Traditional Medicinal plants used by Scheduled Tribe communities: An Ethnomedicinal study in Dima Hasao district of Assam, North East India

INTRODUCTION:

Plants serve as a crucial source of medicine in rural areas, especially in tribal communities. In addition to ayurvedic and Unani medicine, plants have been the basis of traditional Chinese medicine as well (Ocvirk et al., 2013; Asiimwe et al., 2021). India is one of the world’s megadiversity countries and features an enormous plant diversity. Since ancient times, Indians have used medicinal plants and ayurvedic practices date back to 5000 B.C. (Kapoor, 1990). One of the ‘biodiversity hotspots’ that falls within the Himalayas and the Indo-Burma mega biodiversity regions, the North East of India has the ample reservoir of floral diversity. The region is native to about 40% of India’s endemic plant species and sustains about 50% of India’s overall plant diversity. The diverse physiographic conditions of this region facilitate the growth of several medicinal plant species, which are widely used by ethnic groups north east India for their basic healthcare requirements (Ghosh and Parida, 2015; Dutta et al., 2023).

Assam the “Biological Gateway” of North east India is indeed a rich reservoir of diverse flora, fauna and traditional knowledge including medicinal plants and indigenous practices. There are 3.88 million tribal people in Assam, which accounts for 12.45% of the total population as per census 2011. Tribals are living throughout the state; but in certain districts such as Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, Dhemaji, Baksa, Chirang, Udalguri, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur & Goalpara tribal predominance is significantly high (Tribal development plan, 2016). Tribal people are closely related and dependent on nature and natural products. They have extensive indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants and ancient healing practices transmitted through generations (Priyadarshini and Abhilash, 2019; Barua & Baruah, 2021).

Dima Hasao, the beautiful hill district of Assam has rich biodiversity. The hill station of this district Haflong, is often referred to as Switzerland of Assam or North East India. The district is situated in the southern part of Assam, India in between 24°582 N and 25°472 N latitudes and 92°272 E and 93°432 E longitudes. This region is habitat with a number of indigenous communities like Hmar, Biate, Dimasa, Jaintia, Zeme Naga, Khasia etc. with their peculiar tradition and custom. Total geographical area of the district is 4,888 sq. km. out of which 88.71% consist of forest cover. For centuries, the indigenous communities of this area have relied on the abundant flora to treat various ailments and maintain their overall well-being. They have enormous knowledge on their traditional food and medicinal plants (Medhi et al., 2014; Nayaka et al., 2019; Roy and Nath, 2019).

For centuries traditional herbal medicines have been utilized and are deeply rooted in the cultural and ancient practices of many communities. The efficacy of traditional herbal medicines is often regarded as “time-tested” because these remedies have been used and refined over generations (Balkrishna et al., 2024). They are based on the collective knowledge and expertise of ethnic communities. In India, ancient texts like the Rigveda and Atharvaveda consist of precious information about the ancient medicinal practices and herbal remedies (Kumari et al., 2013; Taid et al., 2014).

However, due to increasing urbanization and industrialization, the indigenous knowledge has now been restricted to a limited age group people in tribal community areas, who largely remain delinked from urban areas (Jangir and Kumar, 2023). In order to conserve this traditional knowledge and maintain its legacy investigation and documentation of indigenous medicinal plants used by this tribal communities living in remote rural areas are needed. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate and documentation of indigenous medicinal plants used by scheduled tribe communities of Dima Hasao district of Assam. This investigation also creates awareness about sustainable use of medicinal plants along with their market value and entrepreneurial opportunities through medicinal plants among the rural people of schedule tribe communities of this region.

METHODOLOGY:

Study area: This study was conducted during September to November, 2024; in 11 villages named- Hounveng, Fiangpui, Bagetar, Dibarai, Boro Haflong, Maibang (Horichandrapur), Kalachand, Retzol, Moulpong, Haflong East and Jatinga village of Dima Hasao district of Assam.

Data Collection: The village leaders identified total 89 local practitioners (informants) in those 11 villages. These informants were interviewed using structured interview schedule. The interview schedule was prepared using in accordance with standard ethnobotanical methods from Darro & Khan (2023) and Buragohain et al. (2024) in order to gather information on the different therapeutic plants that were utilized by them.

