IJIRST –International Journal for Innovative Research in Science & Technology| Volume 1 | Issue 12 | May 2015

ISSN (online): 2349-6010

An Inventory of Ethnomedicinal Plants Among

the Rabha Tribe Residing Nearby Chandubi Beel
of Kamrup District (Assam)
Rekha Bora
Laboratory of Ethnobotany & Medicinal Plants Conservation
Department of Ecology & Environmental Science
Assam University, Silchar-788011, India
Ajit Kr. Das
Laboratory of Ethnobotany & Medicinal Plants Conservation
Department of Ecology & Environmental Science
Assam University, Silchar-788011, India

Abstract
Ethnobotany is a traditional health practice that herbal medicines are utilized by the tribal people in different parts of the world.
They are collecting the herbs from their surroundings such as home gardens, nearby forests etc. This traditional knowledge they
received from their ancestors that pass from generation to generation in their communities that is called Indigenous knowledge.
This traditional health practice has a great popularity particularly among the poor people and those are residing in rural areas due
to it is low cost, safe and effective properties that helps them curing their primary health problems. Because it is difficult to get
modern medicinal facilities in those areas for this reason it is served as most faithful and effective medicine among those people.
The aim of the present study was to discuss and evaluate some medicinal plants that are adopted by the people of Rabha tribe of
Kamrup Dristrict for their traditional practices.
Keywords: Ethnomedicine, Rabha Tribes, Chandubi Beel, Kamrup District
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

I. INTRODUCTION
Plants are the most important and useful sources of medicines. Since the prehistoric period of time plants are applied as
medicines. Ethnomedicinal surveys are significant for close observation of the medicinal practices as well as indigenous
knowledge of the ethnic people; have already led to the discovery of many effective and modern drugs (Balick and Cox, 1996
and Cotton, 1996). According to the WHO, about 80% of the world‟s population belief on plant based traditional medicine for
healing their primary and common diseases (Behera, 2006). The bioactive compounds are available in about 25% of the drugs
issued in the USA and Canada that are derived from natural products of plant (Farnsworth, 1984). Plant therapy have been used
an alternate medicinal system by the people residing in the suburban or rural areas (Nandankunjidam, 2006). Day by day
ethnomedicine that gets a great popularity that influence in many drugs that are currently in the market (Prance, 1994). Many
plants are used as medicines for their therapeutic potential, among these most are less known; those are used by the ethnic people
of all over the world on the basis of their indigenous knowledge. Almost 1500 well known species are being widely used as
medicinal plants India (Handa, 1998)
The Chandubi beel is located in the Kamrup (rural) district of Assam, at the foot of Garo hills surrounded by Assam and
Meghalaya. This Chandubi natural beel (lake) born by an earth quake (June 12, 1897). The beel has a rich biodiversity with its
significant flora and fauna. This natural and significant beel located in Rabha Hasang area of Assam. Hence, majority of people
are belongs to Rabha community. It is a large tribal group of Assam inhabiting mostly in the three districts of Brahmaputra
valley, Goalpara, Kamrup and Darrang district. There are seven sub-tribes of Rabha community such as Rangdaniya, Maitoriya,
Pati, Koch, Bitliya, Dahuriya and Sangha. Among them Rangdaniya, Maitoriya and Pati are dominant (Endle, 1911). All groups
(except Paties) of the tribe speak either Rangdani or Maitori. But Paties speak Assamese because they are geographically isolated
from other groups of Rabha. Paties are very much influenced by the Assamese culture. The Rabha people are belongs to “Pati”
sub-tribe of Rabha that are residing nearby Chandubi beel. “Kangmang” is the traditional dress of women of this tribe that is
handloom prepared by their own. Staple food of the tribe is rice. Home-made rice-beer is the special drink used for entertaining
guests and in other social and religious occasions among the tribe. They live in very rural areas where less availability of modern
facilities and hence they have to depend on traditional medicine that is low cost and easily available. Such a way this herbal
medicine till now served as most faithful and effective medicine among the tribal community.

II. STUDY SITE

The study area located at the foot of Garo hills surrounded by Assam and Meghalaya. In Assam it located at West Kamrup of
Brahmaputra valley. Information has collected from the eight Rabha villages of Pashim-Rajapara, Pub-Rajapara, Ranikhamar,
Bohatpur, Muduki, Jimputa, Batabari and Jimirgaon. The study area has been indicated through the geographical map (Fig.1).

