorders,

within leaf to keep body cool. Pulp is made into musabbar (pulp is squeezed to obtain

juice, which is then kept in a bag, where gelling occurs within 15 days, which

is known as mussabar) and taken with sugar or honey for hair loss, calcium

deficiency or reduced eyesight. For acidity or hepatic disorders, pulp of Aloe

vera is taken with isab-gul powder (powdered husks of seeds of Plantago ovata,

also known as white or blonde psyllium), katila gum (gum from Sterculia urens)

and seeds of Asteracantha longifolia in the form of a sherbet. Juice from

macerated leaves is taken as a sherbet to keep body cool. Pain in any part

of the body. Pulp is squeezed to obtain juice, which is then kept in a bag, where

gelling occurs within 15 days. This is known as mussabar. Mussabar is boiled

in water and then applied as a paste to painful areas. Rheumatic pain, ordinary

pain. Leaves, alternately whole plants of Hemidesmus indicus are mixed with

leaves of Rokto-katari (unidentified), leaves of Costus speciosus, musabbar of

Aloe vera, and oil from Gangetic river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) and

then boiled with ghee (clarified butter) or mustard oil and then applied

to areas affected with pain.

6 Achyranthes aspera L. Amaranthaceae Chichchiri Leaf Menstrual problems. Leaves of Curculigo orchioides are mixed with leaves

of Achyranthes aspera and leaves of Rauwolfia serpentina and an unidentified

metal called by the Kaviraj as kantilo . The whole mixture is crushed, dried,

powdered and taken in pill form (one pill every morning and evening).

7 Curculigo orchioides Amaryllidaceae Talchara Leaf or part Diabetes, leucorrhea. Leaves of Curculigo orchioides are mixed with leaves

Gaertn. of plant above of Ipomoea mauritiana, leaves of Andrographis paniculata, and fruits of Ficus

the surface hispida and seeds of Asteracantha longifolia. The whole mixture is dried,

of soil powdered and taken daily in the morning with sugar or honey in the form of

sherbet. Menstrual problems. Leaves of Curculigo orchioides are mixed with

leaves of Achyranthes aspera and leaves of Rauwolfia serpentina and an

unidentified metal called by the Kaviraj as kantilo . The whole mixture is

crushed, dried, powdered and taken in pill form (one pill every morning and

evening).

8 Hemidesmus indicus Apocynaceae Anontomool Leaf, whole Rheumatic pain, ordinary pain. Leaves, alternately whole plants of Hemidesmus

R.Br. plant indicus are mixed with leaves of Rokto-katari plant (unidentified), leaves of

Costus speciosus and oil from Gangetic river dolphin (Platanista gangetica)

and then boiled with ghee (clarified butter) or mustard oil and then applied

to areas affected with pain.

9 Rauwolfia serpentina Apocynaceae Choto chondor Leaf Menstrual problems. Leaves of Curculigo orchioides are mixed with leaves

(L.) Benth.ex Kurz of Achyranthes aspera and leaves of Rauwolfia serpentina and an unidentified

metal called by the Kaviraj as kantilo . The whole mixture is crushed, dried,

powdered and taken in pill form (one pill every morning and evening).

10 Aristolochia indica L. Aristolochiaceae Choto ishe gach Leaf Snake bite. Leaves of Aristolochia indica are combined with leaves of Ecbolium

viride and Barringtonia racemosa, macerated and the juice obtained orally

administered to snake-bitten person. Poisonous infections on any part of the

body. Initially, the infected area is washed with warm water. Following the

wash, juice obtained from macerated leaves is applied to the infected part.

This procedure is continued for a week.

11 Calotropis gigantea Asclepiadaceae Akondo Sap Cat or dog bite. Sap is applied to bitten area. At the same time, the patient

(L.) Ait.f. is advised to take sap with ripe bananas.

12 Mikania cordata Asteraceae Jarmany lota Leaf Flatulence, stomach pain due to acidity. Juice from a combination of

(Burm.f.) B. L. macerated leaves of Costus speciosus and Mikania cordata are taken for

Robinson flatulence or stomach pain due to acidity. Blood dysentery. Juice obtained

from squeezing 8-10 leaves is taken in a container and a hot iron rod put

inside the juice. The juice is next orally administered following removal

of the iron rod.

13 Heliotropium indicum L. Boraginaceae Hatishura Leaf Conjunctivitis (symptoms: redness in eye, watery eye, waste accumulating

in eye corners). 1-2 drops of juice obtained from squeezed leaves is applied

to eyes.

14 Capparis zeylanica L. Capparaceae Biral-achra Leaf, root Poisoning in body due to poisonous bites of any creature. Roots are macerated

with black pepper or hot peppers, made into pills and orally administered.

