M.E.S. Satyajeet College of Pharmacy, Mehkar Pin code: 443301
This paper is concerned with Ethnomedicinal uses of medicinal plants for the treatment of skin diseases by tribal people of Keonjhar district of Odisha state of India. Ethnobotanical studies and field works of medicinal plants have been undertaken in various areas of Keonjhar district during 2021-2022. It was found that 40 species in 39 genera and 31 families have been utilized as local traditional medicines by the local people to cure skin disorders.
Keonjhar is a tribal district of Odisha, which is located on the northern side of Odisha state of India. It has a geographical area of 8303 sq. km. Keonjhar is one of the tribal dominated districts that are found on the northern side of the state. It extends from 21°1′ to 22°10′ N latitude and 85°11′ to 86°22′ E longitude (Fig-1). The climate is sub-tropical, summer hot and dry, winter dry and cold. All the hills of this district are included in the Eastern Ghats of India. The district is dominated by dense forest and a long chain of hills which is inhabited by wild animals such as elephant, tiger, bear, hyena, deer and foxes. The forest cover of the area is predominantly tropical mixed deciduous forest, tropical dry deciduous forest and tropical moist deciduous forest. May is the hottest month of the year with mean daily maximum temperature of 44 °C, while the minimum temperature in December is 70 C. The average minimum and maximum temperatures are 11 °C and 38 °C respectively. The average rainfall of the district is 1534.5 mms. The tribe account for approximately 45.4% of the district's Total population and they primarily reside in the forest region. Population density of the district is 188 persons per sq. km whereas for tribal density it is 84 persons per sq. km. The traditional knowledge of the wild plants and their parts is greatly recognized by the world population. Major population of the district continues to utilize the traditional medicines consisting of various plants and plant parts for the treatment of various diseases [1-5]. The traditional knowledge related to the utilization of the medicinal plants for the cure of various diseases is available only in oral tradition and is passed from generation to generation. Yet, this traditional knowledge is progressively diluted and declining due to the arrival of modern civilization. Hence, it is important to document and gather this knowledge before losing it for ever. Odisha state in India is rich in tribal population and forest wealth. Floristic and Ethnobotanical work has been undertaken in various districts of Odisha that yield a lot of information related to the ethnomedicinal importance of plants and plant products [6-24]. These facts have been confirmed through phytochemical and antimicrobial investigation of numerous plants and plant products [25-26]. In modern times, skin diseases in societies are on the rise day by day. Skin diseases such as dark spot, white spot, various forms of scabies, acne, fungal infections are prevalent in various categories of people. Skin diseases are rampant in rural areas due to unhygienic conditions. The forest range of Keonjhar possesses vegetable richness with potentially valuable medicinally valuable plants. Some valuable tribal societies viz Juanga, Bhuyan, Santal, Kolha, Gond, Bathudi, Saunti, Sabara, Bhumija of this district have been using different plants and plant products for the treatment of some skin diseases. They possess wealth of indigenous knowledge about different plant families, which are very valuable to treat variety of skin diseases.
The present investigation has been carried out to document the indigenous knowledge regarding the native medicinal plants, which are utilized to treat various diseases of the skin from different traditional practitioners and indigenous forest inhabitant of Keonjhar district, Odisha.
Materials and Methods Plant collection and preservation:
Frequent field visits have been made in various seasons of the year between 2017-2023 to various sites of the study area to understand the pattern of distribution and natural habitat of medicinal plants. The plant species have been identified by regional flora books [27-28]. Herbarium samples have been obtained from various places of the study areas and the herbarium specimens have have been designed for future use adhere to standard Methods [29].
Method of data collection:
The ethnobotanical information on the utilisation of medicinal plants for therapeutic treatment of skin diseases have been gathered from the local ethnic communities such as Gond, Bathudi, Bhuyan, Santal, Kol, Juang, saunti and other forest indigenous of Keonjhar in Odisha. During the field survey, the local elderly people possessing expert knowledge on the medicinal plants have been contacted. Series of group discussions have been conducted among the local inhabitants during the investigation period. Skilled older individuals, local traditional practitioners such as Baidya, Kabiraj and Gunia have been interviewed for the primary hand information about Ethnomedicinal uses of plants. The data obtained have been cross-checked by criss-cross checking technique to ensure the correctness of the information about the use, mode of application and dosage variations of the herbal substances for treating skin diseases.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS:
The research is disclosing the application of 40 angiosperm plant species belonging to 31 families in treating various skin diseases (Table-1). The herbal drugs are applied primarily through juice, paste or powder made in a crude manner from various plant parts like root, bark, leaves, \latex, seeds or whole plant etc. The majority of the plants employed in local medicine medicines are either blended with other ingredients or solo.
CONCLUSION:
Only tradition and beliefs are the basis of use of the herbal medicines. It has been found that the majority of the folk medicinal plants are rightfully represented in literature. Nevertheless, their way of usage, ingredients and used parts are different. Thus, the current study depicts the prevailing folk uses of medicinal plants of the region studied. The knowledge of this ancient healthcare system has been Passed down generation after generation through word of mouth. Urbanization growth and over mining activities in this region resulting in Pollution as well as deforestation impacts negatively the tribal population's life styles. As a result of such practices, the medicinal plants with potential discovered in remote forests are vanishing at an alarming scale. The conservation of such plant spices is therefore an urgent Requirement oh the hour for their sustainable use as well as maintenance of ecological balance in this area.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The assistance given by the Centre of Excellence for Bio resource Management and Energy Conservation Material Development under Odisha Higher Education Programme for Excellence and Equity (OHEPEE) for offering required research assistance. They also want to thank all the officials of Keonjhar and Anandpur Forest Division of Keonjhar district, tribal and local inhabitants for their assistance, cooperation and providing valuable information during the ethnobotanical survey.
REFERENCES
Vishal Lande*, Nilesh Gawali, Dhananjay Popalghat, Kapil Bhagat, Karan Gavhane, Sumit Chankhore, Dr. Shivshankar Mhaske, Pankaj Fitawe, Ethnomedicinal Uses of Medicinal Plants for The Treatment of Skin Diseases by Tribal Communities, Int. J. of Pharm. Sci., 2025, Vol 3, Issue 5, 3969-3975. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15501711
10.5281/zenodo.15501711
