Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

Vol 26, Issue 1, 2020; Page No.(163-170)

ASSESSMENT OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE KNOWLEDGE IN BALEHONNUR, CHIKKAMAGALUR DISTRICT OF KARNATAKA, INDIA

M.S. Santhosh, Nagashree N and Ajeet Kumar Singh

Abstract

The medicinal plants are of great importance for the human welfare since ancient time. Several communities have been using a variety of natural plants, their parts and microbial species for curing different health ailments by their traditional knowledge. Usually the traditional knowledge about the medicinal values of different species is passed from one generation to next generation either through oral communication or by limited practicing. This knowledge should be documented properly for the advance research in the medicinal field as well as for the welfare of global population health. Many of studies have already been carried out at global scale for the documentation of medicinal plants, but the traditional knowledge documentation is very limited. Keeping this point in focus, we conducted the study in Balehonnur taluk of Chikkamagalur district, Karnataka, India, during the year 2018. The indigenous knowledge of local traditional healers was collected by survey methods viz; questionnaire survey, personal interview, personal contacts etc. Traditional healers resided in study area are well known experts in curing many ailments. In the present study, the medicinal plants along with their parts and mode of application were documented. A total of 34 plant species were recorded with their medicinal values and these species are distributed among 22 families of taxonomy. The plants were identified as tree (14), shrubs (5), herbs (12), climbers (2) and epiphyte (1). The most frequent use of leaves followed by roots, fruits, bark, stem, seeds, leaf bud, watery latex, Milky latex, flowers and entire plant for the treatment of various ailments like Amoebiasis, Menstrual cramps, Menorrhagia, White discharge, Dysentery, Leukopenia, Eye ailments, Dog bite, Hair fall, Cough, Vomiting, Piles, Jaundice, Fever, Poisonous bite, Sore throat, Ringworm, Joint pain, wounds, burns etc. Medicines were either prepared from dry or freshly collected plant parts, with the traditional solvents of water, pure honey, lemon juice, coconut oil, cow urine etc. Many people in the study area still continue to depend traditionally on medicinal plants for primary health care. In order to sustain the practice of traditional medicine it is necessary to conserve the plants, their natural habitat and traditional knowledge, not only for the medical science, but also to promote biodiversity.