Indian Journal of Traditional Knowl edge Vol. 2(4), October 2003, pp. 357-365 Ethno-medico-botany of household remedies of Kolayat tehsil in Bikaner district, Rajasthan Suresh Kumar*, Sangeeta Goyal and Farzana Parveen Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jod hpur 342 003 , Rajasth an Received 28 October 2002; revised 27 January 2003 Ko layat tehsil of Bikaner di strict is under tran sfo rmati on with water from Indira Gandhi Canal changing the predominantly silvipas toral land-use to agricultural land-use, thu s endangering not onl y the loss/change of spec ies but also loss of traditional kn owledge. Therefore, ethno- medi cina l appraisal of plant spec ies in different villages of Kolayat tehsil was carri ed out by intervi ewi ng peo ple of different cas tes like Meg hwals, Jog is, Charan s, Sardars, Purohits, Yi shnois, Mohammedans, Joshi s, Rajputs, Brahmins and Swamis. These plant uses along with other details like part used and th e mode of admini stration revealed that 38 plant species were used for curing 23 types of ailments. These include pain killer, abortifacient, antifever, antispas modic, anti asthmatic , hepatoprotective, diuretic, and many others. Prior to the present work, the Kolayat tehsil was ethno-medico botani cally unex plored . Keywords: Ethno-medico-botany, Househo ld remedi es, Kol ayat tehsil, Bikaner di stri ct. Indian part of the Thar Desert with its unique environment and culture has a rich variety of life support systems derived from nature. Using herbs as medicines by desert dwellers has continued since antiquity. This accumulated wealth of knowledge about medicinal plants has mostly passed on orally from one to another generation in all types of socio-religious groups and tribes. Based on such knowl edge in India and other countries more and more herbal sources are becoming established therapeutic drugs, so much so that modern pharmacopoeia has 25% drugs derived from plants 1• On the other *Correspo ndent author hand, there are still little known or unknown plants which need to be explored. Hence, ethnobotanical studies in Western Rajasth an have been in progress since long 2- 10 • Many medicinal uses of many plants from extreme desertic tract have been recorded by some of these authors. The scenario in this area is changing fast as much of the Western Rajasthan i.e. Bikaner and Jaisalmer is being brought under canal irrigation. This has not only resulted in change and depauperation of natural flora 11 but the local health traditions are also being quickly lost. In order to document this knowledge, the ethnomedicinal appraisal was undertaken in Kolayat tehsil of Bikaner district, which is presented in this paper. 358 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 2, No.4, OCTOBER 2003 Area under study Topography, climate and irrigation Kolayat tehsi l is situated in the southwest of Bikaner di strict (27 ° 1 I ' -29°05'N and 71 °52'E, 28650 ha. area) in western Raj asthan. Bikaner district is bounded by Jai sa lmer districts on west, Churu and Ganganagar district on east and north and Jodhpur and Nagaur districts on south (Fi g. 1). Entire topog raphy is monotonou s, having no high hill s except few Vindhyan sandstone and nearly half of the area is under sand dunes . The soil depth is l1.5m. Soil is fine sand and s ingle grained. The climate is characterised by extremes of temperature (48 °C Max. & 3°C .. ~ "\..... :: -..-' :.. ,., t- ", / Min. ), scanty and uneven di stributi on of rainfall (annual average 289.2 mm), high evaporation and high wind velocity of 22 km/hr. Dust storms are common. There is no major stream in the area except few channels near Sri Kolayat and inhabitants mainly depend on surface water. Villagers meet their water requirement mainly through tube wells, open wells and harvested rain water in village tanks. The ethnobotanical field work was carried out during 1990-2000 in different villages namely Jhajhu, Girajsar, Beethnok, Bijeri , Khakhusar, Kandherli and Narayansar of Kolayat tehsil to collect information on ethnomedicinal uses of plants. KEYMAP R II J A S T li ,, N I :~ u ~?