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Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
ISSN 2277-4289 | www.gjrmi.com | International, Peer reviewed, Open access, Monthly Online Journal
ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANTS USED FOR WOUND HEALING PURPOSES
BY MALAYALI TRIBES OF KALRAYAN HILLS, SALEM DISTRICT,
TAMIL NADU, INDIA
M Kannan1, T Senthil Kumar
2*, M V Rao
3
1Department of Botany, Directorate of Distance Education, Vinayaka Missions University, Salem-636 308,
Tamil Nadu, India 2Department of Industry University Collaboration, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli - 620 024,
Tamil Nadu, India
3Department of Plant Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli-620 024, Tamil Nadu, India
*Corresponding Author: E-mail: [email protected]
Received: 27/05/2016; Revised: 19/07/2016; Accepted: 21/07/2016
ABSTRACT
Ethnobotanical study plays an important role in the field of herbal research and enumeration of
new medicinal plants. The tribal communities are dependent on the forest vegetation and utilize them
for medicinal, non-medicinal, socio-cultural and religious purposes in their day-to-day life. The
present paper documents the ethnomedicinal knowledge of Malayali tribes of Kalrayan hills on
wound healing purposes only. Periodical field visits were made to collect the ethnomedicinal
information on the plants used for wound healing purposes through personal interviews among the
elders, village heads and traditional healers with the help of standardized questionnaires and
discussions with them. Use of 72 plant species from 66 genera belonging to 43 families has been
recorded along with the parts used, mode of preparation, mode of administration and their dosage.
These plants are used in the form of paste, powder, juice, etc., for the treatment. In the present study,
we observed that the Malayali tribes of Kalrayan hills are well experienced in the administration of
local herbs for the treatment of wounds and other related injuries.
KEYWORDS: Ethnobotany, Kalrayan hills, Malayali tribes, Traditional Healers, Medicinal Plants,
Wound Healing, Salem.
Research article
Cite this article: M Kannan, T Senthil Kumar, M V Rao (2016), ETHNOMEDICINAL PLANTS USED FOR WOUND
HEALING PURPOSES BY MALAYALI TRIBES OF KALRAYAN HILLS, SALEM DISTRICT,
TAMIL NADU, INDIA, Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med., Volume 5 (7): 203–216
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
INTRODUCTION
Ethnobotany is a distinct branch of natural
science dealing with the study of how people of
a particular culture and region make use of
indigenous plants for various aspects such as
medicine, religion, cultural, agriculture
instruments, house hold implements and
several other disciplines (Patel and Patel,
2013). Now, ethnobotany has become a part of
the tradition and culture through out the world.
The uses of natural herbal drugs whether
traditional or modern, have originated directly
or indirectly from folklore and rituals known as
ethnomedico-botany (Kutum et al., 2011).
In the rural communities, wounds arising
from bruises, cuts and scratches are untreated at
the initial stages and such wounds became
septic and inflamed before they are brought to
the attention. In such cases, the wounds are
treated with plant materials or it requires advice
of herbalists (Grierson and Afolayan, 1999). A
wound may be defined as a breakdown in the
skin by the loss of continuity of epithelium
with or without loss of underlying connective
tissues such as muscles, bones, nerves, due to
the injury to the skin or underlying tissues or
organs caused by surgery, a blow, a cut,
chemicals, heat, cold, friction, shear force,
pressure or as a result of disease, such as ulcers.
The most agreed phases of wound healing are
inflammatory phase, proliferative phase and
remodeling or maturing phase (Norman
Williams et al., 2008).
Wound healing occurs by regenerating
dermal tissue as a natural process (Arshad
Mehmood Abbasi et al., 2010). Throughout the
world, wounds have been treated mostly
topically with different medicinal herbs or with
their extracts solely or in combination with
some other plant parts (Ayyanar and
Ignacimuthu, 2009). More than 70% of wound
pharma products are plant based, 20% are
mineral based and remaining contains animal
products as their base material (Ramya
Subramanian et al., 2011).
