Ethnobotanical insights: Medicinal plants used by the Baiga community in Amarkantak region, Madhya Pradesh

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Medicinal plants have been vital to global healthcare for millennia, valued for their roles in treating and preventing numerous diseases. In the Amarkantak region of Madhya Pradesh, India, the Baiga tribal community continues to depend on these plants, with most members possessing basic knowledge of herbal remedies to address common ailments, such as bloody cough, cold, fever, headaches, poisonous bites, and other minor health issues.

Aim of the Study

The study aimed to identify traditional Baiga healers in the Amarkantak region who practice herbal medicine and to thoroughly document their indigenous knowledge regarding the use of common medicinal plants.

Methods

Field research was conducted over a year in the Amarkantak region. Ethnomedicinal data were gathered through interviews with Baiga traditional healers and analyzed using methods like use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), relative importance (RI), and Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC).

Results

The study identified 77 plant species across 75 genera from 47 families, used by Baiga healers to treat 56 ailments, categorized into 14 groups based on affected body systems. Additionally, 19 newly identified medicinal plant species were proposed for the Amarkantak region. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts, with most remedies prepared as pastes and administered orally. High ICF values showed strong healer consensus on using plants for treating bloody coagulants and ear pain. The highest use value (1.92) were recorded for ailments like gonorrhea, syphilis, rheumatism, and paralysis, with four plants showing a fidelity level of 100 %. Species with the highest use values included Gloriosa superba (1.92), Aegle marmelos (1.62), Curculigo orchioides (1.38), and Gymnema sylvestre (1.23).

Conclusion

This study suggests Gloriosa superba, Aegle marmelos, Curculigo orchioides, Gymnema sylvestre, Lawsonia inermis, Phyllanthus emblica, and Dryopteris cochleata as plants with high medicinal potential based on their UV and RI values. Newly recorded medicinal claims include Annona squamosa, Bacopa monnieri, Bauhinia vahlii, Benincasa hispida, Butea monosperma, Centratherum anthelminticum, Cuscuta reflexa, Cyperus rotundus, Datura stramonium, Eichhornia crassipes, Ficus infectoria, Hyptis suaveolens, Mimosa pudica, Ocimum canum, Phyllanthus emblica, Sida rhombifolia, Sterculia urens, Tamarindus indica, and Terminalia arjuna. Plants such as Annona squamosa, Eichhornia crassipes, Melilotus parviflora, and Phyllanthus niruri displayed the highest FL values (100 %). Positive correlations between UV and FL (0.9463) and UV and RI (0.4766) highlight the importance of these traditional practices. Documentation of this ethnomedicinal knowledge may inspire further phytochemical and pharmacological studies, potentially contributing to new drug development.