Ethno-medicinal knowledge and its conservation status in the state of Nagaland (India)

International Conference and Exhibition on Traditional & Alternative Medicine

December 09-11, 2013 Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Hyderabad, India

Lanusunep and N.S. Jamir

Posters: Altern Integ Med

Abstract :

The state of Nagaland is located at the extreme right in the North-east region of India. It is perhaps one of the richest Biodiversity places in the world. This richness and diversity of plants and animals is significantly due to wide range of variation in climate and altitude. The state is inhabited by sixteen major distinct Naga -tribes. The Nagas are very rich in their culture. This rich culture is inherited from their forefathers and passed on from one generation to another through oral tradition including the traditional knowledge of herbal medicines for cure of various diseases and ailments. Some valuable herbal medicines which are used by the Naga-tribes are Panax pseudo-ginseng (paralysis, cancer,); Dicendra scandens (Insect and snake-bite, malaria); Centella asiatica (tonic); Hedyotis scandens (Skin diseases, Wormicide); Acorus calamus (Throat pain, kills lice); Paris polyphylla (itching of skin, internal intestinal wounds); Houttuynia cordata (gastritis, jaundice), etc. This is however, a pity to note that these wealth of medicinal plants are now under threat and depleting very fast owing to ? jhum ? cultivation, deforestation, forest fire and various other socio-economic development activities in the region. Therefore, the author(s) stresses upon the urgent need of conservation and preservation of all these valuable wealth of herbal medicine from the region.

Biography :

Lanusunep is currently a Research scholar under the Department of Botany, Nagaland University, India. He is doing his Ph.D. on "Traditional practices related to Medicinal plants by the Naga-tribes in Nagaland" under the renowned ethnobotanist, Prof. N.S. Jamir. He has published 6 papers about the medicinal plants from the state and is currently in the final stages of his thesis submission, after which he plans to publish his findings in a Book form.