International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research

ISSN 2169-303X

International Journal of Medicinal Plant Research ISSN: 2169-303X Vol. 1 (5), pp. 058-062, October, 2012. © International Scholars  Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Ethnopharmacological studies on the medicinal plants used by tribal inhabitants of meenagadi region in wayanadu district of kerala, South India

Francis Xavier. T1, Arun. V. R2 and Freeda Rose. A2

1Department of Botany, St. Joseph's College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India.

2Department of Microbiology, PGP College of Arts and Science, Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Received 17 July, 2012; Accepted 23 October, 2012

Abstract

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out to collect information on the use of medicinal plants in Meenagadi region of Wayanadu District, Kerala, India during December 2006 to February 2007. Information presented in this paper was gathered from the different tribal communities of the present study area. It is an integrated approach of questionnaires and interviews. A total of 55 ethnomedicinal plant species distributed in 34 families are documented in this study. The medicinal plants used by the tribal communities are listed with botanical name, family, local name, parts used and medicinal uses. The documented medicinal plants mostly used to cure skin diseases. The results of the present study showed that these tribal communities still depend on medicinal plants in Meenagadi region of Wayanadu District, Kerala.