Abstract

Objectives: The research documented the use of medicinal plants in treating various diseases by the peoples in Paba Upazila of Rajshahi District, Bangladesh. Methods: Information on the local uses of medicinal plants was collected using semi-structured interviews with key informants from October 2021 to September 2022 were investigated. Results: This paper documents 71 plants species under 66 genera and 42 families have been documented which are used for the treatment of 85 categories diseases. For each species scientific name, local name, family name, habit, part(s) used, diseases and treatment process are provided. Conclusion: This important work may be helpful to develop the herbal drug development in future.

1. Introduction

The knowledge of medicinal plants has mainly been gathered by the people in the form of tradition and experiences and inherited over the centuries to the future generation. It is extremely important to save this traditional knowledge of biological heritage and explore new resources ¹. The knowledge on traditional medicine has been continuing for years and has been transmitted orally from generation to generation. In our country, the traditional system of medicine plays an important role in health care of rural people for all types of ailments. Nearly 80% of the world populations rely on traditional medicines for primary health care, most of which involve the use of plant extracts ². Man’s dependence on plant has in no way decreased, yet there are comprehensive documentations of the plants, exploited for their medicinal uses in some parts of the plants such as leaves, stem and root. The decoctions of these plants are used in the treatment of some diseases such as urinary problems, diabetes, asthma, stroke, stomachache, hypertension, diarrhea and wounds ³. World Health Organization estimates that 70% of populations from many countries are using traditional of folk medicine to cure various ailments ⁴.

Medicinal plants was carried out in Bangladesh by [5-20] ⁵ [21-45] ²¹ [46-60] ⁴⁶ [61-75] ^{61 4} [76-82] ⁷⁶ [83-88] ⁸³ and [89-91] ⁸⁹. The primary objective of this study is to present a database on indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants used for reproductive disease among the local traditional healers in Paba upazila of Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

2. Materials and Methods

Paba is an of in the Division of , . Paba is located at . It has 40,000 households and a total area of 280.42 km2. Paba Upazila is bounded by and Upazilas on the north, and on the east, and , in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India, across the / , and , on the south, and on the west ⁹².

The present work is the outcome of an extensive survey in several villages of Paba Upazila of Rajshahi district, Bangladesh undertaken from October 2021 to September 2022 to collect information on the medicinal uses of different plant species. A total of 71 species belonging to 66 genera under 42 families were recorded. Medicinal information was obtained through semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable traditional healers. A total of 154 informants having an age range of 22-73 years were interviewed using the semi-structured interviewed method ⁹³. Plant parts with either flowers or fruits were collected using traditional herbarium techniques to make voucher specimens for documentation and voucher specimens have been preserved at Herbarium of Rajshahi University.

Collected specimens have been examined, studied and identified. Identifications have been confirmed by consulting standard kinds of literature ^{94 83 86}. Nomenclature has been updated following recent literature ⁸⁴ and ⁸⁵.

3. Results and Discussion

Medicinal plants was used by the local peoples in Paba Upazila, Rajshahi, Bangladesh was carried out during October 2021 to September 2022. Of 71 plant species under 66 genera and 42 families were recorded. Out of the recorded species, Magnoliopsida is represented by 59 species and Liliopsida is represented by 12 species. Herbs, shrubs, climbers and trees represent the number 35, 15, 6 and 14 respectively. Different plant families with different species were distributed in the area like 4 species belong to the Fabaceae and Apocynaceae families each. Asteraceae is represented by 6 species. Each of Amarantheceae, Combretaceae, Liliaceae and Euphobiaceae families were represented by 3 species. Each of Zingiberaceae, Verbenaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Lamiaceae, Myrtaceae, Poaceae, Rutaceae, Apiaceae, Mimosaceae and Acanthaceae families are represented by 2 species. Each of Vitaceae, Moringaceae, Sterculiaceae, Malvaceae, Piperaceae, Oxalidaceae, Bombacaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Boraginaceae, Lythraceae, Arecaceae, Brassicaceae Bromoliaceae, Convolvulaceae, Costaceae, Crassulaceae, Moraceae, Cuscutaceae, Cyperaceae, Gentianaceae, Meliaceae, Menispermaceae, Musaceae, Papaviraceae, Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Solanaceae and Araceae families are represented by single species (Table 1).

