Available online 23 April 2015
Tradition in Treating taboo: Folkloric medicinal wisdom of the aboriginals of Purulia district, west Bengal, India against sexual, gynaecological and related disorders
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
In
order to explore the traditional medicine practised by the ethnic
communities residing in the topographically and climatically challenged
Purulia, an underprivileged district of West Bengal, India, a
quantitative ethnobiological approach was adopted to document the
folkloric use of ethnomedicinals against different sexual,
gynaecological and related ailments.
Materials and methods
Ethnobiological
surveys were conducted during 2012–2015 by interviewing 82 informants
or traditional healers with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire.
The survey included questions on botanical and non-botanical
ingredients and additives mixed with monoherbal and polyherbal
formulations, vernacular names of the plants and animals, methods of
preparation and administration and restrictions during medications.
Additional quantitative indices such as use value, informant's consensus
factor and fidelity level were used for data analysis.
Results
Twenty
eight sexual and gynaecological disorders were found to be treated with
18 monoherbal and 31 polyherbal formulations consisting of a total
number of 96 plant species from 86 genera and 47 families and four
animal species. A variety of additives, either botanicals or
non-botanicals were used with the formulations for higher efficacy and
taste enhancement. Fabaceae (16 species) was found to be the most common
family of medicinal plants whereas herbs (42.7%) and roots (32%) were
the most common habit type and plant part used respectively. Use value,
informant's consensus factor and fidelity level indicate frequency and
coherence of citations.
Conclusion
Age
old belief on traditional medicine prevails in the studied area due to
its efficacy, inexpensive price and the remoteness of tribal villages
from conventional medical centres. Traditional healers had detailed
knowledge of preparations, doses, methods of administration,
restrictions during medications, safety and efficacy of using folkloric
therapeutics against sexual and gynaecological disorders. Possible
synergistic interactions among phytochemicals and additives were
indicated to explain enhanced therapeutic efficacy of mixed herbal
formulations.
Graphical abstract
Chemical compounds studied in this article
- Aristolic acid (PubChem CID: 119465);
- Ellagic acid (PubChem CID: 5281855);
- Gallic acid (PubChem CID: 370);
- Andrographolide (PubChem CID: 5318517)
Keywords
- Ethnobiology;
- Ethnopharmacology;
- Synergy;
- Traditional healers;
- Venereal diseases
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