International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research

Forest-based medicinal plants rendering their services to the rural community of Assam, India

Ratul Arya Baishya¹, Jatindra Sarma² and Ajima Begum³

¹Research Investigator, Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Project National Institute of Rural Development, North Eastern Regional Centre Jawahar Nagar, Khanapara, Guwahati - 781022, Assam.

²Deputy Conservator of Forests, Logging Division Tinsukia – 786125, Assam.

³Assistant Professor, Department of Botany B.N. College, Dhubri – 783324, Assam.

Abstract

Forests are the main biological resource areas from where reportedly 80% of the medicinal plants are collected by the rural communities of the state. Traditional folk medicines, mainly based on plants, occupy a significant position today, especially in the developing countries, where modern health care service is limited. Medicinal plants are gaining global importance owing to the fact that herbal drugs are cost-effective, easily available and most reportedly, with negligible side effects. Safe, effective and inexpensive indigenous remedies had been practiced by the people of both tribal and rural society of Assam from time immemorial. Therefore, the need of the hour is to harness this natural resource sustainably for the socio-economic development of the indigenous communities. Hence, a strategy for sustainable harvesting practice needs to be developed that would ensure preservation of the valuable medicinal plants in situ while addressing the needs of the rural communities. The present study is, thus, an attempt to highlight the common medicinal plants of forested region as used by the rural poor community for different kinds of treatment as the rural local healers usually practice the treatment of diseases in their locality.

Key words: Folk medicine, medicinal plants, forest, sustainable collection, indigenous communities and local healers.