ethnobotanical study of entada pursaetha dc: an …

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Valarmathi et al. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF ENTADA PURSAETHA DC: AN

ENDANGERED GIGANTIC WOODY CLIMBER OF FABACEAE IN

EASTERN GHATS OF KOLLIHILLS, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Valarmathi S.* and K. Raju

P.G. and Research Department of Botany, Kandaswami Kandar’s College,

Velur – Namakkal-638 182, Tamil Nadu, India.

ABSTRACT

The Fabaceae family has more than 18, 000 species of flowering

plants. Fabaceae are traditionally an important uses in day to day

human diet, and also more number of essentially useful compounds in

curing diseases. Tribals are using many species of Fabaceae in their

lives. Most of the uses are still unknown to researchers than Tribals.

Entada pursaetha is a large, woody climber of Fabaceae family, it has

bipinnate leaves; leaflets are oblong-ovate, obtuse. Flower is pale

yellow, in panicled spikes. Pods woody, large; seeds circular,

compressed and is also considered an endangered species. Many uses

for this plant were known as a result of the surveys conducted by the

researchers at different localities in Eastern Ghats. These surveys

helped to considerably sharpen our knowledge about this species. The

tribals are selling the plant seeds to industry for many purpose like soap etc.

KEYWORDS: Entada pursaetha DC., Giant pods, Malayali Tribals, Gigantic liana.

INTRODUCTION

India has the best physical, cultural, social and linguistic diversity, with an ecosystem and

tremendous biodiversity of species. Myers et al.,[1]

reported that India has more than 10 per

cent of the world's diversity though it has only 4 per cent of the earth's surface. But India is

also one among the 25 biodiversity hotspots (Conservation International identified) of the

richest and highly endangered eco-regions of the world.

World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research SJIF Impact Factor 8.074

Volume 7, Issue 13, 1188-1199. Research Article ISSN 2277– 7105

Article Received on

18 May 2018,

Revised on 08 June 2018,

Accepted on 28 June 2018,

DOI: 10.20959/wjpr201813-12831

*Corresponding Author

Valarmathi S.

P.G. and Research

Department of Botany,

Kandaswami Kandar’s

College, Velur –

Namakkal-638 182, Tamil

Nadu, India.


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Plants have had being used in traditional medicine for several thousand years. Johnson Gritto

et al.,[2]

reported that the known knowledge of medicinal plants have been collected in the

due course of time by Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha system of medicine. In India, it is

reported that conventional natural healers use 3000 plant species and 150 species of plants

serve as regular sources of medicine. These medicines are being safe and environment

friendly. Nearly 60% of the world population has depending upon conventional system of

medicine to healthcare.[3]

The present study notions are being for documenting the tribal knowledge and uses of some

of the plants which can be beneficial for the many application to human welfares. Efforts

were taken by the researcher to meet and interact with the elderly people of tribals in Kolli

hills.

An attempt was made to bring out the details of each plant like its origin and life history.

Entada pursaetha DC (Elelphant creeper) belonging to the family Fabaceae. Fabaceae is a

tribe of leguminous plants in the subfamily Mimosoideae. Where this is treated as a family of

its own (e.g. in the Cronquist system), the Fabaceae become the subfamily Leguminosae-

Mimosoideae belonging to order fabales.

Fabaceae has a vast numbers of species from herbs to trees as weeds, valuable crop plants, an

ornamental shrubs, vines and very big trees of the tropical evergreen rain forest. Fabaceae are

being utilized to the fertility of the soil and an essential source of food, feed, forage, manure,

timber, gum, etc. The major key role of the fabaceae plants is being used in daily human diet

with high protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.[4]

Entada pursaetha is a gigantic woody liana among fabaceae, which produces 80-140 cm long

woody giant pods (Fig. 1) with 11- 18 seeds (Fig. 2). The plant parts contain saponins and are

being used in the soap manufacturing industries. Siddhuraju et al.,[5]

reported that this species

as tribal pulse. Its semi ripe seeds are also used as a substitute for coffee. The plant material is

used by the tribals as a broad spectrum compound. Johnson[6]

stated that Entada pursaetha

DC can be used as a narcotic or as a tonic, etc, or used in curing liver troubles, allaying body

pains, in warding off cold, curing eye diseases, arthritis, and paralysis. Janardhanan et al.,[7]

Varak and Suryanarayana,[8]

Jadhav et al.,[9]

reported that this species is as endangered. The

present study was carried out to receive and explore the tribal knowledge and traditional uses

of Entada pursaetha DC.


