P. R. Gajurel
North Eastern Regional Institute of Sciences and Technology (Deemed to be University), Arunachal Pradesh, India
Title: Ethnomedicinal plants and their uses by the indigenous people of north east India: Prospects of ethnoharmacological application
Biography
Biography: P. R. Gajurel
Abstract
The north east India with its eastern Himalayan region is bestowed with diversified medicinal plants which include the globally significant medicinal herbs as well as the underutilized ethnomedicinal herbs. The region comprises of 8 administrative states including the biodiversity rich states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim of eastern Himalaya. More than 200 ethnic communities are residing in the region and majority of them are still dependent on locally available plants species for curing the different health ailments. Understanding the traditional knowledge and practices of these tribes not only pave the way for identification of the medicinal plants but also for finding new pharmaceutical leads and formulation of valuable drugs. To understands the important ethnobotanical knowledge and the herbal practices adopted by the indigenous people, the authors have been exploring the region continuously for the few years. During the field visits and ethnobotanical data collection the authors could come across with many ethnomedicinal plants which are used for different diseases and ailments. Although some of the medicinal plants used by these communities are already known for their therapeutic potential but the complete bioactive properties of these plants yet to be explored. Moreover, the pharmacological relevance of some of these ethnomedicinal plants need to be experimented. This will certainly benefit the mankind and also the poor communities through benefit sharing of the commercial outcomes. The present paper discussed the ethnobotanical uses and pharmacological potential of five medicinal plant species used by the local communities of north east India.