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Tribal Cross-talk as an Effective Way for Ethnobotanical Knowledge Transfer - Inference from Costus Specious as a Case Study

Sophia Hossain

Shahnaz Rahman

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

Mahbuba Haque
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh.

Sharmin Jahan
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh.

Rownak Jahan
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:

Costus speciosus (J. Koenig) Sm. (Costaceae) has long been considered an important medicinal plant in the Indian sub-continent and other countries of the world. The plant has been reported to have a wide array of ethnomedicinal uses. Various parts of the plant including the rhizome are used by different tribal communities and folk medicinal practitioners, particularly of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh for treatment of rheumatism, diabetes, fever, respiratory tract illnesses, gastrointestinal disorders, leprosy, infertility, pain, urinary disorders, helminthiasis, eye and ear infections, hepatic problems, and sexually transmitted diseases. A perusal of ethnomedicinal reports on the uses of the plant suggest that the plant, at least in the Indian sub-continent, is used in a similar manner for treatment of several diseases (like diabetes) by ethnic groups of the southern and south central parts of India along with Bangladesh, and the northeast part and West Bengal State of India (both of which adjoins Bangladesh), but not east central or middle Indian regions. This suggests that there had been either ethnic contacts through possibly sea routes between the ethnic communities of southern India and northeast India (including Bangladesh), or there had been ethnic migrations from the southern parts of India to northeast India or the opposite. However, ethnomedicinal use of the plant against rheumatoid arthritis among diverse ethnic groups of the Indian sub-continent suggests that there could have been information transfer through land routes. It is concluded that research on ethnomedicinal uses of a given plant can provide suggestive information on possible migrations or contacts and exchange of information between indigenous communities and in the process make valuable contributions to both medicinal as well as anthropological literature.

Keywords: Costus speciosus, Ethnomedicine, Tribal cross-talk

Location: In Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Development of Host and Medicinal Plants

Commodity: Medicinal Plants

Objectives:

Thus, ethnomedicinal reviews covering ethnomedicinal uses of any given plant species can also be of use to anthropologists as well as the other way around; anthropological data of a tribe’s migration and settling in new lands can help the ethnomedicinal researcher in determining how a given plant has come to be used in a particular mode by an indigenous community.

Methodology:

A total of 83 ethnomedicinal reports on the uses of Costus speciosus throughout different regions of the world were collected from various data bases and scientific journal reports. Only published papers were taken into account; any unpublished anecdotal reports were not included in the present review. Particular attention was paid to the Indian subcontinent and to the countries of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh because the sheer number of available scientific reports suggested that the plant is mostly used by indigenous societies or folk medicinal practitioners of these three countries.

Source of Information: 2013 / American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 7(5), December, Pages:373-390

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Consensus also exists on the use of the plant to treat helmintic infections. Use of the plant as an anthelmintic agent has been reported for folk medicinal practitioners of three villages of Natore and Rajshahi Districts, Bangladesh; folk medicinal practitioners of seven villages of Ishwardi Upazila, Pabna District, Bangladesh; tribal people of Sitamata wildlife sanctuary, Rajasthan, India; aboriginal tribes (Nicobarese, Shompen, Jarawas, Sentinels, Ongese, Great Andamanese) of Bay Islands (Andaman and Nicobar islands), India; Gond tribe of Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh, India; and local people (including tribals) of Sikkim State and adjoining Darjeeling Hill District of West Bengal, India.

Overall, existing ethnomedicinal reports strongly point to the medicinal value of Costus speciosus and suggests that the plant can be more researched upon by scientists towards possible discovery of newer drugs against a variety of diseases. And although the discussion is very speculative considering the dearth of anthropological reports on the origins and interactions between indigenous communities of the Indian sub-continent, the review at least points out that valuable anthropological information can be gleaned from ethnomedicinal studies as well as the other way around. Such information is important for it can provide a clue as to how and why people throughout the centuries have chosen certain plants and not others for therapeutic purposes.

Knowledge Management: Journal