Traditional phytotherapy in bhadrak district of odisha, india

ABSTRACT: Human  health  care  is  a  major  challenge  in  India  constrained  by  meager economic  resources  and  lack  of  trained  manpower.  Traditional  medicine practiced  from  ancient  period  in  rural  India  could  be  an  alternative  and sustainable  solution  to  this  challenge.  The  main  objective  of  the  present investigation was to document the phytotherapeutic knowledge and health care management  practices  in  the  interior  of  Bhadrak  district,  Odisha,  India.  The field  study  was  carried  in  from  July  2013  to  June  2014  using  structured questionnaires,  complemented    by  unstructured  interviews  and  informal conversations  with  local  people  engaged  in  traditional  health  care  practices. Therapeutic  use  of  53  plant  species  belonging  to  33  families  was  recorded. Different  plant  parts  like  leaf,  root,  bark,  flower,  seed  and  whole  plant  were found  used  in  raw  or  cooked  form  against  46  specific  diseases.  Prominent among  them were cardiovascular ailments, diarrhoea, jaundice, skin ailments and rheumatism. The reported species may be tried clinically for their efficacy and can be used for the development  of new, cheep, effective, and eco-friendly herbal  formulations for human health care management. KEY WORDS: Folklore, Phytotherapy, Traditional knowledge, Medicinal plants.