A Survey of Medicinal and Functional Food Plants Used by the Folk Medicinal Practitioners of Three Villages in Sreepur Upazilla, Magura District, Bangladesh

Abstract

Folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) provide medical care to substantial segments of the rural and urban population of Bangladesh. The Kavirajes specialize in the use of medicinal plants for treatment of ailments or their symptoms. Besides use of medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes, the Kavirajes also prescribe medicinal plants for preventive purposes, which may include plants for maintenance of overall good health, or to maintain various parts of the body and their functions in a healthy state. As such, the latter group of medicinal plants can be classified as functional foods or nutraceuticals. This latter aspect of the Kavirajes, although quite commonly practiced, has rarely been documented or reported. It was the objective of the present study to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among the Kavirajes of three villages in Sreepur Upazilla (subdistrict) of Magura district, Bangladesh to gather information on medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes for both therapeutic as well as preventive purposes. Information was collected from the Kavirajes with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. It was observed that the Kavirajes used a total of 54 plants, among which a number of plants served both therapeutic and preventive purposes. The plants were distributed into 37 families; the Fabaceae and the Lamiaceae families provided 4 plants per family, followed by the Combretaceae family with 3 plants. Leaves were the major plant part used, constituting 41.4% of total uses. It was further observed that all medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes served to treat multiple ailments. 38 plants were used for treatment of respiratory tract disorders, 33 plants for hepatic disorders, 36plants for gastrointestinal tract problems, and 26 plants for treatment of various types of sexual disorders. 17 plants were used for treatment of fever, 16 for treatment of leprosy, 19 for treatment of piles, 15 for treatment of edema, and 16 for treatment of skin disorders. 17 plants were used as astringent, 11 plants used as bitter, and 12 plants as blood purifier. Other ailments treated by the Kavirajes included tuberculosis, cuts and wounds, rheumatism, helminthiasis, menstrual problems, urinary problems, heart disorders, tumor, burning sensations in body, spleen disorders, vaginal diseases, goiter, eye problems, leucorrhea, insanity, infections, throat diseases, fractures, vomiting, obesity, pain, and anal diseases. The various uses of medicinal plants as functional foods included to maintain healthy brain functions, to regularize urine and stool, to maintain good eyes, to maintain healthy hair, to improve voice, to increase intelligence and memory, and to increase longevity. The plants used for both therapeutic and preventive purposes by the Kavirajes have obvious potentiality for scientific studies, which can lead to discoveries of better medicines as well as functional foods. The latter is important, because it can lessen the incidences of diseases and provide a cost-effective way to maintaining the body and its vital organs in good health.