Map of the study area:

Fig.1 Map of Dima Hasao district of Assam (Source: www.mapsofindia.com)

RESULTS:

In the present study total 89 informants were interviewed in 11 scheduled tribe villages of Dima Hasao district of Assam. The informants belong to Dimasa, Biate, Hmar, Zeme Naga, Khaisa, Jaintia communities. Sex ratio and literacy percentage of informant’s were presented in Table 1. Out of the total informants 80.90% were male and 19.10% female. Literacy rate of the informants was good (85.39%). The highest (48.3%) percentage of informants were belonged to middle age adult group (Fig.2).

From this survey total 196 plants belong to 72 family and 157 genera were recorded (Table.2). The majority of the medicinal plants belongs to Asteraceae followed by Fabaceae and Solanaceae. Similar result was reported by Singh et al. (2000); Teklehaymanot & Giday (2007); Mesfin et al. (2009); Bhattarai et al. (2010). However, in other research works reported Euphorbiaceae to be the dominant family with the majority number of medicinal plants (Khiangte et al. 2017; Gogoi and Nath, 2021). Table.2 contains all the medicinal plants recorded along with their vernacular name, scientific name, family, parts used, medicinal use and the communities that commonly used those plants. In this study leaves were used mostly compared to other parts of the plants for several ailments (Fig.3). Different medicinal plants were used for similar diseases and also for multiple diseases. The plant Centella asiatica was mostly used for several diseases compared to the other plants by all the studied communities of the district. Among the recorded medicinal plant species highest (46.4%) plants were used for the treatment of digestive diseases, followed by infectious diseases, dermatological diseases, cardiovascular disease, urological diseases, endocrinological diseases and neurological diseases (Fig. 4).

Table 1. Basic demographic features of the informants of Scheduled Tribe communities of Dima Hasao district

Features	Percentage
Sex ratio (Male: Female)	80.90: 19.00
Literacy rate	85.39

Fig.2 Number of percentage of different age group of informants

Table 2. Medicinal plants used by the Scheduled Tribe communities of Dima Hasao district, Assam

