Abstract

ETHNOMEDICINAL PRACTICES OF SAVARA TRIBES FROM EASTERN GHATS NEAR SEETHAMPETA MANDAL OF SRIKAKULAM, AP, INDIA.

*Sujatha Peela, Lalitha Sridevi Nimmakayala and Sankarrao Mudadla

Abstract

Plants are important source of phytochemicals and phytopharmaceuticals, used to prepare various herbal drugs. The numbers of plants are used as folk remedies in different countries and are source of many potent and powerful drugs or natural product medicines. A variety of secondary metabolites are found in plants which may have useful effect for mankind. The tremendous potential of medicinally important plant contains a broad range of bioactive compounds such as some bioactive constituents have been reported in the different parts of Ethnomedicinal uses. Plants play important role in Indian traditional system of medicines. However, several secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, phenolics, terpenes, volatile oils etc., are usually present in plants and some phytocompounds are responsible for the pharmacological effects. Herbal products have proved to be reliable source of large amount of drugs which are used in the treatment of numerous diseases. Synthetic drugs are effective but they fall behind the undesired properties and may generate frequent side effects. So, herbal drugs have no side effect, affordable and easily accessible than synthetic drugs. The present study was carried out on ethnomedical practices among Savara, a primitive tribal population of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. Although the tribe is fast losing their traditional customs, their traditional medicinal practitioners still exist. In the present ethnomedicinal survey, it was observed that primitive tribal traditional medicinal practitioners use medicinal plant parts for treatment of different ailments. A total of 362 plants were there in the region of bundi village, seethampeta mandal, srikakulam district. This paper provides data on 20 medicinal plants belongs to 17 families used by savara community of bundi village for curing various ailments along with local and botanical names, formulations, dosage mode of administration.

Keywords: Ethnomedicine, Savara, Tribes, Local healers.