Ethno-medicinally important plants from Northeast India with therapeutic properties against respiratory disorders: A comprehensive review

Abstract

The respiratory system is one of the most essential systems of the body, and it can be adversely impacted by air pollution and infections caused by bacterial and viral pathogens encountered during human respiration. These infections can lead to several chronic respiratory diseases by affecting the different parts of the respiratory tract including the pharynx (throat), trachea (windpipe), lung tissue, larynx, muscle cage, and nasal cavities. Modern medications can help treat these conditions, but they have several adverse side effects that might lead to other critical health issues and contribute to the rising problem of antibiotic or drug resistance. Local physicians across numerous communities in Northeast India continue to use traditionally known plants and herbs as medicines to treat severe respiratory disorders such as asthma, tuberculosis, bronchitis, pneumonia, tonsillitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders, and so on, based on information gathered from tribal inhabitants. Traditional practitioners use all plant parts as herbal medicines, including the leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, roots, bark, rhizomes, and seeds. Different modes of preparation of plant extracts such as decoction, fluid extraction, infusion, burning, boiling, drying, forming paste, etc. have also been identified. Among these, decoction has been determined as the top choice for the treatment of the respiratory ailments. The current study aims to provide consolidated information from multiple sources on medicinal plants used to treat common respiratory disorders in Northeast India while summarizing the lists of the indigenous medicinal plants and highlighting the current state and need of experimental data to support these data.