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Traditional uses of medicinal plants among the rural communitiesof Churu district in the Thar Desert, India

Parveen ∗, B. Upadhyay, Shikha Roy, Ashwani Kumar 1

Department of Botany, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur 302004, India

bstract

The traditional uses of medicinal plants in healthcare practices are providing clues to new areas of research; hence its importance is now wellecognized. However, information on the uses of indigenous plants for medicine is not well documented from many rural areas of Rajasthanncluding Churu district. The study aimed to look into the diversity of plant resources that are used by local people for curing various ailments.uestionnaire surveys, participatory observations and field visits were planned to elicit information on the uses of various plants. It was found that8 plant species are commonly used by the local people for curing various diseases. In most of the cases (31%) leaves were used. The interviewees

entioned 188 plant usages. Those most frequently reported had therapeutic value for treating fever, rheumatism, diarrhea, asthma and piles. The

nowledge about the total number of medicinal plants available in that area and used by the interviewees was positively correlated with people’sge, indicating that this ancient knowledge tends to disappear in the younger generation.

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eywords: Tradational uses; Ethanobotanical survey; Churu; Thar Desert

. Introduction

Out of the total 4,20,000 flowering plants reported from theorld (Govaerts, 2001) more than 50,000 are used for medicinalurposes (Schippmann et al., 2002). In India, more than 43% ofhe total flowering plants are reported to be of medicinal impor-ance (Pushpangadan, 1995). Utilization of plants for medicinalurposes in India has been documented long back in ancientiterature (Tulsidas, 1631: Samvat; Charak, Drdhbala, 1996).owever, organized studies in this direction were initiated in956 (Rao, 1996) and off late such studies are gaining recogni-ion and popularity due to fading of traditional knowledge andeducing plant population.

Right from its beginning, the documentation of traditionalnowledge especially on the medicinal uses of plants, has pro-

ided many important drugs of the modern day (Anon., 1994;ox and Ballick, 1994; Fabricant and Farnsworth, 2001). Even

oday this area holds much more hidden treasure, as almost 80%

∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +919414057484.E-mail address: Parveen s18@yahoo.co.in ( Parveen).

1 Address: 2-Kha-14, Jawaharnagar, Jaipur, India.

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f the human population in developing countries is dependentn plant resources for healthcare (Farnsworth et al., 1985). Inhe rural areas of Churu, plants are the major source of local

edicine for their well being. Information on folk medicinalses of the plants has recently become of renewed interest inearch for new therapeutic agent. A vast knowledge on medicinallants exists as oral among the folklore and primitive societiesf India, where a large number of potent medicinal herbs areound growing wild. Although, a great amount of ethnobotanicalesearch work has been undertaken in various pockets of tribalnd rural population scattered throughout the country, theres still much to be discovered. Ethnobotanical explorationslay vital role in bringing to light information about such plantpecies from our rich flora that can be source of safer andheaper potent drugs for the benefit of mankind. In country likendia, according to reasonable estimates, 70 percent inhabitantstill rely on herbs (Singh and Gautam, 1997). Nation witnesses500 species of plants from about 1000 genera which are usedy traditional healers (Chandel et al., 1996). Ethnobotanical

tudies of different areas of Rajasthan state has been carried outy many workers of this field (Singh and Pandey, 1980, 1983,998; Joshi, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995; Mishra and Kumar, 2000;rivedi and Nargas, 2000; Sharma, 2002a,b; Trivedi, 2002)

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Fig. 1. Map of Rajasth

owever, information on the uses of plants as traditionaledicines has not been documented from different sectors of

he district.Keeping this in view, the present study was initiated, with

n aim to document the knowledge of rural people and folkloren the utilization of medicinal plants in remote areas of Churuistrict.

.1. Study site

Churu district is situated in the middle portion of the North-ast of Rajasthan between 27◦24′N to 29◦00′N latitude and3◦51′E to 75◦41′E longitude, occupying an area of about3,858 km2 (Fig. 1). The district is a part of the Thar Desert inndia, situated 400 m above the sea level. The district is wellnown for huge diurnal and seasonal temperature variationsrom −3 ◦C in winters to 50 ◦C in summers with shifting sandunes, erratic and scanty rainfall, and high wind velocity, havinghorny and poor vegetation. The sandy soil and bright sunlightre the two important natural resources abundantly available inhis region which are responsible for the development of theesert vegetation having variable medicinal properties. Gener-lly the folk people are well acquainted with these medicinalroperties (Jain, 1991; Kaushik and Dhiman, 2000).

