An Ethnobotanical Survey of Jessore District in Khulna Division, Bangladesh

Transcription

1 A merican-eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 3(2): , 2009 ISSN , American Eurasian Network for Scientific Information This is a refereed journal and all articles are professionally screened and reviewed 238 ORIGINAL ARTICLES An Ethnobotanical Survey of Jessore District in Khulna Division, Bangladesh A.H. Md. Mahabub Nawaz, Maruf Hossain, Masud Karim, Mujib Khan, Rownak Jahan, and Mohammed Rahmatullah Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative. Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh A.H. Md. Mahabub Nawaz, Maruf Hossain, Masud Karim, Mujib Khan, Rownak Jahan, and Mohammed Rahmatullah.; An Ethnobotanical Survey of Jessore District in Khulna Division, Bangladesh, Am.-Eurasian J. Sustain. Agric., 3(2): , 2009 ABSTRACT Jessore distric t in Khulna Division is bounded by Jhenaidaha and Magura districts on the north, Satkhira and Khulna districts on the s outh, Narail and Khulna districts on the east and West Bengal of India on the west. The population is predominantly rural. For hundreds of years, the population has mainly relied on traditional medicinal practitioners known locally as Kavirajes or Vaidyas for treatment of various ailments. These practitioners combine within themselves an incredible knowledge of medicinal plants and their properties. Bangladesh has over 5,000 floral species and use of these plants fo r medicinal purposes can vary widely from district to district. We are conducting a systematic ethnobotanical survey of the 64 districts of Bangladesh to obtain information on t h e p la n t s p ecies and ailments for which they are used. Detailed interviews were conducted in the local language of traditional medicinal practitioners in Jessore district. A semi-structured questionnaire was used followed by extensive questioning and taking of notes as to plant species being used, formulations, dosages, and side-effects, if any. Plant species as pointed out by the traditional medicinal practitioners were p h o t o g ra phed and plant specimens brought to Bangladesh National Herbarium for identification. Information on 26 plant species belonging to 22 families was obtained from the medicinal practitioners. The plant species (with family and ailments for which th e y are used given within parenthesis, respectively) include Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae, intestinal worms, low sperm count, jaundice, skin d is orders, liver dysfunction), Achyranthes aspera (Amaranthaceae, piles, leucorrhea, menstruation problems, tumor, carbuncle, abscess, liver diseases ), Typhonium trilobatum (Araceae, eczema), Aristolochia indica (Aristolochiaceae, snake bite), Calotropis procera (Asc le piadaceae, dog bite, rabies), Mikania scandens (Asteraceae, wounds), Terminalia arjuna (Combretaceae, low sperm count, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders), Ipomoea aquatica (Convolvulaceae, diabetes), Ipomoea paniculata (Convolvulaceae, leucorrhea, menstruation problems), Coccinia cordifolia (Cucurbitaceae, dysentery, leucorrhea, menstruation problems, diabetes), Leucas aspera (Labiatae, skin disorders, failure to conceive), Erythrina variegata (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae, low sperm count, excessive bleeding during childbirth), Erythrina indica (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae, intestinal worms), Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae, skin disorders), Ficus hispida (Moraceae, diabetes, weakness), Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae, skin lesions, cancer, c h ic ke n pox), Musa sapientum (Musaceae, diabetes), Syzygium cumini (Myrtaceae, diabetes), Nyctanthes arbor-tristis (Oleaceae, coughs, fever, high blood pressure, diabetes), Piper longum (Piperaceae, coughs, rheumatism, decreased appetite), Datura metel (Solanaceae, body pain, pain or lesion within the ear), Solanum trilobatum (Solanaceae, coughs, mucus), Abroma augusta (Sterculiaceae, leucorrhea, menstruation problems), Heritiera fomes (St e rculiaceae, goiter), Clerodendrum viscosum (Verbenaceae, intestinal worms), and Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae, blood disorders, skin disorders). Key words: Ethnobotany, medicinal plants, Jessore district, Bangladesh Introduction Jessore district in Khulna Division is bounded by Jhenaidaha and Magura districts on t h e north, Satkhira and Khulna districts on the south, Narail and Khulna districts on the east and Wes t Bengal of India on the west. The population is predominantly rural. For hundreds of years, the population has mainly relied on Corresponding Author: Mohammed Rahmatullah, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Development Alternative. Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh rahmatm@uoda.org

