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A Survey of Medicinal Plants Used by the Folk Medicinal Practitioners of Shetabganj Village in Dinajpur District, Bangladesh

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

Tabibul Islam
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Md. Ehasanul Hasan
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Rasheda Ahmed
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Farhana Jamal
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Rownak Jahan
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Mst. Afsana 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.

Nusratun Nahar
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Shamima Ahsan
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Aynun Nahar
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Ishtiaq Ahmad
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) constitute the first tier for provision of primary health care to the rural population of 86,000 villages in Bangladesh. Their treatment method for most ailments is oral or topical administration of decoctions, or direct application of whole plants or plant parts, or juices obtained from crushing or maceration of whole plant or plant parts. This practice has been going on from ancient periods and the volume of patient satisfaction suggests that the treatments are on the whole serving their purpose. The medicinal plants chosen by the Kavirajes vary considerably even between adjacent villages. To get a comprehensive view of folk medicinal practices, it is therefore important to survey as many Kavirajes of different villages as possible. The objective of the present study was to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among the Kavirajes of Shetabganj village in the district of Dinajpur, which lies in the northern section of the country. Informed consent was obtained of the Kavirajes and interviews conducted with the help of a semistructured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. All plant specimens as pointed out by the Kavirajes were collected and brought back for identification at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. It was observed that the Kavirajes of Shetabganj village used 58 plants distributed into 37 families for treatment of various ailments. The Euphorbiaceae family contributed the highest number of plants (5), followed by the Fabaceae family (4 plants) and the Acanthaceae, Apocynaceae, Lamiaceae, and Verbenaceae families (3 plants per family). Leaves constituted the major plant part used (33.3%), followed by roots (16.0%), whole plant (13.3%), and barks (13.3%). 15 plants were used for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders suggesting that this is the prevalent disorder in the area. 11 plants were used to respiratory tract disorders like asthma, tonsillitis, and coughs. 7 plants were used for treatment of rheumatism and rheumatic pain, while 6 plants were used for treatment of helminthic infections. The Kavirajes also used medicinal plants for treatment of ailments like paralysis, tuberculosis, endocrinological problems, tract disorders, hepatic disorders, disorders of the spleen, diabetes, sexual disorders, gall bladder problems, allergy, teeth problems, disorders of the ear, pain, snake bite, dog bite, and chicken pox. One plant was used for treatment of filariasis, which is quite prevalent in the region. Overall, the plants present considerable potential for further research, which can lead to the discovery of lead compounds and newer drugs.

Keywords: Folk medicine, Medicinal plants, Shetabganj, Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Location: Shetabganj village in Dinajpur 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 an ethnomedicinal survey among the Kavirajes of Shetabganj village in Dinajpur district, which falls in the northern part of Bangladesh

Methodology:

Dinajpur district lies in northern Bangladesh and forms part of the Rangpur Division. The annual average highest temperature is 33.5 °C and lowest is 10.5 °C; annual rainfall is 2,536mm. The economy is primarily agriculture-dependent with rice and mangoes forming two of its major commercial crops. Agriculture and agricultural laborer form the main occupations of the rural population of Shetabganj village. Shetabganj village is serviced by two Kavirajes, Kaviraj Jogen and Kavirak Bimal Chandra Roy. Informed consent was obtained from both Kavirajes prior to the survey. The Kavirajes were briefed extensively as to the purpose of the visit and consent obtained from them that the information collected may be disseminated both nationally and internationally. 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 field-walks through the areas from where they usually collected their medicinal plants, pointed out and gave the local names of the plants, and described their uses. All plant specimens as pointed out by the Kavirajes were collected, dried in the field and brought back to the Bangladesh National Herbarium at Dhaka for identification. Interviews were conducted in the Bangla language, which was spoken by both Kavirajes as well as the interviewers.

Source of Information: American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 4(2): 196-203, 2010 ISSN 1995-0748

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

In a number of our previous publications we have shown that when scientific studies on pharmacological activities have been conducted on any plant used by the Kavirajes, the studies usually have validated the medicinal plant’s use by the Kavirajes for the ailment(s) concerned. The present survey results are also not an exception to our previous observations. For instance, a bronchodilator alkaloid (vasicinone) has been isolated from Justicia adhatoda, which is used by the Kavirajes for treatment of asthma. Antibacterial activities have been reported for the plant Aloe vera, used by the Kavirajes to treat tuberculosis. Anti-oxidant and reactive oxygen species scavenging properties in fruit extracts of Phyllanthus emblica, Terminalia belerica, and Terminalia chebula have been reported (Hazra et al., 2010), which can be of beneficial effects in respiratory tract, hepatic, as well as gastrointestinal disorders. Anti-microbial activity has been reported for fruit and whole plant extracts of Tamarindus indica (Dabur et al., 2007; AI-Fatimi et al., 2007), a plant used by the Kavirajes to treat infections that would not heal. A number of studies have shown the healing effects of the plant Cissus quadrangularis on bone fractures, which is precisely the ailment for why it is used by the Kavirajes of Shetabganj village.

A substantial number of medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes of Shetabganj village are yet to be studied for their relevant pharmacological activities using modern scientific methods. To conduct such studies is important because a number of the plants are rapidly becoming endangered to the point of extinction. Taken together, the plants present significant potential for the discovery of lead compounds leading to more effective drugs with less deleterious side effects. A notable example is the use of the plant Curcuma longa by the Kavirajes to treat filariasis. Filariasis is present in many countries of the world, and a cheaper and more effective drug would prove to be extremely beneficial to the patients.

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