AN ETHNOVETERINARY STUDY OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS …

www.wjpr.net Vol 5, Issue 11, 2016.

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Manoj et al. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

AN ETHNOVETERINARY STUDY OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS

OF HARYANA, INDIA

Gitika1 and Manoj Kumar

2*

1Department of Botany, JJT University,Vidyanagari, Jhunjhunu, 333001, Rajasthan, India.

2Department of Botany, Pt. N. R. S. Govt. College, Rohtak, 124001, Haryana, India.

ABSTRACT

The present study was undertaken to document the ethnoveterinary

knowledge of some medicinal plants of Haryana state, India, during

different seasons in the year 2015-2016. During the survey, a total of

42 plant species belonging to 29 families were identified on the basis

of their medicinal importance revealed by the local people. For each

plant species necessary information like botanical name, family, local

name, hindi name, habit, plant part(s) used and their medicinal uses are

given. Most dominating families of the studied area are Papilionaceae

and Poaceae with 4 species each. The collected medicinal plants

showed a different habit (life forms) - herb, shrub, tree and climber. In the present study,

leaves are the most widely used plant part of the medicine. This study reveals that the local

inhabitants of the area were with a wealth of knowledge about the medicinal plants used to

manage their livestock health problems. In the present study, medicinal plants which are used

by the local people to cure various livestocks diseases like- indigestion, appetite, cold, cough,

fever, constipation, throat infections, mouth and foot diseases, eye problem, skin diseases,

bronchitis, diarrhoea, dysentery, removal of retained placenta, removal of the ectoparasites,

stomachache, snake or scorpion bite, conjunctivitis, etc. As the rural folk and old aged

peoples have long been using medicinal plants for their various ailments, but this information

related traditional medicinal uses of plants are not well documented. So, the present study

suggested to the documention of medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge can

be used for the conservation and sustainable use of these plants in the studied area and for

validation of these plants for livestock‟s treatment.

KEYWORDS: Medicinal plants, livestock‟s, Haryana, diseases.

World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research SJIF Impact Factor 6.805

Volume 5, Issue 11, 1389-1400. Research Article ISSN 2277– 7105

*Corresponding Author

Manoj Kumar

Department of Botany, Pt. N.

R. S. Govt. College, Rohtak,

124001, Haryana, India.

Article Received on

18 Sep. 2016,

Revised on 09 Oct. 2016,

Accepted on 30 Oct. 2016

DOI: 10.20959/wjpr201611-7324


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INTRODUCTION

Plants represent an enormous pool of natural resources that can produce various products and

chemicals for the advantage of all other life forms, while ethnobotany reveals historical and

present plant use to fulfill a wide variety of human needs.[1,2]

The nature has bestowed human

being with a rich source of different plants which are utilized for various purposes, especially

as medicines by ethnic people.[3]

His interactions with the wild plants increased which has

made him a super power on the earth. Documentation of his relationship and interactions with

the plants in a scientific way has become a prime need of time in these days, which is called

as ethnobotany.[4]

Similarly, an ethnoveterinary is a system that is based on folk beliefs,

traditional knowledge, skills, methods, and practices used to cure the diseases and

maintaining the animals health.[4,5]

Ethnoveterinary medicine provides the major source for the treatment of diseases in

livestock‟s throughout the world even today. Humans have used herbal remedies to cure the

different diseases in their domesticated animals since the advent of civilization. It is estimated

that medicinal plants, for several centuries, have been widely used as a primary source of

prevention and control of livestock‟s diseases.[6]

In most rural areas people refer to treat their

animals with indigenous drugs. At present over 35,000 plants are known to have healing

properties. [7]

All parts of the plants, including leaves, bark, flowers, fruits, seeds are used in

medicinal preparations.[8]

Ethnoveterinary practices are often cheap, safe, time tested and

based on local resources and strengths. These can provide useful alternatives to conventional

animal health care.[9]

Traditional healers claim that their medicine is cheaper and more

effective than modern medicine. In developing countries, low income people such as farmers,

people of small isolate villages and native communities use folk medicine for the treatment of

common infections.[10]

Traditional veterinary medicine knowledge like all other traditional

knowledge systems is handed down orally from generation to generation.

