Floristic Diversity and Indigenous Uses of Medicinal Plants of Saharanpur District, (Uttar Pradesh) India

Author: Yogendra Kumar and Arvind Kumar Singh

Download PDF

Abstract

From the time immemorial plants have been playing significant role in the life of human beings as a great source of food, clothing, shelter and medicine. In India, the traditional medication system plays an important role in health care of rural people. This traditional knowledge exploration is a part of the cultural tradition of each community to establish a systematic approach based on traditional practices through the sustainable use of natural bioresources. Besides advancement in the healthcare system in the modern age, the communities prefer sharing their intellects on traditional practices and vast experiences, which includes the source of ailments and its remedies leading towards available methods to ensure healthy livelihood. Documentation of this traditional knowledge is a challenge and essentially important for the conservation and utilization of biological resources. An extensive survey to document floristic diversity and indigenous uses of medicinal plants from various parts of Saharanpur district was conducted from July 2020 to August 2022. The ethnobotanical information was obtained through open interviews and group discussions with local people of the district. A total of 61 medicinal plants belonging to 20 families of angiosperms were documented. These plants are widely used against various ailments by the local inhabitants of the study area. Leaves were found to be the most widely used plant part, followed by root and other parts. The main objective of this study was to document the floristic diversity and indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants found in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Keywords

Floristic diversity, traditional knowledge, bioresources, ethnobotanical, ailments, Saharanpur

Conclusion

It is evident from the result that the ethnomedicinal knowledge is still alive in the study area as the people still use phytomedicines for their various health problems. A total of 61 medicinal plants were collected used for the treatment of various diseases. The principal life form for medicine was herb and leaf was the principal plant part used. Furthermore, the most common treated diseases group was digestive disorders. These plants have tremendous potentials for pharmaceutical products of commercial values but due to the lack of awareness and proper documentation, this wealth is decreasing day by day. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the traditional ethnomedicinal wealth and knowledge with pharmacological aspects through creating awareness and motivating local people for cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants. In recent years, significant changes within several aspects of ethno-medicine occurred as a result of environmental degradation and tremendous changes in modern social systems. Due to these factors, the traditional knowledge system in India is fast degrading. Hence, there is an urgent need to document all ethno-botanical information among the diverse ethnic communities before the traditional culture vanishes.

References

-

How to cite this article

Yogendra Kumar and Arvind Kumar Singh (2023). Floristic Diversity and Indigenous Uses of Medicinal Plants of Saharanpur District, (Uttar Pradesh) India. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(3): 502-510.