Diversity and Ethnobotanical assessment of Wild Cucurbits of Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Forest, Odisha, India

Prakash Kumar Tripathy, Sanjeet Kumar and Padan Kumar Jena. Diversity and ethnobotanical assessment of Wild Cucurbits of Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Forest, Odisha, India. Proceeding of 37^th Annual Conference and P. Parija Memorial National Conference on “Recent Advances in Plant Biotechnology”. 22-23 December 2012. Pp. 49-50.

P.K.Tripathy#, Sanjeet Kumar*
* Department of Biotechnology, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack-753003, India
# Department of Botany, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack-753003, India

sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com


Mr Tripathy with tribal childrens of SBR

Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Forest (SBR) situated in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. Biosphere derives its name from the abundance of Semul or red silk cotton that bloom vividly. Government of India declared SBR as a biosphere reserve in 1994. UNESCO added this National Park to its list of biosphere reserve in May 2009. There are 10,000 people living in 65 villages inside the SBR. That is why SBR is yet to be declared a fully fledged park, despite its having the status of one of the fifteen biosphere of India. The National Park has total area of 2,750 Km² . the average elevation is 559.31 meters. At least 12 mountain rivers cut across the plain area. The prominent among them are Budhabalanga, Kahairi and Deo. It has a mixed type of vegetation known as Orissa semi-evergreen forests with tropical moist broadleaf forest and tropical moist deciduous forests with dry deciduous hill forest and high level sal forests. There are different types of tribal community are found. Some of the tribes namely Kol, Kharia, Mankdias and Saharas are still in primitive state of living. They depend solely on their surrounding plants for more of their requirements from food to medicine. Several types of medicinal plants are available inside SBR, among them some wild cucurbits are very common in SBR and their richness value is very high in all tribal village is very high. They play important role as traditional medicine among different tribal community. Very common wild cucurbits are Cucumis melo, Diplocyclos palmatus, Tricohosanthes tricuspidata and Tricohosanthes cucumirina. Around Gurguria village all above wild cucurbits are found in very high quantity than they also found around Ghatkumari, Sanuski, Karanjia, and Astakumar with very good richness. Phytochemical screening of these above wild cucurbits, reported the presence of Saponin, Tannin, Cardenolides, flavonoids, polyphenols and other bio-active compounds which are attributed to anti-microbial activity, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic, hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycmic activity.

A Wild Medicinal Cucurbit,"Shivlingi"

The ethnobotanical knowledge on these cucurbits indicated the potential values against different types of diseases. Such as tribal community of Gurguria of SBR have been using the  fruit of Cucumis melo against teeth problems and skin infections.  Ajambar Mankardia, a tribe of primitive tribal group Mankardia from Durdura village of SBR use the fruit of Trichosanthes tricuspidata for abortion and aqueous seed paste against eczema. Tribal group of sanuski village of SBR use the fruit of Cucumis melo and Diplocyclos palmatus against fever and oral infections of Goat and other domestic animals. Nengu Ho, a tribe of Ho tribal community from Gurguria village of SBR use the fruit of Cucumis melo as vegetables and toothache problems. The Tribal groups of SBR are excellent in the use of herbal medicine as wild cucurbits. Thus more scientific study and documentation needed on ethnobotany, phytochemistry and anti-microbial activity of wild cucurbits for the development of different formulation and new future drugs to fight different pathogens