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MATERIALS AND METHODS

About the Study Area

Kolli Hills or Kolli Malai in Tamil is a tall hill range located in central Tamil Nadu in the

Namakkal district. The mountains are about 1370 m in height and cover an area of

approximately 280 km². The Kolli Hills has 72 hair pin bends to reach the top of latitude and

75015’ to 75

035’ E longitudes of Namakkal district in Tamil Nadu (Fig.1), which is a

mountain range that runs mostly parallel to the east coast of peninsular India. The mountains

are relatively untouched by commercial tourism and still retain their natural beauty.

Annual rainfall in the Kolli hills is 1043mm and the summer season of year with mean daily

maximum temperature is 200C to 30

0C. Humidity is above 85% during north east monsoon

season. The soil type is loamy and black soil on Kolli hills. About 44-50% of the total

geographical area is occupied by forest vegetation and 50-52% is utilized for agricultural

works.[10]

(Fig.2).

Fig. 1: Kolli Hill, Namakkal district in Tamil Nadu.

Collection of Plant Materials

The plant collection was carried out during 2015-2017 and all the in information’s about the

selected plant Entada pursaetha, were gathered from the local traditional healers of Kolli


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hills and Malayali tribals. The selected plant parts of leaf, stem bark, and fruits (seed) were

collected.

Figure 2: Land covered area map of Kolli Hills, Namakkal district in Tamil Nadu.

Authentication of Plants

The Flora of Presidency of Madras[11]

and The Flora of Tamil Nadu Carnatic[12]

were used

to ascertain the nomenclature. According to Kirtikar and Basu[13]

and Jain and Rao,[14]

the

selected plant has been verified and cross checked. The selected plant was identified and

authenticated with the help of herbarium of Botanical Survey of India, Southern Circe,

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Fig. 3: Entada pursaetha DC.


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Classification

Kingdom : Plantae

Phylum : Tracheophyta

Class : Magnoliopsida

Order : Fabales

Family : Fabaceae

Genus : Entada Adanson

Accepted Name Species : Entada rheedii Spreng.

Synonym : Entada pursaetha DC.

Duration :Perennial

Growth Habit : Climber

Vernacular Name : Gilagach, Gilla,

Tribal Name : Koilang (Bawm), Akling (Khumi), Gilanoi (Marma), Shing- cling

(Murang), Dola (Rakhaing).

English Name : Giant's Rattle, Lady Nut, Mackay Bean

Tamil Name : Cillu, Irikki and Yaannaikozhinchi;

Telugu : Tikka tivva Tilokayalo, Gila teega, Peddamudupu.

Hindi : Barabi

Sanskrit : Bidhanta

Kannada : Ganape kayi

Popular name : Nicker bean.

Description of the Plant

Botanical Description

An attempt was made to bring out the details of each plant like its origin and life history. An

attempt was made to bring out the details of each plant like its origin and life history. Entada

pursaetha DC (Elephant creeper) belonging to the family Fabaceae. Fabaceae is a tribe of

leguminous plants in the subfamily Mimosoideae. Where this is treated as a family of its own

(e.g. in the Cronquist system), the Fabaceae become the subfamily Leguminosae-

Mimosoideae belonging to order fabales.[15]

This is the third largest family of flowering

plants is the legume family, with more than 18, 000 species.

