Ethnobotany of plants used against the skin diseases with special reference to Cassia fistula L. among the king (Dongaria Kandha) of Niyamgiri: A primitive tribe of Odisha, India.

Sanjeet Kumar  
^{sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com}

Department of Botany, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack

Abstract

Fungi causing skin infections are treated by the Dongaria Kandha Niyamgiri hills, Odisha, India since thousand years back using plant parts of local flora of Niyamgiri as traditional medicine. Keeping this in view it was conceptualized to study the ethnobotany of species used as traditional medicines among them in order to validate their therapeutic claims against eczema and other skin diseases. Through questionnaire it was ascertained that 19 plant species are being used   in the treatment of skin diseases; particularly eczema. Among 19 plant species, Cassia fistula L. which tops in the priority list was tested against Aspergillus niger using disc diffusion method. Antimicrobial and qualitative analysis of bioactive compounds from the leaf of Cassia fistula L. showed that the antifungal activity of leaf of Cassia fistula L. was excellent against the test fungus as reflected through fungal inhibition zone which were 10.5 mm in hexane and 16.2 mm in methanol extracts. Bioactive compounds present in plant extracts showed the potent medicinal value of Cassia fistula L. against skin diseases. The study recommends for using these plants, particularly Cassia fistula L. against skin diseases such as eczema.

Introduction

World health Organization reported that the traditional medical practitioners treat about 85 %of patients in India¹, which shows the significant valuable relation between local tribal people with medicinal plants. The medicinal uses of plants are very old. The writings indicate that therapeutic use of plant is being practiced since as old as 5000-4000 B.C. and Chinese used first the natural herbal preparations as medicines. In India, however, earliest references of use of plants as medicine appear in Rig-Veda which is said to be written between 3500-1600 B.C., Later the properties and therapeutic uses of medicinal plants were studied in detail and recorded empirically by the ancient physician in Ayurveda which is a basic foundation of ancient medical science in India².Odisha claims a prominent position among the states and Union Territories of India for having the largest varieties of tribes that is 62 in number including 13 vulnerable tribal groups as well as the third highest tribal populations numbering over 8 millions, about 9.7 % of the country’s total population and constituting 22.13 % of the state’s total population as per 2001 census. It means among every five persons one belongs to a scheduled tribe community in the state. Every tribal group represents unique indigenous ethnobotanical systems that include the mode of taking or applying externally or internally plant parts as a cure. Without proper documentation of such knowledge, the cultural and traditional heritage of Odisha is loosing its importance and traditional indigenous knowledge is being lost. Tribal communities are forced to change their livelihood which leads to ethoncultural degradation. Therefore an attempt has been made to explore the traditional healthcare system of the Dongaria Kandha of Niyamgiri Hills, Odisha for the treatment of various types of skin diseases using local medicinal flora. Dongaria Kondha is one of the primitive tribes of the state and enjoys a critical and symbiotic relation with the Niyamgiri forests. Various types of medicinal plants are widely used by the traditional medical practitioners of Dongaria kandha for curing various diseases in their daily life. They are a significant tribal group which constitutes a primitive section of the Kandha, numerically the largest among the 62 tribes of Odisha. For being the denizens of hills, forests and highlands (Dongar), their neighbors name them Dongria but, they call themselves “Dongran Kuan” or Drili Kuan. The Dongaria kandha inhabit the lofty Niyamgiri Hill ranges spread across Bissamcuttack, Kalyansinghpur, Muniguda blocks in Rayagada district. As son of Nature the Dongrias love to live in their natural abode, far away from the madding crowds of civilization. The high altitude of the Dongaria Kandho habitat has made the climate cool and pleasant³.The soil and climate are favorable for raising horticultural and ethnobotanical plantations like Pine apple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) and Patal Garuda or  Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentin (L.) Benth ex Kurz.). Dongaria continue their age old subsistence activity of food gathering and collected medicinal plants from the forest to cure different type of diseases. In this paper authors presented the plants used by Dongaria kandho for skin diseases. There are 19 plants which are used for skin diseases by this community. Authors validate their claims by studying in detail the leaves of Cassia fistula L. against fungal infections. Cassia fistula L. Belong to family Caeasalpiniaceae is a very common usable plant among Dongaria kandha for cure of skin diseases. In the Indian literature, this plant has also been described to be useful against skin diseases^{4, 5}.

Conclusions

The findings of the survey emphasized that herbal medicines have great potentiality to cure different types of skin diseases including eczema among tribal community. The indigenous rural community depends on traditional healthcare system as traditional formulations. The findings of the study of antifungal activity as well as the literature survey confirmed the traditional therapeutic claims of Cassia fistula L. among Dongaria kandha to treat eczema and other skin diseases. The MIC test showed good zone of inhibition against the organisms in methanol and hexane extract compared to standard which proved the threauptic claims of Dongaria Kandha against skin disease. There is an ample scope of such kind of studies to gather the information on medicinal plants of Niyamgiri Hills. Anthropogenic disturbances such as unsustainable harvesting, cultivation practices and over exploration lead to threat to such potential genetic resources. Such Anthropogenic pressures lead medicinal plants to decline drastically in its natural condition¹²therefore in addition to this, the Ecologist, Ethnobotanist, Pharmacologist, Anthropologist and Plant Taxonomist should pay attention towards the conservation status and relationship with tribal community of these plants species. Sure, these types of studies will help in developing the strategy for conservation of biodiversity.