. Methodology

.1. Surveys

In order to document the utilization of indigenous medicinallants, survey was carried out during the year, 2005 in the remotereas of Churu district in the Thar Desert, India. The survey was

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owing the study area.

pread across the seasons so as to get maximum information.he information on medicinal uses of the indigenous plants haveeen described after gathering informations from general localeople, experienced aged rural folk, traditional herbal medicineractitioners and local herbal drug sellers and concluded themy consulting literature. A total of 300 inhabitants were inter-iewed. The randomly selected 186 men and 114 women ofifferent ages from about 25 years and above (x = 57.92) werenterviewed in local language, i.e. Shekhawati. In addition directlant observation and identification was done with the help ofocal healers known as ‘gunis’. A structured questionnaire wassed to elicit information from the resource persons using stan-ard methods (Martin, 1995). Information on local name of thelant, plant parts used for curing disease their recipes and modef administration were recorded. Plants collected during the sur-eys were identified with the help of published regional floraBhandari, 1990; Shetty and Singh, 1993; Sharma, 2002a,b)nd by comparing voucher specimens with identified herbariumollections in the herbarium, Department of Botany, Universityf Rajasthan, Jaipur, India which is Internationally recognizederbarium known by acronym RUBL. From the collected datalist of plants of different families with their traditional uses,

lant part used, their recipes and mode of administration is pre-ared in alphabetical order of families and name of the plants infamily (Table 1).

.2. Use frequency

The use frequency per species was estimated by calculatinghe proportion of plants cited and utilized in relation to the totalumber of interviewees.

Table 1Inventory of local knowledge regarding medicinal plants of Churu district in the Thar Desert, India

Family name Plant name (localname are given inparenthesis)

Part used Disease cured by theplant

Mode of administration Usea (%) Statusb Abundancec

Acyranthaceae Achyranthrus asperaLinn. (Lathjira)

Root Cough A pinch of root powder incombination with pepper andhoney is given in cough

11 W 4

Haemorrhoids Powdered roots mixed withhoney are given internally

Amaranthaceae Aerva tomentosaForssk (Bui, Buida)

Flowers, seeds Headache,rheumatism

Woolly seeds stuffed in pillowsrelieve headache and protectiveagainst rheumatism

15 W 3

Swellings Decoction of flowers and seedsapplied externally againstswellings

Amaranthus spinosusL. (Kateli)

Whole plant, roots Boils Root paste is applied externallyon boils

21 W 4

Toothache Decoction of herb is used formouth wash for toothache

Snake bite Drinking of root extract with thesame of Convolvulus trupethumhelps one to overcome the effectsof poisons of snake and insects

Piles A piece (2 cm) of root in blackthread is tied on left arm of apregnant to cure piles

Amaryllidaceae Curculigo orchiodisHaertn. (Kalimusli)

Roots Asthma, jaundice,diarrhea and colic

The tubers are administered asfollows: tubers are washed andcut into slices and dried and thangiven in does of 180 gains beatenup with an equal quantity ofsugar in a glass of milk until itforms thick mucilage

8 W 2

Apocynaceae Carissa congesta L.(Karaunda)

Roots Rheumatism The roots in combination withother roots are used inrheumatism

4 W 2

Nerium indicum Mill.(Kaner)

Leaves roots Chancre, ulcers andleprosy

The roots are made into a pastewith water and are appliedexternally

18 W 3

Piles A paste of roots is appliedexternally on piles

Ring worm and otherskin diseases

The paste of its leaves with oil ofits root bark is used

Termination ofpregnancy

The roots is used for procuringabortion both by local applicationand internal administration

Aristolochiaceae Aristolochiabracteolata Lamk.(Kiramar)

Leaves Eczema Bruised leaf mixed with castor oilapplied to eczema on children’slegs

8 W 2

Asclepidaceae Calotropis proceraR.Br. (Aak)

Roots, flowers Malarial fever The decoction of root bark alongwith black pepper is used twice aday for 3 day

31 W 4

Cholera Powdered flowers with blackpepper are given with ash ofbarley seeds

Leptadeniapyrotechnica (Forsk.)Decne (Khimp)

Whole plant Wound healing The bruised stem and leaves areused to promote healing ofwounds

32 W 4

Asteraceae Artemisia scopariaWaldst, and kit (Bana,Dona)

Whole plant Burns Smoke is considered good forburns

10 W 3

Earache Juice of plant is used as a cure forpain in ear.

