REGIONAL SCIENCE CONGRESS ON " INNOVATION IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT"
ORGANIZED BY
THE INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS ASSOCIATION
BHUBANESWAR CHAPTER
AT
KIIT UNIVERSITY, BHUBNESWAR
JANUARY, 27-28, 2014, PP-49.
Diversity and medicinal properties
of Dioscorea bulbifera L.: a valuable
wild tuber crop of Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Forest, Odisha, India
Shanti Prava Behera, Sanjeet Kumar, Sakti Kant Rath
and Padan Kumar Jena
Department of Botany, Ravenshaw
University, Cuttack- 753 003, Odisha
sanjeet.biotech@gmail.com
Simlipal
Biosphere Reserve (SBR) forest is located in the district Mayurbhanj of the
state, Odisha. Government of India declared SBR as a Biosphere Reserve in 1994.
UNESCO added the National Park to its list of Biosphere Reserve in May 2009.
The National Park has total area of 2,750 Km2 and the average
elevation of 559.31 meters. It has a mixed type of vegetation such as
semi-evegreen, tropical moist broadleaf and tropical moist deciduous forest. It
is the hub of different tribal communities living in 64 villages inside the
SBR. The major aboriginals are Mankardia, Kharia, Kolho, Santhal, Ho, Bathudi
and Munda. They do agriculture for short periods and depend on wild plants for
their food and medicine. Among their wild foods Dioscorea species are important as per availability and consumption
rate. These wild tubers locally known as “Ban Aalu” or “Sanga”. The common Dioscorea species available in SBR are Dioscorea puber, Dioscorea hispida,
Dioscorea pentaphylla, Dioscorea bulbifera, Dioscorea oppositifolia etc.
Among Dioscorea species, Dioscorea bulbifera is more common. It
has sound ethnobotanical values and also frequently used as food by the tribal
communities of SBR. It is used against syphilis, toothache, aphthae, psoriasis,
rheumatism, aphrodisiac, rejuvenator, tuberculosis, leprosy, urinal troubles
and diabetics. It is also taken as cooling agent to reduce body heat during
summer and as contraceptive by the tribal ladies. The tubers and bulbils are
eaten as vegetables and snacks after much preparation due to their bitterness.
It is very popular food as main meal along rice. Dioscorea bulbifera is frequently found in Gurguria of SBR. It is
also rich at Ghatkumari, Kasipani, Bakua and Sanuski villages of SBR. The
availability of this valuable wild tuber crop is declining due to various
anthropogenic activities. Therefore, urgent need to take appropriate steps for
the conservation of this plant for sustainable use of bio-resource. It will be
helpful for the documentation of ethnobotany and development of new drugs.
Key-words:
Dioscorea bulbifera, Ethnobotany,
Simlipal Biosphere Reserve
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