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Medicinal Plants Used by Folk Medicinal Herbalists in Seven Villages of Bhola District, Bangladesh

Md. Imam Hossain Tuhin
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh

Md. Asaduzzaman
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh

Enamul Islam
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh

Zubaida Khatun
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh

Mohammed Rahmatullah*
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Bhola district is an administrative district in southwestern Bangladesh, which includes Bhola Island, the largest island of Bangladesh. An ethnomedicinal survey conducted among folk medicinal herbalists of seven villages in Bhola district resulted in the finding of 51 plants distributed into 36 families used by the herbalists (practitioners). The various plants were used for the treatment of ailments like diabetes, respiratory disorders (coughs, mucus), fever, tuberculosis, sexual disorders, gastrointestinal disorders (dysentery, diarrhea, bloating, indigestion, constipation), vomiting, helminthiasis, rabies, jaundice, infections, heart disorders, leucorrhea, skin disorders, gonorrhea, urinary problems, oral lesions, edema, typhoid, liver disorders, to facilitate childbirth, blood poisoning, eye disorders, memory loss, ovarian problems, vaginitis, and hypertension.

Keywords: Medicinal plants, Folk medicine, Bhola, Bangladesh

Location: Seven villages of Bhola district, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

Bhola district is an administrative district in southwestern Bangladesh, which includes Bhola Island, the largest island of Bangladesh. Thus far, to our knowledge, no ethnomedicinal surveys have been carried out in Bhola Island. The objective of the present study was to conduct such a survey among the folk medicinal practitioners of Bhola Island. The survey area comprised seven villages in the island, which is quite large and off the southwestern coast of Bangladesh.

Methodology:

The survey was carried out in the villages of Chotopata, Boropata, Alinagar, Kachia, Nayani, Dairabad, and Korailla in Bhola Island. Cumulatively, the villages had three medicinal practitioners, who practiced folk medicine. However, one of them titled himself as Kaviraj Badiuzzaman Lahari, the Kaviraj title suggesting that his selection of medicinal plants was influenced by the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine of India. The other two folk medicinal practitioners, namely Alhaj Hakim Mawlana Mohammadullah Taheri and Hakim Raziur Rahman Shahin titled themselves as Hakims, suggesting that their practices were influenced by the ancient Unani system of medicine, which is still practiced in the Indian dub-continent countries. Informed consent was first obtained from all three practitioners. They were apprised of the nature of our visit, and consent obtained to disseminate any provided information both nationally and internationally.

Actual interviews were conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method of Martin (1995) and Maundu (1995). Briefly, in this method, the practitioners took the interviewers on guided field-walks through areas from where they collected their medicinal plants, pointed out the plants, and described their uses. Bengali was the language used during the interviews, since both practitioners, as well as interviewers, belonged to the mainstream Bengali-speaking population. Plant specimens as pointed out be the practitioners were photographed, collected and dried and brought back to Dhaka for identification at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. Voucher specimens were deposited with the Medicinal Plant Collection Wing of the University of Development Alternative.

Source of Information: American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 7(3): 210-218, 2013 ISSN 1995-0748

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Many allopathic medicines have been discovered by close observations of the practices of indigenous communities (Balick and Cox, 1996; Cotton, 1996; Gilani and Rahman, 2005). Traditional medicinal systems can still play a vital role for the discovery of novel compounds from plants, which can prove to be efficacious drugs against both existing drug-resistant old diseases as well as emerging diseases. From that view point, the medicinal plants used by the Bhola Island practitioners deserve further scientific studies. Bangladesh is fast losing its medicinal plant resources because of population increases, deforestation and climate changes. Discovery of newer drugs from the medicinal plants of the country can lead to intensified efforts to save these plants from complete disappearances.

Knowledge Management: Journal