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Indigenous Knowledge of Herbal Medicines in Bangladesh. 3. Treatment of Skin Diseases by Tribal Communities of the Hill Tracts Districts

Mohammad Atiqur Rahman
Department of Botany, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Indigenous knowledge of herbal medicines for skin diseases like boils, eczema, scabies, septic abscess, itching and skin allergy, burns, chicken pox, warts and leucoderma, fungal and bacterial infections, including healing cuts and wounds has been documented by randomly interviewing Chakma, Marma and Tanchunga tribes of the Hill Tracts districts of Bangladesh since 1995. The plant parts of 60 species belonging to 40 families were known to be used. The plant specimens were collected, identified and preserved at the Herbarium of Chittagong University. An enumeration of these plants is presented along with their tribal names, categories of skin diseases, plant parts with preparation and route of administration.

Keywords: Indigenous knowledge, Herbal medicines, Skin diseases, Tribes, Bangladesh

Location: Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari districts, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

To know herbal medicines for skin diseases like boils, eczema, scabies, septic abscess, itching and skin allergy, burns, chicken pox, warts and leucoderma, fungal and bacterial infections, including healing cuts.

Methodology:

Documentation of the knowledge of herbal practices for the cure of skin diseases including healing cuts and wounds of skin, was made under Biodiversity Link Project among three major tribes, Chakma, Marma and Tanchunga of Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari districts, Bangladesh. Information/data were recorded by taking random interviews of the herbalists, elderly men and women. The vernacular names, methods of preparation and route of administration were recorded through repeated interviews of practitioners. The source and location of plant material were traced out and recognized with the help of informers. The fertile plant samples were collected, photographed and preserved at the Herbarium of Chittagong University (HCU) as voucher specimens. The plant specimens were critically examined with the help Long-arm Stereo Microscope (LSM) and identified by comparing with the identified specimens of Bangladesh National Herbarium (DACB), and HCU and Bangladesh Forest Research Institute herbarium (BFRIH). The Flora of Bangladesh and recently published other local Floras including Ahmed et al. (2009) were also consulted for current nomenclature. Medicinal and ethnobotanical literature such as, Chopra (1958), Chopra et al. (1956), Dastur (1977), Hassan and Huq (1993), Hassan and Khan (1986, 1996), Jain (1991), Ghani (2002), Khan et al., (2002), Mia and Huq (1988), Rahman and Uddin (1998), Rahman (1999), Yusuf et al. (1994, 2009) were consulted for pharmacological properties and ethnobotanical reports of recorded species. An enumeration of these plants is prepared with the documented information.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Bot. 39(2): 169-177, 2010 (December)

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The ethnobotanical investigation on skin diseases among Chakma, Marma and Tanchunga tribes revealed that mostly elderly men and women are commonly suffering from eczema, scabies, septic abscess, fungal/bacterial infection, boils, wounds and skin allergy. More than 70% of them receive herbal treatments from either Baiddaya or elderly women. It was revealed that mostly Chakma tribe of Rangamati district have their vast knowledge of herbal treatments compared to other tribes, and that the herbal treatments still remain as an integral part of the health care systems. The documented data also revealed that bacterial and fungal infections, eczema and skin allergy are more common and herbal medicine is usually the means of treatment. Screening of the voucher specimens resulted in the identification of 60 plant species of which 25 are used for the treatment of boils, 10 for allergy and itching, 9 for fungal/bacterial infections, 8 for healing cuts and wounds, 6 for each of eczema and scabies, 5 for septic abscess, 1 for each of wart, acne, leucoderma, chickenpox and measles. Twelve species are found to have been using for the treatment of more than one category, and Cardiospermum helicacabum L. is remarkably used by almost all tribes for the treatment of chickenpox. The medicinal literature, so far reviewed, revelaled that none of these recorded species has its pharmacological properties against skin ailments.

Knowledge Management: Journal