Alternately juice obtained from squeezed leaves is applied to bitten area.

15 Terminalia arjuna Combretaceae Arjun Bark Cardiovascular disorders. Bark is soaked in a glass of water overnight. The

(Roxb. ex DC.). following morning, the water is taken on an empty stomach. The preparation

Wight & Arn is considered to be good for protecting heart against any disorders, to keep

heart in normal condition, as well as good for long-term patients with

cardiovascular problems.

16 Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq. Convolvulaceae Bhui kumra Leaf Diabetes, leucorrhea. Leaves of Curculigo orchioides are mixed with leaves

of Ipomoea mauritiana, leaves of Andrographis paniculata, and fruits of

Ficus hispida and seeds of Asteracantha longifolia. The whole mixture

is dried, powdered and taken daily in the morning with sugar or honey

in the form of sherbet.

17 Costus speciosus Costaceae Kanara Leaf Diabetes, acidity. Leaves of Costus speciosus are chewed with one leaf of

(J. K nig.) Sm. Piper betle to reduce sugar immediately during diabetes. Juice from of

macerated leaves of Costus speciosus and Mikania cordata are taken for

flatulence or stomach pain due to acidity. Rheumatic pain, ordinary pain. Leaves,

alternately whole plants of Hemidesmus indicus are mixed with leaves of

Rokto-katari (unidentified), leaves of Costus speciosus, musabbar of Aloe vera,

and oil from Gangetic river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) and then boiled

with ghee (clarified butter) or mustard oil and then applied to areas affected

with pain.

18 Kalanchoe pinnata Crassulaceae Pathorkuchi Leaf Bone fracture, sprains. Whole plants of Cissus quadrangularis are mixed with

(Lam.) Pers. Cuscuta reflexa plants and leaves of Kalanchoe pinnata, macerated, and applied

as poultice to fractured or sprained area.

19 Coccinia grandis Cucurbitaceae Telakochu Leaf Severe headache. Juice from macerated leaves, when applied to head can

(L.) J. Voigt cure any headache within 30 minutes according to the Kavirajes.

20 Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. Cuscutaceae Shorno lota Whole plant Bone fracture, sprains. Whole plants of Cuscuta reflexa are mixed with whole

plants of Cissus quadrangularis and leaves of Kalanchoe pinnata, macerated

and applied to fractured or sprained area.

21 Emblica officinalis Gaertn. Euphorbiaceae Amloki Fruit Allergy. One portion of leaves of Azadirachta indica is mixed with two portions

of rhizomes of Curcuma longa and three portions of fruits of Emblica officinalis,

dried and powdered, and taken every morning for allergy.

Am.-Eurasian J. Sustain. Agric., 5(2): 219-225, 2011 223

Table 1: Continue

22 Euphorbia sp. Euphorbiaceae Nag-naginir gach Whole plant Snake bite. Juice obtained from macerated whole plant of this Euphorbia sp.

is mixed with fruits of johor (unidentified) plant (which has been boiled in

water till it forms a molasses like substance) and administered orally to snake

bite patients.

23 Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile Fabaceae Babla Leaf, flower, Severe cough, mucus with watery stool, chicken pox. Fruits are powdered

fruit and mixed with a little sugar, mishri (crystalline sugar) or molasses and taken

2-3 times daily for 4-5 days for severe coughs. If mucus is present with

coughs, that will also be cured. 4g young leaves is soaked in poa (local

measure approximating 125g = 2 chataks) water and then boiled in the same

water till the volume is reduced to 1 chatak. The decoction is then taken with

sugar or mishri twice daily for 3 days for treatment of mucus with watery

stool. Chicken pox. Flowers or fruits are taken for treatment as well as

prevention of chicken pox.

24 Cassia sophera L. Fabaceae Kal kaeshondae Root, leaf Constipation, symptoms of poisoning due to bad blood (blood purifier), coughs.

Juice obtained from macerated leaves is taken in the morning on an empty

stomach for relief of constipation. The same processes are also applied for

purifying blood and get rid of poisoning symptoms due to bad blood. Juice

obtained from macerated leaves is mixed with water and boiled till the volume

is reduced by half. The mixture is then cooled and taken for relief of long-term

coughs.

25 Ocimum tenuiflorum L. Fabaceae Radha tulshi Leaf Cold, mucus and fever in children. Juice from macerated leaves is orally

administered to children for 2-3 days.

