Study of Medicinal Plants used in the Treatments of Diseases such as –Digestive, Respiratory & Cancer of Guret Village, District Una, Himachal Pradesh

Author: Pushpa Thakur, Monika Verma and Ayushi Gupta

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Abstract

State endows with a high diversity of medicinal plants. In many parts of Himachal Pradesh rural people depends upon plants for treating various ailments. Present study focused on the documentation of plant species used against digestive, respiratory, and cancer diseases in district Una, Himachal Pradesh, India. Study documented 14 plant species to treat digestive disorder, 10 species to treat respiratory and 8 plant species were used to cure cancer problem. In this study herbal remedies found to be largely prepared by decoction and were administered mainly orally. Different plant parts i.e. leaves, root, seed, bark, flowers, stem and whole plants were used. Herbal medicines have many useful properties including low side effects, more affordable and alleviate concern about the adverse effects of chemical medicine, satisfy a desire for personalized health care and allow greater public access to health information. Rural and tribal community of Himachal Pradesh largely depends on herbal sources for curing different types of diseases. Due to the absence of scientific monitoring of plants and lack of awareness among these people, the availability of valuable plant resources is decreasing at an alarming rate. Therefore, the present study is a necessary step towards the goal of raising awareness in local communities about the importance of the plant and their further conservation.

Keywords

Medicinal plants, traditional healers, diseases, Una, H.P.

Conclusion

The people of the remote areas in Himachal Pradesh mostly depend on folk knowledge of medicinal plants to cure various ailments. The present study was carried out to document and analyze traditional use regarding the medicinal plants among communities residing in Guret village of Una district, H.P. Medicinal plants used by traditional healers and local people in the village were documented along with their local name, scientific name, family, part used and mode of administration. A total 14 plant species belonging to 12 families were recorded to treat digestive problems, 10 plant species with 9 families have respiratory potential and 8 plant species belonging to 7 families were used to treat cancer problems. In the present study herbal remedies were found to be largely prepared by decoction and were administered mainly orally. Documentation and identification of local plants of an area is essential as it can provide information about the abundance of plant species of the study region. Documentation will also help in preserving ethno-botanical knowledge and biodiversity of the area.

References

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How to cite this article

Pushpa Thakur, Monika Verma and Ayushi Gupta (2023). Study of Medicinal Plants used in the Treatment of Diseases such as – Digestive, Respiratory & Cancer of Guret Village, District Una, Himachal Pradesh. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(6): 311-316.