There are several reports in adjacent hills of
Kalrayan hills, around the Salem District of
Tamil Nadu, India on ethnomedicinal aspects
(Sankaran and Alagesaboopathi 1995; Senthil
Kumar and Krishnamurthy 1997;
Alagesaboopathi 2009; 2011; 2012; 2013;
2014; Mishra et al., 2008; Parthipan et al.,
2011; Rekha and Senthil Kumar, 2014).
Though few workers have documented the
ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal plants in the
study area, still lot of works are to be done
(Kadavul and Dixit, 2009; Selvaraju et al.,
2011; Natarajan et al., 2012; Manikandan and
Alagu Lakshmanan, 2014; Kannan et al., 2015;
2016). Although most of the healers and elders
are having vast knowledge on wound healing
herbs, there is no separate report for wound
healing plants in the study area. With this back
ground, the present work was taken up to
explore the ethnomedicinal plants used for the
wound healing purposes and other related
injuries such as cuts, burns, boils, sores, etc., by
the Malayali tribes of Kalrayan hills, Salem
district, Tamil Nadu, India.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study area
Kalrayan (Kalvaryan) hills are a range of
hills situated in the Eastern Ghats of the
Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, lies
between the North latitudes 11o 36‟ and 12
o 01‟
N and the East longitudes 78o 29‟ and 78
o 54‟
E. It runs over three districts viz. Salem
(Southern and South Western portion),
Villupuram (Central and Eastern portion) and a
small region of northern part in
Thiruvannamalai district and it stretches over
an area of 1158.4 km2
(Sakthivel et al., 2010).
The Kalrayan measures 25.76 km (NS) and 37
km (EW). The altitude varies from 1000 to
3800 meters above mean sea level (Natarajan et
al., 2012).
The average annual rainfall in the study
area ranges from 782.98 to 1787.20 mm. The
temperature varies from minimum of 25°C to a
maximum of 40°C. It is composed of seven soil
types and varies from red-loam to black clay
(Kadavul and Parthasarathy, 2001) and is
endowed with rich natural resources.
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
Divisions of Kalrayan hills
Geographically, Kalrayan hills are divided
into 5 regions or “Nadu”s (Cluster of tribal
villages) namely, Chinnakalrayan Nadu
(Northern part), Periyakalrayan Nadu (Western
part), Jadaya Gaundan Nadu (Southern and
Eastern part), Kurumba Gaundan Nadu
(Central part) and Ariya Gaundan Nadu
(North). Among them, Chinnakalrayan Nadu
(Little Kalrayans) and Periyakalrayan Nadu
(Big Kalrayans) belongs to Salem district and
they include 58 and 44 tribal hamlets
respectively. The remaining three regions
belong to Villupuram district.
Tribal community
The tribal history of Kalrayan hills with its
Jagirdars (Under the Muslim government,
Jagirs are servants of the state, collect the
revenue and looked the administration of the
district/hills) dates back to the time of Krishna
Deverayar, the Emperor of Vijaya Nagara
Kingdom. The native people of the Kalrayans
were called as Vedar (Hunter). The warriors
belonging to Karalar community had invaded
from Kanchipuram and settled in Kalrayan
hills. After sometimes, they over rided the
native people, Vedar of Kalrayan hills and
married their girls. The mixed population of
Karalar and Vedar communities presently
called Malayali and they call themselves as
Goundars (Velayutham Saravanan, 2003).
Social status
Ethnic people of Kalrayan hills are farmers
and their life style is plain agricultural type.
Due to the poor irrigational facilities, their
agriculture is strictly unproductive, uneconomic
and seasonal (Prabakaran et al., 2013). Most of
them are poor and they are engaged in
agriculture as Koolis. Only few people are in
government services and some are engaged in
cottage industries. To supplement their
economy rest of the people are doing works
interrelated with agriculture and involved in
hunting, live stock keeping, poultry farming,
rearing honeybees, collection of honey, bee
wax and other minor forest products (Kuru
Suresh et al., 2011). In the off-seasons,
(January – May months) the male members of
the family travel to nearby towns such as
Salem, Villupuram, Namakkal, Erode and
Karur as daily wages or they migrate to the
neighboring states like Karnataka or Kerala to
compete their economy.
