Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Malayali Tribes in Jawadhu Hills- An Analysis

The present investigation highlights the use of plants for various ailments by malayali tribe living in Jawadhu hills, Thiruvannamalai district, Tamilnadu, India, A total of 40 traditional plant species used by them as herbal medicines to treat several common diseases such as cold, cough, fever, skin diseases, rheumatic problems, diabetic problems and various ailments were documented. During present study it has been observed that the ethno botanical systems and herbal medicines as therapeutic agents are of a paramount importance of addressing the health problems of traditional communities.The indigenous knowledge available with these people plays an important role in quick and proper identification of natural resources. Methods: The extensive field survey was carried out in the Jawadhu hills. The 124 Malayali tribes were selected in this study for collecting the ethnobotanical data through the questionnaires, discussions, and personal interviews during the regular field trips. Results and discussion: The study reveals that about 40 medicinal plants belonging to 27 families have been documented with the scientific name, family name, vernacular name (Tamil name) and various plant parts used by the malayali local tribes of Jawadhu hills for the treatment of many diseases. Conclusion: We observed and analyzed that the documented ethno medicinal plants were used to cure various diseases such as cold, fever, jaundice, asthma, ulcer, diabetes, and cancer treatment by the local malayali tribes of Jawadhu hills.