Indigenous herbal coolants for combating heat stress in the hot Indian Arid Zone

Abstract

In view of continuous hot weather in eight months a year in arid western Rajasthan, desert dwellers have developed strategies to cope excessive heat. These include use of plants as herbal coolant for human body. An appraisal of such herbal coolants in western Rajasthan revealed use of 30 species of angiosperm belonging to 30 genera and 24 families. In the paper, common & botanical names and uses of 30 taxa as herbal coolant has been described.