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.

Anemia in Cameroon: A Social Approach

Viewed as hidden hunger, anemia is an indicator of poor nutrition and health status, especially for African pre-school children. Several actions are being carried out to combat anemia in Africa, without success. The fundamental step to improve this situation is to determine 1) mothers’ knowledge regarding anemia (symptoms/signs and etiologies), and 2) their attitudes towards anemia. The present effort was to determine 1) and 2) on mothers (n = 152) with children (1 - 5 years) through questionnaire. Data showed that the less educated the mother was, the more she gave the wrong definition of anemia. When these mothers have anemic children, 129 go to the hospital, 34 give grenadine (sweet soda), 14 go to the traditional healer, and 6 give the various decoctions. Our results showed that less-educated mothers had wrong anemia management, such as attachment to a visual logic that assimilates blood to food with red coloring. The actions must directly involve these mothers and the traditional healers to improve this situation.

Ankle Arthrodesis in the Treatment of Neglected Ankle Fractures

Introduction: Neglected ankle fractures are common in our regions. Patients first consult traditional healers and it is when the signs persist that they consult the surgeon for a swollen and painful ankle. Initially we always performed anatomical repairs with osteosynthesis, but the majority of patients still complained of pain and disability. We wondered whether a primary arthrodesis would not be indicated in old ankle fractures to avoid disabling pain for patients. We therefore performed a series of arthrodesis on neglected post-traumatic ankles. The objective of our study was to describe the results of arthrodesis on an old post-traumatic ankle and to propose a therapeutic indication in the face of any neglected ankle fracture. Material and Method: This was a prospective study over 8 years between December 2012 and November 2020, involving 36 cases of neglected ankle fractures treated by arthrodesis using Meary’s technique. We used AOFAS (American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Score) preoperatively and postoperatively for an objective assessment. Results: The average follow-up was 4.2 years and our results were satisfactory (94.4%) with an average AOFAS score ranging from 27.8 preoperatively to 76.7 postoperatively. The fusion rate was 97.2%. Discussion: Arthrodesis appears here as an important alternative in the treatment of neglected ankle fractures with significant trophic disorders.

Local Perceptions on the Status,Values and Conservation and Ethnobotanical Implications of Medicinal and Multipurpose Plants in and Around Selected Church Forests in Central Ethiopia

Societies have varied attitude and perception on the forest resources nearby them.Ethnobotanical knowledge should be integrated with biophysical studies in order to be used for managing and conserving forests.The objectives of the study were to assess the existing knowledge about the uses of plant species and to examine the plant species.Three sites were selected around central Ethiopia encompassing three church forests.Focus group discussion,questionnaire-based social survey and vegetation inventory were undertaken.The focus group discussants were selected from traditional healers,elders of the society,development agents,and people who are knowledgeable about the vegetation of the areas.Voucher specimens were collected for those species difficult to identify.The data analysis was done by descriptive statistics using Excel 2010 and SPSS v20.The results indicated agricultural expansion,charcoal making and fuel wood as the major causes of deforestation in Site 1,Site 2 and Site 3 respectively.Religious preaching was stated by group discussants as the most effective solution to reverse the degradation and to protect the church forests.The plant species have varied uses as traditional medicine,food,construction wood,household utensils,and firewood but higher percent of the mentioned species were used either for human or livestock medicine.Sørensen similarity index indicated Site 1 and Site 2 have 12.5%,Site 1 and Site 3 have 10.9%and Site 2 and Site 3 have 43.5%similarities.Documenting the wealth of indigenous knowledge and in situ conservation of the plant species are key recommendations.