Int. J. Cur. Tr. Res (2012) 1 (3): 87-94
ISSN: 2278-8042
www.injctr.com
Ethnomedicinal plants used by Palliyars in
Sirumalai hills, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu for the
treatment of various poisonous bites
Maruthupandian A*1 and V.R. Mohan2
1
Department of Botany , Periyar University, Salem – 636 011, Tamil Nadu, India.
2
Ethnopharmacology Unit , Research Department of Botany, V. O. Chidambaram College, Tuticorin - 628 008, Tamil Nadu,
India.
Received: 10 August 2012 / Accepted: 28 September 2012/ Published online 7 October 2012.
© INJCTR – 2012.
ABSTRACT
The preliminary current ethnobotanical study was carried out among the Palliyar tribals of five settlements in Sirumalai
hills, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu, India. The current investigation reveals that, 21 plants species of 19 angiosperm families
belonging to 21 genera are being used by the Palliyars for the treatment of various poisonous bites like snake bite, scorpion
sting, anti rabies, honeybee sting and insect bites. According to the information obtained, medicinal plants are arranged
alphabetically and their botanical names, vernacular names, family, voucher specimen number and mode of uses were
tabulated.
Key words: Palliyars, Sirumalai, Poisonous bite, Snake bite, Ethnomedicine.
Introduction
Since time immemorial man has used various parts
of plants in the treatment and prevention of many
ailments (Chah et al., 2006). Many infectious diseases
are known to be treated with herbal remedies
throughout the history of mankind. The maximum
therapeutic and minimum side effects of herbal remedies
have been verified in numerous scientific investigations.
Even today, plant materials continue to play a major
role in primary health care as therapeutic remedies in
many developing countries (Czygan, 1993). In India,
medicinal plants are widely used by all sections of the
population with an estimated 7500 species of plants used
by several ethnic communities and it is known that, India
has the second largest tribal population in the world
after Africa (Kala, 2005; Jagtap et al., 2006). The WHO
estimated that, over 80% of the people in developing
countries
rely on traditional remedies such as herbs
for their daily needs and about 855 traditional medicines
include crude plant extracts (Tripati and Mukherjee,
2003). This means that, about 3.5 to 4 billion of the
Corresponding author*
E.mail: [email protected]
global population rely on plants resources for drugs
(Farnsworth, 1998).
Scorpion sting and snake bite are serious problems
in tropical countries like India. The former may not be
too dangerous, while the later can cause death. The
tribal and non-tribal people prefer herbal treatment for
scorpion sting and snake bite (Bakhru, 1999). A scrutiny
of literature reveals that, exceedingly limited attempts
were made on herbal remedies for poisonous bites. The
objective of this study was to assess the richness of
ethnomedicinal plant species used by the Palliyar tribes
in Sirumalai hills, Dindigul District (Tamil Nadu, India),
forest areas to treat various poisonous bites.
Materials and Methods
The Palliyars are distributed along the Sirumalai
hills of the Western Ghats, Madurai and parts of
88
Maruthupandian and Mohan
Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. The study area Sirumalai
hills, lies lat: 77°.55´ long 78°.12´ E in Dindigul district of
Tamil Nadu. In the present investigation, ethnobotanical
studies were carried out in the following settlements of
Palliyar tribals like, Ooradi, Madagamalai, Ponnuruvi,
Kannadiparai and Talaikadu in Sirumalai hills, Dindigul
District. Ethnobotanical information’s were collected
from the aged elders, Village vaidyas and experienced
local Palliyar tribals through interview. The information
was considered only after confirmation through two or
more informants from different settlement of Palliyars in
Sirumalai hills, Tamil Nadu. The medicinal plants were
identified (Fischer and Gamble, 1957; Gamble, 1957a,b;
Matthew, 1983a, b, c; Nair and Henry, 1983; Henry et
al., 1987; Henry et al., 1989; Sharma et al., 1993; Sharma
and Balakrishnan, 1993; Sharma and Sanjappa, 1993;
Sasidharan and Sivarajan, 1996;
Hajra et al., 1997;
Matthew, 1999a, b, c; Pallithanam, 2001), photographed
and sample specimens were collected for the preparation
of herbarium. The identified plant specimens were
confirmed and deposited in the herbarium of
Ethnopharmacology Unit, Research Department of
Botany, V.O.Chidambaram College, Tuticorin, Tamil
Nadu.
Results and discussion
The present exploration exposes that, the medicinal
plants used by the Palliyar tribals for various poisonous
bites requirements were collected by the informants.