Entada pursaetha DC (Family, Fabaceae) is a large woody climber with much twisted stem

(Fig. 3). Its leaves are bipinnate, pinnae 2-3 pairs, leaflets 3.8-7.5 cm, oblong or obovate-


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oblong, rigidly coriaceous. Flowers are in panicle or simple spikes, 15-25 cm long, axillary or

from the nodes of old leafless branches. Flowers are also having small, corolla 2.5-3 mm

long, yellow. Pods are 30-90 cm long (Fig.4), slightly curved, woody, indented between the

seeds.[16]

Figure 4: Leaf, Stem, Seed and Endosperm of Entada pursaetha plant.

Field Studies for Entada Pursaetha DC in Kolli Hills

Geographical distribution of E. pursaetha: It is distributed in India, it is endemic woody liana

rarely distributed in the subtropical Evergreen forests of Western Ghats of Karnataka,

Tamilnadu Kerala and Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. The Eastern Ghats of India are

located between 11°30 and 22°N latitude and 76°50 and 86°30 E longitude, spread over three

continuous states of India, namely Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which are highly

significant in terms of biodiversity.

Among the three state, the South-Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu, Kolli hills (78º 30’E, 11º 30’

60N) was selected for the present study, where tribals inhabit and use this species,

Continuous field trips were undertaken to the study area, and the names of the various tribal


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communities, their professions and how they use this species for different medicinal and

domestic purposes were elicited from them and recorded.

In the field studies, it was found that the plant population was in the Kolli hills eight

individuals were found. They were totally devoid of bark, which, as the local inhabitants

explained, was due to its being used in the soap industry. In this area, the people knew about

this species and they sold its seeds to the soap industry as it was a source of income for them.

Surveys brought to light the multi uses of the species. Interaction with the tribal communities

brought out several interesting facts that almost all of them, men, women and children, were

aware of the presence of this plant because of its giant pods and twisted tendrils (Fig.3), but

they did not know that it was endangered. Tribals of Kolli Hills (Malayali tribals) utilize the

species for multi purposes in their lives, those uses were recorded (Fig. 5) and similar uses

were listed.

Figure 5: Researcher is recording and discussing about the Entada pursaetha plant and

its parts with Kolli Hills Malayali Tribals and Research Guide.

Medicinal Uses of Seeds

Seeds are considered alexiteric, narcotic, tonic, emetic, anthelmintic, antipyretic,

febrifuge, and hemorrhoidal.

The powdered kernel of the seeds is given to women for some days immediately after

delivery for allaying body pains and warding off cold.

Used as stomachache, carminative and anodyne.


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Excites appetite, control fever and relieves pain.

Used in pains of the loins, in debility and in inflammatory glandular swellings and for

scabies.

Roast and cook the seeds to detoxify and use as tribal pulse.

Half-ripe seeds are used as a substitute for coffee.

Paste of the seed kernel, green algae (i.e Anabena) and Solanum myriacanthm in 2:1:2

proportions are used to women for 7 days after menstruation as contraceptive.

Seed powder and paste of long pepper in a 2:1 ratio is used for intestinal worms.

Seed powder with ghee in a 2:1 ratio is used as an anodyne and given to women as oral

contraceptive.

To cure liver troubles, and to treat mumps.

Commercial Uses of Seeds

Income is derived by selling the seeds to the soap industry.

Medicinal utilization of Bark

Skin diseases.

Stem as an emetic.

Bark juice to cure ulcers and internally as a vulnerary.

Commercial use - Soapy solutions of leaves to wash their bodies and fabrics.

Medicinal Uses of Leaves

The leaves are smeared with warm coconut oil and placed on the head of a child for

infantile cold.

The leaf juice is given orally to children every morning for three days for infantile cold.

Commercial uses in soap industry.

Medicinal Uses of Root

The root paste along with the powder of black peppers in a ratio of 3:1 is given to women

in the treatment of epilepsy.

The malayali tribal communities of the above mentioned locations revealed specific uses for

this Entada pursaetha DC while discussing with them. The specific uses, tribal community

names, their languages, vernacular names of the species are given in Table 1. Tribals in Kolli

Hills were getting money by selling this plant seeds as a fertility stimulating agent and also


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useful for manufacturing soap.

