ABSTRACT
The present ethnomedicine survey covers the Dharwad district of Karnataka in southern India. It was revealed that 35 plants belonging to 26 families are being used to treat different types of oral ailments like toothache, plaque and caries, pyorrhea and aphthae. Sixteen of these plants were new claims for the treatment of oral ailments not previously reported in the ethnomedicinal literature of India. Basella alba, Blepharis repens, Capparis sepiaria, Oxalis corniculata and Ricinus communis are used for the treatment of aphthae; Azima tetracantha, Caesalpinia coriaria, Cleome gynandra, Gossypium herbacium, Leucas aspera, Merremia chryseides, Pergularia daemia, Prosopis juliflora and Solanum nigrum are used to treat tooth ache and Cassia hirsuta and Cassia tora are used in the treatment of plaque and caries.
Subject(s)
Medicine, Traditional , Mouth Diseases/drug therapy , Oral Health , Plants, Medicinal , Humans , India , Plant Extracts/isolation & purification , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Plant StructuresABSTRACT
Present paper deals with the herbal remedies for skin diseases in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka--a Southern State in India, which is located in the hearts of Western Ghats. In an ethnobotanical exploration of this area 52 herbal preparations from 31 plants belonging to 21 families have been recorded. This also includes 17 new claims to the ethnomedical knowledge. The parts used and methods of preparation are discussed along with the family and local name for all the plants.
Subject(s)
Medicine, Traditional , Phytotherapy , Plants, Medicinal/classification , Skin Diseases/drug therapy , Ethnobotany , Humans , IndiaABSTRACT
Therapeutic effects and medicinal efficacy of the wild herbs were identified and administered by the tribal people to cure various ailments. Recently, the practice of herbal medicine has been diminishing, which may lead to the loss of valuable information about healing herbs. The Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka in India is one of the rich biodiversity centers of Western Ghats. Many tribes like Gowlis, Siddis, Halakki Okkaligas and Kunabis inhabit the semi-evergreen forests of the District. The mixed marathi speaking Kunabis have migrated from Goa and settled here a long time back and are even today without modern facilities. Thus, in the way of revitalization of traditional herbal medicines, it is an effort to record the valuable ethnomedical knowledge of the tribe Kunabis of Uttara Kannada District in Karnataka. A total of 45 species of plants used by Kunabi community people are described here based on an ethnomedical field survey. These plants belong to 26 families and are used to treat a wide range of discomforts like fever, cough, skin diseases, rheumatism, snakebite, jaundice, dysentery, etc.