Volume 4, Supplement 1, 2014, Pages S116–S120
Document heading
Herbal cure for poisons and poisonous bites from Western Uttar Pradesh, India
Abstract
Objective
To
conduct ethnopharmacobotanical field explorations in rural areas of
five districts of Uttar Pradesh, India with regard to the folk herbal
formulations associated with the management of poisons and poisonous
bites.
Methods
Local traditional healers known as “Vaidya” and “Hakeems”
in the study area were interviewed to gather ethnopharmacobotanical
information using a questionnaire attending various medical practices.
Results
Information
on 49 herbal formulations prepared from 39 plant species belonging to
28 plant families in the treatment of poisons and poisonous bites is
presented in this scientific communication.
Conclusion
Present
communication revealed that study area is rich in its
ethnopharmacobotanical knowledge. The plant species discussed here also
encompasses new reports on Chenopodium album, Solanum xanthocarpum,
Solanum melongena, Sesamum indicum, Calotropis procera, Coriandrum
sativum, Cynodon dactylon, Brassica campestris, Triticum aestivum, Vitis
vinifera, Sorgum vulgare and Nerium indicum. This study
further concludes that there lies a lot of potential in the Indian
herbal repository which should be explored systematically and later
subjected to thorough study under the light of latest available
scientific research methodologies for the drug standardization and
pharmaco-toxicological studies with a view to making cheaper and safer
drugs for the benefit of humanity periodically encountered with poisons
and poisonous bites.
Keywords
- Herbal formulations;
- Poisons;
- Poisonous bites
- Peer reviewer:
Dr. Bala Yauri Muhammad, Asscociate Professor, Pharmacology Department,
College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Buraidah, 51452, Qassim, Saudi
Arabia. Tel:
00966569760570, Email: balamuhd@yahoo.com - Comments: Studies of this nature will be important and should be encouraged. Documentation of herbal remedies employed by herbalist is no doubt an important first step towards the rationalization and standardization of herbal drugs for the treatment of poisonous bites.
- Foundation Project: Supported by Department of Science and Technology SERC Division, New Delhi to the author Dr. Abdul Viqar Khan (DST No: 304/2004:SR/FT/L-129/2004).
- Available online 28 Jan 2014
- Corresponding author: Dr Abdul Viqar Khan, Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Botany, A.M.U., Aligarh-202002, India. Tel: 09410211046
Copyright © 2014 Asian Pacific Tropical Medicine Press. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.