They are interested in folktales, songs,
worship, mythology, taboos, religious and
social ceremonies (Thurston and Rangachari,
1909). Most of the tribal people of the study
area are residing in remote and inaccessible
forest areas and they are having no source to
get modern medicine for their health care.
Hence, they are practicing phytotherapy to treat
the common ailments and they are having good
knowledge on the herbal treatment for their
health care. Enumeration of plants used for
wound healing purposes is the part of the
ethnobotanical research work carried out by us
in the study area.
Data Collection
Ethnomedicinal data were collected through
conversations and interviews with Vaidhyars
(Traditional healers), tribal heads, elders and
farmers having familiarity and sound
knowledge on herbal treatments using standard
methods adopted by Jain (1987). Regular field
visits were made to the various hamlets of
Kalrayan hills from Dec‟2009 to Dec‟ 2014 for
the ethnomedicinal investigations.
The medicinally important plants were
collected, identified and verified with standard
floras (Gamble, 1935; Mathew 1981-1983) and
the voucher specimens were deposited in the
Department of Botany, Vinayaka Missions
University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. The
documentation of ethnomedicinal information
includes botanical name, local name, family,
parts used, mode of preparation and
administration. The information collected from
the respondents of the study area were cross
verified with the informants, healers or village
headmen of the adjacent hamlets and also
previously reported literatures of the study area
and nearby hills.
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
During the study period, we could able to
understand that the large sections of tribal
communities of the study area are well
experienced in the administration of local herbs
for various diseases. But this valuable herbal
knowledge is confined to few members of the
community in a hamlet. Most of the traditional
healers learnt this knowledge from their
ancestors from child hood by assisting them in
the collection of herbal plants from wild,
preparation of crude drugs, assisting in
administration and other treatment procedures.
Wounds and related injuries
There are about 16 types of wounds and
other related injuries noticed in the present
study area (Table 1.) All these wounds fall
under two major categories namely physical
injuries and skin problems. About 11 types of
injuries comes under the physical injuries and
these type of wounds occur during various day-
to-day life activities of the tribal community.
Remaining five types of injuries occur as skin
infections due to the microbial infections or as
the impact of environmental factors.
Table 1: Various categories of wounds and other related injuries occurred among Malayali
tribes of Kalrayan Hills, Salem, Tamil Nadu.
S. No. Name of the Diseases
(Tamil)
Name of the Diseases
(English)
Terminology Category
1. Kan Pungal Eye wounds / Injuries Ocular trauma Physical injuries
2. Adi Paduthal Injuries Trauma
3. Kuruma Pun (Naalpatta Pun) Wound Chronic wound
4. Mul Paduthal Thorns in legs Wound
5. Padukkai Pun Bed sore Decubitus ulcer
6. Periya Kaayam Deep wounds Wound
7. Pun Wound Wound
8. Ratha Kattu Contusion Haematoma
9. Thee Pun Burn wound Burns
10. Veekkam Swelling Inflammation
11. Vettu Kaayam Cut wounds Laceration
12. Sirangu Skin problems Impetigo Skin problems
13. Koppalam Boils Furuncle / Boils
14. Mukha Paru Pimples Acne
15. Kattigal Tumors Neoplasm
16. Silanthi Kattigal Abscess Abscess
Ethnomedicinal plants
For the treatment of wounds and other
related injuries such as cuts, burns, boils, sores
and wounds caused by external injuries,
Malayali tribes of the study area are utilizing
72 plant species belonging to 66 genera under
43 families in which most of the plants are
herbs (34 species), followed by tree (25
species), shrubs (7 species) and climbers (6
species). The predominant families are
Apocynaceae with 5 species, Euphorbiaceae,
Fabaceae and Rubiaceae with 4 species each
followed by Capparaceae, Malvaceae,
Moraceae, Rutaceae and Solanaceae with 3
species each. Remaining families are
represented by one or two species each (Table
2). The plants were enumerated alphabetically
under each disease along with the information
such as their botanical name, vernacular name,
family, part of the plant used and mode of
preparation and administration (Table 3).
