Folk Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Skin Diseases in Bhadrak District of Odisha, India

Herbal and natural products of folk medicine are practiced for centuries in almost all cultures worldwide. However, in most of the world countries, especially those in the African continent, Asia and South and Central America, the majority of the population (roughly 80%) still relies to a great extent on herbal medicine for their primary healthcare [1,2]. Moreover, in developing countries and rural societies, the use of medicinal plants is both a valuable resource and a necessity, and furthermore a real alternative for prevention of diseases. Despite the great progress in commercial drugs, the increasing confidence in alternative therapies (especially herbal therapies), even in western countries, stems from the fact that some of these remedies have so far proven to be very effective in countries like France and Germany [3]. It is suggested that many conventional drugs prescribed worldwide are exclusively of plant based [4,5]. Examples include salicylic acid, which upon acetylation produces aspirin, which is isolated from the bark of Salix caroliniana, anticancer drug Taxol isolated from Taxus brevifolia, the pain killer morphine and the anti-cough codeine from Papaver somniferum etc. [6]. However, scientists and medical professionals have found that the herbs themselves, which possess unique combinations of chemical components, are more effective than the chemical derivatives [7]. Herbalists and indigenous healers have used botanical medicines traditionally for the prevention and treatment of different ailments. Traditional knowledge that is developed through the combined experience of many generations and still practiced in many tribal and rural societies develops their own medical practices by trial and error method [8]. In every period, every successive century from the development of humankind and advanced civilizations, the healing properties of certain medicinal plants are identified, noted, and conveyed to the successive generations. The benefits of one society were passed on to another, which upgraded the old properties, discovered new ones, till present days. Consequently, historical texts from medical traditions in various countries of the world such as India, China, Egypt, Greek, Roman and Syria bring new insight into plant usage and become established as a rewarding tool for ethnopharmacological research. In India a number of studies have been in use, under indigenous systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Sidha and Unani. Ayurvedic texts viz., Charak Samhita, ‘Sushrut Samhita’, Sarangadhara Samhita, Bhavaprakasha Samhita, Satmya Darpan Samhita, Vaisajya Ratnabali, Rasatarangini etc. explain numerous remedies to treat different ailments. Indeed, many plant based medicines are still in demand for a variety of diseases like congestive cardiac failure, bronchitis, inflammatory conditions and other ailments [6,9-12]. Skin diseases are one such common disorder, effecting people worldwide, particularly in rural areas of developing countries due to poor sanitation and inattentiveness to dietary food supplements [13]. It is found in all ages with an incidence of 34% of all occupational diseases [14]. Common skins ailments include eczema, leucoderma, ringworm, itching, wound, scabies, swelling and many others without distinct symptoms and are caused by a variety of microorganisms and uncomfortable environment [15]. Micro-organisms responsible for skin infections can be bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral in nature. Many allopathic drugs prescribed for skin diseases have adverse effects. Consequently, there is an increased interest and confidence in alternative therapies, like phytomedicine, in the treatment of skin ailments [16]. Currently, many natural products Abstract