2 239 traditional medicinal practitioners known locally as Kavirajes or Vaidyas for treatment of various ailments. Even in recent periods, the majorit y o f t h e p opulation relies on traditional or herbal medicine practitioners because of a combination of faith and lack of access to modern medical facilities. These practitioners or healers combine within themselves an incredible knowledge of medicinal plants and their properties. Bangladesh has over 5,000 floral species and use of these plants for medicinal purposes can vary widely from district to dis trict. We are conducting a systematic ethnobotanical survey of the 64 districts of Bangladesh to obtain information on the plant species and ailments for which they are used. Towards that we conducted an ethnobotanical survey of areas within Jessore district. Materials and Methods Extensive interviews were conducted of the traditional healers with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire. The bas ic method followed was the guided field work as mentioned by Martin (1995) and Maundu (1995). Briefly, traditional healers were taken on field trips to areas from where they usually collected plants, while at the same time questions were asked and information noted. The information collected included formulations, ailments for which the formulations were used and dosages. Information was also collected on any particular season for collecting plants, plant parts us ed and whether combination of plants were used to treat any particular ailment or if an y s in g le plant was used to treat multiple ailments. For the latter, interviews were conducted as to any specific plant part used for the ailment(s) concerned. Plant specimens were photographed as well as collected, pressed and dried in the field. Local names of the plants were obtained from the informant and double-checked with other members of the community. Plant specimens were identified at the Bangladesh National Herbarium, where voucher specimens were deposited. Results and Discussion Plants and their distribution into families Information on 26 plants distrib u t e d into 22 families was obtained. The results are summarized in Table 1. Briefly, the families Co n v o lv ulaceae, Leguminosae, Solanaceae, and Sterculiaceae were represented by two plants each; the rest eighteen families were represented by one plant each. Plant parts used and ailments A total of 37 preparations were collected from the informants regarding usage of the 26 plant species. Use of leaves constituted the majority of medicinal preparations (14 descriptions), followed by roots (9 descriptions) and fruits (6 descriptions). Most plants were used to treat multiple ailments. For instance, leaves of Andrographis paniculata were used to treat intestinal worms, low sperm count, jaundice, skin disorders as well as liver dysfunction. The bark and fruit of Terminalia arjuna were used to treat low sperm count, diabetes and heart diseases. Sometimes, different parts of the same plant were used to treat diverse ailments. The leaves of Coccinia cordifolia were used to treat dysentery, diabetes, and increased temperatures of hands or head, while the roots were used as reme dy for leucorrhea and menstruation problems. The leaf juice of Leucas aspera was topically applied during skin disorders, but juice from flowers were given to women with difficulties in conceiving to drink. In the case of Solanum trilobatum, either ripe fruits or roots were used as remedy for cough and mucus in children. Diabetes, leucorrhea, menstrual problems, skin disorders, and intestinal worms appeared to be the most common ailments for which medicinal plant preparations were prescribed by traditional healers. Discussion Andrographis paniculata was reported as remedy for intestinal worms, skin dis orders, low sperm count, and liver dysfunction by traditional healers of Jessore district. In the traditional Ayurveda and Siddha systems of medicine as well as in tribal medicine of India, the plant is used for its anti-typho id, antifungal, antihepatotoxic, a ntimalarial, antiinflammatory and antipyretic properties. A survey of the scientific literature demonstrated that the hepatoprotective functions of this plant as well as one of its constituents, na me ly andrographolide are well documented. The whole plant as well as andrographolide has been shown to protect liver or hepatocytes against injury from carbon tetrachloride (Handa and Sharma, 1990a; Rana and Avadhoot, 1991), against galactos amine and paracetamol-induced hepatic injury (Handa and Sharma, 1990b; Visen et al., 1993), and against hexachlorocyclohexane-induced oxidative injury o f liv er (Trivedi et al., 2007). It is

