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Article Citation: Venkatachalapathi A, Sangeeth Thekkan and Paulsamy S Ethnobotanical informations on the species of selected areas in Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A):043-057
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Biology
Ethnobotanical informations on the species of selected areas in Nilgiri
Biosphere Reserve, the Western Ghats, India
Keywords: Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, ethnobotany, indigenous healers
ABSTRACT: An ethnobotanical study was conducted in certain selected areas of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) for a period of one year during December, 2013 to November, 2014. Five informants residing in the villages of different altitudes were interviewed for the information on medicinal plants generally prescribed by them. A total number of 53 species belonging to 30 families of various life-forms were enlisted with their medicinal uses. The data further revealed that 13 new claims were made for 11 species for the first time. Informant consensus factor to know the level of agreement among the informants on the use of various plant species to treat the diseases were grouped under 16 ailment categories. Use value for all the plants were prescribed and fidelity level for most prescribed species were calculated and described. Based on the informations derived, the species viz; Artemisia nilagirica, Corallocarpus epigaeus, Thalictrum javanicum, Hypochaeris radicata, Pueraria tuberosa, Decalepis hamiltonii and Cissus setosa are identified as the most important ethnobotanical species and so suggested for further evaluation to validate them scientifically and hence to use them so as to use them as source of pharmaceutical industries.
043-057| JRB | 2015| Vol 5 | No A
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www.jresearchbiology.com Journal of Research in Biology
An International
Scientific Research Journal
Authors:
Venkatachalapathi A,
Sangeeth Thekkan and
Paulsamy S.
Institution:
Department of Botany,
Kongunadu Arts and
Science College,
Coimbatore - 641 029.
Corresponding author:
Paulsamy S
Web Address: http://jresearchbiology.com/
documents/RA0512.pdf
Dates: Received: 04 Jan 2015 Accepted: 10 Feb 2015 Published: 12 May 2015
Journal of Research in Biology
An International Scientific Research Journal
Original Research
ISSN No: Print: 2231 –6280; Online: 2231- 6299
Progress in Ethno Medicine - Special Issue
INTRODUCTION
As per the World Health Organization (WHO)
report majority of the people in developing nations are
using plants for their primary health care due to
affordable cost (Calixto, 2005). Using of such plants for
medicinal purposes is mainly depending on traditional
knowledge of indigenous people in that countries (Sahai,
2003; Uniyal et al., 2006). Therefore, scientific
validation of medicinal plants, prescribed by the tribal
communities and local healers is getting more attraction
among the researchers of plant based drugs in the recent
years (Parthasarathy, 1995; Balasubramanian and Prasad,
1996). In addition, the ethnobotanical information
collected on plant species are offering reliable clues for
further research and hence justifying the traditional
knowledge (Anonymous, 1978; Jain and Goel, 1995).
India being a magadiversity country, holds long history
ethnobotany and traditional knowledge about therapeutic
uses of plants (Babu et al., 2006; Mishra et al., 2011).
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) of Western
Ghats, India is one of the well established protected areas
for biodiversity conservation and harbours rich variety of
plant species due to the existence of several varied
ecosystems. Owing to this tremendous bioresources, the
traditional knowledge gained by the ethnic communities
and other healers are also enormous and valuable as well
(Rajan et al., 2003; Pradheeps and Poyyamoli, 2013).