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 An Inventory of Ethnomedicinal Plants Among the Rabha Tribe Residing Nearby Chandubi Beel of Kamrup District (Assam)
(IJIRST/ Volume 1 / Issue 12 / 021)

III. METHODOLOGY

A. Surveys and Data Collection:

A survey was carried out during the months from May-October, 2013. Interviews were made in the form of semi- structured
questionnaire and the field walks method of Martin (1995) and Maundu (1995). The specimens were collected in its flowering or
fruiting stages for their proper identification. Information of the ethnomedine has been collected from the local medicine man,
Gaon Burahs (Village chief) through the questionnaires that included name of the plant, disease in which plant is used; part of
the plant being used, form of the medicine, preparation processes of medicine and doses for curing a particular disease.
Photograph of plants have been taken in its natural habitat as it is very helpful for its identification. The list of the
ethnomedicinal plant names along with their local names, family names, used plant parts and medicinal uses has been presented
in tabular form. The collected specimens were preserved in the department of Ecology & Environmental Science, Assam
University, Silchar.

Fig. 1: Geographical Map showing Survey Area

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

It is observed from both field study and direct interview among the people of Rabha tribe of that area that the most of the people
were very much dependent on herbal medicine suggested by the tribal healers. Traditional treatment is more popular than
modern treatment in case of the women related diseases.
On the basis of the survey in the following villages it has found 41 plant species distributed among 34 families used as
ethnomedicine by the rabha people of Kamrup district. Maximum number of plants found under Lamiaceae (3). Whereas,
Amaranthaceae, Acanthacaea, Asteraceae, Liliaceae and Piperaceae have 2 species each. Among these 7 plants are used for
fever; 3 for fungal infection and other skin problems; 2 for diabetes; 2 for Anaemia; 1 for tonsillitis; 1 for women related
problem. Moreover, among the 41 plant species most used plant part is leaf (in 28 species); in 5 species flower part has been
used; shoot in 5 species; seed and fruit in 3 species each; stem in 2 species; bud, tuber and bark in 1 species each. The list of the
medicinal plants used by the people of Rabha tribe is enumerated in Table 1.

Table - 1
Medicinal plants used by Rabha tribe of the Kamrup district of Assam
SL LOCAL PARTS USED
SCIENTIFIC NAME FAMILY MEDICINAL USE
No. NAME
1 Aloe barbadensis Mill. Saalkueri Liliaceae Whole plant Used in fever and skin burn.
2 Altemanthera sessilis L. Matikanduri Amaranthaceae Shoot Leaf Paste is applied on wound

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 An Inventory of Ethnomedicinal Plants Among the Rabha Tribe Residing Nearby Chandubi Beel of Kamrup District (Assam)
(IJIRST/ Volume 1 / Issue 12 / 021)

