Ethnomedicinal heritage and significance of indigenous plants of North East India - A review

Abstract

India has a long history of traditional medicinal systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani which are in coexistence with the various systems of ethnomedicine practiced in the region. Of these, the North Eastern part of India is extremely rich in terms of indigenous knowledge, due to its ecological diversity and cultural traditions of the many tribal groupings that comprise the region. The North East Indian is a land of extraordinary biological cultural diversity that is replete with the traditional ethnomedicinal information that is entrenched in the operations of the indigenous people in that region. This review examines how indigenous plants are used in the alternative health care system that is in existence among the tribes in the region where more than 200 tribes and subtribes have continued to use indigenous plant in the prevention and healing of various ailments over the years. The area, which is believed to be part of the Indo-Burmese hotspot of biodiversity, hosts a huge reservoir of endemic and useful as therapeutic plants. They are applied in the therapy of a broad range of disorders like common infections and gastrointestinal disorders to chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and inflammation. The review is a synthesis of ethnobotanical information of published and field literature to bring out the main medicinal plants, their therapeutic uses, preparation modes, and phytochemical compounds. The particular focus is placed on the socio-cultural and ecological environment where this knowledge is perpetuated and issues of modernization, loss of habitats, and erosion of knowledge. This paper has put forward a strong argument on the importance of the ethnomedicinal heritage of North East India in community health care, and also highlighted the potential untapped by it in the discovery of drugs through natural products. The scientific justification and the records of these traditional practices are not only necessary to preserve cultural heritage but also the promotion of integrative and sustainable health care systems in India.