Sl no.	Vernacular name	Scientific name	Family	Part used	Medicinal use	Community
1.	Bendi	Abelmoschus esculentus	Malvaceae	Fruit	Gastritis	Dimasa
2.	Suzimikhri	Acacia concinna	Fabaceae	Leaf, shoot	Cold, cough	Dimasa
3.	Gokul	Acacia farnesiana	Fabaceae	Root	Jaundice and wound	Dimasa
4.	Thembra	Acasia pinnata	Fabaceae	Bark	Dog bite, jaundice	Jaintia
5.	Merimezem	Aconitum palmatum	Ranunculaeae	Roots	Asthma	Dimasa , zeme naga
6.	Kortoke	Acyranthes aspera	Amaranthaceae	Flower/seed	Cough/cold	Dimasa, zeme naga
7.	Basok, Vasa	Adhatoda vasica	Acanthaceae	Leaf, flower	Dysentery and lung disease	Hmar, khasi
8.	Aviinero	Adiantum caudatum	Pteridaceae	Aerial parts	Worm infestation	Dimasa , zeme naga
9.	Belhei/ Bilva	Aegle marmelos	Rutaceae	Fruit, leaf	Dysentery and heart disease	Hmar, khasi
10.	Pkelepbuna	Ageratina adenophora	Asteraceae	Leaf	Stomach ache	Biate
11.	Samberma	Ageratum conyzoides	Asteraceae	Leaf	Bleeding, cuts and wounds	Dimasa, Jaintia
12.	Kamatrak	Albizia lebbeck	Fabaceae	Bark	Fish poisoning	Hmar
13.	Purunsen /Sangprang-gajao	Alium cepa	Amaryllidaceae	Bulb	Menstrual problem, body ache, toothache	Hmar, Dimasa
14.	Purunvar	Alium sativum	Amaryllidaceae	Bulb	Gastrointestinal issue	Hmar
15.	Salang	Allium chinense	Amarylllidaceae	Bulb	High blood pressure	Dimasa kachari
16.	-	Aloe barbadensis	Aspholdelaceae	Latex	Skin treatment	Jaintia
17.	Elongera	Aloe vera	Asphodalaceae	Leaf	Stomach ache, wound, pain, itching, black spot on face	Hmar
18.	Mandin	Alseodaphne petiolaris	Lauraceae	Bark	Jaundice	Dimasa kachari
19.	Chawngpereng/ Bongklong	Alstonia scholaris	Apocynaceae	Stem, bark	Boil, skin disease, snake bite, malaria, fever	Hmar, dimasa
20.	Khutra	Amaranthus viridis	Amaranthacea	Leaf	Stomach problem, headache	Jaintia
21.	teinghiimidu	Amorphallus bulbifer	Araceae	Stem	Blood pressure control	Dimasa, zeme naga
22.	Rengtheite	Ananas comosus	Bromeliaceae	Fruit	Menstrual irregularity	Dimasa kachari
23.	Chirota hena	Andrographis paniculata	Acanthaceae	Leaf/shoot	Stomach ache, fever, tape worm, dysentery, diabetes	Hmar, Jaintia
24.	Ata	Annona squamosa	Annonaceae	Bark	Diabetes	Dimasa
25.	Pantaokurang	Argemone mexicana	Papaveraeae	Root, stem	Urinary tract infection, skin infection	Dimasa
26.	Ciena	Artemisia indica	Asteraceae	Leaves	Skin infection	Dimasa, zeme naga
27.	-	Asclepias curassavica	Apocynaceae	Leaves/stem	Eye treatment, dysentery	Dimasa, zeme naga
28.	Shatavari	Asparagus racemosus	Asparagaceae	Tuberous root	Indigestion in children	Dimasa, khasi
29.	Thaihereet/ Khabrangtai / Sohdong	Averrhoa carambola	oxalidaceae	Fruit / leaves	Liver disease, eye disease, jaundice, urine infection, lowering cholesterol	Hmar, Dimasa, Jaintia
30.	Neem	Azadirachta indica	Meliaceae	Leaf	Pox, Stomach problem, skin disease	Hmar, dimasa
31.	Khusmai	Baccurea ramiflora	Phyllanthaceae	Fruit	Jaundice	Dimasa
32.	Wahshi	Bambusa tulda	Poaceae	Shoot	Jaundice, body pain	Dimasa
33.	Kaukhluhaba	Banincasa hispida	Cucurbitaceae	Fruit	Dysentery	Dimasa kachari
34.	Mephrai	Basella alba	Basellaceae	Leaf, stem	Jaundice	Dimasa, khasi, Jaintia
35.	Theisamankhup	Begonia grandis	Begoniaceae	Whole plant	Skin disease	Hmar
36.	Tichu	Begonia picta	Begoniacea	Whole plant	Indigestion, insect bite	Dimasa
37.	Alumithri	Begonia roxburghii	Begoniaceae	Rhizome	Snake bite	Dimasa kachari
38.	Anramang	Blumea lannceolaria	Asteraceae	Leaf	Internal infection	Hmar
39.	-	Bombax ceiba	Bombacaceae	Bark	Jaundice and malaria during pregnancy	Dimasa, zeme naga