Out of 71 recorded medicinal species, herbs are represented by 50%, shrubs by 21%, climber 9%, trees by 20% species (Figure 1). Various plant parts of different spp. was used as several diseases like root (21.12%), stem (8.45%), whole plant (19.71%), leaf (49.29%), bark (9.85%), leaf stalk (1.40%), Fruit (4.22%), Gum (2.80%), seed (2.81%), petiole (2.81%), tuber (4.22%), rhizome (2.81%), bulb (1.40%) and latex (1.40%) (Figure 2). Out of the recorded species, Asteraceae (8.45%), Apocynaceae (5.63%) and Fabaceae (5.63%) are dominant medicinal plant families in the study area (Figure 3). Dominant diseases was recorded like fever, diabetes, cough, skin disease, dysentery and hair treatment (Figure 4).

The local people of Paba upazila of Rajshahi continue to rely on medicinal plants used for the treatment of various ailments like Scurvy, Sneezing, Snake bite, Sedative, Sinuses, Skin disease, Stomach pain, Stop bleeding, Stop vomiting, Swelling, Tumor, Tuberculosis, Toothache, Tonsillitis, Throat pain, Traumatic injury, Ulcer, Urinary problem, Weakness, Cough, Constipation, Cooling or astringent, Eye inflammation, Piles, Paralysis, Wound healing Abdominal pain, Acidity, Abortion, Epilepsy, Febrifuge, Fever, Gout, Gonorrhea, Catarrhal fever, Malarial fever, Hair treatment, Headache, Heart disease, Hemorrhage, Hiccup, Leprosy, Joint pain, Jaundice, Insomnia, Insect bite, Leucoderma, Liver disorder, Lung infection, Male weakness, Measles, Menstrual problem, Mother milk secretion, Ring worm, Rheumatism, Pyorrhea, Pneumonia, Alopecia, Antihelmintic, Anti-oxidant, Blood pressure, Balance diet, Asthma, Arthritis, Anti-inflammatory, Cold, Cholera, Chicken pox, Diabetes, Diarrhea, Dysentery, Dog bite, Diuretic, Digestive problem, Dyspepsia, Eczema, Edema, Blood dysentery, Blotch, Broken limbs, Bronchitis, Burning wounds/sensation, Cancer and other diseases.

The treatment of different diseases was frequently used species like Rauvolfia serpentina, Ricinus communis, Terminalia belerica, Saccharum officinarum, Tridax procumbens, Swertia chirata, Heliotropium indicum, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Vitex negundo, Ipomoea aquatia, Kalanchoe pinnata, Lantana camara, Leucas aspera, Lawsonia inermis, Mikania micarantha, Mimosa pudica, Momordica charantia, Moringa oliefera. Musa sapientum. Enhydra fluctuans, Ocimum sanctum, Zingiber officinale. Oxalis corniculata, Phyllanthus emblica, Piper betel, Polygonum hydropiper, Psidium guajava, Syzygium cumini, Nerium indicum, Nigella sativa, Tagetes erecta, Tamarindus indica, Ficus racemosa, Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia chebula, Tinospora cordifolia, and Wedelia chinensis. Similar results of medicinal plant families in the study is in agreement with ^{95 96} [55-56] ^{55 89 90} and ⁹⁷.

4. Conclusion

Traditional medicinal plants was used by the local peoples in Paba Upazila, Rajshahi, Bangladesh was carried out during October 2021 to September 2022. A total of 71 medicinal plant species belonging to 66 genera and 42 families were recorded. Folk medicinal knowledge could be an advantageous practice for human welfare. Quite knowledgeable of native healers are about the healing characteristics and applications of their surrounding natural resources. The current studies attempted to document and examine the folk medicinal information held by the people who lived in the research area. The information recorded from the field survey and preliminary analysis in the present research provides basic understanding on the rationality of herbal remedies. Thus, knowledge of potent medicinal value of plants would help to use more appropriately.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful to the local people in several villages of Paba upazila of Rajshahi district, Bangladesh for their co-operation and help during the research work.

References