Indigenous knowledge on some medicinal plants among the Nicobari Tribe of Car Nicobar Island

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1 Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 3(3), July 2004, pp Indigenous knowledge on some medicinal plants among the Nicobari Tribe of Car Nicobar Island Stutee Gupta*, M C Porwal and P S Roy Forestry & Ecology Division, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing 4, Kalidas Road, Dehradun, Uttaranchal Received 15 September 2003; revised 15 March 2004 The Nicobari tribe of Car Nicobar Island is endowed with vast knowledge of medicinal plants. They cultivate some of these plants for the treatment of various diseases. An attempt has been made to document some of the medicinal plants commonly used by these tribes. A note on the exact usage along with the local name and photographs are also provided. Keywords: Nicobarese, Car Nicobar, Medicinal Plants, Nicobari Tribe, Ethnomedicine. IPC Int. Cl. 7 : A61K35/78, A61P25/20, A61P1/06, A61P1/16, A61P19/00, A61P17/00, A61P1/12. According to World Health Organization estimate, approximately 80% indigenous populations in developing countries depend on traditional medicine for primary health care needs; a major portion of these involves the use of medicinal plants 1. Demand for medicinal plants in domestic and international markets is on increase 2. Thus chemical prospecting of plant resources offers huge potential in using and conserving biodiversity. At present, around 70% of the drugs used as medicines are modeled on natural compounds, yet these are derived from only around 250 plant species, when only less than 0.1% of the plant species have been examined for their medicinal value 3. In the rural and tribal lives of India, medicinal plant sector has * Correspondent author traditionally occupied an important position in the socio-cultural, spiritual and medicinal arena. Recognizing the world s increasing concern on herbal medicines and India s rich traditional heritage and folklore in utilizing plants as medicines, the Government of India has emphasized the need to document, protect and evaluate the traditional knowledge 4. The use of plants for medical treatment in India dates back to prehistoric time. The practice of oral tradition is still prevalent among the tribes of India, where local communities in every ecosystem from the Trans-Himalayan region to the coastal plains regions have discovered the medicinal uses of thousands of plants found in the ecosystems. There are about 25,000 effective plant based formulations available in the indigenous medical texts. The folklore

2 288 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 3, NO. 3, JULY 2004 of Trans-Himalayan and Central India have attracted the ethno-botanists of our country but very little attempt has been made to document the traditional health care habits of the tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Many studies particularly of plants used in traditional health care systems of indigenous communities have been made in various parts of the country but the studies on ethnobotany of different tribes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are rather scanty 5. The medicinal plants constitute important biological resources of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There are about 250 medicinal plants reported from these Islands and 80 are having potential for commercial exploitation 6. The Andaman and Nicobar Island is an abode of five primitive tribes, viz. Jarawas, Onges, Nicobarese, Shompens and the Sentinelese. Of these, only Nicobarese are able to maintain their sustenance under the influence of outsiders. They have been living in harmony with the nature since ages and depend on plants for the treatment of various ailments 7. However, with the present pace of shrinking of the forest and rich traditional heritage under the influence of outside world, these tribes are loosing the knowledge of medicinal plants, which can otherwise be tapped for the betterment of the society. The present study aims to identify and document, based on field survey, some of the plant species used for medicinal purpose by the Nicobarese tribe of Car Nicobar Island. Methodology A field visit was carried out to the Car Nicobar Island during November to December Interview with Mr. Alben (Second Captain of Passa Village) was conducted and documentation of some folklore claims used by the Nicobari tribe has been carried out. The photographic records with correct botanical names of all the documented plant species were also made. Study Area Car Nicobar is the headquarters of Nicobar district, about 250 km south of Port Blair, lying south of Ten-Degree Channel in the Bay of Bengal. With a total geographical area of 127 sq km, this Island is also a center of Nicobarese culture and language. Most of the vegetation is presently in degraded form with scrub and scattered trees. Weeds such as Lantana camara Linn., Chromolaena, etc. are common. Catharanthus roreus (L.) G. Don near Arong village and Ocimum sanctum Linn. near Mallaca grows in abundance. The Nicobarese are one of the tribal groups inhabiting the Nicobar Group of Islands in the Andaman Sea. The Nicobarese belong to the Mongoloid race. Their population has doubled in the last 50 years and figures 26,142 according to 1991 census. Bulk of them live in Car-Nicobar Island, and to a lesser extent in the Nancowry, Katchal, Camorta, Teressa, Bompuka, Chowra, Little Nicobar and Great Nicobar 8. Observation Nicobarese depend on plant resources for the treatment of various ailments. Most of the plants used by them are herbaceous; however extracts derived from shrubs and trees are also used. Although they depend on several rare and endemic plants growing