40.	Thasui	Bonnaya ciliata	Linderniaceae	Leaf	Wounds, joint pain	Hmar
41.	Saran flower	Bougainvillea	Nyctaginaceae	Leaf	Worm infestation, nail infection	Hmar
42.	Rengan	Breynia androgyna	Phyllanthaceae	Leaf	High blood pressure control	Biate
43.	Hnathap	Broussonetia papyrifera	Moraceae	Leaf	Wounds, gastric	Hmar
44.	Lahlo	Brugmansia suaveolens	Solanaceae	Leaves	Ulcer, bodyache	Zeme naga
45.	Khimbung	Brugmansia suaveolens	Solanaceae	Leaf	Body ache and fatigue	Dimasa kachari
46.	Waiblai / Tiewkhluid-ding/ Kangdam	Bryophyllum pinnatum	Crassulaceae	Leaf/ root	Burns, kidney stone, gastric, ulcer, cough	Dimasa, khasi, Hmar
47.	Betlineng/ Khauklim / Bethliam	Cajanus cajan	Fabaceae	Leaf, fruit	Jaundice, mouth ulcer, vomiting, bronchitis, worm infestation	Hmar, Dimasa, Biate
48.	Tingdon	Calamus erectus	Arecaceae	Immature stem	High pressure control	Biate
49.	Akanha	Calotropis procera	Apocynaceae	Stem	Abscess	Hmar
50.	-	Calyptocarpus vialis	Asteraceae	Leaf	Worm infestation	Biate
51.	Nganja / Ganja	Cannabis sativa	Cannabaceae	Leaf	Energy booster, cuts and wounds	Dimasa kachari, Zeme naga
52.	Morsai-berma	Capsicum frutescens	Solanaceae	Fruit	Leech bite to stop bleeding	Dimasa kachari
53.	Seguoga	Cardamine hirsuta	Brassicaceae	Whole plant	Indigestion	Dimasa, zeme naga
54.	Thingfenghna / Poipol	Carica papaya	Caricaceae	Fruit and leaf	Dog bite and jaundice, diabetes	Hmar, Biate
55.	Aragvadha	Cassia fistula	Fabaceae	Fruit palp	Bone injuries	Khasi
56.		Cassia siamea	Fabaceae	Leaves	Skin infection	Jaintia
57.	Kumlluongpar/ tsuinrinaso	Catharanthus roseus	Apocynaceae	Leaf	Diabetes, skin disease, stomach problem	Hmar, Dimasa, zeme naga
58.	Durejeh	Cayratia trifolia	Vitaceae	Leaf, stem	Antibacterial property, sugar control	Dimasa
59.	Palbop/ Lensai/ Lambak/gara/ Mikaring	Centella asiatica	Apiaceae	Leaf, whole plant	Jaundice, gastric, stomach disorder, diabetes, burn, diarrhea Dysentery, eye infection, joint injuries	Hmar, Biate, zeme naga, Dimasa
60.	-	Chloris barbata	Poaceae	Leaves	Skin infection	Dimasa, zeme naga
61.	Thlobnong/ Samkhabli	Chromolaena odorata	Asteraceae	Leaf	Cuts, anesthesia, bleeding, constipation	Hmar, Dimasa, Biate
62.	Simtai	Chrysopogon aciculatus	Poaceae	Roots	Haematuria	Dimasa
63.	Tej-pata/ Tej-patra	Cinnamomum tamala	Lauraceae	Leaf	Diabetes, gastric	Hmar, khasi
64.	Yaujora	Cissus quadrangularis	Vitaceae	Whole plant	Bone fracture	Dimasa
65.	Serhnahring	Citrus aurantifolia	rutaceae	Fruit, leaf	Bleeding and boils	Hmar
66.	Reba	Citrus maxima	Rutaceae	Fruit	Tremor	Dimasa kachari
67.	Champara	Clausena heptaphylla	Rutaceae	Fruit	Kidney stone	Hmar
68.	Anphui / sgainyaopalai	Clerodendrum colebrookianum	Lamiaceae	Leaf, root	High blood pressure, dysentery	Hmar, Biate, Dimasa
69.	-	Clerodendrum glandulossum	Lamiaceae	Leaf	High blood pressure	Hmar, Biate
70.	Phuibimhna	Clerodendrum viscosum	Lamiacaeae	Leaf	Cuts and wounds	Hmar
71.	Aparajita	Clitorea ternatea	Fabaceae	Leaf	High blood pressure	Dimasa
72.	Narikol	Cocos nucifera	arecaceae	Fruit/ coconut water/dry leaf	Small pox, chicken pox	Jaintia, Dimasa, Khasi
73.	Sura-ai-phun/ Kebuka	Costus speciosus	Costaceae	Leaf	Kidney stone	Biate , Khasi
74.	-	Croton bonplandianum	Euphorbiaceae	Stem latex	Cuts and wounds	Biate
75.	Khaokhlumenglai	Cucurbita maxima	Cucurbitaceae	Leaf	Balanitis	Jaintia
76.	Aieng	Curcuma domestica	Zingiberaceae	Rhizome	Liver problem	Hmar
77.	Hegea/silikhdi/ Haridra	Curcuma longa	Zingiberaceae	Rhizome	White discharge, wound, Cough, cold, skin disease	Dimasa, zeme naga, Khasi