26 Barringtonia Lecythidaceae Moha-shomudro Leaf, root, Skin diseases, helminthiasis, snake bite. Macerated bark is topically applied

racemosa (L.) Roxb. bark to skin for skin diseases. Macerated bark is taken with hookah (water pipe

through which tobacco smoke is inhaled) water for 2-3 days for helminthiasis.

Leaves or roots are macerated with black pepper and taken for snake bites.

Snake bite. Leaves of Aristolochia indica are combined with leaves of Ecbolium

viride and Barringtonia racemosa, macerated and orally administered to snake-

bitten person.

27 Lawsonia inermis L. Lythraceae Mehedi Root Diabetes. Leaves of Azadirachta indica are mixed with leaves of potka

(unidentified plant), and leaves of Lawsonia inermis and taken every morning

on an empty stomach.

28 Azadirachta indica A. Juss. Meliaceae Neem Leaf Allergy. One portion of leaves of Azadirachta indica is mixed with two portions

of rhizomes of Curcuma longa and three portions of fruits of Emblica officinalis,

dried and powdered, and taken every morning for allergy. Diabetes. Leaves

of Azadirachta indica are mixed with leaves of potka (unidentified plant), and

leaves of Lawsonia inermis and taken every morning on an empty stomach.

29 Ficus hispida L.f. Moraceae Joggo dumur Fruit Diabetes, leucorrhea. Leaves of Curculigo orchioides are mixed with leaves

of Ipomoea mauritiana, leaves of Andrographis paniculata, and fruits of Ficus

hispida and seeds of Asteracantha longifolia. The whole mixture is dried,

powdered and taken daily in the morning with sugar or honey in the form of

sherbet.

30 Musa sapientum L. Musaceae Bicha kola Base To stop bleeding from cuts and wounds. If bleeding does not stop following

cuts or wounds, the rotten base of the plant is applied to the place of bleeding.

31 Piper betle L. Piperaceae Paan Leaf Diabetes, acidity. Leaves of Costus speciosus are chewed with one leaf of

Piper betle to reduce sugar immediately during diabetes.

32 Piper longum L. Piperaceae Pipul Whole plant, Coughs, blood purifier (i.e. ability to cure any disease arising out from

leaf poisoning of blood). Juice from macerated whole plant or leaf is taken

with honey daily in the morning for coughs. Alternately, leaves are fried

oil and eaten. Juice from macerated leaves is taken with honey in the in

morning for purifying blood.

33 Plantago ovata Forssk. Plantaginaceae Isabgul Seed husk Acidity, hepatic disorders. For acidity or hepatic disorders, pulp of Aloe vera

is taken with isab-gul powder (powdered husks of seeds of Plantago ovata, also

known as white or blonde psyllium), katila gum (gum from Sterculia urens)

and seeds of Asteracantha longifolia in the form of a sherbet.

34 Glycosmis pentaphylla Rutaceae Aatshoti gach Root Jaundice. 100g juice obtained from macerated roots is taken with yoghurt.

(Retz.) Corr. Skin infections, which are not easily cured. Leaves of Glycosmis pentaphylla

are mixed with leaves of Clerodendrum viscosum, macerated and the juice

obtained applied to skin infected area. The infection will be cured in 3 days.

35 Scoparia dulcis L. Scrophulariaceae Misri danar gach Leaf, root White dysentery (presence of mucus with stool), dysentery, any injury causing

pain. Leaves or roots are to be chewed for 7-14 days on an empty stomach

for dysentery or white dysentery. Crushed roots are applied for 7-14 days

to painful areas.

36 Solanum torvum Swartz Solanaceae Tith baegun Fruit Whooping coughs. Small fruits are fried in oil and taken for a week.

37 Sterculia urens Roxb. Sterculiaceae Katila Gum Acidity, hepatic disorders. For acidity or hepatic disorders, pulp of Aloe vera

is taken with isab-gul powder (powdered husks of seeds of Plantago ovata, also

known as white or blonde psyllium), katila gum (gum from Sterculia urens)

and seeds of Asteracantha longifolia in the form of a sherbet.

38 Cissus quadrangularis L. Vitaceae Har-bhanga Whole plant Bone fracture, sprains. Whole plants of Cuscuta reflexa are mixed with whole

plants of Cissus quadrangularis and leaves of Kalanchoe pinnata, macerated

and applied to fractured or sprained area.

39 Cissus trifolia (L.) Vitaceae Goale lota Leaf Bleeding from external cuts and wounds, snake bite. Crushed leaves are applied

K. Schum. to cuts and wounds to stop bleeding. Juice obtained from macerated leaves

is applied as soon as possible to snake bites.