Despite several ethnobotanical studies (Abraham, 1981;
Rajan et al., 2003; Sharmila et al., 2014), information on
the basis of data analysis are meager for the medicinal
plants of NBR. To address this lacuna, the present study
was aimed to explore certain plants of ethnomedicinal
significance being distributed in the different vegetations
of NBR.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Description of the study area and indigenous healers
NBR of Western Ghats (76°-77°15´E and 11°15´
-12°15´N) (Fig. 1) spreads over an area of about 5520
Km2 in the states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka
which encompasses many types of vegetation in different
altitudes like scrub jungles at the foot hills upto 500m
above msl, deciduous forests above 500 - 750 m above
msl, evergreen forests, grasslands and sholas between
1800 and 2200m above msl and aquatic vegetations in
specific localities all over the landscape. Thus, the
vegetation diversity results in the occurrence of high
species richness with varied features among their
populations both at morphological and physiological
levels (Paulsamy et al., 2008). The traditional healers of
this region are the indigenous people having long history
in herbal medical practice. Five traditional healers or
informants were indentified to collect the ethnomedicinal
informations by direct intragation or interviews. Among
them, one healer resides near Thotabetta, the high hills of
Nilgiris, where the grasslands, sholas and evergreen
forests are available; another in the village, Katteri
(1800 m above msl) where the moist semi-evergreen
forests are available and the remaining three in the
villages at the foot hills of Nilgiris viz; Thekkampatty,
Odanthurai and Kallar (around these villages, deciduous
forests and scrub jungles are present). These indigenous
people are doing medical practices since 5-8 generations
mainly for first aid remedies.
Collection of data on medicinal uses
During the study period of one year from
December, 2013 to November, 2014 each informant was
approached 3 times to get the informations on medicinal
uses of local plants which are being prescribed by them.
For this purpose, a datasheet has been maintained to
document all the details of the species gathered such as
local name, medicinal uses, parts used for the treatment,
preparation methods and mode of administration (Fig. 2).
‘The Flora of Presidency of Madras’ (Gamble, 1935) and
‘The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic’ (Matthew, 1983)
were used for the identification of plant species.
Herbarium specimens were deposited in the Herbarium
of Kongunadu Arts and Science College, Coimbatore for
Venkatachalapathi et al., 2015
044 Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A): 043-057
further reference.
Ailment categories
Sixteen ailment categories were made on basis of
informations on medicinal uses gathered from the
informants in the study area viz., Circulatory System/
Cardiovascular Diseases (CSCD), Cooling Agent (CA),
Dental Care (DC), Dermatological Infections/Diseases
(DID), Ear, Nose, Throat Problems (ENT), Endocrinal
Disorders (ED), Fever (Fvr), Gastro-Intestinal Ailments
(GIA), General Health (GH), Genito-Urinary Ailments
(GUA), Hair Care (HC), Liver Problem (LP), Poisonous
Bite (PB), Respiratory System Diseases (RSD), Skeleto-
Muscular System Disorders (SMSD) and Insecticidal
Property (IC) (Table 1). In each ailment category many
diseases were included on the basis of body systems
treated.
Data processing
Informant Consensus Factor (Fic)
It was used to know if there was any consensus
in the use of plant species for the ailment categories
among the healers in the study area. This attribute was
calculated as per the following formula proposed by
Heinrich et al., (1998):
Where, Nur stands for the number of use-reports
for the particular ailment category and Nt stands for the
number of species prescribed by all informants for the
respective ailment category. Fic ranges between 0.1
and 1. High values close to 1 indicates the prescription of
relatively few species in large proportion of the
informants and the lower values show that the informants
have no consensus on the taxa to be prescribed in the
treatment within the category of diseases.
Use Value
The importance of the plant species in terms of
its usage in herbal remedy as per the prescription by
local healers is reported as Use Value (UV) and it was
calculated according to the following formula by
Phillips et al., (1994):
Where, UV is the use value of a species, ‘U’ is
the number of use-reports quoted by all informants for a
given species and ‘n’ is the total number of informants
interviewed for the same species. The UV is helpful in
determining the species with the highest use (most
frequently cited) in the treatment of an ailment. Use
values will be higher for the species of many use-reports
and it will be reverse for the species of few use-reports.