78.	Swarnalata	Cuscuta reflexa	Convolvulaceae	Whole plant	Jaundice	Dimasa
79.	Jwarankusha	Cymbopogon citratus	Poaceae	Leaf	Cold, cough, skin disease	Khasi
80.	Plang wabih/Tirizi	Cymbopogon nardus	Poaceae	Leaves, whole plant	Headache, insect repellent	Jaintia, Dimasa
81.	Thlo/Durba	Cynodon dactylon	Poaceae	Leaf / whole plant	Cuts and wounds, antiseptic/ jaundice	Hmar, Biate
82.	Khimbung	Datura innoxia	Solanaceaa	Leaf	Food allergy	Dimasa, Biate
83.	Invetpar	Datura matal	Solanaceae	Seed, leaf	Joint pain	Hmar
84.	Invetpar/ Kimbong	Datura stromanium	Solanaceae	Leaf	Asthma, rheumatism	Hmar, Dimasa
85.	-	Desmodium triquetrum	Fabaceae	Leaves	Piles	Jaintia
86.	Ailand	Dillenia indica	Dilleniaceae	Fruit	Dysentery	Hmar
87.	Varahikanda	Dioscorea bulbifera	Dioscoreaceae	Tuber	Cancer, ulcer	Khasi
88.	Nthairia	Dolichos labab	Fabaceae	Whole plant	Malaria, chest pain	Zeme naga
89.	Sunhlu/ Amalaki	Emblica officinale	Phyllanthaceae	Fruit	Digestive problem	Hmar, khasi
90.	Suthai	Entada rheedii	Fabaceae	Fruit	Wound/boil	Jaintia, Dimasa
91.	Dhania-bakhori	Eryngium foetidum	Apiaceae	Leaf	Food allergy, vomiting, stomachache	Dimasa, Biate
92.	Garibaheu	Eupatorium chinense	Asteraceae	Leaves	Fungal skin disease	Dimasa, zeme naga
93.	Burma	Eupatorium odoratum	Asteraceae	Leaf	Antiseptic	Biate, Dimasa
94.	Khutra	Euphorbia hirta	Euphorbiaceae	Leaf	Boil, wounds	Dimasa, Biate
95.	Sunlunoithum	Euphorbia niruri	Euphorbiaceae	Whole plant	Jaundice and liver problem	Hmar
96.	Khandaojala	Ficus hispida	moraceae	Bark	Carbuncles	Dimasa
97.	Profand	Ficus religiosa	Moraceae	Root	Jaundice	Dimasa
98.	__	Garcinia xanthochymus	Guttiferae	Fruit	Hair treatment, stomach problem	Dimasa , Zeme naga
99.	Laidisa	Geodorum densiflorum	Orchidaceae	Tuber	Carbuncles	Dimasa
100.	Mursengchi	Heritiera fomes	Malvaceae	Bark/flower	Gastric	Dimasa, zeme naga
101.	-	Hibiscus sabdariffa	Malvaceae	Leaf/fruit	High blood pressure	Biate
102.	Reibalsen /Kambuthlang	Hibiscus-rosa-sinensis	Malvaceae	Leaf and flower	Cuts and wounds, abscess, scurf treatment, body pain	Hmar, Jaintia
103.	Khimlili	Hippeastrum reginae	Amaryllidaceae	Corm	Stomachache	Dimasa
104.	Gondai	Homalomena aromatica	Araceae	Tender leaf	Ractal prolaps	Dimasa
105.	Keirim /Mosokmao	Houttuynia cordata	Saururaceae	Leaf, root	Stomach problem, high blood pressure, skin disease, heart disease	Hmar, Biate, Dimasa
106.	-	Hydrocotyle rotundifolia	Araliaceae	Whole plant	Stomach problem	Biate
107.	Tukhma	Hyptis suaveolens	Lamiaceae	Seed	Urinary tract infection	Dimasa
108.	-	Ipomea curnea	Convulvulaceae	Plant sap	Cuts and wounds	Biate
109.	Mutmaleng	Jatropha curcas	Euphorbiaceae	Stem	Toothache, burning pain	Hmar
110.	Radaokhlong gajao	Jatropha gossypiifolia	Euphorbiaceae	Plant sap	Sore tongue	Dimasa
111.	Khim-atha/Hlothing	Justicia gendurussa	Acanthaceae	Leaf/shoot	Bleeding, burn, cuts and wounds	Dimasa, kachari
112.	Meikangpar	Kalanchoe pinnata	Crassulaceae	Leaf	Cough, diarrhea, burn	Hmar
113.	Buor-thu	Laggera crispata	Asteraceae	Leaf	Cure menstrual problem	Hmar
114.	Mehendi	Lawsonia inermis	Lythraceae	Leaf	Cuts and wounds	Hmar
115.	Sairam / Sam-sheebling	Leucas aspera	Lamiaceae	Leaf	Ear and hair treatment, eye infection	Hmar, Jaintia
116.	Theihai-kung-rikol	Mangifera indica	Anacardiaceae	Bark	Jaundice, dysentery	Biate, hmar
117.	Thialbalfak	Maranta arundinaceae	Marantaceae	Root	Lactation enhancer	Biate
118.	Thaijora	Marsdenia jenkinsii	Apocynaceae	Fruit	Fracture	Dimasa
