Herbal plants for children diseases’ cure in Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

The present study aims at identification and documentation of the medicinal plants which are traditionally used to manage children diseases in Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu, India. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect ethnomedicinal plants during the month of December 2017 and January 2018. Data was statistically analysed using Use value (UV), relative frequency of citations (RFC), utility ratio (UR), relative information (RI) and informant agreement ratio (IAR). Forty three medicinal plants which were identified and documented belong to 30 families. Most of the species belong to Solanaceae and Leguminosae families. Most frequently used plant part and life form are leaves and herbs. Decoction method was used for delivering the oral dose and oral intake was the major route used for administration. Ocimum basilicum had highest UV, RFC, UR, RI and IAR. Maximum plant species were able to cure gastrointestinal diseases followed by fever, liver disorders, respiratory disorders, dermatological problem, ENT problems, etc. The results of this study revealed that Perambalur district has rich plant diversity and people have broad indigenous knowledge of role in curing children diseases. Hence, further phytochemical, pharmacological and toxicological investigation on floras that scored highest RFC and UV values is necessary for discovering new drugs.