An ethno-medicinal survey of medicinal plants used by traditional healers of araku valley, andhra pradesh, india

The present ethnobotanical exploration study presents the folk medicinal plants used by certain tribes (Kondadoras) in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh in India. As the valuable source of knowledge on traditional medicinal plants usage is not adequately documented, this study impedes their widespread use and validation. Here we have recorded indigenous knowledge and standard practices for human disease control of these tribes. A cross sectional study was carried out using semi-structured questionnaire to document knowledge of 49 traditional healers (40 male and 9 female) in medicinal plant use for treatment of human ailments. 226 plant species claimed medicinal properties against major human ailments and botanically belongs to 78 families. Most of the plant species reported belongs to one of these major families: Solanaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Moraceae, Apocynaceae and Amaranthaceae. They majorly use herbs (44 %), trees (27 %) and shrubs (19 %) for preparing medicine. Leaves (31 %) and roots (17 %) were the major plant parts used in this study area. This study showed that traditional medicinal plants play a significant role in meeting the primary healthcare needs of the ethnic groups. Collected information from traditional healers can be used for further study.