Fidelity Level (FL)
It was used to determine the most frequently
used plant species for treating a particular ailment
category by the informants of the study area. FL was
calculated as per the following formula of Friedmen
et al., (1986):
Where, ‘Np’ is the number of use-reports for a
particular ailment category cited for a particular species
and ‘N’ is the total number of use-reports cited for the
same species in all ailments categories. Generally, high
FLs will be obtained for the species for which majority
of use-reports are for the same way of using it. On the
other hand, low FLs will be obtained for the species that
are used for several purposes (Srithi et al., 2009).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A total number of 53 species distributed in 49
genera belonging to 30 families were commonly
prescribed by the local healers of Nilgiris all over its
altitudinal stretches (Table 2). Among the families,
Asteraceae contributed higher number of 6 species
followed by Fabaceae, Cucurbitaceae and
Asclepiadaceae with 4 species each, and Amaranthaceae
and Acanthaceae with 3 species each to the medical
prescription by the healers of the study area. Early
reports also exhibited that the families like Asteraceae,
Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A): 043-057 045
Venkatachalapathi et al., 2015
Np
N FL x 100
Σ U
n UV =
Σ U
n UV
Venkatachalapathi et al.,2015
046 Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A):043-057
S. No. Ailment categories Biomedical terms Tamil terms
1. Circulatory System/ Cardiovascular Diseases (CSCD)
Blood purification Memory power Heart problem Hypotensive
Rattha sutthigarippu Gnabaga sakthi Idhaya noi Rattha alutta noi
2. Cooling Agent (CA) Body coolant Udal kulircchi 3. Dental Care (DC) Tooth ache Pal vali 4. Dermatological
Infections/Diseases (DID) Wound healing Skin diseases Antiinflammatory Antioxidant Scabies Antiseptic Eczema Itching
Kaayam Thol noi Alargi etirppu Puthunarchi Sori/sirangu Kirumi nacini Thol alargi Arippu/poocchikadi
5. Ear, Nose, Throat problems (ENT) Eye pain Ear pain
Kan vali Kathu vali
6. Endocrinal Disorders (ED) Diabetes Kidney stone Urinary problem Cystitis
Sarkkarai/neerilivu noi Siruneeraga kal Siruneeraga noi Siruneerpai alargi
7. Fever (Fvr) Fever Pneumonia Malaria
Kaichal Jani Murai/malaria kaichal
8. Gastro-Intestinal Ailments (GIA) Ulcer Stomachache Carminative Gastric complaints Digestion/Indigestion Dysentery Dyspepsia Diarrhea Cholera Vermifuge Intestinal worms Appetite
Vayitru pun Vayitru vali Iraippai kuṭal vali Vayvu kolaru Geeranam/ageeranam Seedhabaethi Cerimanaminmai Vayirrup pokku Kalara Pulukkolli Kutal pulukkal Paciyinmai
9. General Health (GH) Piles Tonic Constipation Depression Insomnia Obesity
Mula noi Sathu marunthu Malaccikkal Mana aluttam Tukkaminmai Udal paruman
10. Genito-Urinary Ailments (GUA) Delivery pain Menstrual problem Abortion Male fertility Venereal diseases Galactagogue Sexual problem
Pirasava vali Matavitay thontharavugal Karu kalaipu Anmai sakthi perukkuthal Paalvinai noi Thaai pallai urpathi pana Paliyal piraccanai
11. Hair Care (HC) Hair tonic Mudi valara 12. Liver Problem (LP) Jaundice
Liver infection Manajal kaamalai Kaleral thotru
13. Poisonous Bite (PB) Snake bite Dog bite Poisonous bite Detoxification
Pambukkadi Naikkadi Vishakkadi Nachu neeka
Table 1: Ailment categories included with various ailments
Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A): 043-057 047
Venkatachalapathi et al.,2015
14. Respiratory System Diseases (RSD) Asthma Chest pain Cold Cough Expectorant Bronchitis Haemoptysis
Moocchu thinaral Nenju vali Jalathosam Irumal Sali Muccukkulay alarci Suvacakkulaliruntu irattam varuthal
15. Skeleto-Muscular System Disorders (SMSD)
Rheumatism Arthritis Joint pain Cancer/Tumor Swelling Headache/One side headache Paralysis Nervous/ Neuralgia problem Epilepsy Antispasmodic
Moottu vadham Kilvatam Moottu vali Putru noi Veekam Thalai vali/oru paka thalai vali Pakavatam Narambu pathipu Kaka valipu Valipu
16. Insecticidal (IC) Mosquito repellent Kosuviratti
Table 2: Details of certain important medicinal plant species prescribed by the local healers of Nilgiris,
the Western Ghats
S.