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
Bryophyllum pinnatum, Cassia fistula,
Clausena dentata, Calotropis gigantea,
Erythrina indica, Jatropha curcas, Lantana
camara, Pterocarpus marsupium, Ricinus
communis and Tridax procumbens are some of
the notable plants used for the wound healing
purposes and it is in agreement with previous
reports (Ramya Subramanian et al., 2011;
Shrirame and Gogle, 2014; Ramesh Kumar
Ahirwar and Kumud Sandya, 2015).
Table 2: Family wise distribution of ethnomedicinal plants used for wound healing purposes in
Kalrayan hills, Salem district.
S.
No.
Family name No. of plant
species (in
each family)
1. Apocynaceae 5
2. Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Rubiaceae 4
3. Capparaceae, Malvaceae, Moraceae, Rutaceae, Solanaceae 3
4. Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Convolvulaceae, Liliaceae,
Mimosaceae
2
5. Acanthaceae, Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apiaceae, Arecaceae, Cactaceae,
Caricaceae, Celastraceae, Crassulaceae, Dioscoriaceae, Ebenaceae,
Hyacinthaceace, Hypoxidaceae, Lamiaceae, Legoniaceae, Melastomataceae,
Musaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Oxalidaceae, Pedaliaceae, Piperaceae, Poaceae,
Polygonaceae, Pteridaceae, Salvadoraceae, Sapotaceae, Verbenaceae,
Zingiberaceae
1
Table 3: List of Ethnomedicinal plants used for wound healing purposes by Malayali Tribes of
Kalrayan Hills, Salem, Tamil Nadu.
S.
No.
Diseases
Binomial Name Vernacular
Name
Family Parts
used
Formulations and doses
1. Kan Pungal
(Eye
Wounds)
Clausena dentata M.
Roem.
Nana chedi Rutaceae Leaf Young leaves ground with
mother milk and extract is
applied externally in eyes as
drops.
Diospyros montana
Roxb.
Vakana
Maram
Ebenaceae Leaf Leaf juice used as eye drops.
Tephrosia purpurea
(L.) Pers.
Oosi
Thuvarai
Fabaceae Leaf Two or three drops of leaf juice
is administered as eye drops to
cure wounds made by stick
injuries. Also used in cattle for
the same purpose.
Wrightia tinctoria
R.Br.
Palai Apocynaceae Leaf Crushed leaf extract mixed with
mother's milk. Clean white cloth
is dipped in the extract and
administered as eye drops in
nights.
2. Pungal
(Wound
Healing)
Acacia leucophloea
Willd.
Vel Velam Mimosaceae Bark Bark paste in hot water is
applied externally.
Achyranthes aspera L. Nayuruvi Amaranthaceae Leaf,
Stem
Paste is applied externally.
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
Biophytum sensitivum
(L.) DC.
Male surungi Oxalidaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied externally.
Blepharis
maderaspatensis
B.Heyne ex Roth
Nenthria
Poondu
Acanthaceae Leaf Leaf juice with Sesamum
indicum oil is boiled and applied
on the wounds twice or thrice a
day.
Bryophyllum pinnatum
(Lam.) Kurz
Ranakalli Crassulaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied on wounds,
insect bites and boils to reduce
the pain and severity.
Cleome gynandra L. Velai Chedi Capparaceae Root It is specially used to heal the
wounds made by broken glass
pieces. Root paste is applied and
tied on the wound area for a day.
The broken glass pieces will be
dissolved and oozes out if any
inside the wound.
Cleome viscosa L. Naai velai Capparaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied externally
up to cure.
Cleome viscosa L. Naai velai Capparaceae Leaf Leaf juice is applied externally
up to cure.
Dioscorea bulbifera L. Kaattu
Vethala Kodi
Dioscoreaceae Tuber Tuber is ground well and
applied on the wounds
externally.
