Ethno-medicinal survey for wound healing plants from rural area of Nagpur

Abstract

Since immemorial times, the tribal community has a traditionally self-managed system of folk medicine and primary healthcare mainly based on herbal remedies. In the past, human ancestors made new discoveries of the healing power of plants through trial and error. Although some of the therapeutic properties attributed to plants have proven to be erroneous, medicinal plant therapy is based on the empirical findings of hundreds and thousands of years.  Ethno-medicinal survey of hilly rural area of village Kanholi - Pohi dam - Salaidabha belong to  taluka Hingna of  district Nagpur, a part of central India, has been conducted and revels that plants parts like leaves(47.4%), fruits(15.8%) whole plant(10.5%) of total 38 plants belongs to 29 families have been used by  adiwasi (tribal) & rural population against wound therapy and related injuries such as cuts, burns, bruises caused by external injury, boils, sores, and abscess  The herbal medicine preparation as paste was applied topically whereas syrup preparations were administered orally. In the present study, 38 plants have been reported to have specific wound healing property.  With regards to wound healing plants species, Acanthaceae Euphorbiaceae and Lamiaceae are represented by highest number of species (3) followed by  Liliaceae(2), Araceae(2), Moraceae(2) while single plant species is recorded from remaining documented 23 families. Leaves were found to be the most frequently used plant parts accounting for 18 preparations followed by fruits(6), whole plant parts(4), seed oil (3), stem latex(3), bark(3), flowers(2), roots (2) and others such as rhizome, bulb and resin. The composite preparation from 2 -3 medicinal plants had quick wound healing effect. The plants products composed of active principles like triterpens, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, biomolecules, minerals of Ca, K and Mg etc. facilitate wound healing.