Ethno-medicinal plants use by the Manipuri tribal community in Bangladesh

An ethno-medicinal investigation was conducted to understand the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants being used by the Manipuri tribe in Bangladesh. The present study was done through structured questionnaires in consultations with the tribal practitioners. A total 32 plant species belonging to 26 families and 29 genera were found to use for curing 37 ailments. Results show that the use of aboveground plant parts was higher (86%) than the underground plant parts (14%). Leaf was used in the majority of cases for medicinal preparation (17 species) followed by bark, fruit, root/rhizome, whole plant, seed and flower. Among the 32 plant species, they were mainly used to treat dysentery (10 species), followed by fever and rheumatism (5 species each); asthma, constipation, wounds and skin diseases (4 species each); cold ailments, cough and diarrhea (3 species each). The study revealed that 72% plant species investigated were used to cure more than one ailment. About 75% medicinal plants were taken orally followed by externally (9%) and both orally and externally (16%). The study thus underscores the potentials of the ethno-botanical research and the need for the documentation of indigenous healthcare knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind. © Northeast Forestry University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010.