Ethnomedicinal usage of plants and animals by folk medicinal practitioners of three villages in Chuadanga and Jhenaidah districts, Bangladesh.

Abstract

Ethnomedicinal surveys were conducted among three folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) of two villages (Tangramari and Kutubpur) in Chuadanga district and one folk medicinal practitioner of Benepara village in Jhenaidah district of Bangladesh. The three Kavirajes of Chuadanga district were observed to use a total of 74 plants and one fish species in their medicinal formulations. Of these plants, two plants could not be identified; the rest 72 plants were distributed into 38 families. The sole practitioner surveyed in Jhenaidah district used a total of 37 plants (distributed into 30 families) and 3 animal parts in his formulations. Distinct differences were noted in the medicinal plant selections not only between the Kavirajes of Chuadanga and Jhenaidah district, but also among the Kavirajes of Chuadanga district. Overall, the survey results suggest that Kavirajes practicing not only in different districts but even within the same district has their own unique list of medicinal plants, which they use to treat different ailments. This points to the uniqueness of individual Kavirajes, and further suggests that folk medicinal practice in Bangladesh may be a blend of various types of traditional practices. The diversity of medicinal plant use and diseases treated by the Kavirajes presents the scientific community with enough preliminary data to conduct scientific studies on these plants towards discovery of possibly newer drugs. The results further suggest that to get a comprehensive picture of folk medicinal practice in Bangladesh, it is important to conduct as many ethnomedicinal surveys as possible among the Kavirajes of all areas of the country.