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A Survey of Medicinal Plants Used by Folk Medicinal Practitioners of Station Purbo Para Village of Jamalpur Sadar Upazila in Jamalpur District, Bangladesh

Mohammed Rahmatullah,
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Md. Abdur Rahman
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Md. Ziaul Haque
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Md. Ariful Haque Mollik
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Z.U.M. Emdad Ullah Miajee
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Rahima Begum
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Md. Mahbubur Rahman
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dilruba Nasrin
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Syeda Seraj, Anita Rani Chowdhury
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Zubaida Khatun
Dept. of Pharmacy, Lincoln College,Mayang Plaza, Block A, No 1, Jalan SS 26/2,Taman Mayang Jaya, 47301, Petaling Jaya,Selangor Darul Ehsan,Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mst. Afsana Khatun
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) form the first tier of primary health care providers to a substantial section of the rural (village) population of Bangladesh. Kavirajes mostly administer decoctions, pastes, or juices of plant parts or whole medicinal plants in their treatment of ailments. Towards obtaining a comprehensive picture of the folk medicinal practices of Bangladesh and the various medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes, the present survey was conducted among five Kavirajes of Station Purbo Para village, which is within Jamalpur Sadar Upazila (sub-district) in Jamalpur district of Bangladesh. Informed consent was obtained from the Kavirajes prior to the survey. The survey was conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. Plant specimens, as named and pointed out by the Kavirajes, were collected together with information on formulations and dosages. All plant specimens were collected and dried in the field and alter brought back to Dhaka for identification at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. Information on a total of 121 plants distributed into 56 families was obtained from the Kavirajes. The Rutaceae family contributed the highest number of plant species (8), followed by the Fabaceae family (7), Cucurbitaceae family (6), and the Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae and Solanaceae families (5 plants each). The Moraceae and Poaceae families contributed 4 plants each, while the Acanthaceae, Araceae, Combretaceae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Myrtaceae, and Piperaceae families contributed 3 plants per family. Leaves constituted the major plant part used by the Kavirajes (38.2%) followed by fruits (17.2%) and roots (8.9%). An interesting feature of the Kavirajes of this particular village was the use of motha (plant base which form the part of the plant immediately below and above the surface of soil) for treatment purposes. Motha use constituted 5.7% of total uses. The use of plants was most for gastrointestinal disorders (47 citations), followed respectively, by diabetes (21 citations), respiratory tract disorders (20 citations), weakness or debility (16 citations), and sexual disorders including low sperm count and infertility in women with 14 citations. Heart disorders were treated with 5 plants, and hepatic disorders like hepatitis and jaundice were treated with 8 plants. Among other notable ailments treated by the Kavirajes were menstrual problems, urinary problems, fever, skin infections, stones within the kidney, penis or gall bladder, pain, infections, animal and insect bites, anemia, cataract, helminthiasis, edema, epilepsy, insanity, typhoid, cholera, rheumatism, obesity, bone fractures, hair loss and garying of hair, measles, pox, hernia, hypertension, tooth and gum infections, allergy, cuts and wounds, and insanity. Six plants had ethnoveterinary applications. Cumulatively, the plants form a diverse group of plants,

Keywords: Folk medicine, Medicinal plants, Jamalpur, Bangladesh

Location: Jamalpur district, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

The objective of the present study was to conduct a survey among the Kavirajes of Station Purbo Para village, which is a quite large village falling within Jamalpur Sadar Upazila (sub-district) within Jamalpur district of Bangladesh.

Methodology:

The survey was conducted in Station Purbo Para village, which is located in Jamalpur Sadar Upazila (subdistrict), a part of Jamalpur district in Bangladesh. Jamalpur Sadar is located at 24.9167^o N and 89.9583^o E. The Upazila has an area of 489.56 square kilometers. Agriculture (44.01%) and agricultural laborer (18.6%) form the main occupations of the people in the whole district. The main crops of the district are paddy, jute, sugarcane, mustard seed, peanut, wheat, sweet potato, tobacco, betel leaf, chilly, pulse and various vegetables. Agriculture formed the main occupation of the village of Station Purbo Para. The village with a population exceeding 3,000 had six Kavirajes. Four of them, Mst. Dolly Begum, Mst. Sahara Khatun, Rowshan Ara Begum and Mst. Nazma Begum were females and two of the Kavirajes, Md. Sirajul Islam and Md. Rabbani Islam were males. A typical village of Bangladesh has a population of about 1,500-2,000 persons with the number of practicing Kavirajes from 1-2. However, Station Purbo Para village was a larger and more prosperous village and had 6 Kavirajes. When inquired as to the greater number of female Kavirajes, both villagers and Kavirajes mentioned that the women folk of the village feels shy about discussing particularly their gynecological problems with male Kavirajes, hence the larger number of female Kavirajes. The female Kavirajes, besides treatment of various ailments, also assisted in deliveries of pregnant women, Informed consent was obtained from all Kavirajes prior to interviews. The Kavirajes were explained as to the purpose of our visit and were told that the information obtained from them may be disseminated in national and international publications. They had no objections to that. Two to three members of the team interviewed an individual Kaviraj. The female Kavirajes were mostly interviewed by the female members of the team, while the male members of the team interviewed the male Kavirajes. However, it was also seen that both male and female Kavirajes knew each other very well, and occasional interviews were conducted with all the Kavirajes as a group to compare notes and observations. Interviews were conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method as described by Martin (Martin, 1995) and Maundu (1995). In this method, the Kavirajes took the interviewers on guided field-walks through areas from where they collected their plants, pointed out and gave the local names of the plants along with a description of uses and formulations. Interviews were conducted in Bangla language, which was spoken by both interviewers and Kavirajes. Plant specimens were collected and dried in the field and later brought back to the Bangladesh National Herbarium at Dhaka for complete identification.

Source of Information: American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 4(2): 122-135, 2010; ISSN 1995-0748

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Taken together, the medicinal plants obtained in the present survey offer considerable potential for further scientific studies in the quest for discovery of lead compounds and novel drugs. There is no question that a number of allopathic drugs have serious adverse side-effects. Plants can form good sources for discovery of new medicines that are not only efficacious but also may possess less undesirable side-effects. A re-awakening of interest in medicinal plants shall not only be beneficial to the pharmaceutical industry and people afflicted with various ailments but also cause wide-spread interest in the conservation of medicinal plants, which are fast becoming endangered and even extinct due to spread of human habitat, industries and extensive deforestation.

Knowledge Management: Journal