Amaranthus spinosus L. Amaranthaceae

3 Matikhutura Shoot Leaf Root useful in Diarrhoea.

4 Asparagus recemous Satmul Liliaceae Shoots and root Shoots and root usefull in fever
Basella alba L. var. alba Leaf,
5 Puroi sak Basellaceae Leaves stem and fruits useful in anaemia
Stem
Bambusa assamica Bar.& Bud mixed with colochasia helful against
6 Baah Poaceae Bud
Borth. paiful menstruation of women.
Leaf juice mixed with seed powder of Piper
7 Borreria latifolia K.Schum Thinsengi Rubiaceae Shoot nigrum L. and salt used in treatment of
tonsillitis.
8 Cannabis sativa L. Bhang Cannabaceae Leaf Leaf useful in fungal infection of skin.
Calotropis gigantean (L.) Latex eaten in cat bites and applies in teeth in
9 Akon Asclepiadaceae Latex
R.br. toothache.
Bhoot antidote for
10 Capsicum chinense Jacq. Solaneceae Seed
jolokia snakebite
Crateva magna
11 Barun Capparaceae Leaf Leaf useful in dysentery
(Lour.) DC
Dioscorea alata L.
12 Kath Alu Discoreaceae Tuber Tubers useful in Anaemia
leaf juice is taken in
Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk
13 Kehrosi Asteraceae Leaf jaundice and extract is
useful in cut & wound
14 Eryngium foetidum L. Katamasala Apiaceae Leaf Useful in cold and fever.
Ficus racemosa L. Fruit Decoction of bark is
15 Dimoru Moraceae
Used in fever
16 Houttuyia cordata Thunb. Mosandri Saurauaceae Leaf Leaf juice is useful in gastroenteritis.
Leaves and flower juice are used as in
Hibiscus subdarifa L.
17 Mesta tenga Malvaceae Leaf and flower gastroenteritis and
Dysentery.
Hiptage benghalensis L. Leaf and flowers is used in ear
18 Madhoilata Malpighiaceae Leaf and flower
pain
19 Justicia gendarussa Burm. Kola basoka Acanthaceae Leaf Fresh leaf applied in fever and stomach pain.
Kalanchoe pinnata (Roxb.) Leaf Decoction of leaves is used in
20 Pategoja Crassulaceae Leaf
Pers. cough and gastroenteritis.
Leucas plukenetii (Roth)
21 Bunfuk Lamiaceae Leaf Leaf useful in dysentery
Spreng.
Leaf paste useful in fever, high blood pressure
22 Lawsonia inermis L. Jetuka Lythraceae Leaf
and effective in fungal infection of skin.
Melastoma Lingiri
23 Melastomaceae Fruit Fruits are useful in leucorrhoea.
malabathricum(L.)smith Phool
24 Mentha arvensis L. Poduma Lamiaceae Shoot and leaf Juice is taken against stomach problems.
Leaf paste of this plant mixed with Ocimum
Leaf
25 Mikania micrantha H.B.K. Kalkut lota Asteraceae sanctum L. effectivee in skin for vrious
infection.
26 Mimosa pudica L. Lajukia lata Mimosaceae Leaf Leaf paste effective in fever
Murraya koenegii L. Leaf juice used as tonic, curing many stomach
27 Narasingha Rutaceae Leaf
problems.
Leaf
28 Nyctanthus arbour-tristis L. Sewali Oleaceae and Leaves are used in malaria
seed
29 Oxalis corniculata L. Amsingiri Oxalidaceae Leaf It is used in gastroenteritis and piles.
Leaf and Leaves are used in cough and chronic fungal
30 Ocimum basilicum L. Ban tulosi Lamiaceae
Inflorescence infection.
Peperomia pellucida Ruiz Leaf and
31 Pononuwa Piperaceae The leaves and stem are used in fever.
Stem
Phlobacanthus thyrsiformis Extract of flower useful in asthma and
32 Tita phool Acantthaceae Flower
T.Andr. small pox.
Phylanthus nirruri Leaf and Leaf and root juice is effective in jaundice and
33 Bon amlokhi Euphorbiaceae
Hook. f Seed dysentery.
Piper longum L. Pipeli Fruit and The fruits and the roots juice useful in many
34 Piperaceae
Root stomach problems.
Polygonum bractiate Decoction of leaf is given in
35 Noltenga Polygonaceae Leaf
Dysentery.

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 An Inventory of Ethnomedicinal Plants Among the Rabha Tribe Residing Nearby Chandubi Beel of Kamrup District (Assam)
(IJIRST/ Volume 1 / Issue 12 / 021)

Polygonum chinense L. Madhu Leaf juice useful in Dysentery and effective in

36 Polygonaceae Leaf
soleng stomach problem.
Pteridum aquilinum Kuhn.
37 Bihlengi Polypodiaceae Leaf Fresh leaves are used externally in body pain.
Terminalia arjuna
Decoction of bark mixed with milk and water
38 (Roxburgh) Wight & Arjun gaas Combretaceae Bark
is effective in heart problem.
Arnott
Stephania hernandifolia
39 Tupurilota Menispermaceae Leaf Leaves effective in diabetes.
Stereospermum
40 Paroli Bignoniaceae Leaf Used in tuberculosis
chelonoides(L.f)DC
A drink prepared by mixture of the plant juice
41 Vitex negundo L. Postia Verbaneceae Leaf and water effective in body pain, headache
and earache.

V. CONCLUSION
The tribal people of those following areas have been performed their health practice very well by utilizing their indigenous
knowledge. Most of the common diseases like cough, cold, fever, stomach problems etc. are cured by the local medicine men
and the people who have well knowledge of ethnomedicine. Lack of proper practice and modernization among the new
generation will lead to loss of such a valuable indigenous knowledge. Therefore, proper documentation of such practices through
a comprehensive picture of the medicinal plants to identify, proper list of those plants along with their way of practices, by doing
simple interviews of the folk healers of different tribes as well as folk medicinal practitioners of various parts of the country
should be done. Moreover, some important plants with high medicinal value have reached at a threatened condition due to some
man-made activities like over exploitation, habitat destruction and rapid urbanization. Hence, there is an urgent need to record all
information related to the indigenous knowledge of people of different ethnic communities as well as information related to
ethnomedicine.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to thank the local people, medicine men and Gaon Burahs (Village chief) of the villages of the area.
Rekha Bora also thankful to UGC AUS NON-NET Fellowship.

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Fig. 2: Diversity of plant part used in Ethnomedicine

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