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A Survey of Medicinal and Functional Food Plants Used by the Folk Medicinal Practitioners of Three Villages in Sreepur Upazilla, Magura District, Bangladesh

Mohammed Rahmatullah
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

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

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

Farhana Israt Jahan
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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

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

Majeedul H. Chowdhury
New York City College of Technology The City University of New York 300 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA.

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

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

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

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) provide medical care to substantial segments of the rural and urban population of Bangladesh. The Kavirajes specialize in the use of medicinal plants for treatment of ailments or their symptoms. Besides use of medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes, the Kavirajes also prescribe medicinal plants for preventive purposes, which may include plants for maintenance of overall good health, or to maintain various parts of the body and their functions in a healthy state. As such, the latter group of medicinal plants can be classified as functional foods or nutraceuticals. This latter aspect of the Kavirajes, although quite commonly practiced, has rarely been documented or reported. It was the objective of the present study to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among the Kavirajes of three villages in Sreepur Upazilla (subdistrict) of Magura district, Bangladesh to gather information on medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes for both therapeutic as well as preventive purposes. Information was collected from the Kavirajes with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. It was observed that the Kavirajes used a total of 54 plants, among which a number of plants served both therapeutic and preventive purposes. The plants were distributed into 37 families; the Fabaceae and the Lamiaceae families provided 4 plants per family, followed by the Combretaceae family with 3 plants. Leaves were the major plant part used, constituting 41.4% of total uses. It was further observed that all medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes served to treat multiple ailments. 38 plants were used for treatment of respiratory tract disorders, 33 plants for hepatic disorders, 36 plants for gastrointestinal tract problems, and 26 plants for treatment of various types of sexual disorders. 17 plants were used for treatment of fever, 16 for treatment of leprosy, 19 for treatment of piles, 15 for treatment of edema, and 16 for treatment of skin disorders. 17 plants were used as astringent, 11 plants used as bitter, and 12 plants as blood purifier. Other ailments treated by the Kavirajes included tuberculosis, cuts and wounds, rheumatism, helminthiasis, menstrual problems, urinary problems, heart disorders, tumor, burning sensations in body, spleen disorders, vaginal diseases, goiter, eye problems, leucorrhea, insanity, infections, throat diseases, fractures, vomiting, obesity, pain, and anal diseases. The various uses of medicinal plants as functional foods included to maintain healthy brain functions, to regularize urine and stool, to maintain good eyes, to maintain healthy hair, to improve voice, to increase intelligence and memory, and to increase longevity. The plants used for both therapeutic and preventive purposes by the Kavirajes have obvious potentiality for scientific studies, which can lead to discoveries of better medicines as well as functional foods. The latter is important, because it can lessen the incidences of diseases and provide a cost-effective way to maintaining the body and its vital organs in good health.

Keywords: Folk medicine, Medicinal plants, Functional food, Magura, Bangladesh

Location: Three Villages in Sreepur Upazilla, Magura 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 three villages of Sreepur Upazilla (sub-district) in Magura district of Bangladesh to find out about medicinal plants, which are prescribed by the Kavirajes for both curative as well as preventive (i.e. functional food) purposes.

Methodology:

The present survey was conducted among the Kavirajes of three villages, namely Amtoil, Tupipara, and Kajoli in Sreepur Upazilla of Magura district, Bangladesh. The three Kavirajes practicing in the above three villages were Abul Hossain Mollah, Idrish Ali Khan, and Ms. Jesmin Akhter, the latter being a female, while the first two were males. The main occupation of the village people were agriculture and agricultural laborer (i.e. people who did not possess any land of their own, but instead worked as laborer on other people’s land). Informed consent was obtained from all Kavirajes prior to the survey. The actual survey was conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method as described by Martin (Martin, G.J., 1995) and Maundu (1995). Briefly, in this method, the Kavirajes took the interviewers to spots from where they collected their medicinal plants, pointed out the plants, and gave their local names and uses. All interviews were conducted in Bengali, the language being spoken alike by interviewers and Kavirajes. Plant specimens as pointed out by the Kavirajes were photographed, collected, dried and brought back to Bangladesh National Herbarium at Dhaka for complete identification. Voucher specimens were deposited at the Medicinal Plant Collection Wing of the University of Development Alternative.

Source of Information: American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture,4(3): 363-373, 2010 ISSN 1995-0748

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The results obtained from the present study are important from two aspects. First, the medicinal properties of the plants, when researched through modern scientific methods, may prove to have enormous potential in the discovery of newer and more efficacious medicines. Second, the functional food attributes of a number of the plants used by the Kavirajes, if validated by scientific research, can prove a cost-effective way of minimizing diseases and keeping the population healthy without the necessity of using costly drugs or nutraceuticals. Such validation can prove to be immensely useful for poverty-stricken populations of many developing countries throughout the world. This would be especially beneficial to the people of Bangladesh, 40% of whom live below the poverty line, and the vast majority of the population lacks proper access to modern health care and clinical facilities.

Knowledge Management: Journal