3 240 interesting t h a t t raditional healers in Bangladesh use this plant as remedy for low sperm counts, for scientific studies have reported on the antifertility effects of this plant in rats and mice (Akbarsha et al., 1990; Zoha et al., 1989). Table 1: Medicinal plants used as remedy for various ailments in Jessore district of Bangladesh Botanical name Family Local name Part(s) used Ailment Andrographis Acanthaceae Kalomegh 1. Leaf 1. Intestinal worms, low sperm count, jaundice, skin paniculata Nees. disorders.leaf juice is taken as remedy for these problems. 2. Leaf 2. Liver dysfunction. Leaves are chewed. Achyranthes aspera Amaranthaceae Chirchiri 1. Root 1. Piles. Root paste is prepared by slightly burning roots with L. var. nigro- hang fish (snakehead: English, Channa striata) and then olivacea Suess. taken. 2. Root 2. Leucorrhea, menstruation problems. Pills are made from a combination of root of Coccinia cordifolia, root bark of Abroma augusta, root of Achyranthes aspera, whole plant of Ipomoea paniculata along with honey and opium. T hree tablets are to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach. 3. Whole plant 3. Tumor, carbuncle, abscess. Whole plant is made into a paste and applied to the affected area. 4. Root 4. Liver diseases. ½ kg roots of Achyranthes aspera is mixed with equal amounts of roots of Mangifera ind i ca and made into a paste. The paste is taken for liver disorders. Typhonium Araceae Kochu Leaf Eczema. Gum from Artocarpus heterophyllus trilobatum (L.) Lam. is applied to the bottom side of Typhonium trilobatum Schott leaves and then applied to eczemas by rubbing. Aristolochia. Aristolochiaceae Choto ishe Root Snake bite. The roots are chewed to destroy snake poison. indica L Calotropis procera Asclepiadaceae Akhunde Sap Dog bite, rabies. Sap from the plant is mixed wit h m o lasses (Ait.) Ait. f. and taken following dog bite. Mikania scandens Asteraceae Jarmany lota Leaf W ounds, bruises. Leaf juice is applied to the affected area. (L.) Willd. Terminalia Combretaceae Arjun 1. Bark, fruit 1. Low sperm count, diabetes. Bark powder mixed with arjuna Bedd. molasses is given as remedy for low sperm counts. T he fruits are taken for diabetes. 2. Bark 2. Heart diseases. The bark i s d ri ed and powdered and then one teaspoon full of powder is mixed with 1/16 kg of lukewarm milk. The milk is taken foll o wi n g cooling once every night for 15 days. Ipomoea Convolvulaceae Kolmi lata Leaf, stem Diabetes. The fruits of Ficus hispida along with stems and aquatica Forrsk. leaves of Ipomoea aquatica are taken during diabetes. Ipomoea Convolvulaceae Bhui kumra W hole plant Leucorrhea, menstruation problems. Pills are made from a paniculata Burm. F. combination of root of Coccinia cordifolia, root bark of Abroma augusta, root of Achyranthes aspera, whole plant of Ipomoea paniculata alo n g with honey and opium. T hree tablets are to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach. Coccinia cordifolia Cucurbitaceae Telakucha 1. Leaf 1. Dysentery. Leaf juice is taken with a little salt for a week. (L.) Cogn. 2. Root 2. Leucorrhea, menstruation problems. Pills are made from a combination of root of Coccinia cordifolia, root bark of Abroma augusta, root of Achyranthes aspera, whole plant of Ipomoea paniculata along with honey and op i u m. T hree tablets are to be taken in the m orning on an empty stomach. 3. Leaf 3. Diabetes, increas ed t emperature of hands or head. Fried leaves are taken for diabetes. Paste of leaves is applied to hands or head if they feel hot. Leucas aspera Labiatae alt. Golheshu, 1.Leaf 1. Skin disorders. Leaf juice is applied to the affected area. (Willd.) Lamiaceae Dondo kolosh 2. Flower 2. F ailure to conceive. Flowers are blended and juice collected. T h e juice is placed upon the tongue and taken slowly. The local people believe that this procedure opens up the ovary and brings th e woman in a situation more favorable for conception. Erythrina Leguminosae Mandar gach Root Low sperm count, to stop bleeding following childbirth. R oot variegata L. -Papilionoideae paste is made into pills and the pills taken once daily for 3 alt. Fabaceae days for low sperm co u n ts. T he same pill is mixed with juice of Cynodon dactylon and given to women to stop bleeding after childbirth. Erythrina Leguminosae- Palshe mandar Bark Intestinal worms. Juice from the bark of the plant is mixed indica Lam. Papilionoideae with juice from leaves of Ananas comosus and taken with a little lime water.

