Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used by Saperas community of Khetawas, Jhajjar District, Haryana, India. 2010

Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
Department of Genetics, MD University Rohtak, Haryana, India.

BACKGROUND Plants have traditionally been used as a source of medicine in India by indigenous people of different ethnic groups inhabiting various terrains for the control of various ailments afflicting human and their domestic animals. The indigenous community of snake charmers belongs to the 'Nath' community in India have played important role of healers in treating snake bite victims. Snake charmers also sell herbal remedies for common ailments. In the present paper an attempt has been made to document on ethno botanical survey and traditional medicines used by snake charmers of village Khetawas located in district Jhajjar of Haryana, India as the little work has been made in the past to document the knowledge from this community. METHODS Ethno botanical data and traditional uses of plants information was obtained by semi structured oral interviews from experienced rural folk, traditional herbal medicine practitioners of the 'Nath' community. A total of 42 selected inhabitants were interviewed, 41 were male and only one woman. The age of the healers was between 25 years and 75 years. The plant specimens were identified according to different references concerning the medicinal plants of Haryana and adjoining areas and further confirmation from Forest Research Institute, Dehradun. RESULTS The present study revealed that the people of the snake charmer community used 57 medicinal plants species that belonged to 51 genera and 35 families for the treatment of various diseases. The study has brought to light that the main diseases treated by this community was snakebite in which 19 different types of medicinal plants belongs to 13 families were used. Significantly higher number of medicinal plants was claimed by men as compared to women. The highest numbers of medicinal plants for traditional uses utilized by this community were belonging to family Fabaceae. CONCLUSIONS This community carries a vast knowledge of medicinal plants but as snake charming is banned in India as part of efforts to protect India's steadily depleting wildlife, this knowledge is also rapidly disappearing in this community. Such type of ethno botanical studies will help in systematic documentation of ethno botanical knowledge and availing to the scientific world plant therapies used as antivenin by the Saperas community.

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
D007407 Interviews as Topic Works about conversations with an individual or individuals held in order to obtain information about their background and other personal biographical data, their attitudes and opinions, etc. It includes works about school admission or job interviews. Group Interviews,Interviewers,Interviews, Telephone,Oral History as Topic,Group Interview,Interview, Group,Interview, Telephone,Interviewer,Interviews, Group,Telephone Interview,Telephone Interviews
D007722 Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors which pertain to health-related topics such as PATHOLOGIC PROCESSES or diseases, their prevention, and treatment. This term refers to non-health workers and health workers (HEALTH PERSONNEL). Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
D008297 Male Males
D008517 Phytotherapy Use of plants or herbs to treat diseases or to alleviate pain. Herb Therapy,Herbal Therapy
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
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
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults

Related Publications

Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
April 2014, Journal of ethnopharmacology,
Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
February 2014, Journal of ethnopharmacology,
Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
July 2013, Journal of ethnopharmacology,
Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
January 2018, Journal of ethnopharmacology,
Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
June 2015, Journal of ethnopharmacology,
Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
January 2024, Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine,
Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
February 2014, Journal of ethnopharmacology,
Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
October 2006, Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine,
Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
June 2023, Tropical medicine and health,
Manju Panghal, and Vedpriya Arya, and Sanjay Yadav, and Sunil Kumar, and Jaya Parkash Yadav
January 2018, Frontiers in pharmacology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!