/ .., ......., .. . J,o. .~ ...... ;.~·: :.··~~-~-: < ._ - - -~ r·..f'. l STUDY AREA ~ ( r-·z,/ I ,I \ ,\ ' . . . _. '•· r:-:: .. Fig. !-Map of study area SURESH KUMAR et al.: HOUSEHOLD REMEDIES OF KOLAYAT TEHSIL Methodology of study The survey team interviewed men and women of various castes and communities such as Meghwals (Ramswaroop Meghwal of Narayansar, Surta Ram of Jh aj hu), Mohammedans (Yusuf Ali of Beethnok) , Joshi s (Moolchand Joshi of Jhajhu), Rajputs (G uman Singh of Kandherli , Prem Singh and Amar Singh of Khakhusar, Sher Singh of Narayansar), Brahmins (Brij Lal Sharma of Girajsar, Poonam Chand of Beethnok, Hanuman Ram and Mangi Bai of Kandherli) , Swami s (Vishalnath of Khakhu sar), Jogis (Bhairavnath of Bijeri), Charan (Raghunath Dan of Beethnok), Sardar (Surjan Singh and Teja Singh of Beethnok) , Purohit (Kan Singh Rajpurohit of Khakhu sar) and Yishnoi (Ladhi Bai of Bijeri and Kana Ram of Narayansar) and also met knowledgeable persons, medicine men and practitioners. The uses of plants told by a person were cross-checked and verified from other people. The plants are arranged alphabetically according to their botanical name followed by the respective family in bracket. It is followed by local name, part used and mode of prescription, which are summarized in Table l. Results This study has revealed that 38 plant species belonging to 26 angiospermic families are commonly used by the villagers as traditional medicine for treatment of different ailments. Of these 38 species, 29 are naturally occurring in Kolayat. The remaining nine species, viz. Adhatoda vasica, Cuminum cyminum, Ferula asafoetida, Lawsonia inermis, 359 Pedalium murex, Symplocos racemosa, Trachyspermum ammi, Triticum aestivum and Zingiber officinale are neither cultivated nor occurring naturally in Kolayat but people use them in various ways by procurin g these from local market. Of the 29 locally occurring species, 33 uses hitherto unreported have emerged from this work in respect of 21 plant species (Table 1) though their clinical validation is yet to be done. This clearly proves that much of this reg ion has remained undocumented ethnobotanically . On the other hand some of the well-known plants reported for treatment of various diseases in different part of India have also been reported from Kolayat to have same or similar uses. These include use of Adhatoda vasica for treatment of cold and 12 17 cough - , Azadirachta indica as antifever14·18·19, in skin problems and cuts and boils 12' 14' 17 ' 19 in dental problem7' 16 ' 17 · ' ° k'1ll er7·14 ·20 ;' Ca l.otropzs procera as pam Corchorus depressus in curing impotency 121417 · · ; La wsoma mermzs as re f'ngerant12'14'16'19-20; Ocimum sanctum for treating cold and cough problem7' 12 ' 14 ' 16 ' 19 '20 ; . Rzcmus commwus as pam k'1ll er71214 · · an d 7 16 17 19 Tribulus terrestris as diuretic · · · . The study proves the fact that desert dwellers are not only adept in using plants specifically occurring in desert but also know commonly used medicinal plants in different parts of India. Report of so many new uses clearly underlines the importance of such a study in all desertic districts. The findings of this study can provide useful leads for pharmacological confirmation of these reported uses which might, in time, become useful for mankind on one hand while providing 0 0 0 0 0 0 ° v.