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Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used by the Lushai Community in Bandarban District, Bangladesh

Md. Salah Uddin
Department of Botany, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh.

Vashkar Chowdhury
Department of Botany, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh.

Shaikh Bokhtear Uddin
Department of Botany, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh.

Abdullah Al Masud Mazumder
Department of Botany, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh.

Mohammad Sajid Ali Howlader*
Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 64, Helsinki, Finland.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Over the years, ethnobotanical survey has progressed and contributed with knowledge about the use of plants by indigenous communities. In fact the conservation of biomes and use of plant species in medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological areas depend on the important indigenous information. The Lushai indigenous community living in the Bandarban hill-tracts of Bangladesh has long been an admiration of utilizes plants around them in various purposes and they depend on surrounding vegetation in their daily life. However, there was no effort to document their indigenous knowledge. For the first time ethnobotanical survey is carried out on the utilization of medicinal plants by Lushai community living in Bandarban district. The information had been documented by interviewing traditional herbalists, various elderly men and women following different ethnobotanical methods. All the plants were listed along with their scientific name, lushai name, local name, habit, family, used parts, illness treated, mode of preparation and mode of application. A total of 82 plant species in 72 genera under 44 families have been identified which are used to treat 27 different ailments by the traditional healers. Euphorbiaceae and Zingiberaceae were the most frequently used family in context to the number of species by the Lushai Community. Leaves were found as the most common used plant parts for folk medicine formulation.

Keywords: Ethnobotanical survey, Lushai community, Bandarban district, Bangladesh.

Location: Bandarban district of Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the traditional health practitioners (THPs) of Lushai community in Bandarban, a remote area of Chittagong Hill Tracts was conducted in order to conserve the information regarding traditional uses of medicinal plants. Herein we present our findings in details.

Methodology:

The study was conducted in Bandarban district of Chittagong Hill Tract (CHT) with an area of 4,502 sq. km. It is situated in the southeast of Bangladesh and located between 21°48′N and 92°24′E. Bangladesh has been gifted with a rich plant diversity base because of its heterogeneous ecologic condition such as fertile alluvial land, warm and humid climate. There are about 6000 species of indigenous and naturalized plants growing in the country. According to Mia more than 1000 of these plants species in Bangladesh contains medicinally active chemical substances. Compare to any other areas in Bangladesh, Bandarban is one of the richest areas interms of flora. The success of ethnobotanical documentation depends on the cooperative relationship between the researcher and local informants. It is very important to locate knowledgeable informants for the study of ethnobotany. Techniques and tools of this survey were compatible with actual aims, variable field conditions and theoretical approach of the study. Documentation has been made by taking random interviews of the traditional health practitioners, elderly men and women. The documentation data sheet has been prepared based on Alcorn, Jain, Martin and Cotton. In field interview technique, the informants accompany with the authors and data had been collected during the field work. To obtain medicinal plant use information, plant interview technique had been used in the maximum cases, because the informants were sometime too busy or don’t think himself fit to accompany the authors in the field. Fresh plant samples were collected and brought to the informants. The informants identified some of the plants and describe their uses. This method is less time consuming than field interviews and the plant interview allows more informants to be included in a given period of time. By adopting open-ended and semi-structured question technique were chosen for the interview process, then noted and recorded with a digital voice recorder. The reliability of information on each plant was confirmed through repeated interviews. All voucher specimens preserved in the Chittagong University Herbarium (CTGUH) which were used for this study. Specimens were identified using several literatures and guides. Taxonomic hierarchy of identified plants were arranged according to Cronquist. All enlisted scientific names presented here verified by the world’s updated database of “The Plant List (www.theplantlist.org)”.

Source of Information: J. of Advanced Botany and Zoology Volume 2/ Issue 4 ISSN: 2348 – 7313

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

However, measures should be taken to train up the Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) regarding the harmful effects of irrational uses of plants in order to ensure safe therapy. The gradual increase of the commercial demand of medicinal plants has been increasing which results in careless plant collection activities. So we should carry out necessary steps for protect the vulnerable plant species from being endangered.

Knowledge Management: Journal