Eclipta alba(Bhringaraja)

Leaf, whole plant Elephantiasis The fresh plant mixed withsesamum oil is applied externally

27 W 1

Table 1 (Continued )

Family name Plant name (localname are given inparenthesis)

Part used Disease cured by theplant

Mode of administration Usea (%) Statusb Abundancec

Jaundice and fever The juice is administered inteaspoonful doses

Tonic The expressed juice of the leavesin combination with ‘ajavain’seed is used as tonic

Bignoniaceae Tecomella undulata(Sm.) Seem (Rohida)

Bark Syphilis andleucorrhoea

The bark of young branches isused as a remedy for syphilis andleucorrhoea

15 W 3

Brassicaceae Raphanus sativusLinn. (Muli)

Leaves, seeds Leucoderma The seeds pasted withAchyranthes aspera in water areapplied

17 C 2

Piles The leaves are dried in shade andmade into a powder mixed withequal parts of ‘shakkar’ and aregiven for 40 days

Dysuria, Calculai,Strangury

The juice of its leaves it given

Cacataceae Opuntia ficus-indica(Nagphani)

Fruits, leaves Asthma andwhooping cough

Fruits baked or made into syrupare a good remedy in asthma andwhooping cough

21 W 4

Scorbutic ulcers The leaves made into a pulp areused as a poultice to allay heatand inflammation in scarbuticulcers

Capparidaceae Capparis decidua(Forsk.) Edgew. (Ker)

Stem Pyorrhoea andrheumatism

The stem is used in pyorrhoeaand rheumatism

36 W 4

Muscular injuries Paste of coal from wood isapplied externally to muscularinjuries

Cleome gynandraLinn. (Hulhul)

Leaves, seeds Typhus fever Half cup tea of the decoction ofthe seeds and leaves is given daily

17 W 2

Intestinal worms Fresh leaves are eaten asvegetable

Prurigo The juice of the fresh leavesmixed with sesamum oil is used

Piles Powdered seeds are usedCough The infusion of seeds is used

Chenopodiaceae Chenopodium albumL. (Bathua)

Leaves Stomach pains A tea of the leaves and plant isused to relieve stomach pains

6 W 4

Convolvulaceae Cuscuta reflexa Roxb.(Amarbel)

Whole plant Haematuria The juice of the plant about twoteaspoonfuls is given to treathaematuria

11 W 21

Prevent conceptionforever

The juice of plant is given towoman once only after menses tomake the woman barren forever

Evolvulus alsinoidesL. (Shankh pushpi)

Leaves, flowers Chronic bronchitisand asthma

The leaves are made intocigarettes and smoked in chronicbronchitis and asthma

27 W 3

Brain tonic The fresh flowers with sugar areeaten

Cucurbitaceae Citullus colocynthis(L.) Schrader (Tumba)

Roots, fruits,leaves

Amenorrhoea Fresh Indrayan roots are boiledwith cow’s milk and administeredtwice a day

47 W 4

Leucoderma Fresh leaf extract is applied toaffected area externally

Paronychia Fresh root paste is appliedexternally

Rheumatism Root paste of Indrayan andAshgandh mixed with honey isadministered orally

Boils and carbunclesconstipation

Paste of root and raw fruits isapplied externally

Table 1 (Continued )

Family name Plant name (localname are given inparenthesis)

Part used Disease cured by theplant

Mode of administration Usea (%) Statusb Abundancec

Decoction of fresh fruit isadministered orally at bed time

Citrullus vulgaris(Thumb.) Matsum andNakai (Tarbooz)

Fruits, seeds Typhus fever The juice of the fruit is given asan antiseptic in typhus fever

18 C 4

Intestinalinflammation

An emulsion of the seeds is madeinto a poultice with the poundedleaves and applied hot in cases ofintestinal inflammation

Cucumis melo (Roxb.)Duthie and Fuller

Fruits, seeds Chronic eczema The whole fruit is eaten daily 9 C 4

(Kharbuja) Tympanitis Bruised seeds are applied aspoultice in cases of tympanitis inchildren

Cucumis sativus L. Fruits, seeds,leaves

Throat affections The leaves boiled and mixed withcummin seeds, roasted andpowdered, are administered

7 C 2

(Khira) Pitta, general debility The fruits and seeds are usedLagenaria siceraria(Mal.) Standley(Kashiphal)

Leaves, seedsroots

Jaundice A decoction of leaves mixed withsugar is given

3 C 2

Rheumatism Seed oil is usedHeadache The paste of roots in water is

applied externallyConstipation The tender shoots are eaten as

vegetable in constipationLuffa acutangula(Linn) Roxb.(Kalitori)

Leaves roots Granularconjunctivities.