The descriptions of medicinal plants are arranged
alphabetically with their botanical names, vernacular
names, family, voucher specimen number and mode of
uses in table 1.The present study reveals that, 21 species
of ethnomedicinal plants have been documented for
their herbal remedies against various poisonous bites
like snake bite, scorpion sting, honey bee sting, insect
bites and antirabies. These medicinal plants belong to 21
genera and 19 angiospermic families. Among the
families like, Acanthaceae and Fabaceae (2),
Alangiaceae,
Amaranthaceae,
Apocyanaceae,
Aristolochiaceae,
Asclepiadaceae,
Capparaceae,
Cleomaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae,
Loganiaceae, Lythraceae, Meliaceae, Mimosaceae,
Papavaraceae, Solanaceae and Santalaceae, one species
each were used by the Palliyar tribals in this area. The
preparations were made from various plant parts like,
leaves, root, root bark, stem bark, rhizome, flower,
seeds, tuber and whole plant; for the treatment of snake
bite, scorpion sting, insect bite, honey bee sting, and anti
rabies. The leaves were the frequently used for the same.
The above said plant parts were used in the form of
extract or decoction, powder, paste, raw, and juice. The
data collected shows that, majority of the remedies were
used either individually or in combination with other
plant parts (the dried fruits of Piper nigrum L., the fresh
Int. J. Cur. Tr. Res (2012) 1 (3): 87-94
rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe., oil obtained
from the seeds of Ricinus communis L., fresh leaves of
Piper beetle L., fresh leaves of Cynodon dactylon (L.)
Pers and fruit juice of Citrus aurantifolia (Christm)
Swingle.) and most of the remedies were preferred as
oral. Most of the reported preparations are drawn from
a single plant; mixtures are used rarely. In other parts of
the country, the use of mixtures of plant species in
treating a particular ailment is fairly common
(Ignacimuthu et al., 1998; Natarajan et al., 2000 Rajan et
al., 2002; Ganesan et al., 2004; Udayan et al., 2005;
Ayyanar and Ignacimuthu, 2005a,b; Sandhya et al.,
2006). From this account it is clear that, the Palliyar
tribals like other ancient tribals (Rajasingh, 1971)
possess the ability to discern the character of various
plants and their beneficial properties used to treat
various poisonous bites. It is interesting to note that,
such a way of life, particularly with respect to healthcare
practices has hardly undergone any change even in the
present day. Similar ethnobotanical studies have been
reported in several parts of India to protect the
traditional
knowledge
from
disappearing
(Pushpangandan and Atal, 1984; Anis et al., 2000;
Natarajan et al., 2000; Jain, 2001; Mahapatra and Panda,
2002; Harsha et al., 2003; Ignacimuthu et al., 2006;
Maruthupandian and Mohan,2010; Maruthupandian et
al., 2011; Lalitharani et al., 2011;). Documenting the
indigenous knowledge through ethnobotanical studies is
important for the conservation of biological resources as
well as their sustainable utilization.
Conclusion
This investigation is a preliminary ethnobotanical
study, the indigenous knowledge gathered from the
Palliyar tribals to treat the various poisonous bites. This
study shows that, knowledge and usage of herbal
medicine for the treatment of various ailments among
Palliyar tribes is still a major part of their life and
culture. The indigenous knowledge and efficacy of these
medicinal plants have been proven in their community
since time immemorial. There is also a need for follow –
up ethnopharmacological screening based on tribal
claims, by testing these ethnomedicinal recipes in their
crude form and also as aqueous and alcoholic extracts on
animal models. Generally, the people of the study area
still have a strong belief in the efficacy and success of
herbal medicine. The results of the present study provide
evidence that; medicinal plants continue to play an
important role in the healthcare system of this tribal
community. The medicinal plants are currently
disappearing in vast, due to the lack of awareness and
modernization. Consequently, there is an urgent need to
study and document their knowledge or otherwise it will
be lost forever.
Int. J. Cur. Tr. Res (2012) 1 (3): 87-94
Maruthupandian and Mohan
89
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Maruthupandian and Mohan
Int. J. Cur. Tr. Res (2012) 1 (3): 87-94
Int. J. Cur. Tr. Res (2012) 1 (3): 87-94
Maruthupandian and Mohan
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Table - 1
List of Ethnomedicinal plants used by Palliyars to to various poisonous bites
S. No.
1
Botanical Name
Acalypha fruticosa
Forssk
2
Achyranthes aspera L.
3
Alangium salvifolium
(L.f) Wang
4
Albizia lebbeck (L.)
Willd
5
Ammannia baccifera L.
6
7
Argemone mexicana L.
Aristolochia indica L.
Vernacular Name
Athathalai
Nayuruvi
Alangi
Family
Euphorbiaceae
Amaranthaceae
Alangiaceae
Voucher
Specimen No.
Mode of use
VOCB 5408
One teaspoon of the leaf powder is
taken with little black pepper (the
dried fruits of Piper nigrum L.)
(milagu) twice a day for two to three
days as an antidote for poisonous
bites.
VOCB 5410
A handful of fresh leaves are crushed
and applied externally on the
scorpion sting. The paste made from
tender leaves is applied externally as
many times for a period of one week
to treat honeybee sting.