3 GUPTA et al: MEDICINAL PLANTS OF CAR NICOBAR ISLAND 289 Table 1 List of some medicinal plants used by Nicobarese Tribe of Car Nicobar Island S.No. Botanical Name Local Name Family Ailment (s) Method of use 1 Tabernaemontana crispa Roxb. Sin-eyera Apocynaceae Diziness Leaves are put in stacks of 3-4 in a pillow cover and covered with thin cotton cloth. Person under treatment is made to sleep on it. 2 Phyllanthus amarus Schum & Thom. NA * Stomachache Euphorbiaceae Leaves are made into a paste, added to water, and the extract is taken when colour of water turns green. Fever Plants are sun dried. The same can be stored for 2-3 months. During fever dried leaves are boiled with hot water and the decoction is given when colour becomes brown. This is given 2-3 times a day. Jaundice Leaves are added to the coconut milk (cold) and the mixture is kept for 0-15 minutes. This mixture is taken three times a day 3 Sida acuta Burm. f. Metameya Malvaceae Hair fall Leaves are crushed into a fine paste and mixed with coconut milk and then filtered in a cotton cloth. The mixture is applied for 2-3 hours a day to prevent hair fall. 4 Morinda citrifolia L. Lorang Rubiaceae 5 Ocimum sanctum L. Likup Lamiaceae Cuts and Wounds Cold and Cough Effective in promoting blood clotting. Leaf juice is applied on the affected parts for 3-4 days. Leaves are boiled in water and the extract is taken. 6 Lepidopetalum montanum (Bl.) Radlk. Takurotang Sapindaceae Stomachache Leaves are crushed into a fine paste and an extract is prepared in water (one litre water and 100 gm leaves). Intake of 2-3 glasses of extract is effective. (Contd)

4 290 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 3, NO. 3, JULY 2004 Table 1 List of some medicinal plants used by Nicobarese Tribe of Car Nicobar Island Contd S.No. Botanical Name Local Name Family Ailment (s) Method of use 7 Barringtonia asiatica (L.)Kurz 8 Gouania tilifolia Lamk. Tufil In-meya Barringtoniaceae Rhamnaceae 9 Physalis minima L. Lin-pepmal Solanaceae 10 Euphorbia hirta L. Mu-Pet Euphorbiaceae *NA (not available) 11 Plumeria rubra L. Tayuksaka Apocynaceae Fracture Wound Internal injuries and fractures High Fever Cuts and wounds Dysentery and intestinal worms Fractures Blisters Leaves along with the leaves of Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) Sweet and Euphorbia hirta L., are crushed into a paste which is mixed with coconut oil and applied externally. Leaves are warmed in fire and crushed to fine paste which is then applied on cuts and wounds The palm is rubbed with coconut oil and warmed by showing it to the smoke from the burning stems. The palm is gently kept on the affected spots giving a warm and mild massage. This procedure is repeated twice a day preferably morning and evening to relieve pain. Leaves are washed in water and crushed into a fine paste, which is crushed to extract the juice. Juice is applied on the forehead. The substrate is also used but adding it to a glass of water and mixture is applied on whole body. Leaves are added to mildly hot coconut oil. Mixture is applied to cuts. 100 gm leaves are added to 1 lit oil. Bark is cut and boiled in water, till the colour changes to red. It is taken to control loose motion and to kill intestinal worms. Leaves are crushed and juice is applied on the affected part using cotton cloth Latex is used to cure blisters caused by mosquito bites. Latex is applied directly on the blisters and dried. Coconut oil is applied on it for instant relief.

5 GUPTA et al: MEDICINAL PLANTS OF CAR NICOBAR ISLAND 291 Plate 1

6 292 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL. 3, NO. 3, JULY 2004 Plate 2

7 GUPTA et al: MEDICINAL PLANTS OF CAR NICOBAR ISLAND 293 in the interior forest, some plants are cultivated by these tribes for their medicinal value. Wide variety of plants can be seen growing as weeds in the large open area in the center of each village. During the study, eleven plant species with their local names, most commonly used by the local tribes have been enumerated (Table 1). To ensure authenticity of the results, plants which were in flowering or fruiting stage at the time of data collection were recorded (Plate1 & 2). Discussion The Nicobarese tribes are the reservoir of vast knowledge. They have been using medicinal plants for the treatment of various diseases since ages. Although few of the traditional healers have informal apprentices, very little of this knowledge is documented. The Island is passing through a transitional phase due to recent changes in the socio-economic set up and youths are also getting attracted toward the influence of outside world. This wealth of undocumented information is likely to be lost in near future if timely efforts are not taken. Attempts have to be made to analyze the scientific basis of this indigenous knowledge by encouraging pharmacochemical studies of the documented species. Although some of the species enlisted are already known for their medicinal use, some of them still remain unknown. These tribes must be encouraged to cultivate the promising species in large scale for their economic upliftment and betterment of the society. Acknowledgement Authors are thankful to Dr. P. K. Hajra for identification of the plant specimens. We are also thankful to Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department for providing logistic support and staff during fieldwork. We duly acknowledge the Botanical Survey of India, Andaman and Nicobar Circle for permitting us library and herbarium consultation. References 1 Bennerman R, Burton J & Chen W C, Traditional Medicine and Health Care Coverage, (World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland), Awanish S, Herbal wealth needs conservation, Yojna, 11 (1998) Dobson Andrew P, Conservation and Biodiversity, (Scientific American Library, New York), 1998, Anon, Science and Technology Policy, (Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India), 2003, Bhargava N, Plants in folk life and folklore in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in: Contributions to ethnobotany of India, edited by Jain S K, (Scientific Publication, Jodhpur), 1990, Sinha B K & Rao P S N, Cultivable and medicinal plants of the Bay Islands, Proceedings of the Seminar on Island Ecosystem and Sustainable Development, (Andaman Science Association, Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Island), 1998, Mehera R, Medico-Botany of Nicobar for Mental Health, Deerghayu International, 66 (2001) Anon, Techno Economic Survey of Andaman and Nicobar Island, (National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi), 1972, 11.