> 0\ 0 Table I - Medicinal plants and their uses in Kolayat tehsil Botanical Name (Fami ly) Local name Uses/Ailments Part used Acacia nilotica (L.) DeL subsp. indica (Mimosaceae) Desi babul Used as tonic Gum Preparation, administration and dosage Ref. Sweet 'Laddoos' are made by mixing gum powder of this plant with wheat flour, ghee, sugar and dry fruits. It is given to the mother after delivery as tonic for two months. New Sweet 'Laddoos ' are prepared by mixing gum powder of this plant with wheat flour and jaggery. It is given as such to mother after delivery for two months. 16 :; z ...... Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. (Mimosaceae) Kumat Adhatoda vasica Nees (Acanthaceae) Adusa Cold and cough Leaves Decoction Is prepared by adding leaves of this plant with sugar and ginger. It is talcen orally thrice a day to cure cough. 8, 12, 14, IS Bui Stomachache Root Powdered root is talcen orally with water to cure stomachache. New Bed is made from inflorescence of this plant and the patient having backache is advised to sleep over it for few days. New Aerva pseudotomentosa Blatt. & Hallb. (Amaranthaceae) Used as tonic Pain killer Gum Inflorescence z0 -l :::0 > 0 ::j 6z > r 2 0 ~ r CT1 0 0 Aloe vera (L.) Burm. (Liliaceae) Ganwar patha Constipation problem Leaves Leaves are talcen as vegetable to cure constipation. Amaranthus viridis L. (Amaranthaceae) Chauli Antifever Seeds Seeds are boiled in water and its filtrate is given orally to the patient in pneumonia . New Auuiirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae) Neem Fresh leaves are boiled in water and its filtrate is taken orally thrice a day to cure fever. !0, 14,18 34 tender leaves are chewed daily early in the mom- !0 14 .rn < 0 Antifever Leaves Leaves z !:l -~ ing and evening. It cures fever. Skin irritation r _!'-) 0 (""] -l 0 Aqueous paste of leaves is applied on affected portion to cure skin irritation. 10, 12, 14, !8 Skin irritation Leaves Leaves are boiled in water and this water is used for bathing to get relief in skin irritation. 10, 18 Cuts and boils Leaves Aqueous paste of leaves is applied on cuts and boils to hasten suppuration. 10, 12, !4, 18 (Contd) to CT1 :::0 N 0 0 '.;.) Table I Botanical Name (Family) Boerhavia diffusa L. (Nyctaginaceae) Local name I...al Sathi Medicinal plants and their uses in Kolayat tehsil-Contd Uses/Ailments Part used Preparation, administration and dosage Ref. Dental problem Branches Fresh branches are used as a toothbrush. It is a remedial treatment for pyorrhoea. 8, 16 (/) c:: ;:o tTl Diabetes Fruit One teaspoon dried powder of fruit is taken orally with water twice a day before meal. It is reported to control the sugar level. 10 (/) Jaundice Stem Stem cut into small pieces like beads and made into garlands. It is worn around neck till the patient is free from jaundice. New ;x:. :c "' c:: s:: ;;o ~ t::> Diuretic Leaves Leaves are cooked as vegetable and used as diuretic New Flower One piece of flower is taken orally with watt:r once a day for 3-4 days to cure fever. New Sand near the roots of 3-4 years old plant is warmed and the patient having backache is advised to sleep over it for few hours. New Leaves Leaves are warmed, smeared with edible oil and tied on legs with the help of cloth to get relief in pain. New Flower 1-2 flowers are taken orally with water once a day for 2 days to cure fever. New Aqueous paste of gynostegium is made and then its extract is taken ouL Few drops of ghee and water are added in the extract and 2-3 drops are given to chi!dren to cure stomachache, which could be due to wonns. New Ash is prepared from fresh root tip and mixed with butter. It is applied on eczema. New Ca/otropis gigantea (L.) R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) Safed aak Febrifuge Calotropis procera (AiL) R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) Aak Pain killer Febrifuge Stomach disorders Gynostegium Eczema Root tip =- :c c:: tTl :c 0 (/) 0 r 0 ;;o tTl s:: tTl S2 tTl (/) .,0 ;;>;; 0 r ;x:. -< ;x:. -l -l tTl :c (/) Capparis decidua (Forsk.) Edgew. (Capparaceae) Ker Cuts and boils Latex Latex is applied on boils. New Typhoid Root Aqueous paste of root is given orally with water to the patient suffering from typhoid. New (Contd) r w 0\ U..l Table I Botanical Name (Family) Citru/lus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) 0'1 N Medicinal plants and their uses in Kolayat tehsil -Contd Local name Uses/Ailments Part used Tumba Stomachache Fruit Preparation, administration and dosage Ref. Dried fruit is powdered. Salt Is added and one teaspoon of this mixture is taken orally with water in stomachache. 