Ethnomedicinal Investigation of Medicinal Plants of Chakrata Region(Uttarakhand)Used in the Traditional Medicine for Diabetes by Jaunsari Tribe

The Himalayan region is the treasure house of natural wealth,particularly of medicinal and aromatic plants.These plants are used by the Indian traditional healers for the past many centuries to treat various ailments such as skin disorders,asthma,diabetes,snake bite,fever,pain,eye diseases,diarrhoea,indigestion,jaundice,burn,wound,liver disorder,CNS disorders and urinary tract infection.The indigenous traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and therapies of various local communities has been lost due to changes in traditional culture and the introduction of modern technologies.Therefore,it is essential to explore the traditional knowledge of the indigenous medicinal plants mainly in such areas where there is a severe threat to natural vegetation owing to human inhabitation.The present study aimed to explore the medicinal plants of Chakrata region(Jaunsar-Bawar Hills),Uttarakhand,India used in the folk medicine for the management of diabetes by Jaunsari Tribe.In a comprehensive feld survey,the information about the medicinal plants have been mainly collected from the traditional healers and other elderly people belong to the tribal community.All the information about the medicinal plants of the study area was documented in a feld book.Various tools have been used to collect the samples for identifcation purpose and the authentication of the plants was done with the help of taxonomists.The literature on these plants was also searched from online(PubMed and Scopus)as well as from some textbooks and Ayurvedic classical texts.The present survey-based work described a total of 54 plants belonging to 47 genera and 30 families used in the traditional medicine for the management of diabetes in Chakrata region.The information gathered from the local community revealed that the plants are efective in diabetes and one can use most of them without consulting a practitioner or traditional healer.The literature revealed that most of the surveyed plants are already used in the preparation of various antidiabetic formulations such as Chandraprabha vati,Nishamalaki chunra,Amritamehari churna and Nisakathakadi kashayam along with various patent drugs which are frequently prescribed by the Ayurvedic practitioners in India.The present study explored the traditional as well as scientifc knowledge on the antidiabetic plants used by the tribal community.The documented information on these plants can be further used by the scientifc community to develop new drugs/formulations with the help of modern techniques.

Status of Indian medicinal plants in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the future of Ayurvedic drugs: Shouldn’t think about Ayurvedic fundamentals?

The present market for herbal drugs is estimated about ?40 billion, which is expected to increase by 16% in next 3-4 years. The current production of many Ayurvedic herbs is less than their market demand, which incentivizes adulteration in the Ayurvedic drug supply chain. The present work aims to highlight the most used Ayurvedic plants that have been listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's "red list" of endangered or vulnerable plants. The future of Ayurvedic medicines from these listed plants is uncertain, as the collection of herbs from their natural habitat is prohibited and their cultivation does not meet market demands. Many of these plants, such as Taxus baccata and T. wallichiana, are endangered and are only grown in their natural habitats;their cultivation in other areas is impractical. This is the present state, and will worsen as demand continues to grow, with increasing populations and increasing adoption of this system of medicine. It is possible that in coming years most of the Ayurvedic drugs will be adulterated, and will cause only side effects rather than the therapeutic effects. The Ayurvedic fundamentals are under-explored areas where the Ayurvedic practitioners and research scientists can work together. The scientific work on the basic principles will unravel many unknown or little-known facts of this ancient science. Hence, the present review emphasizes the conservation of Ayurvedic herbs, minimization of the use of medicinal plants and the promotion of the research based on Ayurvedic fundamentals.