119.	Khangkhrai	Mecardonia procumbens	Plantaginaceae	Leaf, stem	Minorrhagia	Dimasa
120.	Hmurkuong/ Khusim	Melastroma malabathricum	Melastomataceae	Leaf, young twigs	Diabetes, dysentery, worm infestation	Hmar, Dimasa
121.	-	Melia composita	Meliaceae	Leaf	Stomach and liver trouble	Biate
122.	Wahtzi	Melocanna baccifera	Poaceae	Stem/leaf	Cut and wound	Dimasa
123.	Pudina /loibamsia	Mentha arvensis	Lamiaceae	Leaf/whole plant	Stomachache, gastric	Hmar , Biate
124.	Champa	Michelia champaka	Magnoliaceae	Seeds	Jaundice	Dimasa
125.	Japanrang	Mikania micrantha	Asteraceae	Leaf	Piles, cuts and wounds, allergies	Hmar
126.	Hlonuor/hezeiheu/ Nuorhlu/ Samgablo	Mimosa pudica	Fabaceae	Roots/leaves	Kidney stone, skin disease, toothache, piles	Hmar, Dimasa, zeme naga
127.	Samkabli	Mirabilis jalapa	Nyctaginaceae	Leaf	Skin itch, swelling	Dimasa, bIATE
128.	Chankha/ Galha/Changkhana	Momordica charantia	Cucurbitaceae	Leaf	High blood pressure, rabies, chest pain	Hmar, Dimasa, Biate, Zeme naga
129.	Daingul	Moringa ollifera	Moringaceae	Bark and stem	Bone pain, fracture, stomach ache	Hmar
130.	Tuta	Morus nigra	Moraceae	Fruit	Lower body heat	khasi
131.	Narasingha	Murraeya koenigii	Rutaceae	Leaf	Diabetes	Dimasa
132.	Athiya-kol/ Lai-yung	Musa balbisiana	Musaceae	Tuber, fruit, leaf	Pyrea, low haemoglobin, dysentery	Dimasa
133.	Laigonthai	Musa paradisiaca	Musaceae	Flower	Malaria	Dimasa
134.	Rimotvui	Musa sp.	Musaceae	Flower/latex	Blood pressure control	Biate
135.	Katphala	Myrica esculenta	Myricaceae	Fruit	Indigestion in children, diabetes, fever	Khasi
136.	Tulsihegra	Ocimum tenuiflorum	Lamiaceae	Leaf	Itching, cough, jaundice, diarrhea	Dimasa, Jaintia
137.	Katakung	Opuntia dillenii	Cactaceae	Whole plant	Snake and insect bite	Hmar
138.	Kholong	Oroxylum indicum	Bignoniaceae	Bark	Jaundice	Dimasa
139.	Bora rice	Oryza sativa	Poaceae	Seed	Skin treatment	Jaintia
140.	Inrainuthei	Oxalis corniculata	Oxalidaceae	Root	Toothache, dysentery	Hmar, Dimasa
141.	-	Oxalis debillis	Oxalidaceae	Whole plant	Stomach problem	Biate
142.	Tachimburia	Paederia foetida	Rubiaceae	Whole plant	Malaria, bodyache	Dimasa, zeme naga
143.	Bairethai	Parkia speciosa	Fabaceae	Fruit	Gastritis, Diabetes, kidney, liver problem	Dimasa, Hmar
144.	Dein-chakop	Phlogocanthus thyrsiformis	Acanthaceae	Flower	Cough	Jaintia
145.	Samlaiphang	Phyllanthes fraternus	Phyllanthaceae	Leaf, root	Diarrhea, jaundice, fever	Dimasa
146.	Samanline/zokasi /Hamlaithai	Phyllanthus emblica	Phyllanthaceae	Fruit, bark	Jaundice, indigestion, diabetes	Jaintia, Dimasa , zeme naga
147.	Pan	Piper betle	Piperaceae	Leaf	Cuts and wounds, scorpions sting	Hmar
148.	Hmarchainhlum/ morsaidi	Piper nigrum	Piperaceae	Seed, root	Pneumonia, cough and sore throat, dysentery, piles	Hmar
149.	Vawk-an-hna	Plantago major	Plantaginaceae	Whole plant	Kidney stone	Hmar
150.	Samsongi	Plantago ovata	plantaginaceae	Leaves	Jaundice, toothache, gum bleeding, tongue infection	Dimasa
151.	Ntheuheu	Polygonum hydropiper	Polygonaceae	Leaves	Anthelmintic, uterine disorder, worm infestation, painkiller	Dimasa, zeme naga
152.	Mirongru	Polygonum orientale	Polygonaceae	Whole plant	Fish poisoning	Hmar
153.	-	Pouzolzia hirta	Urticaceae	Leaf/ stem	Lactagogue	Biate
154.	Ichardon /Kawlthuizik	Psidium guajava	Myrtaceae	Leaf bud	Stomachache, dysentery	Biate, hmar
155.	Thaebufai	Punica granatum	Lythraceae	Leaf	Dysentery, gastric	Hmar
156.	Tdongpaitpuraw	Rauvolfia serpentina	Apocynaceae	Root, leaf	Snake bite, high blood pressure	Khasi