The juice of fresh leaves isdropped into eyes

13 C 2

Splenitis,haemorrhoids, pilesand leprosy

The pounded leaves are appliedlocally

Gonorrhoea The root with equal parts of rootof Hibiscus rosa-sinensis andHemisdesmus indicus is givenwith milk, cummin and sugar

Luffa aegyptica Mill.(Ghiatori)

Seeds, fruits Piles The fruits are cooked with thewhole plant of Raphanus sativuswithout salt and oil and are eatenwith curd thrice a day for 3–7days to cure piles

16 C 2

Skin diseases The oil obtained from its seeds isused

Momordica charantiaLinn. (Karela)

Whole plant,leaves, fruits, roots

Scabies and othercutaneous diseases

The whole plant combined withcinnamon, long pepper, rice andthe oil of Hyrocarpus wightianais employed externally

37 C 2

Night blindness The leaf juice is externallyapplied round the eyes

To reduce blood sugar One spoonful of fruit paste inwater is taken internally

Piles A paste of the roots is appliedexternally over piles

Euphorbiaceae Acalypha indica(Kuppi, Kokli)

Leaves Scabies The decoction of leaves mixedwith common salt is applied toscabies

7 W 3

Emblica officinalisGaertn. (Amala)

Leaves, fruits,bark, seeds

Chronic dysentery The infusion of leaves mixedwith fenugreek seeds is given

38 W 2

Bacillary dysentery A ‘sherbat’ prepared from thefruits with lemon juice is taken

Gonorrhoea The juice of the bark combinedwith honey and turmeric is used

Table 1 (Continued )

Family name Plant name (localname are given inparenthesis)

Part used Disease cured by theplant

Mode of administration Usea (%) Statusb Abundancec

Leucorrhoea The powder of seeds taken twicea day for a week to cureleucorrhoea

To stop nose bleeding Seeds fried in ghee and ground in‘conjee’ are applied as ‘lep’ to theforehead to stop nose bleeding

Eubhorbia hirta Linn.(Dhudhi)

Whole plant,leaves

Leucorrhoea About 20 leaves are crushed andthe extract is given orally withhoney once a day in the morning

24 W 2

Cough, asthma The drug is administered in theform of liquid extract of tincturewith labelia or senega in thetreatment of coughs and asthma

Dysentery, colic The juice of plant is usedJatropha curcas(Ratanjot)

Leaves To promote lactation The leaves locally applied to thebreasts

6 W 2

Gum boils The sticks of this plant are usedas tooth brushes to strengthen thegum and to cure gum boils

Jatropha gossipifolia(Ratanjot)

Leaves Guinea worm Leaves are tied locally intreatment of guinea worm

3 W 3

Phyllanthus niruriSensu Hook. f.(Bhuian anvala)

Leaves, latex Skin affections,swelling and ulcers

Leaves mixed with salt appliedlocally to skin affections,swelling and ulcers in the form ofpoultice. The latex is beneficial inindolent ulcer

9 W 3

Chronic dysentery Infusion of young tender leaves isgiven

Ricinus communisLinn (Erand)

Leaves seeds Boil and carbuncle The leaves are tied on the boil andthe carbuncle in order to burst it

26 W 4

Rheumatism The seed paste as a poultice isapplied on sores and gout orrheumatic swellings

Stomach-ache Infusion of the leaves is used

Fabaceae Acacia nilotica Delile(Kikar)

Bark tenderleaves, pods

Ulcer Powder of bark is appliedexternally in ulcers

47 W 4

Sore throat andtoothache diarrheaand dysenteryurinogenital diseases

The decoction of the bark is usedas a gargle

An infusion of tender leaves isgiven orally. The decoction of itspods is beneficial

Albizia lebbeck(Linn.) Benth. (Siris)

Leaves, barkflowers

Night blindness Leaf juice is used as eye drop fornight blindness

3 W 2

To heal gums Decoction of the bark is used asmouth wash

Boils, eruptions andswellings

The flowers are applied externally

Leprous ulcers The powder root bark is appliedexternally as plaster.

Acacia senegal Willd(Kumta)

Gum Inflammation ofintestinal mucosa,burns, sore nipplesand nodular leprosy

Gum is used internally ininflammation of intestinalmucosa and externally to coverinflamed surfaces as burns, sorenipples and nodular leprosy

4 W 4

Arachis hypogoea L.(Mung phali)

Seeds To prevent heartattacks

Seed oil is beneficial for cardiacpatients and prevents heartattacks

7 C 2

Dalbergia sisoo Roxb.(Shisham)

Leaves, bark Inflamed mammaryglands

The leaves are warmed and tiedover breast

5 W 1

Table 1 (Continued )

Family name Plant name (localname are given inparenthesis)