Due to lack of the specific research and awareness, the people at the concerned site are not

getting full benefits from this ancient heritage. The help of the local people in this regard

needs to be taken and documented. The plant at the site are facing threat of loss due to

ignorance and various mismanagement activities of human beings as overgrazing, timber and

fuel wood harvesting, etc. The documentation of ethnoveterinary knowledge is important for

species conservation and sustainable use of resources. Furthermore, such studies are often

significant in revealing locally important plant species, sometimes leading to the discovery of

crude medicine.


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Keeping this in view, the present work was conducted to explore the plants of

ethnoveterinary interests of Haryana state, and to record the traditional ethnoveterinary

knowledge hidden in this region during different seasons in the year 2015-2016.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

(A) Study Area

Haryana is rich in plant diversity and provides habitat for a significant number of medicinal

plants, so, the present study was carried out in the Haryana state (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Map of Haryana state

It is located between 27°37' to 30°35' N latitude and between 74°28' and 77°36' E longitude.

The altitude varies between 700 to 600 ft (200 to 1200 meters) above the sea level. Haryana

state is divided into four physicals divisions - (1) Shivalik hills, (2) Plain areas, (3) Sandy

areas, and (4) Dry areas of Aravalli ranges. Since Haryana is situated in the foothills of the

Himalayas, so the climate in winters is extremely cold and even touches 0ºC, but the

summers here are extremely hot and the temperature goes above 40ºC sometimes touching

even 47ºC. Haryana consist of eight rivers with Ghaggar and Yamuna being the main rivers

of the state. Approximately 80% of the rainfall occurs in the monsoon season. An area of

1,553 km is covered by forest and dry, deciduous thorny shrubs can be found all over the

state. In Haryana, there is a great diversity of medicinal plants. Major population resides in


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villages where life supporting facilities are lacking. The people are mostly dependent on plant

resources for their livelihood including the native therapy for health care. Traditional

medicines based on herbal remedies have always played a key role in the health system of

many countries.[11]

The aim of the present study was to carry out a regular survey of Haryana

state, that has been conducted to the documentation of ethnoveterinary data on some

medicinal plants during different seasons in the year 2015-2016.

(B) Methods of information and data collection

The present study was carried out with repeated field surveys in the different areas of

Haryana, and the basis of plant selection is their uses in traditional and Ayurvedic system of

medicines. The ethnobotanical information is collected through several informal interviews

and discussions with the traditional healers, Vaidhyas, Hakims, and older rural herbal

practitioners in and around the study area. The information about local name, plant part (s)

used, and their medicinal importance will be collected. Specimens of all species were

collected, photographed and identified by the botanist as well as with the help of available

floras.[12,13]

The medicinal uses of the studied plant species were cross checked from the

available literature.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

In the present study, a total of 42 medicinal plant species belonging to 29 families were

identified on the basis of their medicinal importance to cure several livestock‟s diseases

revealed by the local inhabitants in Haryana. In the following account these species have

been listed with- botanical name, family, local name, hindi name, habit, plant part(s) used and

their medicinal uses are given in Table 1.


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Table 1. List of medicinal plants used for treating livestock’s diseases in the study area, Haryana, India.

S.N. Botanical Name Family Local

name

Hindi

name Habit Part(s) Used Medicinal uses

1. Justicia adhatoda L., Acanthaceae Safed

Bansa Bansa Shrub Leaves Dysentery and diarrhoea.

2. Calotropis procera

(Aiton) Dryand. Asclepiadaceae Akada Aak Shrub Leaves and latex

Removal of retained placenta and

kill the intestinal worm.

3. Tagetes erecta L. Asteraceae Genda Genda Herb Leaves Hydrophobia.

4. Achyranthes aspera L Amaranthaceae Chirchita Chirchra Herb Root Bone fracture and swelling.

5. Mangifera indica L. Anacardiaceae Aam Aam Tree Fruit Indigestion.

6. Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Apiaceae Sonf Sonf Herb Seeds Diarrhoea.

7. Bombax ceiba L. Bombacaceae Semal Semal Tree Stem bark Open the blocked milk hole in the

udder.

8. Cassia fistula L. Caesalpiniaceae Amaltas Amaltas Tree Pod and leaves Indigestion, appetite,

constipation.

9. Tamarindus indica L. Caesalpiniaceae Imli Imli Tree Leaves Cure the swelling.

10. Terminalia chebula Retz. Combretaceae Harad Harad Tree Fruit Digestion and stomachache.

11. Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. Convolvulaceae Amerbel Amerbel Climber Whole plant Relive the pain caused by

poisonous worm.