DISCUSSION

Mode of Uses

Paste prepared from endosperm of Entada pursaetha DC seed is applied to affected areas

for the treatment of bleeding from nostril (epistaxis) [Bawm].

Stem is used as detergent (Khumi).

Pounded leaves are applied to wounds as a vulnerary. Seeds are used for joint pain, as

well as contraceptive. Roots are used for diarrhoea (Marma).

Extract prepared from root is taken to cure pyorrhoea. Kids play with big seed (Murang).

Extract prepared from root, taken two to three tea spoonful twice daily until cured in

pyorrhoea (Rakhaing).

Table 1: Tribal uses of Entada pursaetha DC.

Location

Name

Tribal

Name

Tribal

languages

Local

Names/vernacular

Names

Tribals Uses

Kolli Hills Malayali

tribal Tamil

1. Paparang Kottai,

2. Pappattan Kodi,

3. Yanai Kalichi Kottai

a)Seeds used in hair wash

and are selling to soap

industries

b) Liana is used in

preparing huts and rupees.

c) Seeds used as pulse.

Chemical Constituents

Bark and seeds contain significant amounts of saponins including an anti-tumour saponin,

entanin, which on hydrolysis yields entagenic acid. Seeds also contain a fixed oil, proteins,

albumins and globulins, essential amino acids, fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acids;

phaseoloidin, tyrosine glucoside and dopamine glucoside and many minerals. A new

triterpenoid, entagenic acid and a crystalline sapogenin have also been isolated from the

seeds.

Myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, and linolenic acids have been obtained from

seed oil hydrolysate. Seed oil also contains triglycerides comprised of monounsaturated

diolein and dilinolein, saturated oleolinolein, dioleolinolein, trioleein, oleodilinolein and

trilinolein. Pericarp contains ß-sitosterol, a-amyrin, quercetin, cyanidin chloride and gallic

acid. Kernel contains oleanolic and echinocytic acids and methyl mercaptan.[17-18]


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Seeds are emetic, febrifuge, alexiteric, narcotic, antiperiodic and anthelmintic; used in pains

of the loins and joints, in debility and in glandular swellings; also as a remedy in cerebral

hemorrhage. Roasted seeds are purgative. The plant is used as a fish poison. Decoction of

plant is used as a febrifuge, in infantile tympanites and in bowel complaints. Decoction of the

bark is given internally as an astringent. Pounded leaves are applied to wounds as a

vulnerary. In Khagrachari seeds are used by the Marma tribe for joint pain, as well as

contraceptive. Roots are used for diarrhoea.[19]

FINDINGS

Overall, our major findings coincide with such previous researchers[20]

mentioned a medicine

for inflammatory swellings and for the making of shampoos, Siddhuraju et al.,[5]

who

describes a tribal pulse and Sai Vishnu Priya and Srinivasa Rao[21]

stated about the

exploration of tribal knowledge of Entada pursaetha DC: An endangered gigantic medicinal

legume in Eastern Ghats. The other uses collected by us, including medicinal uses, require

laboratory analysis. If the species could be protected and propagated it could serve as good

herbal shampoo material besides improving the economic conditions of the tribal inhabitants

of forest areas. Understanding of the ethnic perceptions of any species is necessary for in situ

and ex situ conservation projects, which help to enhance the effectiveness of educational

efforts.[22]

The local people's involvement and intervention in any conservation of species is

very important, and without their active co-operation, the conservation of existing population

will not happen, so while collecting the tribal information, we created awareness in them

about their role in conservation of this species from further extinction.

REFERENCES

1. Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, da Fonseca GAB, Kent J. Biodiversity

hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature., 2000; 403: 853-856.

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Medicinal Plants Studies, 2015; 3(2): 61-85.

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the Traditional Healers of Pachamalai Hills, Tamilnadu, India, Ethno-Med, 2009; 3(1):

39-41.

4. Pradhan S. Economic Botany-The Pulses and Legumes., New Delhi, Hae-anand

Publications; 1995; 54.


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Laboratories, Chittagong., 2009.

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conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources, MSSRF, Madras, 1994; 57-65.


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