Erythrina indica Lam. Kalyana
Murungai
Fabaceae Leaf Leaf juice is applied externally
to stop bleeding and leaf paste
tied on the wounds to heal.
Euphorbia
heterophylla L.
Paal Perukki Euphorbiaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied externally.
Ficus microcarpa L.f. Kal Arasan Moraceae Bark,
Leaf
Bark paste is used for healing
wounds and leaf decoction also
used for cleaning and washing
the wounds.
Heliotropium indicum
L.
Thel
Kodukku
Boraginaceae Seed Seed paste is applied externally.
Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. Sotru
Katralai
Liliaceae Leaf Along with plant materials small
quantity of sugar is added and
ground well in to paste and
applied externally. Opuntia dillenii Haw. Sappathikalli Cactaceae Fleshy
stem
Calotropis procera
(Aiton) W.T.Aiton
Vellai
Erukan
Apocynaceae Leaf Dried leaf powder is mixed with
coconut oil and applied
externally as paste. Cocos nucifera L. Thennai Arecaceae Oil
Ipomoea asarifolia
Roem. & Schult.
Sundan chedi
kodi
Convolvulaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied externally
up to cure.
Pavonia zeylanica (L.)
Cav.
Vedivana
poondu
Malvaceae Leaf
Centella asiatica (L.)
Urb.
Vallarai Apiaceae Leaf Dry decoction is applied
externally on wounds.
Ixora coccinea L. Idli Poo Rubiaceae Leaf, Flower
Madhuca longifolia
J.F.Macbr.
Iluppai Sapotaceae Bark
Mirabilis jalapa L. Anthi
Mantharai
Nyctaginaceae Root Root paste or powder is applied
externally up to cure.
Mitragyna parvifolia
Korth.
Kadamba
Maram
Rubiaceae Leaf Leaf paste is used to dress
wounds.
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
Musa paradisiaca L. Vazhai Musaceae Latex Latex is applied on the wounds
and dressed with clean white
cloth. Then 2 or 3 drops added
on the dressing. Cloth is
persistent on wounds up to cure.
Opuntia dillenii Haw. Sappathikalli Cactaceae Fruit Fruit pulp is applied externally.
Strychnos nux-vomica
L.
Yetti Maram Loganiaceae Seed Paste is applied externally.
Sesamum indicum L. Ellu Pedaliaceae Oil Dry powder is mixed with
Sesamum oil and applied
externally. Waltheria indica L. Sengali
Poondu
Malvaceae Root
3. Vettu
Kaayangal
(Cut
Wounds)
Azima tetracantha
Lam.
Sangamullu Salvadoraceae Root Paste is applied externally.
Decalepis hamiltonii
Wight & Arn.
Mavilangam Apocynaceaee Root Root powder is applied
externally to cure cut wounds.
Lantana camara L. Unnichedi Verbenaceae Leaf Paste is applied externally. As it
dries up and persistent on the
wounds up to cure, it may form
pus in some persons.
Premna tomentosa
Willd.
Poda nari Lamiaceae Leaf Leaf paste is roasted and applied
externally.
Tridax procumbens L. Vettu Kaya
Poondu
Asteraceae Leaf Leaf juice will control the
bleeding immediately and paste
is applied externally on wounds
to heal.
Biophytum sensitivum
(L.) DC.
Male surungi Oxalidaceae Leaf Young leaves are made in to
paste and applied externally up
to cure. Canthium parviflorum
Lam.
Karai Rubiaceae Leaf
Curculigo orchioides
Gaertn.
Nilapanai
kizhangu
Hypoxidaceae Rhizo-
me
Naringi crenulata
(Roxb.) Nicolson
Pori valai
Poondu
Rutaceae Leaf
Curcuma longa L. Manjal Zingiberaceae Rhizo
-me
Leaf is ground with fresh or dry
turmeric and made in to paste. It
is applied externally on wounds
and this paste is persistent on
wounds up to cure.
