Ethnobotanical Leaflets 13: 865-72 , 2009.

 

 

Ethnomedicinal Uses of Climbers from Saraswati River Region of Patan District, North Gujarat

 

A. R. Seliya and N.K.Patel

 

Department of Biology, Sheth M. N. Science College

Patan 384 265

 

Issued July 01, 2009

 

Abstract

During the years 20072008 several field trips were conducted to document the ethnomedicinal uses of climbers of angiosperms from the rural of Saraswati river region of Patan district of North Gujarat area of Gujarat state. Total 30 angiospermic climber species are recorded during these period being practised by rural of these area.

 

Key words : Ethnomedicine, Climbers.

 

Introduction

Text Box: FIGURE 1: MAP OF PATAN DISTRICT SHOWING SARASWATI RIVER PATH The Patan lies between 23o 28' north latitude and 72o 76' east longitude while Kachchh lies between 22o44' to 24o 41' north latitude 68o 09' to 71o 54' east longitude. The study was conducted across to this area. The Saraswati river originates from the hill and hillocks near Koteshwar, to be more specific from the mountain of Menagar and finally merge in the little rann of Kachchh. The total length of the river 161 km. length of river from Patan to little rann of Kachchh 135 km. on one side, as far as the land is concerned and from the central part of river. I will observed and collected the plants grown in 01 km. radius or both side of the riverbank from Patan to little rann of Kachchh. Thus, it will cover nearly 270 km. (approx.) area.

There is no documentation of this ethnomedicinal knowledge. All the more, several climbers are fast disappearing due to little rann of Kachchh and scanty rain. Hence, there is an urgent need for exploration and documentation of this knowledge in order to ascertain the conservation value of the local ethnomedicinal plants of the area. Therefore, the present study is an attempt to present some interesting ethnomedicinal observations recorded in these area, India.

 

Material and Methods

During the present works we have gone in the various villages and forests area including hill and hillocks for collection of angiosperm plants taxa. Good number of the trips where arrange in connection of the season. The collected plants were brought to the laboratory, identified up to species level where ever it is possible and then dried with customary method which was mounted on herbarium sheet and label. The information data on ethnomedicinal were collected through the dialogue and arranging night meeting with local tribal and knowledgeable people of the villages.

 

Enumeration

1.      Abrus precatorius L.( FABACEAE)

Vernacular Name: CHANOTHI

Parts Used: Seeds, leaves and roots.

Uses: Uses in nervous disorders, sciatica and paralysis; leaves decoction use in cough, conic pain, skin diseases; root used in preparation for gonorrhoea, jaundice.

 

2.      Argyreia nervosa (Burm.f.) Boj.( CONVOLVULACEAE)

Vernacular Name: SMUDRASOS

Parts Used: Roots & Seeds.

Uses: The roots are useful in wounds, ulcers, dyspepsia, colic, cough, nervous weakness, syphilis, anaemia and diabetes.

 

3.      Aristolochia bracteolata Lam.( ARISTOLOCHIACEAE)

Vernacular Name: BATAK VEL

Parts Used: Roots and Leaves

Uses:The roots and leaves are useful in vitiated condition of kapha and vata, amenorrhoea, foul ulcers, boils, syphilis, gonorrhoea, skin diseases, eczema.

 

4.      Canavalia hipogea (Jacq.) DC. (FABACEAE)

Vernacular Name: FOFAL

Parts Uses: Fruits and seeds.

Uses: The fruits are useful in burning sensation, hyperdipsia, dyspepsia, wounds, and ulcers.

 

5.Cayratia carnosa (Lam.) Gagnep.( VITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: KHATKHATUMBO

Parts Used: Whole plant.

Uses: fever, tumours. It purifier the blood, ulcer, wounds, dropsy, haemorrhoids and strangury. Leaves are used in the treatment of yolk sores on the necks of bullocks.

 

6.      Cissus quadrangulare L. ( VITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: HADSANKAL

FLS: JuneOct. FRS: Aug.Dec.

