Use of quantitative ethnobotany for assessing potential and conservation priorities of the Indian Thar desert medicinal plants claimed for central nervous disorders

This article deals with the use of quantitative ethnobotany for assessing potential and conservation priorities of the Thar Desert medicinal plants that are supposed to regulate the central nervous system (CNS). The study reveals that at least 35 plants of the region are so far documented for 9 different diseases related to CNS and 16 other body systems. Relative Importance Value (RIV) of these 35 medicinal plants ranges from 0.9 to 1.65. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering of the plants for their use in 16 different body systems has grouped them into 3 clusters, while Principal Component Analysis highlights 3 plants under maximum usage for the diseases related to CNS. The higher usage of Abutilon indicum, Cocculus pendulus, Sida cordifolia, Abrus precatorious and Solanum surattense make them more vulnerable to degradation, and requiring urgent conservation measures, including standardization of agro-techniques for their incorporation in cropping system to counter indiscriminate wild harvesting. Such multivariate analyses can provides a basic groundwork for preparation of multi-herb combination.