4 241 Table 1:Continue Azadirachta Meliaceae Neem Leaf Skin disorders. Leaf juice is mixed with juice from indica A.Juss. Curcuma longa rhizomes and honey and then taken. Ficus hispida L. Moraceae Dumur 1. Fruit 1. Diabetes. The fruits of Ficus hispida along with stems and leaves of Ipomoea aquatica are taken during diabetes. 2. Fruit 2. Diabetes, weakness fruits are sliced and soaked in ¼ kg water. The water is strained through cloth and drunk every morning on an empty stomach. Moringa Moringaceae Sajina Leaf, fruit Skin lesions, cancer, and chicken pox. A paste of leaves of oleifera Lam. the plant along with lime and leaves of Cynodon dactylon is applied to skin lesions. Fried leaves are squeezed and the juice obtained from the leaves is taken for 21 days for cancer. The fruits are taken during chicken pox. Musa sapientum L. Musaceae Kola Flower Diabetes. Paste of flowers is eaten every day. var. gambicola A.Chev. Syzygium cumini L. Myrtaceae Jam Seed kernels Diabetes. Seed kernels are taken with a little honey. Nyctanthes Oleaceae alt. Sheuli 1. Leaf 1. Coughs, mucus. Leaf juice mixed with honey is taken arbor-tristis L. Verbenaceae thrice daily. 2. Leaf 2. Fever, high blood pressure, diabetes. P as te of leaf is taken with a little honey. Piper longum L. Piperaceae Pipul Stem Coughs, mucus, rheumatism, stimulation of appetite. The stem is cut into small pieces and soaked in water overnight followed by drinking of the water. Datura metel L. Solanaceae Kalo Dhutura Leaf, fruit Body pain, pain or lesion within the ear. Leaves soaked in mustard oil is slightly warm ed and applied to areas of body pain. Fruits are cleaned of seeds and then mixed with mustard oil, slightly warmed and applied within the ears for ear pain or lesion within the ear. Solanum Solanaceae Kontikari begun, 1. Ripe fruit 1. Coughs and mucus in children. Ripe fruits are given to trilobatum L. Tit begun children for relief of coughs and as an expectorant. 2. Root 2. Coughs, mucus. 10 g of dried roots are mixed with two and a half black pepper and 7 pills are prepared from the mixture. To be taken in the morning and evening. Abroma Sterculiaceae Ulot kombol Root bark Leucorrhea, menstruation problems. Pills are made from a augusta Jacq. combination of root of Coccinia cordifolia, root bark of Abroma augusta, root of Achyranthes aspera, whole plan t o f Ipomoea paniculata along with honey and opium. T hree tablets are to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach. Heritiera fomes Sterculiaceae Shundori Bark Goiter. Paste of bark along with black pepper is applied to Buch. Ham. the throat. At the same time, bark juice is taken. Clerodendrum Verbenaceae Bhati gach Leaf Intestinal worms. Leaf juice is given once. viscosum Vent. Curcuma longa L. Zingiberaceae Holud Rhizome Blood purifier, s k i n d i s orders. Juice of the rhizomes, when taken is considered to purify blood. Paste of rhizomes is applied to the body for skin disorders and in general to maintain a healthy state of skin. Terminalia arjuna, which is used for low sperm count, cardiovascular disorders and diabetes by local healers has well documented protective action against heart diseases (Singh et al., 1982; Dwivedi and Agarwal, 1994; Dwivedi and Gupt a, 2002; Dwivedi, 2007) and diabetes (Raghavan and Kumari, 2006). Ipomoea aquatica, which is als o used to keep diabetes under control by local traditional healers have well documented hypoglycemic properties (Malalavidhane et al., 2000; Malalavidhane et al., 2001; Malalavidhane et al., 2003). A similar anti-diabetic potential (both against diabetes and diabetes-associated secondary disorders) of the plant Coccinia cordifolia, which is used by traditional healers against diabetes