Lalan Kumar Sharma

Plants are known to be associated directly or indirectly with the needs of human since time immemorial. In addition to the basic needs, i.e. food, shelter and clothing, plants are utilized for fodder, fuel, timber, tannins, colors, oils and medicines etc. History reveals that uses of plants as medicine is known in different parts of  the world, especially in India there are evidences which suggest its therapeutic role since Rig Veda. There are 32 ethnic communities in Jharkhand, which constitute about 33% of total population. They have their own self-managed traditional system for primary health care (Horopathy).Women are traditionally using herbal medicines for the remedy of different types of gynecological problems. In the present investigation 30 plants species have been reported on the basis of ethno-medicinal information extracted from ethnic communities. All the parts of plants, like root, bark, leaf, flower, fruit and  tubers are used as medicines, either preparation from single plant is used as drug or in some cases decoction or paste are made with more than one herb.  There is very wide scope for the pharmacological studies of the reported plants in future. 

Ethnic communities inhabiting Jharkhand state are living in true harmony with nature. They entirely depend on plants and plant resources for their livelihood. Plants use in tribal belt is as diverse as the ethnic diversity. The paper focuses on lesser known nutraceutical plants, usually  not known to the modern society but form an important dietary part of the ethnic people and provide them both nutritional and health security. These vegetables are lesser known and under-utilized resources, which are rich both in nutrients and secondary metabolites, providing nutritional and health security (nutraceutical). These plant resources grow their own, thrive easily on inhospitable conditions without any input, give new taste and are free of chemical pesticides and insecticides. In view of the large scale utilization of land area in the name of various kinds of developmental activities there is an urgent need of enlisting wild nutraceutical potherbs and documentation of their therapeutic uses before it is too late. The present paper describes 35 plants species which are widely consumed amongst ethnic communities.