157.	Methapla	Rhaphidophora glausa	Araceae	Leaf	Carbuncles	Dimasa
158.	Nak-lam-hna	Rhaphidophora tetrasperma	Araceae	Leaf	Chest pain	Hmar
159.	Khangkhairegu	Richardia scabra	Rubiaceae	Shoot	Urinary tract infection	Dimasa
160.	Muthi	Ricinus communis	Euphorbiaceae	Leaf/root/seed	Liver disorder, constipation	Hmar
161.	Manjishtha	Rubia cordifolia	Rubiaceae	Leaf, stem	Skin disease, poisonous sting of insects	Khasi
162.	Sbai-thai	Rungia parviflora	Acanthaceae	Leaf	Cuts and wounds, small pox	Dimasa, Biate
163.	Mafu	Saccharum officinarum	Poaceae	Stem	Jaundice	Hmar
164.	Lingsaru	Sapindus mukorossi	Sapindaceae	Fruit	Swelling/tonsil	Biate
165.	Khuongbaihlo	Scoparia dulsis	Scrophulariaceae	Leaf , wholeplant	Kidney stone, diabetes	Hmar
166.	Sheebling	Sesamum indicum	Pedaliaceae	Seed	Piles	Dimasa
167.	__	Smilax glabra	Smilacaceae		Energy booster, urine infection	Hmar
168.	Sidzigubrulai	Smilax perfoliata	Smilacaeae	Leaf	Excess urination	Dimasa
169.	Tawkrakur/ Khimkatai	Solanum indicum	Solanaceae	Fruit	Toothache, high blood pressure, jaundice	Hmar, Dimasa
170.	Kumkathai	Solanum integrifolium	Solanaceae	Fruit	High blood pressure	Dimasa, Biate
171.	Brihati	Solanum khasianum	Solanaceae	Fruit	Toothache	Khasi
172.	Lamlianpa samtrok/Samtawkte	Solanum torvum	Solanaceae	Fruit	Blood pressure, abscess	Biate, hmar
173.	Khimkatai	Solanum viarum	solanaceae	Fruit	Heart problem	Dimasa
174.	Anisa	Spilanthes acmella	Asteraceae	Inflorescence	Indigestion, ringworm, toothache	Hmar, Biate
175.	Pararsi/ Santustem	Spilanthes panniculata	Asteraceae	Leaf and flower	Cure early stage of cancer, toothache, worm infestation	Hmar, Dimasa
176.	Uthar	Stephania japonica	Dilleniaceae	Tuber	Carbuncles	Dimasa
177.	Khande	Streblus asper	Moraceae	Leaf, shoot	Stomach ache	Dimasa
178.	Khande	Streblus aspera	Moraceae	Leaf/shoot	Stomachache	Dimasa
179.	Chirata	Swertia chirata	Gentianaceae	Stem and twig	Blood pressure control, diarrhea, malaria	Dimasa
180.	Jambu	Syzygium cumini	Myrtaceae	Seed, bark	Diabetes	Dimasa
181.	Teteli/ Sinkerlet/ Tintri	Tamarindus indica	Fabaceae	Fruit	Stomach problem, blood pressure control, cough, snake and dog bite	Jaintia, Biate, hmar, dimasa
182.	Sthauneyaka	Taxus wallichiana	Taxaceae	Leaf	Gastric, cancer	Dimasa, khasi
183.	Arjun	Terminalia arjuna	Combretaceae	Bark	Heart problem, digestive problem	Dimasa, hmar
184.	Ortaki	Terminalia chebula	Combretaceae	Fruit	Cough, pneumonia	Jaintia
185.	Vaakhrui	Thunbergia grandiflora	Acanthaceae	Node	Conjunctivitis	Hmar
186.	Kambathbarma /Daothulu	Tinospora cordifolia	Menispermaceae	Stem	Bone fracture, jaundice, diabetes	Jaintia, dimasa
187.	-	Toona ciliata	Meliaceae	Bark	Chronic dysentery	Jaintia
188.	Sam-khamao-thai	Tridax procumbens	Asteraceae	Flower	Toothache	Dimasa
189.	-	Urceolina grandiflora	Amaryllidaceae	Leaf	Blood clotting	Hmar
190.	Tingneh / Vawkpuihner-kewl	Urena lobata	Asteraceae	Leaves/root	High blood pressure, rheumatic pain, dysentery, hyperacidity	Zeme naga, hmar
191.	Thasui	Veronica sp.	Plantaginaceae	Leaf	cuts	Hmar
192.	Vringaraj	Wedelia chinensis	Asteraceae	Leaf	High blood pressure	Dimasa
193.	Tejovati	zanthoxylum acanthopodium	Rutaceae	Seed	Toothache, skin disease	Khasi
194.	Posaltakaza /Miskil-duka	Zanthoxyllum nitidum	Rutaceae	Roots	Infertility, pyrea	Hmar, dimasa
195.	Aithing	Zingiber officinale	zingiberaceae	Rhizome and leaf	Cough, inflmmation	Hmar, Jaintia
196.	-	Zingiber zerumbet	Zingiberaceae	Flower	Hair treatment	Biate

