Ethnoveterinary Studies in Uttar Pradesh
Comparative ethnobotanical survey was carried out in 10 local communities distributed in nine districts
of western Uttar-Pradesh province of India. Interviews conducted during winter and summer of 2009-10
proved to be helpful in recording the indigenous knowledge of the study area. A total of 28 edible plant
species collected were mostly consumed in this area. The low cost and almost no side effects of the
ethnobotanical preparations made them adaptable for use by the local communities particularly curing
various ailments affecting their livestock. Therefore documenting and preserving this indigenous
knowledge is urgently needed for developing strategic management plans for conservation and
utilization in a sustainable manner.
A survey in Firozabad District has been done for documented ethanomedicianl plants. About 71 plants
have reported in this manuscript which is used for various diseases. This manuscript is very useful for those who
working with herbal plants.
Purpose
The aim of the present investigation was to document the phytotherapeutic knowledge and veterinary healthcare management practices among the Tharu tribal community of Uttar Pradesh, India and to determine the consensus of such practices, in order to evaluate the potential for new veterinary drugs of herbal origin.
Methods
This study was conducted in 2000–2004 using semistructured, open-ended questionnaires, informal interviews and group discussions with farmers engaged in animal husbandry.
Results
In the present study, 59 phytotherapeutic practices using 48 plant species were documented for management of 18 types of healthcare problems of domesticated animals. Crude drug formulations keep the animal healthy, increase lactation, and reduce estrus interval and puberty period to make them economically more important. There was great agreement among informants regarding phytotherapeutic uses of medicinal plants with factor of informants’ consensus (F IC) value ranging from 0.84 to 1, with an average value of 0.94.
Conclusion
Study reveals that there is great agreement among informants for the usages of Azadirachta indicaA Juss, Bombax ceiba L, Bambusa arundinacea (Retz) Willd, Corianderum sativum L, Cuscuta reflexa Roxb, Datura metal L, Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn, and Parthenium hysterophorus L. These species may be used for the development of new, cheep, effective, and eco-friendly herbal formulations for veterinary healthcare management. Further investigation of these herbal formulations for veterinary healthcare management will require safety and efficacy testing. There is an urgent need to formulate suitable conservation strategies for wildly growing phytotherapeutics to overcome their depletion from natural resources and to make these practices more eco-friendly.
New claims in folk veterinary medicines from Uttar Pradesh, India
Background
In remote areas, folk medicines play a significant role in livestock health care management. The aims of this study were to document folk veterinary medicines of the Uttar Pradesh region and identify promising species for pharmacological studies.
Methods
Fieldwork was conducted over a period of two years in Uttar Pradesh, utilizing the “transect walk” method of participatory rural appraisal (PRA). The data were analyzed through the following techniques: use-value, relative frequency of citation and informant consensus factor (Fic).
Results
This research details the use of 83 medicinal plants used to treat 36 livestock ailments. A total of 91 new medicinal claims were discovered. The ailments are categorized into 11 ailment categories based on certain group of ailments (symptoms/similarities, etc). The Fic values indicate that there was a high degree of consensus among informants regarding how to treat burns, coughs, colds and fevers. The most useful medicinal species, ranked according to their perceived usefulness were: Linum usitatissimum,Saccharum officinarum, Brassica napus, Acacia nilotica, Alocasia macrorrhizos, andCalotropis gigantea. For certain medicinal uses, Ferula asafoetida, Linum usitatissimum,Pandanus tectorius, Brassica juncea, Brassica napus, Madhuca longifolia, Alocasia macrorrhizos and Tagetes erecta were also frequently cited for cures with a Fic value of over 3.00. In remedy preparations, the leaves were the most frequently used plant part (22 instances) and most of the preparations were in the form of crushed plant parts, leaves or otherwise. Herbs were the most frequently used source of medicine (43), followed by trees (21) and shrubs (17%).
Conclusions
Those plants which received high relative frequency citation (Fic) values may prove useful for pharmacological studies in new drug development projects, especially Ferula asafoetida (used for flatulence), Linum usitatissimum (a galactagogue), Pandanus tectorius (used for estrus regulation/preparation for breeding), Brassica juncea (to cure infections of the tail), Brassica napus (also to cure infections of the tail), Madhuca longifolia (to cure maggots in the hoof), Alocasia macrorrhizos (for estrus regulation) andTagetes erecta (for otitis).
