A survey of medicinal plants used by the folk medicinal practitioners of Shetabganj village in Dinajpur district, Bangladesh

Folk medicinal practitioners (Kavirajes) constitute the first tier for provision of primary health care to the rural population of 86,000 villages in Bangladesh. Their treatment method for most ailments is oral or topical administration of decoctions, or direct application of whole plants or plant parts, or juices obtained from crushing or maceration of whole plant or plant parts. This practice has been going on from ancient periods and the volume of patient satisfaction suggests that the treatments are on the whole serving their purpose. The medicinal plants chosen by the Kavirajes vary considerably even between adjacent villages. To get a comprehensive view of folk medicinal practices, it is therefore important to survey as many Kavirajes of different villages as possible. The objective of the present study was to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey among the Kavirajes of Shetabganj village in the district of Dinajpur, which lies in the northern section of the country. Informed consent was obtained of the Kavirajes and interviews conducted with the help of a semistructured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. All plant specimens as pointed out by the Kavirajes were collected and brought back for identification at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. It was observed that the Kavirajes of Shetabganj village used 58 plants distributed into 37 families for treatment of various ailments. The Euphorbiaceae family contributed the highest number of plants (5), followed by the Fabaceae family (4 plants) and the Acanthaceae, Apocynaceae, Lamiaceae, and Verbenaceae families (3 plants per family). Leaves constituted the major plant part used (33.3%), followed by roots (16.0%), whole plant (13.3%), and barks (13.3%). 15 plants were used for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders suggesting that this is the prevalent disorder in the area. 11 plants were used to respiratory tract disorders like asthma, tonsillitis, and coughs. 7 plants were used for treatment of rheumatism and rheumatic pain, while 6 plants were used for treatment of helminthic infections. The Kavirajes also used medicinal plants for treatment of ailments like paralysis, tuberculosis, endocrinological problems, tract disorders, hepatic disorders, disorders of the spleen, diabetes, sexual disorders, gall bladder problems, allergy, teeth problems, disorders of the ear, pain, snake bite, dog bite, and chicken pox. One plant was used for treatment of filariasis, which is quite prevalent in the region. Overall, the plants present considerable potential for further research, which can lead to the discovery of lead compounds and newer drugs.