Parts Used: Whole plant.

Uses: The plant is bitter. It is useful in skin diseases, colic, chronic ulcer, Tumours. Shoots are useful in asthma, burns and wounds.

 

7.      Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: KADVA INRAVARNA

FLS & FRS: Aug. Dec.

Parts Used: Fruits and seeds

Uses: Fruits are employed in biliousness, jaundice, fever, dropsy, coughs and bronchitis, oil for seeds is used for snake bite and scorpion sting, roots is given in jaundice, and coughs.

 

8.      Clematis gouriana Roxb. (RANUNCULACEAE)

Vernacular Name: MOR VEL

FLS & FRS: Sep.Dec.

Parts Used: Whole plant

Uses: The plant is employed in rheumatism. Leaves vesicant.

 

9.      Clitoria ternatea L. (FABACEAE)

Vernacular Name: GARNIBIBLI

Parts Used: Roots, leaves, seeds.

Uses: The roots are bitter, tubercular glands, leucoderma, elephantiasis, ulcer and fever. The roots are cathartic and are useful in visceralgia.

 

10.  Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: KADVI GHILODI

Parts Used: Roots, leaves and fruits.

Uses: The roots; useful in vomiting; leaves vitiated condition of kapha and pitta; fruits useful in skin diseases, fever, asthma, cough and jaundice.

 

11.  Ctenolepis cerasiformis (Stocks) Hk.F. F. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: ANKH FUTAMANI

Parts Used: Whole plant

Uses: decoction of roots is given in colic, fever, indigestion, anorexia and rheumatism, paste of leaves is applied to boils and swelling, fruits are given in gonorrhoea, fruits pulp is applied on foot sole to cure heat in the body sand on the ratva.

 

12.  Cucumis callosus (rottl.) Cogn. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: KOTHIMDU

Parts Used: Roots

Uses: Paste of root is applied on scorpion sting, decoction of root is given in indigestion, dropsy, pulp of fruit is women for abortion and to increase menses.

 

13.  Cucumis sativus L. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: KAKADI

Parts used: fruits and Seeds.

Uses: The fruits are useful in vitiated conditions of pitta, hyperdipsia, fever, jaundice. Seeds are useful in burning sensation, fevers, and renal calculus.

 

14.  Cuscuta reflexa Roxb.( CUSCUTACEAE)

Vernacular Name: AMARVEL

Parts Used: Whole plant.

Uses: The plant is bitter, and is useful in jaundice, cough, cephalagia, fever and paralysis.

 

15.  Dolichos lablab L. (FABACEAE)

Vernacular Name: VAL (VALOL)

Parts Used: Seeds.

Uses: The seeds are useful in nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea.

 

16.  Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R.Br. (PERIPLOCACEAE)

Vernacular Name: ANANT VEL

Part Used: Roots

Uses: Roots are used as substitute for sarcaparilla. Roots are employed in blood diseases, leucorrhoea, fever and calculi.

 

17.  Ipomoea nil (L.) Roth( CONVOLVULACEAE)

Vernacular Name: PADADA VEL

Parts Used: Seeds.

Uses: The seeds are useful in vitiated condition of kapha and vata. Verminosis, skin diseases, leucoderma, dyspepsia, scabies.

 

18.  Lagenaria leucantha (Duch) Rusby (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: DUTHIE

Parts Used: Leaves and Fruits.

Uses: Leaves are applied on swelling and in coughs, Fruits are used as vegetable

with beneficially in piles, jaundice, coughs. Bitter variety is used emetic in vomiting and coughs.

 

19.  Leptadenia reticulata (Retz) .( ASCLEPIADACEAE)

Vernacular Name: DODI

Parts Used: Whole Plant.

Uses: The roots are useful in secondary syphilis and tenesmus. Leaves are useful

in scorbutic diseases. Seeds are useful in skin diseases, diarrhoea, and scurvy, seminal weakness, asthma, coughs.

 

20.  Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: TURIYA

Parts Used: Whole plant.