No.
Botanical name
and family
Local name Life-form Use
value
Parts used Ailment category:
number of use reports
(ailments treated)
Preparation
1 Abrus precatorius L.
(Fabaceae)
Kundu mani Climber 1.8 Seed and
root
Fvr-1, RSD- 6, GUA-2
(chest pain* and delivery
pain)
Decoction
2 Acacia caesia (L.) Willd.
(Mimosaceae)
Kariram Shrub 1.0 Leaves DID-2, Fvr-1, RSD-1,
DC-1 (cancer)
Paste
3 Acalypha fruticosa Forssk.
(Amaranthaceae)
Serucinni Herb 1.2 Leaves DID-1, LP-1, GIA-3,
RSD-1 (dysentery*)
Raw and
decoction
4 Acalypha indica L.
(Euphorbiaceae)
Kuppaimeni Herb 0.2 Leaf LP-1 (jaundice) Decoction
5 Achyranthes aspera L.
(Amaranthaceae)
Nayuruvi Herb 0.4 Whole
plant
PB-2 (poisonous bite) Raw
6 Aerva lanata L.
(Amaranthaceae)
Poolai poo Herb 0.2 Leaf ED-1 (kidney stone) Decoction
7 Aloe vera L.
(Liliaceae)
Sotru katrallai Herb 0.2 Whole
plant
GUA-1 (menstrual prob-
lem)
Raw
8 Alpinia galanga L.
(Zingiberaceae)
Perratthei Herb 0.4 Rhizome SMSD-1, GIA-1
(rheumatism)
Decoction
9 Andrographis paniculata L.
(Acanthaceae)
Neelavembu Herb 0.8 Whole
plant
PB-4 (snake bite) Raw
10 Artemisia annua L.
(Asteraceae)
Green ginger Herb 0.4 Aerial parts Fvr-2 (malaria) Juice
11 Artemisia nilagirica
(Clarke) PAMP.
(Asteraceae)
Makkippu Herb 1.8 Whole
plant
ED-1, SMSD-3, GH-2,
GIA-1, DID-1,
RSD-1 (epilepsy and
diabetes)
Juice
Venkatachalapathi et al., 2015
048 Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A):043-057
12 Asystasia gangetica L.
(Acanthaceae)
Mitikirai Herb 0.4 Leaf and
root
SMSD-1, ED-1
(diabetes)
Raw
13 Centella asiatica L.
(Apiaceae)
Vallarai Herb 0.6 Whole plant CSCD-2, GIA-1
(memory power)
Raw
14 Chromolaena odorata L.
(Asteraceae)
Kamyunist alai Herb 0.2 Leaf DID-1 (wounds) Raw
15 Cissus setosa Wallich.
(Vitaceae)
Pulinaranai Herb 1.0 Leaf GIA-4, ED-1 (ulcer) Extract
16 Cleome aspera L.
(Cleomaceae)
Karumpoondu Herb 0.2 Leaf DID-1 (Eczema) Raw
17 C. viscosa L.
(Cleomaceae)
Naikadugu Herb 0.2 Leaf ENT-1 (earache) Raw
18 Coleus aromaticus Benth.
(Lamiaceae)
Karpooravalli Herb 0.4 Leaf RSD-2 (cold and
cough)
Raw
19 Commelina benghalensis L.
(Commelinaceae)
Kancatam Herb 0.2 Whole plant DID-1 (wounds) Paste
20 Corallocarpus epigaeus Benth.
Ex. Hook F. (Cucurbitaceae)
Akash garudandan Herb 1.8 Tuber ED-1, SMSD-2, RSD-
2, GIA-1, DID-2,
GH-1 (diabetes and
obesity*)