VOCB 5416
One teaspoon of the root bark
powder is taken twice a day for two
days as an antidote for snake bite
and other stings.
Vagai
Mimosaceae
VOCB 5418
One teaspoon of the flower powder
is taken with hot water thrice a day
for three days as an antidote for
snake bite.
Neermel neruppu
Lythraceae
VOCB 5426
The leaf paste is used as an ointment
to cure various stings.
Piramathandu
Perumaruthukodi
Papavaraceae
Aristolochiaceae
VOCB 5434
VOCB 5435
An ounce of the leaf extract is taken
four to five times for two days as an
antidote for scorpion bite.
An ounce of hot water extract of the
roots is taken thrice a day for two to
three days as an antidote for snake
bite and scorpion bite.
The fresh leaves are crushed and
used as a bandage over snake bite
and scorpion sting.
8
Butea monosperma
(Lam.) Taub
Porasu
Fabaceae
VOCB 5458
The twenty five ml of the extract
prepared from ten grams of the stem
bark and two grams of the fresh
rhizome of Zingiber officinale
Roscoe. (inji) is taken thrice a day
for two days as an antidote for snake
bite.
92
Maruthupandian and Mohan
S.
No.
Botanical Name
Vernacular Name
Family
Int. J. Cur. Tr. Res (2012) 1 (3): 87-94
Voucher
Specimen No.
Mode of use
9
Calotropis gigantea
(L.) R.Br.
Erukku
Asclepiadaceae
VOCB 5461
The tender leaves are chewed as an
antidote for snake bite. Gently
heated mass of crushed tender leaves
is used as a bandage over scorpion
sting.
10
Cipadessa baccifera
(Roth) Miq.
Pulippanchedi
Meliaceae
VOCB 5480
The leaf paste is used as an ointment
to heal honey bee sting.
11
Cleome viscosa L.
12
13
14
Karkakartun
Cleomaceae
VOCB 5485
Corallocarpus epigaeus
(Rottl & Willd) Clarke
Akashagarunder
Cucurbitaceae
VOCB 5491
Crataeva adansonii DC
Mavilingam
Capparaceae
VOCB 5493
Oomathai
Solanaceae
VOCB 5507
Datura innoxia Mill.
15
Dipteracanthus
prostratus (Poir.) Nees.
Pottakanchi
Acanthaceae
VOCB 5515
16
Indigofera tinctoria L.
Kattavuri
Fabaceae
VOCB 5551
17
Leucas aspera (Willd)
Link.
Thumbai
Lamiaceae
VOCB 5565
18
Rhinocanthus
nasutus (L.) Kurz.
Nagamalli
Acanthaceae
VOCB 5619
19
Santalum album L.
Santhanam
Santalaceae
VOCB 5623
20
Strychnos nuxvomica L.
Etti
Loganiaceae
VOCB 5634
21
Thevetia peruviana
(Pers.) Merr.
Ponnarali
Apocynaceae
VOCB 5643
The fresh root pieces or seeds are
made into a paste with castor oil (oil
obtained from the seeds of Ricinus
communis L.) and used as an
ointment to reduce swellings and to
treat insect bites.
The tuber paste is used as a poultice
over the poisonous stings. The
tubers are chewed along with one or
two fresh leaves of Piper beetle L.
(vettrilai) as an antidote for snake
bite.
One teaspoon of the root powder is
taken thrice a day for two days to
treat poisonous bites.
An ounce of the leaf extract is taken
with curd once a day for three days
as an anti-rabies medicine.
An ounce of the whole plant juice is
taken twice a day for two to three
days as an antidote for snake bite.
One teaspoon of the paste made
from a handful of fresh roots, few
fresh leaves of Cynodon dactylon
(L.) Pers (arugampul) and few black
pepper (the dried fruits of Piper
nigrum L.) (milagu) is taken twice a
day for three days as an antidote for
snake bite.
An ounce of the leaf extract is taken
with honey as an antidote for snake
bite. It is also applied as a poultice
over the sting.
A handful of fresh leaves or
roots are chewed as an antidote
for snake bite.
An ounce of the wood infusion
is taken twice a day for three
days as an anti-rabies medicine.
An ounce of the root extract
blended with the leaf extract of
Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link
(thumbai) and the fruit juice of
Citrus aurantifolia (Christm)
Swingle (elumitchai) is taken as
an antidote for snake bite and
scorpion bite.
The stem bark paste is used as a
poultice over the poisonous
stings.
Int. J. Cur. Tr. Res (2012) 1 (3): 87-94
Maruthupandian and Mohan
Acknowledgement
Authors gratefully acknowledge Mr.R. Kottaimuthu,
Research Associate, ATREE, Bangalore for his valuable help
and suggestions during the course of the study and also
thanks to Mr. Sanjeevi and his family and all the other
Palliyars of the study area for their whole hearted cooperation and support given to during the course of our
investigation.
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