Sida rhombifolia L. Marunthu
Thalai
Malvaceae Leaf
Curcuma longa L. Manjal Zingiberaceae Rhizo-
me Leaf paste is applied externally
on cut wounds with Curcuma
longa powder. Dendrocalamus
strictus Nees
Siruvarai
Mungil
Poaceae Leaf
4. Periya
Kaayangal
(Deep
Wounds)
Calotropis gigantea
(L.) W.T. Aiton
Erukku Apocynaceae Latex Latex is applied on the wounds
two or three times daily up to
cure.
5. Kuruma Pun
(Naalpatta
pun -
Chronic
Wounds)
Allium sativum L. Poondu Liliaceae Bulb Plant materials are ground well
with Allium sativum and Piper
nigrum and paste is applied
externally up to cure.
Ipomoea asarifolia
Roem. & Schult.
Sundanchedi
kodi
Convolvulaceae Leaf
Pavonia zeylanica (L.)
Cav.
Vedivana
poondu
Malvaceae Leaf
Piper nigrum L. Milahu Piperaceae Seeds
Hemionitis cordifolia
Roxb. in Wall.
Kal paruthi Pteridaceae Leaf Ground with cow ghee and
applied externally up to cure.
Maantham, Selanthi Kattikal,
wounds in knuckles of fingers
are also cured.
6. Thee Pun Cassia fistula L. Sara kondrai Caesalpiniaceae Leaf Fresh leaves are ground with
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
(Burns) Cocos nucifera L. Thennai Arecaceae Oil coconut oil and made in to paste
and applied externally.
Hemionitis cordifolia
Roxb. Wall.
Kalparuthi Pteridaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied externally.
Musa paradisiaca L. Vazhai Musaceae Leaf In heavy burns the persons will
be laid down in the leaves up to
the recovery.
Polygonum glabrum
Willd.
Attarali Polygonaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied externally
for burn wounds.
7. Pungal &
Muka Paru
(Wounds &
Pimbles)
Memecylon
umbellatum Burm.f.
Allan Maram Melastomataceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied externally
up to cure.
8. Sirangu
(Impetigo)
Acacia concinna DC. Seevakkaai Mimosaceae Fruit Dry powder is used as antiseptic
for washing wounds.
Acalypha indica L. Kuppai Meni Euphorbiaceae Leaf Paste is applied externally up to
cure.
9. Koppalam
(Furuncle /
Boils)
Cordia myxa L. Naruvili Boraginaceae Bark Stem bark paste is externally
applied up to cure.
Ipomoea quamoclit L. Mayil
Manikkam
Convovulaceae Leaf Crushed leaves are applied
externally on boils up to cure.
Tarenna asiatica
Kuntze
Therani
chedi
Rubiaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied on the boils and boils with pus and also applied externally on skin allergies.
Citrus limon (L.)
Burm.f.
Elumichai Rutaceae Fruit Leaf is ground with lime juice
and applied externally up to
cure. Mollugo nudicaulis
Lam.
Parpadakam Aizoaceae Leaf
Xanthium indicum
J.Koenig ex Roxb.
Otta Chedi Asteraceae Leaf Leaf juice is applied externally.
10. Furuncle
between
Fingers
Hemionitis cordifolia
Roxb. Wall.
Kal paruthi Pteridaceae Leaf Leaves are ground with cow
ghee and applied on the infected
regions.
11. Boils &
Skin
Allergies
Tarenna asiatica
Kuntze
Therani
chedi
Rubiaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied on the boils
and boils with pus and also
applied externally on skin
allergies.
12. Boils &
Wounds
Cleome monophylla L. Ellu
Sakkalathi
Capparaceae Leaf,
Seed
Either seed or leaf of the plant is
ground and applied on the boils
or cut wounds. It will cure and
prevent the formation of pus.
Wattakaka volubilis
Stapf
Peria
Kurinjan
Apocynaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied externally
on the surfaces.
13. Boils &
Sores
Pterocarpus
marsupium Roxb.
Vengai
Maram
Fabaceae Leaf Crushed leaves are applied
externally on boils and sores.
14. Kattigal
(Tumors)
Azima tetracantha
Lam.
Sangamullu Salvadoraceae Root Root is ground with water and
applied externally.
