Abstract

AN ETHNO PHARMACOLOGICAL SURVEY ON MEDICINAL PLANTS FROM IDAMALAYAR, ERNAKULAM (DIST), KERALA

Akhila S.*, Amal V Rajappan, Sreenadh PK, Liby Baby, Preeja G Pillai

ABSTRACT

Folk medicinal system has deep rooted history among rural population in India. This unique system of knowledge has evolved from harmonious living of aboriginal people with nature. The information obtained on identification, preparation, clinical use and preservation of medicinal plants dramatically facilitates the search of new drugs and the time needed for drug development. Kerala lying in the southern tip of subcontinent is known for its cultural diversity and for biological diversity. A wide number of ethnobotanical surveys conducted in many tribal pockets and rural parts of Kerala have reported a countable number of medicinal plants with high therapeutic effect, but much large number of folk medicines has still remained endemic to certain rural pockets. In this back drop, present work aims to document the ethnopharmacological information obtained from local healers of Vadattupara, a small village, near Idamalayar reservoir forest and avail the information to the scientific community. Commonly used plants by the tribal communities were documented and it included various plants belong to different families viz. apocynaceae, menispermaceae, rubiaceae etc. for various pharmacological actions viz. Anti-inflammatory activity, antivenom, gastrointestinal disorders etc. Some of the uses mentioned for some plants have not yet been documented anywhere else. Hence these noteworthy observations have to be scientifically evaluated to bring them into main stream of medicine. Conservation of plants used in traditional medicine is another major requirement along with the documentation of traditional medicine. Hence, attention should be on proper exploitation, utilization,documentation and validation of in developing new scientifically validated and standardised drugs.

Keywords: Ethnopharmacology, folk medicine, traditional uses, tribal medicine.