Record of Traditional Medicinal Practice of Herbalists of Muslim Community in Manipur

Many countries and cultures inherited knowledge of plant medicines to cure diseases and health problems from time immemorial. Field survey work and the registration of patients on a daily basis for a number of 129 randomly selected days, mainly in Thoubal district from January 2006 to October 2006 were conducted, alongside the collection of plants up to April, 2008. Recorded patients belonging to these communities included communities 514 Muslims: 390 Meeteis: 159 Tribals. Male and female were in a proportion of 614:548. The present study deals with 13 plant species, under 14 genera belonging to 13 families closely associated with 12 categories of treatment of diseases and human health problems. The plant parts/plants employed are categorised as leaves (L), 7 times; whole plant (WP), 2 times and Fruits (F), Whole plant without root (WPWR), Seeds (S), Bulbs (B), Roots (R); 1 time each. Category of illnesses and health problems and number of patients recorded were - Bone dislocation, fracture & other bone related problems (BDFOP 402); Ligament (LG 86); Kidney stone and kidney related problem (KSAP 47); Joint, body ache &associated problems( JBAP 37); Gastric problems (GST 35); Diabetes(DBT 35); Leiman or Bad Womb (BW 30); Dhatu or Piles & Constipation (PC 27); Phunba and Lengba or Congestion of chest (CC); Asthma (AST 16); Stomach and associated problems (SAP 14); Heart weakness (9); Liver problems (LP)(9); Lack of blood & Blood problem (LBBP 8); Chakmangba or post-birth lack of appetite female case (PBLAFC 8); Paralysis (P6); Female white discharge (FWD 4); Irregular Men’s Cycle (IMC 4); possessiveness due to black earth (PBE 4); Gall bladder stone (GBS 4); Fever (2) and others (OTS 366). The investigation of the traditional medicinal practices of Muslim herbalists in Manipur vis a vis finding along potentiality of the practical know how of indigenous medicinal knowledge. Comparative study of some plants for their useful aspects in solving health problems had been discussed in the paper

Record of Traditional Medicinal Practice of Herbalists of Muslim Community in Manipur

Many countries and cultures inherited knowledge of plant medicines to cure diseases and health problems from time immemorial. Field survey work and the registration of patients on a daily basis for a number of 129 randomly selected days, mainly in Thoubal district from January 2006 to October 2006 were conducted, alongside the collection of plants up to April, 2008. Recorded patients belonging to these communities included communities 514 Muslims: 390 Meeteis: 159 Tribals. Male and female were in a proportion of 614:548. The present study deals with 13 plant species, under 14 genera belonging to 13 families closely associated with 12 categories of treatment of diseases and human health problems. The plant parts/plants employed are categorised as leaves (L), 7 times; whole plant (WP), 2 times and Fruits (F), Whole plant without root (WPWR), Seeds (S), Bulbs (B), Roots (R); 1 time each. Category of illnesses and health problems and number of patients recorded were - Bone dislocation, fracture & other bone related problems (BDFOP 402); Ligament (LG 86); Kidney stone and kidney related problem (KSAP 47); Joint, body ache &associated problems( JBAP 37); Gastric problems (GST 35); Diabetes(DBT 35); Leiman or Bad Womb (BW 30); Dhatu or Piles & Constipation (PC 27); Phunba and Lengba or Congestion of chest (CC); Asthma (AST 16); Stomach and associated problems (SAP 14); Heart weakness (9); Liver problems (LP)(9); Lack of blood & Blood problem (LBBP 8); Chakmangba or post-birth lack of appetite female case (PBLAFC 8); Paralysis (P6); Female white discharge (FWD 4); Irregular Men’s Cycle (IMC 4); possessiveness due to black earth (PBE 4); Gall bladder stone (GBS 4); Fever (2) and others (OTS 366). The investigation of the traditional medicinal practices of Muslim herbalists in Manipur vis a vis finding along potentiality of the practical know how of indigenous medicinal knowledge. Comparative study of some plants for their useful aspects in solving health problems had been discussed in the paper

Cleistanthus nokrensis (Euphorbiaceae), a New Species from Indian Himalaya

A new species, Cleistanthus nokrensis (Euphorbiaceae), was collected and described from Indian Himalaya. This species is confined to the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve where it grows on the calcareous habitat in karst topography. On the basis of the critical features of its habitat, branches, petioles, leaves, and fruits, the species is compared with the closely related allied species, C. tonkinensis Jabl. and C. balakrishnanii Chakrab. Notes on its taxonomic description, photographs, ecology, associated species, population data, and threat perspective as per latest IUCN conservation status are provided. A key to the other taxa in the genus reported from India is provided for the first time, along with their distributional records and endemism

Contribution to the pteridophytic flora of India: Nokrek Biosphere Reserve, Meghalaya

Nokrek National Park, located approximately 40km from Tura town in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, India, was added to the list of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO in May 2009. Since there is no previous report from this area, the pteridophytes of the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve are catalogued in the present study. The checklist consists of 113 taxa (98 ferns, 15 fern allies), of which 25 species are newly reported for the Meghalaya State (Selaginella involvens, Selaginella semicordata, Selaginella subdiaphana, Selaginella tenuifolia, Asplenium gueinzianum, Asplenium perakanse, Microlepia hancei, Microlepia rhomboidea, Dicranopteris linearis, Coniogramme procera, Bolbitis sinensis, Loxogramme chinensis, Lygodium microphyllum, Lemmaphyllum microphyllum, Lemmaphyllum rostratum, Pleopeltis macrosphaera, Pyrrosia lanceolata, Pyrrosia longifolia, Pteris biaurita ssp. walkeriana, Pteris grevilleana, Tectaria fuscipes, Cyclosorus crinipes, Pseudocyclosorus falcilobus, Diplazium apicisorum and Diplazium pseudosetigerum) and 43 species are new for all the three Garo Hill districts of the Garo Hills in the Meghalaya State

ANTIOXIDATIVE AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF LENTINULA EDODES

Objective: Aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of the edible mushroom species, Lentinula edodes.Methods: Presence of potential antioxidant compounds, such as, ascorbic acid, β carotene, lycopene, phenolics and flavonoids were tested. To understand the antioxidant potentiality like scavenging of superoxide radical, chelating of ferrous ion, scavenging capacity of DPPH radicals and reducing power of the extract were investigated.Results: The extraction yield achieved from L. edodes extraction was 2.4%. Total phenolic content was 25.5 mg GAE/g and total flavonoids content was 2 mg CE/g. The EC50 value for superoxide radical scavenging activity was found to be at a concentration of 0.64 mg/ml.Conclusion: The results obtained reveal that L. edodes can be a potential source of natural antioxidant which may be used to treat various oxidative stress related diseases.Key words: Ascorbic acid, edible mushroom, Lentinula edodes, flavonoids, phenols, reactive oxygen specie