Carica papaya L. Pappali Caricaceae Latex Latex is applied on the tumors
daily up to cure.
Urginea indica Kunth Kaatu
Poondu
Hyacinthaceae Bulb Ground and paste is applied
externally on tumors for 2 or 3
days.
Withania somnifera
(L.) Dunal
Amukara
Kizhangu
Solanaceae Tuber Paste is applied on the surfaces
will control the Kattihal
(tumers), Amukara means
amukuthal meaning suppress the
tumors.
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
Parts of the plants used
For wound healing treatments, plant parts
such as leaf, stem, root, bark, latex, seed,
flower, fruit, tuber, bulb, rhizome and seed oil
are used by the local healers and elders of the
study area. Leaves were found to be most
frequently used for the treatment, which
accounts for 52 preparations followed by root
(Seven preparations) and oil (Six preparations).
Other plant parts are represented in few
preparations only (Figure 1).
Tribes of Kalrayan hills are using different
dosage forms for wound healing purposes.
Among them, use of fresh plant parts as such,
dry powder, pastes, juice, decoction,
combinations of various parts of plants are
some of the important dosage forms used by
them. There are about 74 preparations in use
15. Silanthi
Katti
Lycopersicon
esculentum Mill.
Thakkali Solanaceae Fruit Fruit is made in to small pieces
and tied with white cloth on the
surface of the Silanthi Katti for 3
to 4 days.
16. Adi
Paduthal &
Veekkam
(Trauma &
Swelling)
Artocarpus
heterophyllus Lam.
Pala Maram Moraceae Latex Latex is applied externally daily
up to cure.
Cassine glauca
(Rottb.) Kuntze
Karuvaali
Maram
Celastraceae Root Root paste is applied externally.
17. Swelling &
Boils
Datura metel L. Karuoomath
ai
Solanaceae Leaf Leaf is ground in to paste with
hot water and applied externally.
Tamarindus indica L. Puli Caesalpiniaceae Leaf Leaf is ground in to paste with hot water and applied externally. Also used to treat pain.
18. Ratha Kattu
(Contusion)
Erythrina indica Lam. Kalyana
Murungai
Fabaceae Leaf Leaf paste is applied externally
on the surfaces.
Jatropha curcas L. Kattu Kottai Euphorbiaceae Leaf Leaves are soaked in rice water
overnight, heated and tied
around painful area to reduce
pain.
Premna tomentosa
Willd.
Poda nari Lamiaceae Leaf Leaves are boiled in water and
fixed on the injured area by
means of castor oil. It will be
continued up to cure. Ricinus communis L. Kottai
Maram
Euphorbiaceae Oil
19. Ratha
Kattu,Bone
fracture,
Injuries
Artocarpus hirsutus
Lam.
Kaatu Pala Moraceae Bark Fresh or dried bark powder and
Phaseolus mungo seed powder
are mixed together in equal
quantities. Sesamum oil and egg
white yolk are mixed with the
above powder and made in to
paste. Applied externally on
surfaces of the injured regions,
bone fractures and Ratha kattu
(blood clotting in injured area).
Phaseolus mungo L. Ulundhu Fabaceae Seed
Sesamum indicum L. Ellu Pedaliaceae Oil
Premna tomentosa
Willd.
Poda nari Lamiaceae Leaf Sesamum oil is applied on the
leaf surface of Premna
tomentosa and shown in direct
fire for few seconds (Vaatti) and
they are applied on the injured
or fractured area.
Sesamum indicum L. Ellu Pedaliaceae Oil
20. Thorns in
legs
Calotropis gigantea
(L.) W.T.Aiton
Erukku Apocynaceae Latex For removal of thorns from the
leg, a drop of latex is applied on
the thorny area. On the next day
thorns can be removed easily. It
also heals the wounds formed
due to the thorns.
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
among the villagers in which use of paste form
is dominating over all other dosage forms with
47 preparations (Figure 2). Jatropha curcas and
Premna tomentosa leaves are processed with
oil and shown in fire directly then applied on
the wounds for the healing process. Latex from
Artocarpus heterophyllus and Carica papaya
are also used for the healing purposes.