12. Citrullus colocynthis (L.)

Schrad. Cucurbitaceae

Gudumba

ki bel Indrayan Climber Fruit Dysentery and digestion.

13. Cucumis melo L. Cucurbitaceae Kachri Kachri Climber Fruit Stomachache.

14. Ricinus communis L. Euphorbiaceae Arand,

Arandi Arand Shrub Seed oil Gastric problems.

15. Allium cepa L. Liliaceae Piyaz Piyaz Herb Bulb and leaves. Removal of ectoparasites and

cough.

16. Allium sativum L. Liliaceae Lahsun Lasan Herb Bulb Cold, fever and indigestion.

17. Asparagus recemosus

Willd. Liliaceae Satavari Shatavar Climber

Roots and young

shoots

Tumors, throat infections,

tuberculosis, cough and

bronchitis.

18. Azadirachta indica A. Meliaceae Neem Neem Tree Tender twigs, Stomachache and heal the injury


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Juss. Leaves.

19. Tinospora sinensis

(Lour.) Merr. Menispermaceae Giloy Giloe Climber Root

Cure debility (feel more sleeping

and motionless)

20. Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile Mimosaceae Kikar Babul Tree Tender twigs,

leaves, fruits.

Diarrhoea, kill the stomach

worms and helps in smooth

delivery.

21. Albizia lebbeck (L.)

Benth. Mimosaceae Siras Shiris Tree Leaves

Eye problem, snake or scorpion

bite.

22. Prosopis cineraria (L.)

Druce Mimosaceae Janti Sami Tree Stem bark Pimples and wounds.

23. Ficus religiosa L. Moraceae Peepal,

Pipli Pipal Tree Stem bark

Removal of retained placenta in

buffaloes.

24. Psidium guajava L. Myrtaceae Amrood Amrood Shrub Leaves Fever.

25. Oxalis corniculata L. Oxalidaceae

Teepatiya,

Khatta-

mitha

Amrul Herb Leaves Cure eye infection.

26. Argemone mexicana L. Papaveraceae Kanteri Kanteri Herb Whole plant Constipation and removal of

retained placenta.

27. Cicer arietinum L. Papilionaceae Chana Chana Herb Seeds Increase the milk quantity in

mulching cattle.

28. Cyamopsis tetragonoloba

(L.) Taub. Papilionaceae Guwar Gowar Herb Seeds

Induce heat period.

29. Trigonella foenum-

graecum L. Papilionaceae Methi Methi Herb Seeds Indigestion.

30. Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper Papilionaceae Mung Mung Herb Seeds Skin diseases.

31. Sesamum indicum L. Pedaliaceae Til Til Herb Seeds Cure poison.

32. Bambusa bambos (L.)

Voss Poaceae Bans Bans Tree

Leaves and

rhizome

Easier delivery and diarrhoea.

33. Cynodon dactylon (L.)

Pers. Poaceae Doob Doob Herb

Whole plant and

rhizome.

Treatment of conjunctivitis.


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34. Pennisetum glaucum (L.)

R.Br. Poaceae Bajra Bajra Herb Seeds Induce heat production.

35. Saccharum bengalense

Retz. Poaceae

Sarkanda,

Munja Munja Herb Leaves Removal of retained placenta.

36. Ziziphus nummularia

(Burm.f.) Wight & Arn. Rhamnaceae Jhari ber Ber Shrub

Whole plant,

fruit and root

Removal of intestinal worms,

diarrhoea, cold, cough, mouth and

foot disease.

37. Aegle marmelos (L.)

Corrêa Rutaceae Bel-Patra Bel Tree

Fruit pulp and

leaves Dysentery and diarrhoea.

38. Datura metal L. Solanaceae Kala

Dhatura

Kala

Dhatura Herb

Fruit, leaves and

root

Cold, stop bleeding from the

wounds and healing.

39. Withania somnifera (L.)

Dunal Solanaceae Asgandh

Ashwagand

ha Herb Root Cold and cough.

40. Tamarix aphylla (L.)

H.Karst. Tamaricaceae Firansh Firansh Tree Stem bark

Cure the cracked nipples and any

burnt injury.

41. Holoptelea integrifolia

(Roxb.) Planch. Ulmaceae Papri Papri Tree Leaves Removal of ectoparasites.

