WORLD JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

Rahmatullah et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

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Volume 4, Issue 12, 274-283 Research Article ISSN 2278 – 4357

PHYTOTHERAPY IN KISHOREGANJ DISTRICT, BANGLADESH –

PART I

Sania Akter Linky, Farhana Tanjila Tonny, Nadia Zaman, Atiqur Rahman, Sharina
Jahan Mim, Erena Islam, Mohammed Rahmatullah*

Department of Pharmacy, University of Development Alternative, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207,

Bangladesh.

Article Received on ABSTRACT

15 Oct 2015, Background. Folk medicinal practitioners in various districts of
Revised on 05 Nov 2015, Bangladesh vary widely in their selection of medicinal plants to treat
Accepted on 25 Nov 2015
ailments. The objective of the present study was to document the use
of medicinal plants by a folk medicinal practitioner (FMP) practicing
*Correspondence for
in Chander Hashi village in Kishoreganj district, Bangladesh.
Author
Dr. Mohammed
Methods. Interview of the folk medicinal practitioner was carried out
Rahmatullah with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-
Department of Pharmacy, walk method. Results. The folk medicinal practitioner used a total of
University of
26 plants distributed into 20 families for treatment. The various
Development Alternative,
diseases treated included bone fracture, leucorrhea, jaundice, diabetes,
Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207,
Bangladesh.
cataract, pain, gastrointestinal disorders, allergy, coughs, mucus, insect
bite, rheumatism, leucorrhea, skin disorders and hair loss. Conclusion.
The medicinal plants used by the folk medicinal practitioner comprise of a number of plants
not usually used for treatment by tribal or folk medicinal practitioners of Bangladesh and so
merit scientific attention as to validation of the treatment and towards discovery of lead
compounds.

KEYWORDS: Folk medicine, medicinal plants, Kishoreganj, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND
Folk medicinal practice is an integral part of the various medicinal systems of Bangladesh.
Folk medicinal practitioners (FMPs) possibly constitute the majority of various traditional
medicinal practitioners within the country for they can be found practicing in almost every
village of the 86,000 villages in Bangladesh as well as in urban areas. Their treatment method

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Rahmatullah et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

consists of using medicinal plants for the most part with occasional use of animal parts and
minerals. FMPs treat both human beings as well as animals, though treatment of animals is
comparatively rare. An interesting part of folk medicine practice is the use by FMPs of a
wide diversity of plants for treatment of even the same ailment. Thus it is important to
document the practices of FMPs of different areas and as many areas as possible to get an
overall picture of the various plants used, for such information can prove valuable to science
for further research and possible discovery of new drugs and lead compounds.

Ethnomedicinal surveys are necessary to obtain information on the medicinal plants or other
means used by traditional medicinal practitioners including FMPs for treatment. As such, one
of our objectives has been to collect ethnomedicinal data from folk and tribal medicinal
practitioners of various areas of Bangladesh.[1-21] The objective of the present study was to
document the medicinal plants used by a FMP in Kishoreganj district, Bangladesh.

METHODS
The FMP who was interviewed was named Aizul Haq Ujjal, male and practiced in Chander
Hashi village in Kishoreganj district. Prior informed consent was initially obtained from the
FMP. The FMP was informed as to the nature of our visit and consent obtained to
disseminate any information provided including his name both nationally and internationally.
Actual interviews were conducted in the Bengali language, which was spoken fluently by the
FMP as well as the interviewers. The interviews were conducted with the help of a semi-
structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method of Martin[22] and Maundu.[23] In
this method the FMP took the interviewers on guided field-walks through areas from where
he collected his medicinal plants or plant parts, pointed out the plants, and described their
uses. All plant specimens were photographed and collected on the spot, pressed, dried and
brought back to Bangladesh National Herbarium at Dhaka for identification. Voucher
specimens were deposited with the Medicinal Plant Collection Wing of the University of
Development Alternative.

RESULTS
The folk medicinal practitioner used a total of 26 plants distributed into 20 families for
treatment. The various diseases treated included bone fracture, leucorrhea, jaundice, diabetes,
cataract, pain, gastrointestinal disorders, allergy, coughs, mucus, insect bite, rheumatism,
leucorrhea, skin disorders and hair loss. The results are shown in Table 1.