Decoction
21 Corchorus acutangulus Lam.
(Tiliaceae)
Perumpinnakku
kirai
Herb 1.0 Arial parts
and seed
GIA-1, DID-1, SMSD
-1, CSCD-1, Fvr-1
(cancer)
Decoction
22 Corchorus olitorius L.
(Tiliaceae)
Peratti Herb 0.6 Leaf and
seed
ED-1, GH-1, CSCD-1
(heart problem)
Decoction
23 Cryptolepis grandiflora Wight.
(Asclepiadaceae)
Mattankodi Climber 1.0 Latex PB-1, GIA-3, SMSD-
1(indigestion*,
poisonous bite and
arthritis)
Raw
24 Curculigo orchioides Gaertn.
(Hypoxidaceae)
Nilapanai Herb 1.2 Tuber CSCD-5, SMSD-1
(heart strength*)
Raw
25 Curcuma aromatica Salisb.
(Zingiberaceae)
Manjal Herb 0.4 Rhizome DID-1, SMSD-1
(tumor)
Decoction
26 Cymbopogon citratus (D.C.)
Stapf. (Poaceae)
Elumichai pul Herb 0.4 Leaf SMSD-1, DID-1
(swelling* and
itching)
Paste
27 Cynodon dactylon L.
(Cyperaceae)
Arugam pull Herb 0.4 Whole plant GIA-2 (indigestion) Raw
28 Cyperus rotundus L.
(Cyperaceae)
Korai kilangu Herb 0.4 Rhizome DID-2 (wounds) Raw
29 Decalepis hamiltonii Wight and
Arn. (Asclepiadaceae)
Mahali kizhangu Climber 1.4 Tuber DID-2, ED-1, Fvr-2,
GIA-1, RSD-1
(asthma and malaria)
Decoction
30 Desmodium gangeticum (L.)
DC. (Fabaceae)
Orilai Herb 0.2 Whole plant Fvr-1 (fever) Decoction
31 Eclipta prostrata L.
(Asteraceae)
Karisalankanni Herb 0.2 Leaf HC-1 (hair tonic) Decoction
32 Ehretia microphylla Lam.
(Boraginaceae)
Kattu vellilai Shrub 1.0 Leaf GIA-3, DID-2
(stomachache*)
Decoction
Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A):043-057 049
Venkatachalapathi et al., 2015
33 Enicostemma axillare (Lam).
Raynal. (Gentianaceae)
Vellarugu Herb 0.2 Leaf PB-1 (snake bite) Decoction Oral
34 Erythroxylon monogynum
Roxb. (Erythroxylaceae)
Sembulichan Shrub 1.0 Leaf GIA-1,DID-3,
Fvr-1 (skin diseases)
Paste Oral
35 Evolvulus alsinoides L.
(Convolvulaceae)
Vishnukiranthi Herb 0.2 Whole
plant
Fvr-1 (fever) Decoction Oral
36 Gaultheria fragrantissima
Wall. (Ericaceae)
Kolakkai Shrub 1.2 Fruits and
leaves
GIA-2, DID-2,
SMSD-2
(rheumatism and
neuralgia)
Juice Oral
37 Hemidesmus indicus L.
(Asclipadaceae)
Nannari Climber 0.4 Root GIA-1, Fvr-1 (fever) Decoction Oral
38 Hildegardia populifolia
(Roxb.) Schott. & Endl.
(Sterculiaceae)
- Tree 0.8 Leaf and
bark
Fvr-1, PB-1, DID-2
(pimples* and dog
bite)
Decoction Oral
39 Hybanthus enneaspermus L.
(Violaceae)
Orithalthamarai Herb 0.2 Whole
plant
GUA-1 (male
fertility)
Raw and
decoction
Oral
40 Hypochaeris radicata L.
(Asteraceae)
- Herb 1.0 Whole
plant
SMSD-5 (swelling*) Paste Topical
41 Ipomoea obscura L.
(Convolvulaceae)
Chirutali Climber 0.6 Leaf GIA-2, SMSD-1 (to
cure dysentery and
ulcer)