Part used Disease cured by theplant

Mode of administration Usea (%) Statusb Abundancec

Blood dysentery The leaf juice mixed with sugarand curd is given to cure blooddysentery

Gonorrhea Decoction of leaves is usedPiles Dried and powdered bark is used

in bleeding pilesProsopis cineraria(L.) Druce (Jaanti)

Inflorescence,flowers

Boils and skindiseases

The ground inflorescence mixedwith sugar in water is used forprevention of boils and skindiseases

38 W 4

To preventmiscarriage

Flowers are pounded, mixed withsugar and eaten by women duringpregnancy as a safe guard againstmiscarriage

Tephrosia hamiltonii(Sarphonka)

Root, stem Headache A decoction of the roots withginger is consumed to relieveheadache

23 W 2

Spermatorrhoea The root extract, one teaspoonfulonce a day along with seed pasteis given for 15 days

Snake bite The powdered root bark alongwith black pepper is given

Pyrrhoea The stem is used as tooth brushCholic The bark of the root ground with

a little black pepper is made intopills and given in refractorycholic

Gentianaceae Enicostemahyssopitolium (Willd.)I.C. (Chota Chirayata)

Whole plant Diabetes The plant extract is useful againstdiabetes

17 W 2

Fever and malaria The whole plant is used

Lamiaceae Leucas aspera Spreng(Paniharin)

Leaves, flowers Jaundice, fevers,ulcers, intestinalcatarsh

The juice of leaves and flowersmixed with milk is given

4 W 4

Ocimum sanctum L.(Tulsi)

Leaves Ring worm and othercutaneous diseases

An infusion of leaves is appliedexternally to the skin

43 C 2

Colic Juice of leaves mixed with gingeris given

Intermittent fever The juice of leaves mixed withblack pepper is given

Inflamed eyes The leaf juice internally twotimes a day for 7 days

Liliaceae Allium cepa L. (Pyaz) Bulbs Colic, scurvy The onions mixed with commonsalt are a domestic remedy incolic and scurvy

13 C 2

Malarial fever Onions are eaten twice a day withtwo or three black peppers

Aloe barbadenesisMill. (GhikumariGhikanwar)

Fresh leaves Swellings and dropsy Aloe steeped with setmodiamartima is drunk to easeswellings and dropsy

33 W 2

Leaf juice Constipation The dried juice is usedEruptions Crushed succulent leaves mixed

with turmeric and the paste thusobtained applies on the eruptions

Lytharaceae Lawsonia intermisLinn. (Mehndi)

Leaves Spermatorrhoea The leaf juice along with sugar isadministered

36 C 2

Anemia, oedema,jaundice

One gram of fresh leaves andthree black peppers are made intopaste in 50 ml of cow’s milk andit is taken for 1 month.

Yellow fever Decoction of leaves mixed withmeat stew and taken orally

Table 1 (Continued )

Family name Plant name (localname are given inparenthesis)

Part used Disease cured by theplant

Mode of administration Usea (%) Statusb Abundancec

Burns, small pox andscalds

Decoction of the leaves is veryuseful

Meliaceae Azadirachta indicaJuss (Neem)

Twigs, leaves Boils, abscesses,adenitis, eczema andulcers. Intestinalhelminthiasis urinarycalculi

The poultice of leaves is applied 41 W 2

The tender leaves with pipernigrum are usedThe ashes of the leaves are takenwith water

To strengthening teethand gums

The twigs are used as ‘Datun’

To strengthening hairs Aqueous extract of the leavesalong with the leaves of ziziphusjujuba is used

Menispermaceae Tinospora cardifolia(Willd.) Miers ExHook F. and Thomas(Neem giloy)

Whole plant, stem Jaundice and fever Stem juice is valued in high feverand given in jaundice either aloneor mixed with honey

17 W 1

Urticaria Stem paste with a little ginger isgiven in urticasia

Elephantiasis Stem juice with sweet oil isadministered in elephantiasis

Asthma Juice of stem orally with honeyLeucorrhoea Paste of plant and five seeds of

pipper nigrum is administeredorally once daily in morning

Moraceae Ficus benghalensisLinn. (Bargad)

Tender ends of theaerial roots, latex,fruits, leaves, bark

Obstinate vomiting The tender ends of hanging rootsare given

41 W 1

Piles The tips of adventitious roots arecrushed and boiled in cow’s milkand the decoction thus obtained,is strained and served hot in piles

Boils and blisters The milky latex of the plant isapplied externally

Spermatorrhoea The fruits are powdered andtaken with honey in the morningand evening for a week

Cracked heels The milky juice of the branches isapplied

Abscesses The leaves are applied as poulticeSnake bites The bark with black pepper is

usedFicus religiosa Linn.(Pipal.)