In certain cases, two types of preparations
of the same plant were used in a single
treatment. For example, Ficus microcapa leaf
decoction is used for cleaning the wounds
where as, its bark paste is applied externally on
wounds for healing purposes. In the same way,
leaf juice of Tridax procumbens is used for the
control of bleeding in cut wounds where as its
paste is applied externally to heal the wounds.
Figure 1: Various parts of ethnomedicinal plants used by Malayali tribes of Kalrayan hills for
wound healing purposes.
Figure 2: Various modes of preparations of medicaments used for the wound healing purposes
by Malayali tribes of Kalrayan hills, Salem.
52
7
6
5
5
5
43
2 2 2 1
Leaf
Root
Oil
Bark
Latex
Seed
Fruit
Rhizome
Stem
Tuber
Bulb
Flower
4710
6
43
2 2
Paste
Juice
Fresh Parts
Powder
Processed Materials
Decoction
Latex
Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med. | Volume 5, Issue 7 | July 2016 | 203–216
Global Journal of Research on Medicinal Plants & Indigenous Medicine || GJRMI ||
Modes of administration
Maximum number of preparations used for
promoting wound healing was used as external
application (68) and only two preparations are
administered orally. Many researchers have
reported the external application as the
dominant mode of administration in wound
healing treatments (Senthil Kumar and
Krishnamurthy, 1997; Grierson and Afolayan,
1999; Ayyanar and Ignacimuthu, 2009; Ramya
Subramanian et al., 2011).
As the treatment for wound healing is
continued up to cure, dosage of administration
is not recommended for any of the
preparations. Bandages made using the bark
extract of Musa paradisiaca and pastes
prepared from the plants such as Curcuma
longa, Lantana camara, Sida rhombifolia etc.,
when applied are persistent on the wounds till it
heals and the dried bandages and plant pastes
will fall off automatically after the healing.
As the tribal communities of the study area
are forest dwellers, they depend on their
surrounding for their day-to-day activities. It
was observed that the wounds are one of the
major problems suffered by those forest
inhabitants due to their life style in the forest
area and they easily get injured during their
day-to-day activities in the forest. As they are
dwelling and working in the interior regions of
the forests, immediate need for the remedy
arises for their wounds with in the forest and
they go for phytotherapy. Hence, most of them
learnt the herbal knowledge from their mother,
father, elders of the family, neighbors, and
relatives etc., who are nearer to them at the
time of injuries in the forest.
CONCLUSION
The present documentation revealed that
the ethnomedicinal plants are still in use among
Malayali tribal communities of the study area
and they are well experienced in the
administration of local herbs for the treatment
of wounds and other related injuries. These
plants are common, cost effective and easily
accessible at the time of requirement. But the
practice of herbal medicine is being utilized by
few „Vaidhyars‟ and elderly people only.
It is concluded that the healthcare system of
Malayali tribe traditionally depends on herbal
practices for their ailments. Moreover, elders
and traditional healers have rich knowledge on
herbal wealth. The traditional knowledge of the
healers helped us in the documentation of the
ethnobotanical information. Hence, the
documentation of traditional knowledge will
help in the field of herbal research and
enumeration of new medicinal plants for a
particular therapeutic effect. At the same time
the detailed pharmacological investigations of
the herbal plants will be helpful in development
of newer drugs for a particular condition.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
One of the authors (MK) is thankful to The
Chancellor, Vinayaka Missions University,
Salem. The authors are also thankful to the
resident tribes of the study area for their
response and participation in the survey by
sharing their knowledge on plants. The authors
are also grateful to Dr. R. Prabakaran,
Vivekanandha College of Arts and Sciences
(W), Tiruchengode for accompanying us during
the field visit. A special word of gratitude for
tribal informant Mr. A. Murugesan who helped
the author a lot during the course of study and
Dr. A. Anuradha, Department of Obstetrics &
Gynecology, Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical
College & Research Institute, Salem for the
suggestions.
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