An Ethnomedicinal Survey of Vitbilia Village in Sujanagar Sub-District of Pabna District, Bangladesh

Abstract

An ethonomedicinal survey was carried out in the village of Vitbilia situated in Sujanagar sub-district of Pabna district, Bangladesh. Informed consent was obtained from the folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) and interviews were conducted with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method, where the Kavirajes took the interviewers to areas from where they collected their plants and pointed out their uses. Plant specimens were collected, pressed and dried in the field and later identified at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. It was observed that the Kavirajes used 48 plants distributed into 30 families for treatment of various ailments. The Fabaceae family formed the largest family contributing six plants followed by the Acanthaceae, Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families contributing three plants each. Leaves constituted the major plant part used (41.2%) followed by roots (27.9%) and stems (13.2%). Other plant parts used included whole plants, flowers, seeds, fruits and plant sap. The various ailments treated included hepatic disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, skin disorders, snake bites, cuts and wounds, sexually transmitted diseases, pain, fever, respiratory tract disorders, paralysis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, impotency and bone fractures. The folk medicinal uses of a number of plants are validated by available scientific studies on those plant species. Cumulatively, the plant species reported in the present survey can form an important source of lead compounds and more efficacious drugs through further scientific studies.