Folk Medicinal Use of Plants to Treat Skin Disorders in Chandpur District, Bangladesh

Abstract

Title: Folk medicinal use of plants to treat skin disorders in Chandpur district, Bangladesh. Background: Folk medicinal practitioners (FMPs) possibly form the largest group of traditional medicinal practitioners in Bangladesh. FMPs essentially use plants for treatment of diseases; however, the selection of plants can differ widely among FMPs even within the same region. The objective of the present study was to document the phytotherapeutic practices of several FMPs in Chandpur district, who treated various types of skin disorders. Methods and findings: Interviews of the FMPs regarding their phytotherapeutic practices were carried out with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method between 2016-2017. The FMPs used a total of 10 plants distributed into 10 families in their 9 formulations. Conclusions: Skin diseases are common in Bangladesh, particularly among the rural and urban slum people. These people most often cannot afford a visit to allopathic doctors. As such, the medicinal plants of the FMPs can prove useful in the treatment of skin disorders.