Paste Oral
42 Kedrostis foetidissima (Jacq.)
Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae)
Appakovai Climber 1.0 Whole
plant
RSD-2, GIA-2, DID
-1 (tumors)
Decoction
and juice
Oral
43 Lobelia nicotianaefolia
Heyne. (Lobeliaceae)
Kattupugaielai Herb 1.0 Whole
plant
RSD-3, Fvr-1,
CSCD-1 (heart
diseases and cough)
Decoction Oral
44 Mimosa pudica L.
(Fabaceae)
Thootal sinigi Herb 0.2 Whole
plant
GUA-1 (menstrual
problem)
Decoction Oral
45 Mukia maderaspatana (L.)
M. Roem. (Cucurbitaceae)
Musumusukkai Climber 1.0 Leaves RSD-1, GIA-2,
GH-2 (dyspepsia)
Decoction Oral
46 Oxalis corniculata L.
(Oxalidaceae)
Paliakirai Herb 0.4 Whole
plant
Fvr-1, ED-1 (kidney
stone)
Raw Oral
47 Pentatropis microphylla L.
(Asclepiadaceae)
Oopilan kodi Herb 0.2 Whole
plant
CSCD-1 (heart
problem and body
cooling*)
Decoction Oral
48 Pueraria tuberosa L.
(Fabaceae)
Nila Poosani Climber 1.2 Whole
plant
GH-1, Fvr-1, SMSD
-2, GUA-2
(swelling* and
sexual problems)
Raw and
decoction
Oral
49 Ruellia tuberosa L.
(Acanthaceae)
Pattaskai Herb 2.2 Leaf and
root
ED-1, SMSD-2,
RSD-2, Fvr-1,
CSCD-2, GUA-2,
GIA-1 (abortion and
cancer)
Decoction Oral
50 Solena amplexicaulis (Lam.)
Gandhi. (Cucurbitaceae)
Pulivanci Climber 1.2 Whole
plant
SMSD-4, ED-1,
LP-1 (swelling*,
jaundice)
Paste Oral
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050 Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A): 043-057
51 Thalictrum javanicum
Blume (Ranunculaceae)
Peela jari
Herb 1.6 Root CSCD-1, DID-1, IC-6
(mosquito repellent*)
Paste Oral
52 Vernonia cinerea (L.)
Less. (Asteraceae)
Mukuttipoondu Herb 0.2 Leaf SMSD-1 (paralysis) Paste Oral
53 Withania somnifera (L.)
Dunal. (Solanaceae)
Amukkaramkizangu Herb 0.2 Tuber SMSD-1 (nervous dis-
orders)
Powder Oral
S. No. Ailment category No. of use-reports (Nur) Number of taxa (Nt) Informant consensus factor (Fic)
1 Circulatory system/
cardiovascular diseases
15 9 0.43
2 Dermatological
infections/diseases
27 17 0.38
3 Gastro-intestinal ailments 33 19 0.44
4 General health 6 4 0.40
5 Genito-urinary ailments 9 6 0.38
6 Poisonous bite 9 5 0.50
7 Respiratory system diseases 22 11 0.52
8 Skeleto-muscular
system disorders
31 19 0.40
9 Insecticidal property 6 1 1.00
Table 3: Informant consensus factor for certain ailment categories.
S. No. Ailment category Most prescribed species with specific ailments FL (%)
1 Circulatory system/
cardiovascular diseases
Curculigo orchioids (heart strength)
Centella asiatica (memory power)
83
66
2 Dermatological
infections/diseases
Erythroxylon monogynum (skin diseases)
Hildegardia populifolia (pimples)
60
50
3 Gastro-intestinal ailments Ehretia microphylla (stomachache)
Cryptolepis grandiflora (indigestion)
Cissus setosa (ulcer)
Ipomoea obscura (dysentery)
Acalypha fruticosa (dysentery)
60
60
80
66
50
4 Poisonous bite Andrographis paniculata (snake bite) 100
5 Respiratory system diseases Lobelia nicotianaefolia (cough)
Abrus precatorius (chest pain)
60
66
6 Skeleto-muscular
system disorders
Solena amplexicaulis (swelling)
Hypochaeris radicata (swelling)
66
100
7 Insecticidal property Thalictrum javanicum (mosquito repellent) 75
Table 4: Species with higher fidelity level (FL) by ailment category prescribed by the
local healers of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the Western Ghats.
Acanthaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Cucurbitaceae,
Malvaceae, Sterculiaceae etc., are having more medicinal
significances owing to the rich variety of secondary
metabolites available in their members (Jain and Mudgal,
1999; Jain, 1996). Interestingly, it has been noted that 13
new claims were made for certain species viz; Solena
amplexicaulis, Hypochaeris radicata, Thalictrum
javanicum, Acalypha fruticosa, Pueraria tuberosa,
Corallocarpus epigaeus, Ehretia microphylla,
Pentatropis microphylla, Cryptolepis grandiflora,
Cymbopogon citratus and Abrus precatorius for the first
time. It is explained that the distribution of certain
species like Solena amplexicaulis, Hypochaeris radicata,
Thalictrum javanicum etc., are confined to limited
localities only and so they are being reported for certain
specific uses.
Among the various life-form categories, the
indigenous healers prescribed mainly herbs (74%)
Venkatachalapathi et al., 2015
Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A): 043-057 051
Fig 1. Map showing the location of study sites.
followed by climbers (17%), shrubs (7%) and trees (2%)
(Fig. 3) for treating the ailments. It may be due to high
richness of herbs than the other life-forms in the study
area under the shadow of tree canopy (Paulsamy et al.,
2008). While comparing the other parts, leaves were
used at greater extent (40%) followed by whole plant
(30%), root (8%) tuber (7%) and seeds and bark were
used at the level of less than 5% only (Fig. 4). Many
reports available for various regions also showed the
higher utilization of leaves for medicinal purposes than
the other parts (Srithi et al., 2009; Giday et al., 2010;
Gonzalez et al., 2010; Ayyanar and Ignacimuthu, 2011).
As the leaves are the parts of the photosynthesis and
production sites of many biomedical compounds, they
may be prescribed more by the healers (Mukherjee et al.,
2006). Decoction form of utilization of plant parts was
the common mode of administration (44%) for healing
the diseases/disorders. Next to it, raw form (30%), past
form (16%) and extract form (7%) were administrated
and the powder form (2%) was the least mode of
Venkatachalapathi et al., 2015
052 Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A): 043-057
Fig. 2. Field data sheet for the details of medicinal plants.
administration (Fig. 5). The tribal community of
Anaimalais, Puliyars and some other indigenous
communities of this region are also preparing and
prescribing mainly the decoction and raw forms of
respective medicinal plants for healing process
(Rajenderan and Henry, 1994; Paulsamy, 2004;
Ramachandran et al., 2009). Decoction was prepared by
boiling the respective plant part in water until getting
1/4th of its original volume. Past was prepared by
grinding the fresh or dried material by using water and
the powder was made by grinding the shade dried
materials. Juice or extract form of medicine was prepared
by crushing the respective plant with high proportion of
water.
Ruellia tuberosa was the commonly used species
with 11 use-reports as per the informations provided by
the informants and obtained the use value of 2.2. It was
mainly prescribed for joint pain, cardiac problems and
for the treatment of cancer in very early stage. It was
already reported that this species is being used in
folkluric medical system of Tirupur and Erode districts
of Tamilnadu to relive joint pain and to treat chest pain
(Brinda and Parvathy, 2003). The species viz., Artemisia
nilagirica, Corallocarpus epigaeus and Abrus
precatorius with the use value of 1.8 each, Thalictrum
javanicum with the use value of of 1.6, Decalepis
hamiltonii with the use value of 1.4 and Solena
amplexicaulis, Acalypha fruticosa, Gaultheria
fragrantissima, Pueraria tuberosa and Curculigo
orchioides each with the use value of 1.2 were the other
important commonly used medicinal plants in the study
area according to the informations of the healers
interviewed. Among these species, Artemisia nilagirica
and Gaultheria fragrantissima were used by the patients
living in the villages of high altitudes in Nilgiris, as these
species are endemic to high hills of Nilgiris (Ahmedulla
and Nayar, 1987). However, the other higher altitudinal
species, Thalictrum javanicum was collected and sold by
the local healers to the people of Mettupalayam and other
villages of lower altitudes, mainly for the purpose of
mosquito repeltion through burning the aerial parts.