Leaves, bark,seeds, fruits

Inflammatory ulcers. Tender leaves are beneficial whenused along with butter fat tocover the inflammatory ulcers

25 W 2

Prevent conceptionforever

The seeds powder is given for 3days during menses

Asthma The dried and powdered fruits aretaken in water for 14 days

Fishula of anus Powder of bark is used

Nyctaginaceae Boerhaavia diffusaLinn. (Sarti)

Roots, leaves Night blindness The roots and leaf ash are takento cure night blindness

25 W 4

Eczema Dry powder of the leaves mixedwith mustard oil is usedexternally on inches and eczema

Rheumatism The leaves boiled with rice, garlicand water are rubbed on body

Abortifacient Two grams of root paste withcow’s milk is taken by thewomen for abortion

Table 1 (Continued )

Family name Plant name (localname are given inparenthesis)

Part used Disease cured by theplant

Mode of administration Usea (%) Statusb Abundancec

Papavaraceae Argemone maxicanaLinn. (Satyanasi)

Seed oil, seed root Eczema and itching The seeds are poured in ‘Mahuaoil’ and are applied to eczemaand itching

38 W 2

Piles Roots are burnt to provide heat intreatment of piles

Toothache The smoke of the burning seedsis used to relieve toothache

Ophthalmic infection The ashes of burnt seeds filteredwith a fine cloth and apply forophthalmic infection

Pedaliaceae Pedalium murex Linn.(Bada gokhru)

Fruits leaves Gonorrhea anddysuria

The mucilaginous waterproduced from the fresh leaves istaken

27 W 2

Renal calculi Decoction of whole fruit is usedto treatment of renal calculi

Sesamum indicumLinn. (Til)

Seeds, leaves Amenorrhoea The decoction of the seeds withacorus, ‘pippali’ and ‘gur’ isgiven in amenorrhea

23 C 2

Polyuria A handful of the seeds are eatendaily

Pimples The seeds with the bark of sirisand vinegar are rubbed overpimples

Ophthalmia and skingproblems

The fresh leaves are appliedexternally

Poaceae Cynodon dactylon(L.) Pers (Dubghas)

Whole plant, roots Piles An infusion of the roots is usedfor stopping bleeding from piles

16 W 2

Chronic gleet Crushed roots mixed with curdsare used

Haematuresis andcatarrhal ophthalmia

The fresh expressed juice of thegrass is useful

To control bloodpressure

About 100 g juice of the plant istaken daily

Cyperus rotundus L.(Motha)

Rhizomes Dysentery The bulbous roots are scrapedand pounded with green ginger,mixed with honey and given incases of dysentery

14 W 2

Snake bite, irregularmenstruation,dyspepsia, diarrhea

Juice of rhizomes is given orally

Desmostachyabipinnata (L.) Stapf.(Dab, Kusha)

Roots Dysentery A decoction of its roots is givenin dysentery

19 W 3

Leucorrhoea Roots pasted in rice water aregiven for three days inleucorrhoea

Wounds Ash of the roots along withmustard oil is applied on wounds

Rhamnaceae Zizyphus nummularia(Brum. f.) Wt. et Arn.(Ber)

Root, leaves, bark Gout and rheumatism The juice of the root bark isapplied externally

28 W 4

Fever The decoction of the root is givenin fever

Wounds and ulcers The root powder is applied to oldwounds and ulcers

Diarrhea The powder of the stem bark isused

Abscess, boils andcarbundes

A paste of the leaves and twigs inapplied externally

Salvadoraceae Salvadora persica L.(Pilu)

Leaves Rheumatism The leaves heated and tied up inthin cotton cloth are applied inrheumatism

9 W 4

Table 1 (Continued )

Family name Plant name (localname are given inparenthesis)

Part used Disease cured by theplant

Mode of administration Usea (%) Statusb Abundancec

scurvy The juice of leaves is given inscurvy

Solanaceae Datura stramoniumLinn. (Dhatura)

Fruits, leaves Spasmodic asthma The smoking of the dried leavesand stem in a pipe is foundsuccessful in relieving spasmodicasthma and kindered affections

28 W 2

Inflammation ofbreast

A paste of its fruits with turmericis used

Rheumatism,lumbago, painfultumours, glandularinflammations such asmumps

The local application of daturaleaves proves most serviceable inrelieving pain when applied inthe form of poultice

Solanum indicumAuct. non Linn.(Baigan Kateli)

Seeds Dysuria The decoction of the seeds giventwice daily

28 W 2

Toothache The vapour of the burning seedsrelieves toothache

Solanum nigrum Linn.(Makoi)

