Validation Of Ethno-Veterinary Medicinal Practices Of Onion (Allium Cepa L.)

Onion (Allium cepa) is an important medicinal herb apart from its culinary uses. It has wide array of uses in ethno-veterinary medicine since long time. The study was conducted to review, document and validate the ethno-veterinary practices in which onion is a dominant constituent. The validation of the ethno-veterinary practices was done with 30 experts from the relevant scientific field. The responses of experts for validation were taken on a three-point validity continuum. Among the 58 combinations of ingredients, 27.58% scored above 120 and 55.17% were scored ranging 100 to 120 out of 150, showing their wider applicability and validity in ethno-veterinary practices. The results showed that onions have a wide array of uses in ethno-veterinary practices, ranging from treating gastro-intestinal problems like tympany, indigestion and bloat to proven insecticidal anti-parasitic, repellant and antiseptic actions with different dosage and formulations. Onion is effective on various diseases due to unique combination of different compounds including fructans, flavonoids and organosulfur compounds. Validated practices of onion in ethno-veterinary medicine may be useful particularly among poor or remote livestock rearers who can neither afford nor may access expensive or distant conventional healthcare options.