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A Survey of Medicinal Plants Used by Folk Medicinal Practitioners for Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Randomly Selected Areas of Four Districts of Bangladesh

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

Rownak Jahan
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.

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

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

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

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

1 Anita Rani Chowdhury,
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A.K. Azad
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.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Bangladesh is a small developing country with the majority of population living in over 86,000 villages spread around the country. A substantial portion of the urban population lives in slum areas. Both rural population, as well as the urban slum population, resides under conditions where proper sanitation conditions are lacking and the drinking water quality is usually poor. As a result various types of gastrointestinal disorders are prevalent throughout Bangladesh. A large number of the rural and urban slum people obtain treatment for various gastrointestinal disorders from folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes), who rely on simple preparations of medicinal plants for treatment. The objective of the present study was to conduct a survey among the Kavirajes of various randomly selected areas in four districts, namely, Rajshahi, Jessore, Tangail, and Dinajpur in Bangladesh. The districts are located, respectively, in the northern, southern, central, and northern part of the country. Informed consent was obtained from the Kavirajes prior to the survey. Interviews were conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method, where 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 plant specimens were collected and dried in the field and later brought to Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka for complete identification. Considerable variation was observed in the family and species of medicinal plants used for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders by the Kavirajes of the four districts surveyed. The Kavirajes of two surveyed villages of Rajshahi district used 9 plants distributed into 8 families; the Kavirajes of four surveyed villages of Jessore district used 5 plants distributed into 5 families; the Kavirajes of a small town surveyed in Tangail district used 7 plants distributed into 6 families; and the Kavirajes of two villages in Dinajpur district used 25 plants distributed into 18 families. The use of whole plant or plant parts also differed considerably between the Kavirajes of the four districts. The Kavirajes of Rajshahi district used the leaves, roots, fruits, and seeds, while the Kavirajes of Jessore district used only the leaves, stems, and barks of plants. The Kavirajes of Tangail district used mainly the stems followed by roots, while the Kavirajes of Dinajpur district used mostly the leaves of medicinal plants followed by fruits. The survey highlights the considerable differences in medicinal plant usage by Kavirajes of different areas of Bangladesh. At the same time, the survey points out the diversity of plant species present in the country for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, which comprises of a number of ailments prevalent worldwide and suggests that considerable potential exists for modern scientific studies to be carried out on the medicinal plant species in the quest for better drugs.

Keywords: Folk medicine, Medicinal plants, Gastrointestinal disorders, Bangladesh

Location: Four districts of Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

At the same time, since the Kavirajes claim that they have used the medicinal plants successfully over generations for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, the plants offer considerable potential for scientific studies in the quest for discovery of new compounds, which can treat this form of ailment with success and possibly at considerably cheaper prices. It was the objective of the present study to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among the Kavirajes of several randomly chosen areas in 4 districts of Bangladesh to learn about plants used by the Kavirajes to treat gastrointestinal disorders. The four districts chosen were Rajshahi, Jessore, Tangail, and Dinajpur, located respectively, in the northern, southern, central, and northern part of the country.

Methodology:

In Rajshahi district surveys were conducted among the Kavirajes of Chotobon gram and Borobon gram villages. In Jessore district, the four villages of Bajua danga, Kodra, Doshtinia, and Shankar pasha were surveyed. In Tangail district, survey was conducted among the Kavirajes of Madhupur town, which is a small town and not readily distinguishable from a village. In Dinajpur district, surveys were conducted among the Kavirajes of Bhelamoyee and Shalbon villages. All areas were randomly selected.

Informed consent was obtained from the Kavirajes prior to the survey. Interviews were conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method as described by Martin (1995) and Maundu (1995). In this method, the Kavirajes took the interviewers to spots from where they collected their medicinal plants, pointed out the plants, and described their uses along with providing their local names. All interviews were conducted in the Bangla language, which was spoken by both Kavirajes and the interviewers. All information was cross-checked with the Kavirajes in later sessions. Plant specimens were photographed, collected, dried in the field, and brought back to Bangladesh National Herbarium, Dhaka for complete identification.

Source of Information: Advances in Natural and Applied Sciences, 4(2): 139-147, 2010 ISSN 1995-0748

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Our previous ethnomedicinal surveys in various villages and among tribal people of Bangladesh have also revealed that considerable variations exist between Kavirajes of even adjoining areas in their selection of medicinal plants for treatment of any given ailment. The present findings are no exception to previously obtained results. The findings point out the wealth of information that is present within the folk medicinal practitioners of Bangladesh regarding selection and use of medicinal plants. It is therefore important to conduct surveys among as many folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) as possible to get a comprehensive idea about the medicinal flora of the country. Bangladesh has about 5,000 floral species, out of which only around 600 has been recognized as medicinal plants. Our on-going surveys indicate that the actual number may be 2-3 times more. Modern allopathic medicine, even as of to date, is dependent upon medicinal plants for discovery of newer and better drugs (Cotton, C.M., 1996). A thorough documentation of the medicinal plant uses in Bangladesh is therefore important. The findings of the present survey suggest that the medicinal plants that have been reported to be used for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders may be scientifically studied for relevant pharmacological effects. Gastrointestinal disorders are endemic in many countries throughout the world and even present in the developed countries. It is expected that scientific studies conducted with the plants reported may lead to discovery of more efficacious drugs for treatment of this endemic problem.

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