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Article Excerpt
ABSTRACT -- Ethnomedicinal studies on the commonly used food plants were conducted in one of the most remote areas of the eastern Himalayas bordering Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Tibet. The Himalayan1 mountain complex is rich in medicinal folklore and has contributed much, enriching both modern and indigenous systems of medicine. Medicinal folklore of the food plants in this region may stimulate scientific and analytical evaluation of the remedies that may combat dreaded present and future human afflictions.
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The most satisfying areas for the conduct of ethnobotanical studies are remote and isolated parts of the world (Schultes, 1960, 1962). The Himalayas, a remote region where Nature reigns supreme, is a treasure trove of medicinal flora. Ethnomedicinal folklore in the Himalayas has richly contributed to Amchi, Sidha, Unani, and Ayurveda--the indigenous systems of medicine as well as to modern medicine. The Himalayas are the major source of more than 3,000 plant species used in the indigenous systems of medicine. This 2,500 km long mountain complex extending from Afghanistan to Burma is the home of several hundred million people and their centuries-old traditions and cultures. The topography of the area presents logistical problems for an ethnobotanist. However, some ethnomedicinal studies (Hemsley and Pearson, 1902; Steward, 1916; Abrol and Chopra, 1962; Sharma, 1977, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2004; Bhattacharya, 1991; Sharma and Sharma. 2002) reveal the medicinal potential of this region. A global awareness and interest in holistic lifestyle suggests a thorough investigation and understanding of this ancient ecosystem rich in medicinal folklore. This study is an attempt to document the therapeutic significance of some of the major food plants in the eastern Himalayas. Furthermore, the scarcity of modern medicines in these remote areas makes the study of the therapeutic uses of commonly used food plants quite relevant.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The area under investigation was visited and botanized several times between 1992 and 2005. Villages, small towns, hamlets, mud-huts, temples, and monasteries were the sources of ethnomedicinal folklore associated with the therapeutic utilization of commonly used foods and spices in the region. Local village folks, priests, and practitioners of indigenous systems of medicine consulted represented a wide spectrum of the society. Local gatherings and social events were attended to learn about the therapeutic uses of various foods. Old manuscripts available in monasteries and temples also were probed for the centuries-old traditions associated with these practices. Voucher specimens were prepared and deposited at the herbarium facilities at the University of Tennessee, Martin, Martin, Tennessee. Taxonomic identification of the plant material was confirmed by the local clinics and practitioners of indigenous systems of medicine. The area under investigation is a remote, sparsely inhabited part of the eastern Himalayas bordering Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Tibet lying at 26[degrees]30'-29[degrees]30'N and 88[degrees]50'-90[degrees]50'E and includes valleys and peaks ranging between 2,000 and 4.000 m.
RESULTS
Food plants used for their therapeutic properties by the inhabitants of the eastern Himalayas are listed alphabetically by family, species, local name (in quotation marks), and medicinal use.
Anacardiaceae
Mangifera indica L. "am" -- A drink made from raw fruit roasted in clay oven. The juice is mixed with sugar and water and...
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