has been widely documented (Grover et al., 2001; Grover et al., 2002; Rathi et al., 2002; Kar et al., 2003; Kuriyan et al., 2008). The plants, Musa sapientum and Syzygium cumini are also used by local traditional healers against diabetes. A number of reports have demonstrated the efficacy of Musa sapientum extract against diabetes (Jain, 1968; Pari and Maheswari, 1999; Dhanabal et al., 2005). Syzygium cumini, besides India, also was in use in Europe as an antidiabetic drug prior to the discovery of insulin (Helms t ä d t e r, 2007). A number of reports have demonstrated its antidiabetic potential, of which only a few are cited (Teixeira et al, 1997; Singh and Gupta, 2007; Helmstädter, 2008). The plants Leucas aspera and Azadirachta indica are used by traditional healers for skin disorders. Since skin disorders can result from microbial infections, it was therefore of interest to dtermine whetrher scientific studies h ave reported antimicrobial activity in these plants or plant parts. The flowers of Leucas aspera reportedly possess antimicrobial activity (Mangathayaru et al., 2005). Similar antimicrobial activity has also been reported for Azadiractha indica (Chea et al., 2007). Moringa oleifera, which is used locally for skin lesions, cancer,

5 242 and chicken pox has res pectively, been shown to have antimicrobial (Eilert et al., 1981; Cáceres et al., 1991; Chuang et al., 2007), anticancer (Gue v a ra et al., 1999; Costa-Lotufo et al., 2005), and antiviral potential (Lipipun et al., 2003). Curcuma longa, used in skin dis orders is also known for its antimicrobial efficacy (Banerjee and Nigam, 1978). The use of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis in fevers, coughs and mucus is validated by scientific findings on the plant s immunostimulant activity (Puri et al., 1994), analgesic and antipyretic activities (Saxena et al., 1987), and antibacterial activity (Khatune et al., 2001). Piper longum is used for rheumatism; since the roots possess analgesic activity (Ved h a n a y a ki et al., 2003), its use may be to relieve the pain arising from rheumatism. Solanum trilobatum is used as remedy fo r c o u g h s and mucus; this use is validated by scientific findings on its clinical efficacy in bronchial asthma (Govindan et al., 1999; Govindan et al., 2004). Conclusion Recent years have witnessed a heightened interest and use of traditional plant-based medicines by people throughout the world. This has led to renewed interest by the scientific community to validate the age-old use of medicinal plants to treat various ailments. It is obvious that more scientific studies need to be conducted as only a fraction of the plants used in traditional medicin e have been rigorously tested through modern research. Such studies are also urgently needed because due to the increase in human population and spread of habitat, deforestation at a fast pace is going throughout the world an d ma n y important plants may be lost forever before they had been tested for novel pharmacological constituents and lead compounds. References Akbarsha, M.A., B. Manivannan, K.S. Hamid and B. Vijayan, Antifertility effe c t of Andrographis paniculata (Nees) in male albino rat. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 28(5): Ba n e rjee, A. and S.S. Nigam, Antimicrobial efficacy of the essential oil of Curcuma longa. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 68: Cáceres, A., O. Cabrera, O. Morales, P. M ollinedo and P. Mendia, Pharmacological properties of Moringa oleifera. 1: Preliminary scree n ing for antimicrobial activity. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 33(3): Ch e a, A., M.C. Jonville, S.S. Bun, M. Laget, R. Elias, G. Duménil and G. Balansard, In vitro antimicrobial activity of plants used in Cambodian traditional medicine. American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 35(5): Chuang, P.H., C.W. Lee, J.Y. Chou, M. Murugan, B.J. Shieh and H.M. Chen, Anti-fungal activity of crude extracts and essential oil of Moringa oleifera Lam. Bioresource Technology, 98(1): Costa-Lotufo, L.V., M.T. Khan, A. Ather, D.V. Wilke, P.C. Jimenez, C. Pessoa, M.E. de Moraes and M.O. de Moraes, Studies of the anticancer potential of plants us ed in Bangladeshi folk medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 99(1): Dhanabal, S.P., M. Sureshkumar, M. Ramanathan and B. Suresh, Hypoglycemic effect of ethanolic extract of Musa sapientum on alloxan induced diabetes mellitus in rats and its relation with antioxidant potential. Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy, 5(2): Dwiv e d i, S., Terminalia arjuna W ight & Arn. - a useful drug for cardiovascular disorders. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 114(2): Dwivedi, S. and M.P. Agarwal, Antianginal and cardioprotective effe c ts of Terminalia arjuna, an indigenous drug, in coronary artery disease. Journal of Association of Physicians India, 42(4): Dwivedi, S. and D. Gupta, Effic a c y o f Terminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina. Indian Heart Journal, 54(4): 441. Eile rt, U., B. W olters and A. Nahrstedt, The antibiotic principle of seeds of Moringa oleifera and Moringa stenopetala. Planta Medica, 42(5): Govindan, S., S. Viswanathan, V. Vijayasekaran and R. Alagappan, A pilot study on the clinical efficacy of Solanum xanthocarpum and Solanum trilobatum in bronchial asthma. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 66(2): Govindan, S., S. Viswanathan, V. Vijayasekaran and R. Alagappan, Further studies on the clinical efficacy of Solanum xanthocarpum and Solanum trilobatum in bronchial asthma. Phytotherapy Research, 18(10): Grover, J.K., V. Vats, S.S. Rathi and R. Dawar, Traditional Indian anti-diabetic plants attenuate progression of renal damage in streptozotocin induced diabetic mice. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 76(3): Grover, J.K., S. Yadav a nd V. Vats, Medicinal plants of India with anti-diabetic potential. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 81(1):

6 243 Guevara, A.P., C. Vargas, H. Sa ku ra i, Y. Fu jiwara, K. Hashimoto, T. Maoka, M. Kozuka, Y. Ito, H. Tokuda and H. Nis hino, An antitumor promoter from Moringa oleifera Lam. Mutation Res earch, 440(2): Handa, S.S. and A. Sharma, 1990a. Hepatoprotective activity of andrographolide from Andrographis paniculata against carbontetrachloride. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 92: H a n da, S.S. and A. Sharma, 1990b. Hepatoprotective activity of andrographolide against galactosamine a n d paracetamol intoxication in rats. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 92: Helmstädt e r, A., Antidiabetic drugs used in Europe prior to the discovery of insulin. Pharmazie, 62(9): Helmstädter, A., Syzygium cumini (L.) SKEELS (Myrtaceae) against diabetes 125 years of research. Pharmazie, 63(2): Jain, S.R., Hypoglycaemic principle in Musa sapientum L. an d it s is o la tion. Planta Medica, 16(1): Kar, A., B.K. Choudhary and N.G. Bandyopadhyay, Comparative evaluation of hypoglycaemic activity of some Indian medicinal plants in a llo xa n d iabetic rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 84(1): Khatune, N.A., M.A. M o s addik and M.E. Haque, Antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis flowers. Fitoterapia, 72(4): Kuriyan, R., R. Rajendran, G. Bantwal and A.V. Kurpad, Effect of su pplementation of Coccinia cordifolia extract on newly detected diabetic patients. Diabetes Care, 31(2): Lipipun, V., M. Kurokawa, R. Suttisri, P. Taweechotipatr, P. Pramyothin, M. Ha t t o ri and K. Shiraki, Efficacy of Thai medicinal plant extracts against herpes simplex virus t y p e 1 infection in vitro and in vivo. A ntiviral Research, 60(3): Malalavidhane, T.S., S.M. W ickra ma s in g h e and E.R. Jansz, Oral hypoglycaemic activity of Ipomoes aquatica. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 72(1-2): Malalavidhane, T.S., S.M. Wickramasinghe, M.S. Perera and E.R. Jansz, Oral hypoglycaemic activity of Ipomoea aquatica in streptozotocin-induced, diabetic Wistar rats and Type II diabetics. Phytotherapy Research, 17(9): Malalavidhane, S., S.M. W ickra ma singhe and E.R. Jansz, An aqueous extract of the green leafy vegetable Ipomoea aquatica is as effective as the oral hypoglycaemic drug tolbutamide in reducing the blood sugar levels of W istar rats. Phytotherapy Research, 15(7): Mangathayaru, K., J. Lakshmakant, N. Shyam Sundar, R. Swapna, X.F. Grace and J. Va s a n t ha, Antimicrobial activity of Leucas aspera flowers. Fitoterapia, 76(7-8): Martin, G.J., Ethnobotany: a People a n d Plants Conservation Manual. Chapman and Hall, London Maundu, P., Methodology for collecting and sharing indigenous knowledge: a case study. Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, 3: 3-5. Pa ri, L. and J.U. Maheswari, Hypoglycaemic effect of Musa sapientum L. in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 68(1-3): Puri, A., R. Saxena, R.P. Saxena, K.C. Saxena, V. Srivastava and J.S. Tandon, Immunostimulant activity of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 42(1): Raghavan, B. and S.K. Ku ma ri, Effect of Terminalia arjuna stem bark on antioxidant status in liver and kidney of alloxan diabetic rats. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 50(2): Rana, A.C. and Y. Avadhoot, Hepatoprotective effects of Andrographis paniculata against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage. Archives of Pharmacy Research, 14(1): Rathi, S.S., J.K. Grover, V. Vikrant and N.R. Biswas, Prevention of experimental diabetic cataract by Indian Ayurvedic plant extracts. Phytotherapy Research, 16(8): Saxena, R.S., B. Gupta, K.K. Saxena, V.K. Srivastava and D.N. Prasad, Analgesic, antipyretic and ulcerogenic activity of Nyctanthes arbor tristis leaf extract. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 19(2): Singh, N., K.K. Kapur, S.P. Singh, K. Shanker, J.N. Sinha and R.P. Kohli, Mechanism of cardiovascular action of Terminalia arjuna. Planta Medica, 45(6): Singh, N. and M. Gupta, Effe c t s of ethanolic extract of Syzygium cumini (Linn) seed powder on pancreatic islets of alloxan diabetic rats. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 45(10): Teixeira, C.C., L.P. Pinto, F.H. Kessler, L. Knijnik, C.P. Pinto, G.J. Gastaldo and F.D. Fuchs, The effect of Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels on post-prandial blood glucose levels in non-diabetic rats and rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 56(3): Trivedi, N.P., U.M. Ra w a l and B.P. Patel, Hepatoprotective effect of andrographolide against hexachlorocyclohexane-induced oxidative injury. Integrated Cancer Therapy, 6(3): Vedhanayaki, G., G.V. Shastri and A. Kuruvilla, Analges ic a c t ivity of Piper longum Linn. root. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 41(6): Visen, P.K., B. Shukla, G.K. Patnaik and B.N. Dhawan, Andrographolide prot e c ts rat hepatocytes against paracetamol-induced damage. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 40(2): Zoha, M.S., A.H. Hussain and S.A. Choudhury, Antifertility effect of Andrographis paniculata in mice. Bangladesh Medical Research Council Bulletin, 15(1):