Roots To enhance fertility The roots with small amount ofsugar are boiled in water and aregiven to women to enhancingfertility

4 W 2

Withania somniferaDunal (Ashgandh)

Root Spermatorrhoea anddebility

The powder of the root is givendaily with sugar, honey and longpepper in the doses of 1.7 g daily

37 W 2

Scrofula andconsumption

A decoction of the root is usedwith long pepper, ghee and honey

To stop habitualmiscarriage

A decoction of its root with blackpepper and alligator pepper is aneffective remedy for toning upthe uterus of women whohabitually miscarry

Verbinaceae Clendendrumphlomidis Vent. (Arni)

Leaves, root Syphilis The leaf juice is given in syphilis 14 W 3

Measles andgonorrhoe

The decoction of the roots isgiven as bitter tonic for childrenduring convalescenece frommeasles and given in gonorrhoea

Lantana camara L.Moldenke (Gendi)

Leaves Rheumatism A decoction of the leaves isapplied

4 W 2

Tetanus About half cup of plant decoctionwith a little quantity of ‘kalanamak’ is taken twice a day tillrelief

The healing ofwounds and fistula

The bruised leaves are used topromote healing of wounds andin fistula

Zygophyllaceae Peganum harmala(Harmal)

Seeds Asthma, colic andjaundice

The powder of seeds is a goodanodyne and the watery infusionis similarly useful

8 W 2

Tribulus terrestrisLinn. (Gokhuru)

Whole plant,fruits, stem

Gleet,spermatorrhoea,impotence

The dry fruits are powdered andare given in doses of 18 g withsugar and black pepper

25 W 4

Gonorrhoea The infusion of the stem is usedGravels, gout andkidney diseases

A decoction of the plant is used

a Use (%) refers to percentage of people that use the plant in relation to total interviewees.b Status refers to w: wild; c: cultivated plant.c Abundance—1: rare, 2: common, 3: fairly common, 4: abundant.

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.3. Plant categorization

Plants were classified in the categories of wild or cultivatednd also classified into different types of growth forms (herbs,hrubs and trees).

.4. Abundance of the plant species

Abundance is the number of individuals of any species perampling unit. Depending upon the number of plants, abun-ance is divided in four arbitrary groups. The groups are—rare,ommon, fairly common and abundant.

.5. Knowledge about plants and their uses

The Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze thenowledge about medicinal plant and its correlation with agef survey samples (P < 0.005).

. Results

The study reveals that more than 80% of the rural peopleepend for their primary healthcare on folk medicine, mainlyf plant origin. According to survey, the people of Churu dis-rict used 68 different plant species belonging to 32 families foruring various ailments, out of which 28 were herbs, 16 shrubs,3 trees and 11 climbers and twinners. The study has broughto light some 188 folk recipes, used currently by the traditionalealers of various cultures in Churu district of Rajasthan for cur-ng or alleviating different diseases and ill conditions. In most ofhe case (31%), leaves were used for curing ailments followedy roots, seeds and whole plant (Fig. 2). Flowers, gum and latexere the least used plant parts. The usual methods of applica-

ions are as decoction, paste and powder. These are administered

nternally (57%) or applied externally (43%). Most of the recipes70%) include only one plant, however many preparations arehe combination of several herbs. The information on scientificame, local name of the plant, family of the plant, plant part

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Fig. 3. Number of plants used fo

Fig. 2. Pie diagram showing plant parts used for medicines.

sed to cure and mode of administration has been provided inable 1.

These plants were used for curing a total of 78 diseases rang-ng from simple stomach-ache to highly complicated male andemale urinogenital disorders. Even jaundice and kidney stonesere treated by them. Maximum number of plants was used

or curing fever and rheumatism followed by piles, diarrhea andysentery, asthma and ulcer (Fig. 3). It was also found that differ-nt parts of a single plant may be used for curing many ailments,or example Citrullus colocynthis, a creaper which is used foruring leucoderma rheumatism, paronychia, amenorrhoea andonstipation. Similarly, Zizyphus nummularia, a shrub roots,eaves and bark are used for treating different ailments (Table 1).

During the survey, it was observed that a more number oflants are used for curing female urinogenital problems com-ared to males. It was also found that people were hesitant inisclosing their knowledge. It is this knowledge that provides

hem recognition in the society and hence they do not want tohare it. In many cases, it was also found that a bit of this knowl-dge has been lost during transmission in folklore from oneeneration to other. The villagers themselves said that, com-

r treating various ailments.