42. Tribulus terrestris L. Zygophyllaceae Bhankhri Chottagokh

ru Herb Whole plant Diarrhoea.


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In this study, as shown in Figure 2, the most dominating families of the studied area are

Papilionaceae and Poaceae with 4 species each, followed by Lilaceae and Mimosaceae with 3

species each, Caesalpiniaceae. Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae each with 2 species,

Acanthaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Asteraceae, Amaranthaceae, Anacardiaceae, Apiaceae,

Bombacaceae, Combretaceae, Convolvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Meliaceae, Menispermaceae,

Moraceae, Myrtaceae, Oxalidaceae, Papaveraceae, Pedaliaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rutaceae,

Tamaricaceae, Ulmaceae and Zygophyllaceae are represented by only one species each.

Figure 2: Number of species in different families of medicinal plants

The collected medicinal plants showed a different life forms (habit)- herb, shrub, tree and

climber. In the present study, herbs were the primary source of medicine (43%) followed by

trees (33%), shrubs and climbers (12%) each (Figure 3).

45%

14%

34%

7%

Herbs

Trees

Shrubs

Climbers

43%

33%

12%

12%

Figure 3: Distribution of medicinal plant species according to their life form


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In the present study, most commonly used plant parts are leaves accounting 29%, fruits

(13%), seeds (13%), root (11%), whole plant (9%), stem bark (7%), and others (18%)

(Figure 4).

Leaves

Fruit

Seeds

Root

Whole plant

Stem Bark

Others

29%

13%

13%11%

29%

9%

7%

18%

Figure 4: Percentage of different plant parts used

Many indigenous communities throughout the world also utilized mostly leaves for the

preparation of herbal medicines.[14-16]

The leaves are the main photosynthetic organs

containing photosynthates which might be responsible for medicinal values.[17]

Collection of

leaves and then using them as medicine is very easy as compared to the other plant parts.[18,19]

Another reason of using leaves could be concerning conservation of the plants as digging out

roots might be the cause of death of the plant and putting the species in a vulnerable

condition.[20-22]

With the help of these plants a wide range of several livestock‟s ailments like indigestion,

appetite, constipation, fever, bone fracture or swelling on the fracture part, heal fractured

horns, bronchitis, cold, cough, diarrhoea, dysentery, mouth and foot diseases, removal of

retained placenta, removal of the ectoparasites, hydrophobia, open the blocking of milk hole

udder, throat infections, stomachache, tumors, throat infections, tuberculosis, eye problem,

snake or scorpion bite, skin diseases, conjunctivitis, curing the cracked nipples, burnt injury,

etc. problems were common.

In the present investigation, it was found that the plant part (s) in combination with different

plant materials are also used to prepare some medicine. Some medicines were found to be

prepared by using other substances, such as gur, etc. This type of suggested way of taking the

herbal medicines might be to enhance the efficacy of herbal remedies or to make the remedy


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more palatable masking the undesirable taste when taken orally. The medicinal plants are

usually collected from wild habitat, when there is a need.[23]

CONCLUSIONS

The present study reveals that plants are still a major source of medicine for the local

inhabitants, and are used to cure several livestock‟s diseases. The information given could be

useful for researchers in the field of ethnobotany, taxonomy and pharmacology. The modern

generation is inclined towards the use of allopathic medicines and it seems that traditional

knowledge of medicinal plant could be lost. There is a threat of losing this wealth of

knowledge in the near future. Therefore, there is a need to generate awareness among the

local population towards the sustainable utilization and conservation of medicinal herbs.

Plants of ethnoveterinary importance and herbal preparations need to be popularized for their

wide application and acceptance, for which promotional approaches need attention so that

their full potential can be utilized for safeguarding livestock‟s health. The awareness and

documentation about the medicinal floristic wealth or plant medicinal values will helpful in

the preservation of traditional medicinal practices and the plant wealth of the concerned site.

COMPETING INTERESTS

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors express their sincere thanks to the Principal, Pt. N.R.S Govt. College, Rohtak,

Haryana, India for cooperation and encouragement. The authors also gratefully acknowledge

Professor S. Srivastava, Department of Genetics, University of Delhi South Campus, New

Delhi, India for suggestion and guidance. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to

the informants for sharing their time and knowledge genuinely.

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AN ETHNOVETERINARY STUDY OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS …