Biomaterial Database

Ethnobiology of the Nilgiri hills, India. 2002

S Rajan, and M Sethuraman, and Pulok K Mukherjee

Survey of Medicinal Plants and Collection Unit, Central Council for Research in Homeopathy, Udhagamandalam--643 002, Tamil Nadu, India.

The Nilgiri is a popular massif towering high in the Western Ghats in South India with an altitude of 2623 m. Nature has been magnanimous in bestowing Nilgiri district with rich evergreen temperate to tropical forests. A high degree of biodiversity, marked by varied flora and fauna of good therapeutic potential as well as the varied number of indigenous groups of people in this area, makes it very popular among herbalists. The district has six anthropologically well defined ethnic groups namely Todas, Kotas, Kurumbas, Irulas, Paniyas and Kattunayakas living here possibly since 1200 B.C. The present review highlights the ethnobiological profile of six indigenous populations and their dependence on ambient flora and fauna for traditional health care needs. It has been observed that about 2700 therapeutically potent plant species are available in this hill station of which almost all have come from local medicine. Some have been explored scientifically. However, about 150 plant species are still to be explored for their therapeutic potential. The ethnography, phytochemical and therapeutic uses as well as the anthropological perspectives of the local medicines have been discussed in this review.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007194	India	A country in southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan. The capitol is New Delhi.	Republic of India
D008517	Phytotherapy	Use of plants or herbs to treat diseases or to alleviate pain.	Herb Therapy,Herbal Therapy
D008518	Medicine, East Asian Traditional	Medical practice or discipline that is based on the knowledge, cultures, and beliefs of the people in EAST ASIA.	Traditional Medicine, East Asia,East Asian Medicine,East Asian Traditional Medicine,Medicine, East Asia,Medicine, Far East,Medicine, Oriental,Medicine, Oriental Traditional,Medicine, Traditional, East Asia,Oriental Medicine,Oriental Medicine, Traditional,Oriental Traditional Medicine,Traditional East Asian Medicine,Traditional Far Eastern Medicine,Traditional Medicine, Oriental,Asia Medicines, East,East Asia Medicine,East Asia Medicines,East Asian Medicines,East Medicine, Far,East Medicines, Far,Far East Medicine,Far East Medicines,Medicine, East Asian,Medicine, Traditional Oriental,Medicines, East Asia,Medicines, Far East,Traditional Oriental Medicine,Traditional Oriental Medicines
D010946	Plants, Medicinal	Plants whose roots, leaves, seeds, bark, or other constituent parts possess therapeutic, tonic, purgative, curative or other pharmacologic attributes, when administered to man or animals.	Herbs, Medicinal,Medicinal Herbs,Healing Plants,Medicinal Plants,Pharmaceutical Plants,Healing Plant,Herb, Medicinal,Medicinal Herb,Medicinal Plant,Pharmaceutical Plant,Plant, Healing,Plant, Medicinal,Plant, Pharmaceutical,Plants, Healing,Plants, Pharmaceutical
D003625	Data Collection	Systematic gathering of data for a particular purpose from various sources, including questionnaires, interviews, observation, existing records, and electronic devices. The process is usually preliminary to statistical analysis of the data.	Data Collection Methods,Dual Data Collection,Collection Method, Data,Collection Methods, Data,Collection, Data,Collection, Dual Data,Data Collection Method,Method, Data Collection,Methods, Data Collection
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000884	Anthropology, Cultural	Study of social phenomena which characterize the learned, shared, and transmitted social activities of particular ethnic groups with focus on the causes, consequences, and complexities of human social and cultural variability.	Ethnography,Cultural Anthropology,Material Culture,Culture, Material,Ethnographies,Material Cultures
D019448	Ethnobotany	The study of plant lore and agricultural customs of a people. In the fields of ETHNOMEDICINE and ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY, the emphasis is on traditional medicine and the existence and medicinal uses of PLANTS and PLANT EXTRACTS and their constituents, both historically and in modern times.