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ared to them their forefathers knew much more. It was alsoound that the local people are much concerned about the reduc-ion of medicinal plants in the wild. Due to recent global shiftowards herbal medicines, the pressures on the plant resourcesn nature have increased and the market is also fast expanding.

.1. Medicinal plants used verses sampling age

The knowledge about the total number of medicinal plantsvailable in that area and used by the interviewees is posi-ively correlated with their age (Spearman rank correlation test,= 0.57 and 0.51, respectively, P < 0.05). Elderly people men-

ioned and utilized more variety of medicinal plants comparedo younger generation. Similarly the women knew more about

edicinal plants and also practiced them compared to men.

. Discussion

Traditional phototherapy is an art practiced by few elderlyeople (medicine men) whose empirical knowledge is respectedy everyone in the village. They are familiar with the sign andymptoms of various common diseases and ill conditions andlaimed to cure or allay symptomatically these maladies withhe locally available plant drugs. It was emphatically noted dur-ng the survey of Churu district that these healers now representdisappearing oral tradition which is not passed on to the nexteneration, obviously because the younger generation usuallyonsider the belief in plant remedies a sort of superstition andess effective compared to modern medicine. Moreover, modern

edical facilities are now making in roads into these traditionaledicines. So, the folk faith on medicinal plants in now disap-

earing. It was therefore, considered important that this valuablenowledge regarding folk medicinal uses of plants be recordedefore these time tested uses of herbal drugs are lost forever,ecause of ever dwindling number of medicine men and indis-riminate use of plants, leading to rapid loss of many plantpecies.

Many of the plants that are used by the local people in Churuistrict find mention in ancient medicinal literature and are alsosed in different medicinal systems such as, the Ayurveda andnani. For example Citrullus colocynthis that is used by the

ocal people for curing rheumatism and leucoderma finds men-ion in Ayurveda for curing the same diseases. It is one of the

ain ingredients of ‘Narayan Churna’ and ‘Sukhvirechani vati’he ayurvedic medicines. In Unani system of medicine it issed for curing ‘kala-azar’ (Guha Bakshi et al., 2000). Simi-arly Momordica charantia, which the local people use for pilesnd blood diseases, is also used for curing asthma, ulcers andronchitis in Ayurveda. In Unani it is used for curing syphilisnd rheumatism (Kritikar and Basu, 1981).

The data recorded during this study were compared with theelated literature (Watt, 1889–1892; Kirtikar and Basu, 1935;non.,1948–1976; Nadakarni, 1954; Chopra et al., 1956, 1969;

atyavati et al., 1976; Agarwal, 1986; Jain, 1991; Asolkar etl., 1992) and also recently published reports on the traditionaledicinal uses of the plants (Sebastine and Bhandari, 1984;hekhawat and Anand, 1984; Katewa et al., 2001, 2004; Jain

A

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t al., 2005; Muthu et al., 2006). And it was found that most ofhese plants are already known for similar uses. However, theirecipes and the method of use in the majority of cases are dif-erent also the ingredients added and method of preparation areoncerned. Some additional indigenous uses for some of thesepecies have been recorded and given in the table.

The survey result that women having more knowledge aboutedicinal plants and more in use of them can be attributed to the

act that unlike men, women are hesitant to disclose their gyneco-ogical problems and therefore find treatment in the communitytself. Besides they are full time busy in household jobs as wells in farms, hence have little time to go to professional allopathicoctors. And the elderly people know more about the medicinallants and their values over younger generation because theyere more close to nature, more rigid in traditional belief and

ess influenced by magic allopathic drugs because of their longerm harmful effects.

The use of plants in medicine is booming up. Now in theeveloped countries also people are returning to nature. Use ofraditional medicine is the mainstay of primary healthcare, virtu-lly in all developing countries. The reasons for the frequent usef traditional medicine being (i) the strong association of peopleith local flora and their belief on traditional knowledge regard-

ng plants as medicine, (ii) easy availability of local medicinallants, (iii) relatively poor access to allopathic drugs and theirigh cost and (iv) lower economic profile of the rural people.

. Conclusion

It can be concluded from the study that the district has highlypecialized indigenous vegetation with varied medicinal values.his district has great potential for cultivation of these xero-hytic medicinal plants. Biodiversity in the district is under theerpetual stress of drought and unsustainable use.

The rural people of Churu district inherit a rich traditionalnowledge and documentation of this knowledge has providedovel information from the area. This will not only provideecognition of this undocumented knowledge but will also helpn conservation of such rare, gradually vanishing importantesert species. It will also provide new pharmacological dimen-ions for better health care of the human being regarding manyilments.

cknowledgement

The grant of CSIR-JRF to Ms. Parveen is gratefully acknowl-dged.

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