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A Selection of Medicinal Plants Used for Treatment of Diarrhea by Folk Medicinal Practitioners of Bangladesh

Protiva Rani Das
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh

Shakila Akter
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh

Md. Tabibul Islam
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh

Mohammad Humayun Kabir
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh

Md. Megbahul Haque
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh

Zubaida Khatun
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh

Md. Nurunnabi
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, Republic of Korea, 380-702

Zehedina Khatun
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, Republic of Korea, 380-702

Yong-kyu Lee
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, Republic of Korea, 380-702

Rownak Jahan
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh

Mohammed Rahmatullah
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Diarrhea is generally defined as a condition of having three or more liquid or loose bowel movements per day. The condition can arise from a multiple of causes including bacterial, parasitic or viral infections, indigestion, or can be a symptom of diseases like cholera. The disease affects particularly children under 5 years old, although children above 5 years old and adults can have this disease. Diarrhea has been estimated to cause in 2009 around 1.5 million deaths in children under 5 years old, and over 1.1 million deaths in children and adults above 5 years old. The excessive passing out of fluid during this disease can lead to severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances leading to fatalities. The disease is usually caused through maintenance of poor hygiene and contaminated drinking water, particularly fecal contamination. Diarrhea is very much prevalent in Bangladesh, especially among the urban and rural poor population. Although diarrhea can be controlled through use of oral rehydration solutions accompanied with zinc tablets, the poor people of Bangladesh frequent folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) for treatment of this disease. In various ethnomedicinal surveys conducted among Kavirajes and tribal medicinal practitioners in various regions of the country, it was found that over 250 floral species are used by these folk and tribal medicinal healers for treatment of diarrhea. The present report will present information on 57 species, which has been determined alphabetically according to the botanical name of the species. These 57 species were distributed into 35 families. The Fabaceae family contributed the maximum number with 7 species, followed by the Asteraceae family with 4 species and the Araceae, Euphorbiaceae and Rutaceae family with 3 species each. The healers were observed to use whole plants along with plant parts like leaves, stems, roots, barks, flowers, seeds, rhizomes, fruits, and tubers for treatment of the disease. The treatment involved both use of a single part or a combination of plant parts. In almost every case, juice obtained from macerated whole plant or plant part(s) was orally administered till cure. The Kavirajes made no distinction between the causative factors for diarrhea; cure was considered when loose bowel movement stopped. Since diarrhea is a common disease affecting millions of people worldwide, particularly in the poorer countries and among the poorer segments of the people, ethnomedicinal documentation followed by scientific research as to validation of a plant’s traditional uses against diarrhea can provide much needed relief to the poorer segments of the population. At the same time, there remains an excellent potential for discovery of novel antibacterial, antiparasitic and antiviral compounds, which can prove effective against this common but often fatal disease.

Keywords: Medicinal plants, Folk medicine, Diarrhea, Bangladesh

Location: Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

Every Kaviraj that we have surveyed has mentioned at least one plant species that he or she uses to treat diarrhea. During our surveys, it was observed that over 250 floral species were used by the folk medicinal and tribal healers for treatment of this disease. This study will document 57 such plant species based on the alphabetical order of the various species recorded.

Methodology:

The survey was carried out among Kavirajes of randomly selected villages in various districts of the country. Informed consent was initially obtained from the Kavirajes as to publish any information provided both nationally and internationally. The Kavirajes were thoroughly briefed as to the nature and purpose of the interviews. Information was gathered on all diseases treated by any particular Kaviraj; however, plant species used for treatment of diarrhea only will be presented here. Even among such plant species, the plants whose botanical names fall under the alphabetical order from A-C will be documented in this paper. 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 Kavirajes took the interviewers on guided field-walks through areas from where they collected their medicinal plants, pointed out the plants, and described their uses. Plant specimens were photographed, collected and dried and brought back to be identified at the Bangladesh National Herbarium at Dhaka. 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, 6(3): 153-161, 2012 ISSN 1995-0748

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Overall, the conclusion can be made that a number of plants used for treatment of diarrhea by the Kavirajes in Bangladesh merit further potential for scientific research leading to discovery of novel antidiarrheal components. These discoveries are a necessity. The under-privileged people, mainly of the poor countries suffer from diarrhea more often than the people from developed countries. Also diarrhea affects children more than the elderly, particularly children who are malnourished. Such people and the children can benefit from easy availability of plants or plant-derived cheaper medicines for treatment of this condition, particularly since nontreatment of this disease can lead to mortality, especially in children under five years of age. Diarrhea can be controlled with improvement of hygiene status and improvement in quality of drinking water. However, till these factors can be satisfactorily resolved in the developing nations, cheaper and readily available remedies need to be readied to treat diarrhea. In this respect, the medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes can be of importance. The Kavirajes have treated diarrhea for centuries with these medicinal plants (the knowledge being passed on through successive generations). As such, the plants can prove to be of value in the discovery of new anti-diarrheal agents. Indeed, the available scientific literature, as has been discussed above, has already validated the traditional antidiarrheal uses of a number of the plants.

Knowledge Management: Journal