Thus, the exploitation being made severely may pose this
species for threatened condition. Almost all other species
mentioned above are already used by the indigenous
healers of low level areas in Coimbatore, Nilgiri and
Tirupur districts of Tamil Nadu (Senthilkumar et al.,
2013).
The level of agreement on the knowledge about
the plant species is generally depending upon the
availability of plants in the study area (Rajkumar and
Shivanna, 2009). For using informant consensus factor
(Fic), the illnesses were classified into 16 broad ailment
categories (Table 1). Ailment categories of higher
Fic (>0.50) are (Table 3) for brevity of data. Higher
use-reports of 33 were gastrointestinal problems (19
species), 31 were skeleto muscular system disorders (19
species), 27 were dermatological infections/diseases (17
species) and 22 were respiratory system diseases (11
species). Highest Fic of 1.0 was obtained for the ailment
category, insecticidal property followed by respiratory
system diseases with 0.52 and poisonous bite with 0.50.
As only one species (Thalictrum javanicum) was used
for mosquito repellent property (insecticidal), this
ailment category secured the highest Fic of 1.0.
Vikneswaren et al.. (2008) and Alagesaboopathi (2012)
have also reported that mosquito repellent property and
respiratory system diseases secured the highest Fic in
Sirumalai hills of Eastern Ghats, Tamilnadu.
Furthermore, the informants have less consensus in the
taxa used for all other ailment categories. It indicates that
the degree of knowledge shared by the healers in the
study area on the medicinal plants used for various
ailments is low. It may be due to the fact that the
availability of plant species was generally altitudinal
zone-specific all over the study area. Rokaya et al..
(2010) also observed similar trend of less agreement on
medicinal plants used between the indigenous healers of
western Nepal at different altitudes.
Venkatachalapathi et al., 2015
Journal of Research in Biology (2015) 5(A): 043-057 053
By calculating fidelity level (FL), the most
important species used in major ailment categories were
determined (Table 4). Among the 53 species reported,
two species viz; Andrographis paniculata and
Hypochaeris radicata obtained 100% FL. It indicates
that these species were used in single ailment category as
prescribed by many informants. As observed in the
present study, the species Andrographis paniculata is
used for the treatment of snake bite by Malayali tribes of
Yercaud hills of Eastern Ghats (Senthilkumar et al.,
2013), indigenous communities of Kanjamalai hills of
Eastern Ghats (Alagesaboopathi, 2011) and Paliyar
tribals of Sirumalai hills, Tamil Nadu (Alagesaboopathi,
2012). Similarly, the other species Hypochaeris radicata
was reported to have ethnobotanical significance among
the local people of high altitude of Nilgiris for its use in
curing swellings (Abraham, 1981; Paulsamy et al.,
2008). The other species identified by using high fidelity
level, used in major ailment categories are Curculigo
orchioides (heart strength)-FL (83%), Cissus setosa
(ulcer)-FL (80%) and Thalictrum javanicum (mosquito
repellent)-FL (75%).
The study emphasized that the species of high
informant consensus factor, use value and fidelity level
must be evaluated scientifically in terms of
phytochemical constituents and pharmacological
inventories. In this line, the species viz., Artemisia
nilagirica, Corallocarpus epigaeus, Thalictrum
javanicum, Hypochaeris radicata, Pueraria tuberosa,
Decalepis hamiltonii and Cissus setosa are suggested for
further evaluation to validate them scientifically and
hence as the source of pharmaceutical industries.
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