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Ethnopharmacological Survey of Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers and Indigenous People in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh, for the Treatment of Snakebite

Mohammad Fahim Kadir
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.

James Regun Karmoker
Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh.

Md. Rashedul Alam
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.

Syeda Rawnak Jahan
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.

Sami Mahbub
Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh.

M. M. K. Mia
Bangladesh National Herbarium, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Snakebites are common in tropical countries like Bangladesh where most snakebite victims dwell in rural areas. Among the management options after snakebite in Bangladesh, snake charmers (Ozha in Bengali language) are the first contact following a snakebite for more than 80% of the victims and they are treated mostly with the help of some medicinal plants. Our aim of the study is to compile plants used for the treatment of snakebite occurrence in Bangladesh. The field survey was carried out in a period of almost 3 years. Fieldwork was undertaken in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh, including Chittagong, Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachari. Open-ended and semistructured questionnaire was used to interview a total of 110 people including traditional healers and local people. A total of 116 plant species of 48 families were listed. Leaves were the most cited plant part used against snake venom. Most of the reported species were herb in nature and paste mostly used externally is the mode of preparation. The survey represents the preliminary information of certain medicinal plants having neutralizing effects against snake venoms, though further phytochemical investigation, validation, and clinical trials should be conducted before using these plants as an alternative to popular antivenom.

Keywords: Medicinal Plants, Traditional knowledge, Traditional healers, Treatment

Location: Chittagong, Rangamati, Bandarban, and Khagrachari.

Start Date: 00-01-2010

End Date: 00-12-2012

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

To document the traditional knowledge of the medicinal plants used by the traditional healers of Bangladesh for treating against snakebite.

Methodology:

The study was conducted in four districts in Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh which is located in South Asia and bordered by India and Myanmar and by the Bay of Bengal to the south (latitudes 20° and 27°N and longitudes 88° and 93°E) with population over 162 million having 35 smaller groups of indigenous people. The vegetation type of the study area falls under tropical evergreen and semi evergreen forests. More than 3 million people live in this study area and these people mostly depend on the resources coming from the hilly areas. The survey was conducted in the official language of Bangladesh, Bengali language, from January 2010 to December 2012. Objectives of the survey were explained to the local communities during social gatherings arranged by local people familiar with well-known traditional health practitioners (THPs). While meeting with indigenous populations who had mother language different from the state language, help from local bilingual translator was taken. Special emphasis was given in seeking out people who had the empirical knowledge on medicinal plants and experience in the use of traditional medicinal plants. Personally administered method was followed during the survey. Open-ended and semi structured questionnaire was used for this survey seeking for the following information: (a) the local name, (b) plants part/s used, (c) the method of preparation, (d) solvent/adjuvant used, (e) mode of application, (f) gastrointestinal and other medicinal uses, (g) voucher specimen number, and (h) dose and dosage forms. After completion of survey, consultation with Botanist Mr. Manzur-ul-Kadir Mia, M.D., Former Principal Scientific Officer and Consultant of Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka, was carried out for getting identification, scientific names, family names, habit, habitat, nature, relative abundance, and preservation of the species. The voucher specimens of the plants were deposited in Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka (DACB). All the species were listed in alphabetical order by their scientific name, family, local name, general name, plants parts used, mode of preparation, habit, habitat, relative abundance, nature, general name, solvent used, and frequency of citation (FC). Here FC is defined as the ratio of “number of times a particular species was mentioned” and “total number of times that all species were mentioned” multiplied by 100. All the data such as frequency distributions were calculated by using SPSS 16.0.

Source of Information: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 2015 (2015), Article ID 871675, 23 pages

Article Link (Online Journal): http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/871675

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

This survey represents the contribution of natural flora of Bangladesh to the global approach in the management of snakebite occurrences. The knowledge documented in this study possibly supports the development of novel plant based treatment. Further investigations should be carried on especially in order to ensure safe therapy concerning medicinal plants. Therefore, snake charmers should be trained on as a priority basis. Again, scarcity of supply of snake antivenin is a major factor which needs to be addressed by local production. And in that case these findings regarding herbal antidote would be useful in planning and formulating strategies and specific interventions to combat snakebite related health problems in Bangladesh.

Knowledge Management: Journal