16 Dried fruit is powdered and mixed with black pepper and rock salt. It is taken orally with water in stomachache. New z S2 )> z ...... ...., ;;o )> 0 Asthama Ash of fruits taken orally with water in asthma. Constipation problem Dried fruit powdered is mixed with blade pepper and rock salt. It is taken orally with water to cure consti pation. 14 New =l 0 z)> r ::0::: z 0 Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsumara & Nakai (Cucurbitaceae) Matin1 Coccuius pendulus (J.R. &G. Forst.) Diels. (Menispennaceae) Pilwan Corchorus depressus (L.) Christensen (Tiliaceae) Chamkas Antidote Antidote Impotency Fruit Root Leaves The juice of fruit is filled in a glass bottle and kept for 2 years. In snakebite this juice is given orally to the affected person. Poison will come out through vomitling. New Fresh root extract is given orally to the affected person in snakebite. New One teaspoon powdered leaves arc taken orally with milk early in the morning. 12, 14 Powdered roots are taken orally with lukewarm water in stomachache. New Decoction is prepared by adding seeds of this plant with rock salt and lemon juice. It is given orally to cure stomachache. 8 Pods are boiled in water and made into paste. Halwa is prepared by adding this paste with coconut powder. It is taken twice a day to cure backache New ~ r [T1 0 Q sn < r 0 _!'-) z () -~ 0 Crotalaria burhia Buch.-Ham. (Fabaceae) Sinio Cuminum cyminum L. (Apiaceae) Jeera Stomachache Root (J ...., 0 c:o [T1 Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub. (Fabaceae) Guarphali Stomachache Pain killer Seed Pods ;;o N 0 0 w (Coned) Table 1 - Medicinal plants and their uses in Kolayat tehsil -Coned Botanical Name (Family) Local name Uses/Ailments Part used Eragrostis minor Host. (Poaceae) Chilli-khet Febrifuge Seeds Preparation, administration and dosage Ref. Fresh or stored seeds are boiled in water and its fi ltrate is taken during winter to keep the body warm. New c Latex is applied on boils. New en en ::r: en Euphorbia granulata Forsk. (Euphorbiaceae) ~ Dudheli Boils Latex Ferula asafoetida L. (Apiaceae) Heeng Stomachache Rhizome Eltudate 1/4 teaspoon powdered exudate of rhizome is taken orally with water to cure stomachache. 8, 16 Ficus religiosa L. (Moraceae) Peepal Constipation problem Knots (stem galls) O ne teaspoon dried powder of galls is taken orally with water once a day to cure constipation. New lndigofera cordifolia Heyne elt Roth (Fabaceae) 13\kario Typhoid Seeds Seeds are boiled in water and its fi ltrate is given to the patient fcir 3 days to cure typhoid. New I.Awsonia inennis L. (Lythraceae) Mehendi Refrigerant Leaves Aqueous paste of fres h leaves is applied on burnt portion for few days. 8,9,10,12,1 4 Leptadenia pyrotechnica (Forsk .) Decne. (Asclepiadaceae) Kheemp Pregnancy Whole plant Whole plant is boiled in water and its filtrate is given to mother during delivery period to ease delivery. New Ocimum sanctum L. (Lamiaceae) Tulsi Cold and cough Leaves Decoction is made by adding leaves of this plant with dried ginger and a pinch of black pepper and taken orally thrice a day to cure cough. 8,9,10, 12, 1 4,16 Decoction is made from the leaves of this plant with black pepper, ginger and tea leaves. It is taken orally in the morning and evening to cure cough. New Decoction is prepared from the pieces of roots of this plant with dried or fresh gi nger and bl,ck pepper. It is taken orally for few days. 16 Fruit is boiled in water and its filtrate is given orally to the patient. 