40 Curcuma longa L. Zingiberaceae Holud Portion of stem Allergy, helminthiasis in children. One portion of leaves of Azadirachta

beneath the indica is mixed with two portions of rhizomes of Curcuma longa and three

soil, rhizome portions of fruits of Emblica officinalis, dried and powdered, and taken

every morning for allergy. 15-20 drops of juice obtained from macerated

rhizomes is orally administered to children every morning for helminthiasis.

Adults can also benefit from this treatment. Sprain, injury. Crushed rhizome

is applied with salt and lime to affected areas to reduce pain. This is done

for 2-3 days. Allergy. One portion of leaves of Azadirachta indica is mixed

with two portions of rhizomes of Curcuma longa and three portions of fruits

of Emblica officinalis, dried and powdered, and taken every morning for allergy.

Interestingly, among all the formulations used by the Kavirajes, only one formulation contained an animal

ingredient. Oil obtained from the Gangetic river dolphin, Platanista gangetica was used in combination with

four different plant parts for treatment of both rheumatic pain as well as ordinary pain. One of the plants used

in the above preparation, namely Costus speciosus had other uses also. Leaves of this plant were used in

Am.-Eurasian J. Sustain. Agric., 5(2): 219-225, 2011 224

combination with leaves of Piper betle for treatment of diabetes. Leaves of this plant were also used in

combination with leaves of Mikania cordata for treatment of flatulence or stomach pain.

The available scientific literature suggests that a number of the plants used by the Kavirajes possess

relevant pharmacological properties to justify their use. For instance, ethanolic extract of Andrographis

paniculata has been shown to possess anti-diabetic property (Zhang and Tan, 2000). Notably, this plant is used

by the Kavirajes in combination with other plants for treatment of diabetes. Two components isolated from the

plant, namely andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide reportedly attenuated high glucose-

induced fibrosis and apoptosis in murine renal mesangeal cell lines (Lee et al., 2010). The same also holds

true for Terminalia arjuna, a plant used by the Kavirajes for treatment of cardiovascular disorders. Reported

relevant effects in the scientific literature include: protective effects of plant bark against Doxorubicin-induced

cardiotoxicity (Singh et al., 2008); significant inotropic and hypotensive effect of bark, also increases in

coronary artery flow and protection of myocardium against ischemic damage, reviewed by Dwivedi (2007);

protection of rabbit heart by bark against ischemic-reperfusion injury (Gauthaman et al., 2005); cardioprotective

effect of alcoholic extract of bark in an in vivo model of myocardial ischemic-reperfusion injury (Karthikeyan

et al., 2003); efficacy of the plant in chronic stable angina (Dwivedi and Gupta, 2002; Bharani et al., 2002);

beneficial effects of bark of the plant in isolated ischemic-reperfused rat heart (Gauthaman et al., 2001); and

beneficial effects in coronary artery disease (significant reductions in anginal frequency) (Dwivedi and Jauhari,

1997).

Documentation of traditional medicinal knowledge of various countries is important because such

knowledge is fast disappearing because of changes in human lifestyle as a result of globalization and other

factors. Plants have always formed an important component in scientific discoveries of novel lead compounds,

which have always played a major role in the discovery of better allopathic drugs. Traditional medicinal

practitioners, throughout their working with medicinal plants for centuries, possess first-hand as well as

extensive knowledge on the properties of many medicinal plants. This knowledge can prove useful in saving

of both time and money in conducting researches on the plant kingdom, for then scientists can begin with

appropriate relevant experiments on a particular plant instead of blind experiments. The medicinal plants

obtained in the present survey, can as such, prove useful for further scientific research towards discovery of

newer and better medicines.

References

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chronic stable angina: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing Terminalia arjuna

with isosorbide mononitrate. Indian Heart Journal, 54: 170-175.

Dwivedi, S., 2007. Terminalia arjuna Wight & Arn. - a useful drug for cardiovascular disorders. Journal of

Ethnopharmacology, 114: 114-129.

Dwivedi, S. and D. Gupta, 2002. Efficacy of Terminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina. Indian Heart Journal,

54: 441.

Dwivedi, S. and R. Jauhari, 1997. Beneficial effects of Terminalia arjuna in coronary artery disease. Indian

Heart Journal, 49: 507-510.

Gauthaman, K., M. Maulik, R. Kumari, S.C. Manchanda, A.K. Dinda and S.K. Maulik, 2001. Effect of chronic

treatment with bark of Terminalia arjuna: a study on the isolated ischemic-reperfused rat heart. Journal

of Ethnopharmacology, 75: 197-201.

Gauthaman, K., S.K. Banerjee, A.K. Dinda, C.C. Ghosh and S.K. Maulik, 2005. Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.)

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