S. John Britto

Butea monosperma and Butea superba belonging to the family, Fabaceae are most exploited medicinal plants by different tribal groups of Jharkhand. They are commonly found in the hills and jungles of Jharkhand and are used against arthritis, osteoarthritis, diarrhoea, dysentery, snakebite, male sexual debilities, sunstroke, leucorrhoea, anthelmintic and filariasis. Ethanolic exacts of the barks and flowers of both the plants did not exhibit significant antibacterial and antifungal activities. Phytochemical analyses revealed a total of 14 bioactive compounds from the barks and flowers of B. monosperma and B. superba.  Successful management of several diseases among the ethnic groups of Jharkhand, is indicative of presence of curative drugs without toxicity and side effects, and it could further the isolation and purification of active compounds contained in them.

The present study highlights the living condition and the ethnomedicinal knowledge of the Irulasin the Gingee hills, Villupuram District, Tamilnadu. Extensive field surveys were conducted in seven villages in Gingeetaluk. Living conditions and ethnobotanical knowledge were taken through personal interview. A total of 16 species of 11 families were documented. The present study observed that the Irulasin Gingee hills have very sound knowledge of medicinal values of plants. This type of studies may help in the pharmacological research in various dimensions.