Uses: Leaves are applied as paste on swelling, piles, splenetic, and. leprosy. Seeds are given in cough. Fruits are used as vegetable; decoction of roots is employed in calculi.

 

21.  Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roem. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: GALKA

Parts Used: Leaves and Fruits

Uses: Green fruits are used as vegetable and employed in coughs. Juice of leaves is given dropsy. Paste of leaves on swellings, boils, ulcers and wounds.

 

22.  Momordica charantia L. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: KARELA

Parts Used: Whole plant

Uses: Fruits are used as vegetable in diabetes, piles, worms, jaundice. Juice of leaves is given in snakebite, bleeding piles. Roots are used in ophthalmia and vaginal prolapsed. Seeds are given for round worms and liver worms.

 

23.  Momordica dioica Rxb. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: KANKODA

Parts Used: Fruits and Roots

Uses: Paste of root of male creeper is applied on scorpion sting, snake bite and rat bite. Fruits used in vegetable in anorexia, diabetes and coughs.

 

24.  Mukia maderaspatana (L.) Roem. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: CHANAK CHIBHDI

Parts Used: whole plant

Uses: Fruits are eaten in worms. Decoction of plant is given in colic. Roots are chewed in toothache. Leaves paste applied on ulcers.

 

25.  Pergularia daemia (Forssk) Chiov. ( ASCLEPIADACEAE)

Vernacular Name: CHAMAR DUDHELI

Parts Used: Whole plant

Uses: It is useful in vitiated condition of vata and kapha, cough, asthma, fevers, the leaves are used in vitiated condition of kapha, leprosy, fruits are useful in dyspepsia,

 

26.  Phaseolus vulgaris (FABACEAE)

Vernacular Name: FANSI

Parts Used: Bean pods and Bean.

Uses: The pods are a mediumstrength diuretic, stimulating urine flow and the flushing of toxins from the body. Powdered are also used in reducing blood glucose level in the treatment of diabetes.

 

27.  Passiflora foetida L.( PASSIFLORACEAE)

Vernacular Name: KRISHNA KAMAL

Parts Used: Whole plant

Uses: Plant paste is applied on itches, boils, wound, swelling and headache, fruits are given in asthma, biliousness and giddiness, leaf juice is used as vaginal douche to increase menses.

 

28.  Trichosanthes bracteata (Lam.) Voigt. (CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: RATA INDRAMANA

Parts Used: Fruits

Uses: Fruit pulp is boiled in Brassica oil and applied on head to cure headache. Also applied on wounds, ulcers and boils.

 

29.  Trichosanthes dioica Roxb(CUCURBITACEAE)

Vernacular Name: PARVAL

Parts Used: Fruits And Roots.

Uses: Fruits are used as vegetable in anorexia, jaundice and indigestion. The roots are used in fever, boils and skin diseases.

 

30.  Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (FABACEAE)

Vernacular Name: CHOLI

Parts Used: Seeds and Fruits

Uses: Dried seeds are cooked and used as vegetable, green fresh pods are also used as vegetable and in crease sexual vigour and to increase breasts milk.

 

 

Discussion

Rural people are habituated in herbal practices. Ethno pharmacological analysis is required for proper usage and doses.

 

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the notified and denotified rural and tribal groups, their vaids, ojhas, bhopas etc. and forest officials whom provided valuable information on this subject. We are also thankful to the authorities of various herbaria and museums for their help and cooperation extended in several ways.

 

References

 

Patel, N.K. (2001). Study of Angiospermic Plants with Relation to Phytosociological & Ethnobotanical Study of Danta taluka, Dist. Banaskantha", Ph.D. Thesis For North Gujarat University, Patan.

 

Saxton W.T. Records of Botanical survey of India.

 

Sedgwick L.J. (1918). Vol. IV. No. 7. Plants of Northern Gujarat. Calcutta superintendent Government printing, India.

 

Shah G.L. (1978). Flora of Gujarat State, Sardar patel University, Vallabh Vidhyanagar.