An Ethnobotanical Assessment of Medicinal Plant Diversity and Indigenous Therapeutic Practices in Balod District, Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract

Ethnobotanical knowledge constitutes a critical interface between biological diversity, Indigenous knowledge systems, traditional healthcare, and biocultural heritage. The present study evaluates the medicinal plant diversity and associated ethnomedicinal practices of traditional communities in Balod District, Chhattisgarh, India, with particular emphasis on plant identity, vernacular nomenclature, taxonomic affiliation, growth habit, plant parts utilized, preparation methods, routes of administration, and reported therapeutic applications. Ethnobotanical information was documented through structured interviews and questionnaires involving 16 traditional healers selected using purposive sampling, with emphasis on the knowledge associated with Baiga, Gond, and Oraon communities. The documented inventory comprised 166 medicinally and ethnobotanically significant plant species belonging to 155 genera and 75 families, representing both cultivated and wild plant resources. The recorded taxa demonstrate substantial diversity in plant habit and utilization patterns, reflecting the breadth of locally embedded plant-based healthcare practices.

The documented ethnomedicinal repertoire encompasses remedies for a broad spectrum of commonly reported health conditions, including gastrointestinal disorders, dermatological ailments, fever, pain, wounds, respiratory complaints, and other common health problems. Different plant organs, including leaves, roots, stems, bark, flowers, fruits, seeds, and other parts, are utilized according to the specific therapeutic application. Traditional preparations include fresh plant materials, pastes, decoctions, juices, and other locally prepared formulations, with administration practices varying according to the plant species and targeted ailment. These findings indicate that local ethnomedicinal knowledge extends beyond species recognition and incorporates experiential understanding of plant-part selection, preparation, administration, and therapeutic application.

The findings further demonstrate the important role of traditional healers as custodians of orally transmitted ecological and therapeutic knowledge. However, the persistence of such knowledge may be challenged by habitat degradation, changing livelihood patterns, unsustainable harvesting, commercialization, and declining intergenerational transmission. Consequently, systematic ethnobotanical documentation should be complemented by taxonomic authentication, voucher-specimen development, phytochemical characterization, pharmacological evaluation, and assessment of conservation status. Equally important are ethical mechanisms for recognizing community contributions and protecting traditional knowledge from inappropriate appropriation,documented medicinal-plant diversity of Balod District represents a significant component of the region's biocultural heritage and traditional healthcare knowledge. The inventory provides a baseline for subsequent ethnobotanical, ecological, phytochemical, pharmacological, and conservation-oriented investigations and underscores the importance of integrating scientific documentation with sustainable resource management and community-based conservation strategies.