8, 12 >-< >-3 ::r: Ochthochloa compressa (Forsk.) Hilu (Poaceae) Ganthia Pedalium murex L. (Pedaliaceae) Gokshru Rheumatism Diuretic Roots Fruit ;><: c 3:: >~ ~ :;::, ,_ ::r: 0 c::: en en ::r: 0 r 0 ~ en 3:: en g en en 0 "I1 7': 0 r -3 tn Porrulaca o/eracea L. (Portulacaceae) Bicchu-buti Antidote Latex In scorpion bite the latelt of this plant is applied on affected portion. 14 Ricinus communis L. (Euphorbia· ceae) Arandi Kidney problem Seeds 4 seeds are taken without seed coat and boiled in 1 litre milk till it remains 150 mi. It is taken orally in evening for four days. New en r: (Contd) w w 0\ (j.) 0\ Table I Botanical Name (Family) Local name Salvadora oleoides Decne. (Salvadoraceae) Meetha Jal Symplocos racemosa Roxb. (Symplocaceae) Lodh ~ Medicinal plants and their uses in Kolayat tehsil -Contd Uses/Ailments Part used Pain killer Leaves Warmed leaves smeared with mustard oil on the upper surface are tied with cloth to the affected part. It gives relief in knee pain. Boils Leaves Aqueous paste of leaves is applied on boils. Preparation, administration and dosage Ref. 12, 14, 16 zg New ...... )> -3 :;o Tonic after delivery Ear problem Stem Sweet 'Laddoos' are made by mixing powdered stem of this plant with wheat flour, ghee, sugar and some dry fruits. It is given to mother after delivery as tonic. New Few drops of extract of fresh roots are dropped into ears to cure ear pain. New Rohira Trachyspermum ammi Linn. (Apiaceae) Ajwain Abortion Seeds Handful of seeds taken orally with water once a day for two days. The 2-3 months foetus gets aborted. 16 Kanti Diuretic Fruit Mixture is prepared by adding fruit of this plant with Bharak, Salpami, Krishnapami and Gokshru. One tea-spoon is taken orally with water in the morning. 8, 10, 12, 16 Chapati is made from seed flour of this plant and roasted from one side only. Ghee and sugar are applied on half roasted side which is tied on tumour portion with a cloth to hasten suppuration. New Aqueous paste of fresh rhizome is mixed with honey. One teaspoon is taken in cough. 14,15 Aqueous paste of leaves is applied on boils. 10, 14 Triricum aestivum L. (Poaceae) Zingiber officinale Rose. (Zinziberaceae) Ziziphus nummularia (Burm. f.) Wt. (Rharnnaceae) Genhu Boils Root Seed Adrak Cold and cough Rhizome Ber Boils Leaves )> 0 =l Tecomella undulara (Sm.) Seem. (Bignoniaceae) Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae) z 0 z)> r 2 0 :E r tTl 0 Cl ,tTl < r 0 .N z _!='.,. 0 n-3 0 1:0 tTl Antiseptic wash for cuts and wounds Roots+leaves Both roots and leaves are boiled in water. This water is used as antiseptic wash for cuts and wounds. Anti fever Fruit Fruits are eaten raw in fever due to heat stroke. Fruit Fruits are boiled in water and its filtrate is applied on body. It gives relief in heat stroke. an New :;o N 0 0 w New 10 SURESH KUMAR et al.: HOUSEHOLD REMEDIES OF KOLAYAT TEHSIL employment and generating income for desert people, on the other hand. Acknowledgements Authors express their grateful thanks to the Director, CAZRI and Head, Division of Natural Resources and Environment, CAZRI for facilitation and encouragement during this work. The financial support from the DST, New Delhi through the DST, Government of Rajasthan for this Project is gratefully acknowledged. Field assistance by Shri Teja Ram , Shri Abhay Singh, Shri Bani La! is appreciated. We wish to record our sincere appreciation for the useful comments and suggestion on this paper by the learned anonymous referee. References I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNESCO, Sm •e our healing plants - save our cultural heritage, (UNESC O House, New Delhi), 2000. 25 King G, Famine foods of Marwar, Proc Asiat Soc Bengal , 38 ( 1869) 116. 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