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A number of plants used by the FMP appeared to be reported for the first time (to our
knowledge) in folk medicinal uses in Bangladesh. These plants include Acrocarpus
fraxinifolius (used for treatment of rheumatism and rheumatic pain), Tinospora tomentosa
(used for treatment of pain), Cynodon arcuatus (used for treatment of severe skin infections),
and Pyrrosia flocculosa (to keep head cool and for hair loss). With the exception of two
formulations, which were polyherbal, the rest of the formulations consisted of single plants.
Among the two polyherbal formulations, one consisted of leaf juice of Alternanthera
philoxeroides, Ageratum conyzoides and Cynodon dactylon, which were mixed together and
taken orally for 1 month as treatment of leucorrhea and jaundice. The other polyherbal
formulation consisted of paste of root of Cynodon arcuatus, which was wrapped with a
young leaf of Smilax macrophylla and tied to affected areas of skin as treatment for severe
skin infections. Notably, all formulations of the FMP were required to be taken for periods
from weeks to months. One plant, Leucaena latisiliqua, was used by the FMP to increase
milk production in cows.

Several uses of plants by the FMP were novel and to our knowledge this particular use of the
plant concerned has not been noted in ethnomedicinal surveys before in Bangladesh.
Examples of such uses are the use of Justicia gendarussa for treatment of bone fracture, use
of Commelina benghalensis for treatment of insect bite, use of Acrocarpus fraxinifolius for
treatment of rheumatism and rheumatic pain, use of Sida acuta for treatment of bone fracture,
use of Sida cordifolia for treatment of pain, use of Tinospora tomentosa for treatment of pain,
use of Oxalis rubra for treatment of stomach disorders in children, use of Cynodon arcuatus
for treatment of severe skin infections, and use of Pyrrosia flocculosa to keep head cool and
for hair loss.

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Table 1. Medicinal plants and formulations of the FMP in Kishoreganj district, Bangladesh.
Ailments and mode of
Serial Number Scientific Name Family Name Local Name Parts used
medicinal use
Bone fracture. Leaf paste is
Justicia gendarussa
1 Acanthaceae Bir jaron Leaf applied to fractured area for
Burm.f.
1-2 months.
Leucorrhea, jaundice. Leaf
juice of Alternanthera
Alternanthera
philoxeroides, Ageratum
2 philoxeroides (Mart.) Amaranthaceae Haiccha Leaf
conyzoides, and Cynodon
Griseb.
dactylon are mixed together
and taken orally for 1 month.
Diabetes. Leaf and flower
Leaf,
3 Catharanthus roseus L. Apocynaceae Mainamoti juice is taken orally for 1-2
flower
weeks.
Cataract. Leaves are cooked
4 Colocasia sp. Araceae Buno kochu Leaf and eaten for 2-4 weeks or till
cure.
Jaundice. Leaf juice is orally
taken for 1 week.
Toothache. Leaf juice is
5 Ageratum conyzoides L. Asteraceae Nakful Leaf applied to base of tooth for 1
week.
See Alternanthera
philoxeroides.
Stomach pain, gastric trouble,
allergy. Leaf juice is orally
6 Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk. Asteraceae Kalo keshari Leaf
taken with water for 1-2
weeks.
Conjunctivitis, any other eye
7 Heliotropium indicum L. Boraginaceae Hatishur Leaf
problem. Leaf juice is applied

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to eyes for 7-8 days.

Pain, gastric trouble. Leaf
Crataeva nurvala Buch.-
8 Capparidaceae Borun Leaf juice is orally taken for 1
Ham.
week.
Commelina benghalensis Insect bite. Paste of leaf is
9 Commelinaceae Gach pata Leaf
L. applied topically for 3-4 days.
Coughs, mucus. Leaves are
10 Acalypha indica L. Euphorbiaceae Muktajhuri Leaf chewed and taken orally for
1-2 weeks.
Rheumatism, rheumatic pain.
Acrocarpus fraxinifolius Paste of one finger length of
11 Fabaceae Mandair gach Stem
Arn. stem is applied to affected
areas for 1 month.
Leucaena latisiliqua (L.) To increase cow milk. Leaves
12 Fabaceae Ipil ipil Leaf
Gillis are fed to cows for 7-8 days.
Allergy, leucorrhea. Leaves
13 Mimosa pudica L. Fabaceae Lojjaboti Leaf are chewed and taken orally
for 2 weeks.
Bleeding from external cuts
and wounds. Leaf paste is
14 Hibiscus rosa sinensis L. Malvaceae Rokto joba Leaf applied to cuts and wounds.
For complete healing, this is
done for 2 weeks.
Bone fracture. Paste of leaf
Leaf,
15 Sida acuta Burm.f. Malvaceae Beril and flower is applied to
flower
fractured area for 1-2 months.
Pain (all types). Leaf juice is
16 Sida cordifolia L. Malvaceae Baireler gach Leaf
taken orally daily till cure.
Pain. Stem is soaked in water
Tinospora tomentosa overnight followed by
17 Menispermaceae Padda inchiloth Stem
Miers. drinking the water the
following morning. This is

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done for 7-10 days.

Pain, coughs, mucus. Leaf
Eucalyptus citriodora
18 Myrtaceae Eucalyptus Leaf juice is taken orally for 7-10
Hook.
days.
Itch, allergy. Paste of leaf is
Ludwigia repens J.R.
19 Onagraceae Morich phul Leaf applied to affected areas
Forst.
topically for 7-10 days.
Stomach disorders in
20 Oxalis rubra A.St.-Hil. Oxalidaceae Dutmanhuni Leaf children. Leaf juice is orally
administered for 4-7 days.
Severe skin infection. Paste
of root of Cynodon arcuatus
Cynodon arcuatus J. is put within a young leaf of
21 Poaceae Binnah Root
Presl Smilax macrophylla and tied
to affected areas of skin. This
is done for 1-2 weeks.
Cynodon dactylon (L.) See Alternanthera
22 Poaceae Durba ghash Leaf
Pers. philoxeroides.
To keep head cool, hair loss.
Pyrrosia flocculosa (D.
23 Polypodiaceae Porgacha Leaf Leaf juice is applied topically
Don) Ching
to scalp for 3 weeks.
Glycosmis arborea Pain (any type). Leaf juice is
24 Rutaceae Motkila Leaf
(Roxb.) A.P. de Candolle taken orally for 1 week.
Any type of pain including
Smilax macrophylla toothache. Leaf juice is orally
25 Smilacaceae Kumari lota Leaf
Roxb. taken for 1 week.
See Cynodon arcuatus.
Coughs. Pills prepared from
Clerodendrum viscosum
26 Verbenaceae Sathkan, Vat gach Leaf leaves are taken orally for 2
Vent.
weeks.

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DISCUSSION
In a scientific study, Justicia gendarussa has been shown to have potential in enhancing bone
mineralization during bone repair process.[24] Thus the use of this plant by the FMP to treat
bone fracture appears to be quite justified. The therapeutic efficacy of Alternanthera
philoxeroides in treatment of jaundice and leucorrhea is yet to be established. However, a
related species, Alternanthera sessilis, has been shown to give protective effect in
paracetamol induced hapatotoxicity in rats.[25] Thus the potential of Alternanthera
philoxeroides as an effective agent for treatment of jaundice is quite high and further
scientific studies may lead to new effective uses of the plant in hepatic disorders. The FMP
used Catharanthus roseus for treatment of diabetes; antihyperglycemic effect of leaves of the
plant has been reported in alloxan induced diabetic rats. [26] Thus the plant can be an effective
remedy for diabetes – a disease which cannot be cured with allopathic medicine.

The use of a Colocasia species for treatment of cataract by the FMP provides new
opportunities for treatment of this disorder without surgery. However, although the genus was
identified, the actual species could not be identified. Ageratum conyzoides was used by the
FMP for treatment of both jaundice and toothache. The hepatoprotective activity of the plant
in acetaminophen toxicity in Wistar rats has been established. [27] The analgesic and anti-
inflammatory effects of the plant has also been described,[28] so the plant can also be an
effective relief for toothache. Overall, it appears that a number of the plants used by the FMP
are scientifically validated in their uses, which strongly suggests that the other plants deserve
scientific attention to study their pharmacological properties.

CONCLUSION
The folk medicinal practitioner from Kishoreganj district used a number of plants for
therapeutic purpose, such uses being reported for the first time from Bangladesh or
elsewhere. At the same time, the practitioner also used some medicinal plants whose
therapeutic uses were novel and first documented from this practitioner. As such, the plants
merit potential for further scientific studies.

Conflicts of interest
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

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