Fig.3 Number of different medicinal plant parts used by Scheduled Tribe communities of

Dima Hasao

Fig.4 Percentage of different medicinal plants used for different diseases

DISCUSSION:

The present investigation revealed that scheduled tribe communities of Dima Hasao district have enormous indigenous knowledge on traditional medicinal plants. According to the finding Dima Hasao district inhabited with a number of medicinal plants. It is clearly recognizable that the area has abundant potential therapeutic plants that has been used from ancient times. The emergence of new crude medications for the treatment of many ailments is thus aided by this documentation study. Similar investigation was conducted in Dimasa tribe of North Cacher Hills district (Dima Hasao at present) and in Barak Valley by Tamuli and Sharma (2010); Nath et al. (2011). Another survey was conducted on ethnomedicinal plants used by Hmar tribe of Dima Hasao district by Das et al. (2023).

In the present study male practitioners were higher than female. The informants were mainly from middle age adult group. The decent literacy rate of the informants indicate that tribal people were educated in that region. Rural residents have a low socio-economic level while having a high literacy rate. Therefore, additional educational skills and career possibilities should be provided to them in order to improve their socio-economic condition. Moreover, it was also noted that these people had an immense amount of traditional knowledge about how to prepare and use a variety of plants, which might be documented and used with appropriate modifications to boost their economy.

From the findings of the study, it was observed that every documented plant had a traditional purpose for curing one or more ailments and different traditional healers and rural practitioners have exploited various uses. Most of the informants used leaves for several treatment compared to the other parts of the plants. Most of the medicinal plants recorded in this study were highly used for treatment of different digestive diseases as compared to other types of disease.

During this study it was noticed that numerous superstitious beliefs were found among the ST communities. They believed that if they imparted their expertise to others, the potential of the medicinal properties would not stay. They also added that they never ask for anything from the client in order to prepare medication because they believed that it would be not like by God. They were unable to improve their socioeconomic circumstances as a result of these superstitious beliefs. Therefore, it is very important to create awareness among them to upliftment of their livelihood through indigenous medicinal plants.

It is the first extensive study on indigenous medicinal plants used by Scheduled Tribe communities of Dima Hasao district of Assam. In addition to documenting the indigenous knowledge of the Scheduled Tribe communities, the finding of present study raise awareness of the socio-economic development of their society through the use of ethnic medicinal practices, which may improve their standard of living.

CONCLUSION::

This study has provided useful details about the edible fruits, vegetables, and plants used for ethnomedical purposes by the Scheduled tribe communities of Dima Hasao. In addition to implementing measures to protect and conserve these species, it is imperative that locals are adequately networked and have knowledge about the medicinal advantages of these native plants. It will take input from a variety of society sectors, professions, and strata to build such a sustainable system. However, it is evident from the illicit use of many beneficial medicinal herbs in nature that they are rare in rural areas. Furthermore, similar studies need to be initiated in other regions of Dima Hasao.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors would like to acknowledge Department of Science and Technology (DST), Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai Innovation and Technology Foundation (IBITF) for financial support. The authors would like to owe a deep sense of gratitude to local leaders of studied villages and all the informants for their co-operation and sharing their valuable knowledge. The authors are grateful to the Department of Electronics and communication engineering of Dibrugarh University and Department of Electronics and communication engineering of IIIT Guwahati for support.

The authors declare there is no conflict of interest.

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Traditional Medicinal plants used by Scheduled Tribe communities: An Ethnomedicinal study in Dima Hasao district of Assam, North East India

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