Comparative Use of Medicinal Plants among the Indigenous People of Manakamana VDC, Nuwakot District

Abstract

The present research has been undertaken in the Manakamana VDC of Nuwakot district in Central Nepal to explore and document the indigenous knowledge and practices on the use of plants for medicinal purpose among five ethnic/caste groups, viz. Brahmin, Kami, Tamang, Gurung, and Ghale in the study area. Among which Tamang ethnic group is the dominating group in this district. The study has been undertaken primarily to document the ethnomedicinal information of Manakamana VDC, which was accompanied by three field visits made between 2009-2010. Multiple uses of medicinal plants among five ethnic/caste groups are also included in this present study. The ethnobotanical data were collected for medicinal purposes among the five ethnic/caste groups through key informant interview, group interview, observations, focus group discussion and informal interview with all groups of people viz. local healers (Dhami/Jhankri/Lama), and knowledgeable elder people, etc.

The findings showed the presence of altogeher 70 plants of medicinal values belonging to 43 families and 63 genera, among which the family Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Moraceae and Euphorbiaceae were observed as the largest family comprising 4 species each. These plant species were evaluated in terms of parts use category, habit category, disease use category, ethnographic validity, multiple uses, and number of taxa use to treat differnt ailments. The reported plant species were used for the treatment of 55 different diseases/ailments. Among which 23 species were used to treat gastritis, and 14 species were used to treat headache and 13 species were used to treat fever, etc.

The ethnobotanical study indicates that large number of plant species is used as traditional medicine. About 70 plant species are used as traditional medicine, of which 20 species of plants were used by all ethnic /caste groups to treat different diseases /disorders, and 5 species were used by all ethnic /caste group to treat nine common diseases/disorders. Analysis of data by ethnographic validity (EV) revealed that five plant species had high validity score (200-320) for different diseases/disorders; among them Centella asiatica has high ethnographic validity (320), which is being used as cooling agent. Similarly, seven plants have moderate ethnographic validity, and 20 plant species have low ethnographic validity. From the literature review it was found that most of the plant species used as medicine cited in the present study have also been supported by similar works done in other parts of the country.

Key words: Ethnobotany, ethnographic validity, diseases, disorders, traditional healers.